butter knife, lady's hat, M8

[Nat Burgess]

I've picked up my Canon kit exactly once in the last month, and that was because I needed off-camera flash. Because the M8 looks like a period piece, I've noticed that people tend to act a little more, for lack of a better word, "goofy," than they do at the business end of a pro DSLR. Which is a good thing.

[James Roberts]

Hey Nat--

Nice shot. It's interesting, but I've noticed the exact opposite; people don't even bother with me when I have the M8. When I point a 70-200 at them, they sometimes run for cover :)

[Asher Kelman]

James,

I've seen a spectrum of reactions but mostly as you say. The M8 most often is seen as non-threatening and non-invasive.

Nat,

I believe that we are wired to recognize weapons. So anything like a weapon is regarded with suspicion in our very hard working brains but just below what is meted out to our consciousness. So we are in fact actively aware of and measuring everying for significance, benefit and safety.

So someone with a small digicam is more likely to be seen as being

A long white proud lens is both phallic and commanding simultaniously.

The M8 to the uninitiated is pretty well harmless. Taped "M8" and "Leica", even more so!

However to the Leicaphile, M8 is mechanical nirvana! There's a rush of excitement, you are a long lost relative and they feel they know you deeply as a friend with bonds. They'll rish to their car to bring out there's.

Here with your picture, it's the subject who is also special and your manner towards him. You and the M8, together allowed him to unwind. That's the whole essence of Leica rangefinders. That's the mystique. Not the M8 alone.

Asher

[Nat Burgess]

Years ago I went to a show with my brother, a veteran musician, and he immediately keyed in on the drum kit on stage. It was comically huge, containing the drums of at least two normal kits. When the drummer walked out on stage my brother muttered, "what is he going to do. . . hide behind that thing?"

I sat next to the father of my daughter's classmate at a school recital. He carried a gigantic, high definition video camera, and was busily experimenting with white balance settings before the show started. "What's he trying to do," I thought to myself, "win an Oscar?"

As it turned out, the drummer was fantastic and the video-crazed dad was a professional videographer who gave out an excellent DVD of the show to other parents. But the first impressions were slow to wear down.

I think there is merit also to the idea that we register a weapon subconsciously when confronted with a complex, elongated device. My dad used to step out on the back porch with a shotgun and the starlings would fly away. If he stepped out empty handed they would stay put.

Somewhere in this thread is a more nuanced understanding of the benefits of a rangefinder in capturing a moment and, conversely, the advantages of the 1D with the 70-200 attached in drawing out appropriate expressions and moves from a glamour model. Better to stop there.

[marc wilson]

Yes whilst of course not an M8, or any other rangefinder in fact, I find my taped up 5d with a nice 35mm elmarit or 90mm of the same attract very little attention...and allows a much better level of interaction, or lack thereof, between the shooter and the world.
Now whilst I'd like an M8 or equally unobtrusive and high image quality camera for travels and second camera with large format gear the above kit works for now...just a bit bigger!