My Bessa R3A in public

vsolanoy · 04-20-2005

My wife had invited me to take photos at Walk A Mile in Her Shoes, a fundraising event for the YWCA where men where high-heeled shoes for 1 mile for a good cause. Needless to say, I didn't take photos during the event because I put my donation in and did the walk -- it all goes to a good cause.

Anyways, before I decided to take part, I was taking photos in public for the first time with my R3A, and I noticed something that I had never experienced -- I was completely ignored by a great number of people I was photographing! What nice, liberating experience that was! For once, I was not the recipient of an eyeful of scorn... that was reserved for the real press! I was free to take pictures with little more than a glance and a grin. My Digilux 1 draws more googles than the RF camera - did I say how nice a feeling it was?

Oddly enough, the photographers were taking note of me and my little camera -- something that I would never have noticed if I didn't take photos with both eyes open... yet another redeeming quality of a RF.

I am now completely sold on my Bessa R3A and RF photography. Although it could be considered just another photographic instrument, it for some reason is much more people friendly than my pro-sumer digital cameras.

Thought I'd share such an positive experience -- now hopefully my photos come out as nice as the experience.

Pherdinand · 04-21-2005

Great experience, i can understand your happiness.
"a fundraising event for the YWCA where men where high-heeled shoes for 1 mile for a good cause." ???Sorry?????

Roger Hicks · 04-21-2005

Very interesting!

When we first got the 15/4.5 and Bessa-L (when they came out) my wife and I were shooting in a fancy shopping mall near London. I had the Bessa; she had a Contax and an 35/1.4.

She was stopped by security guards and told she needed a permit. I wasn't.

Cheers,

Roger

vincentbenoit · 04-21-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by vsolanoy

I was completely ignored by a great number of people I was photographing! What nice, liberating experience that was! For once, I was not the recipient of an eyeful of scorn...

For a recent street photography shoot in Portugal I used my digital SLR (Canon 10D) and two fairly large lenses (24/1.4L and 17-40/4L) alongside my Bessa-R and 35/2.5C. Needless to say, the big camera attracted a lot of attention whilst the Bessa went mostly unnoticed. When using the dSLR, I somehow managed to get most of the shots I was after (pics here: http://www.pbase.com/vincentbenoit/portugal_in_bw), but overall I felt much more comfortable using the Bessa.

Dirk · 04-21-2005

Hmm, I wonder if that "public acceptance" thing with the RF vs. the SLR has to do with the fact that the RF is smaller and less people notice it, or that it looks vaguely friendly, i.e. something that reminds people of their childhood, family photo albums, etc.

sockeyed · 04-21-2005

I get some attention when I head out with my Bessa R (especially if I've got the 25/4 and accessory finder on it) from people who think it's a very cool looking camera. Most people ignore it, some want to talk about it and learn what it is.

canonetc · 04-21-2005

Dear Faithful,

Let us pray that the popular consumer and, verily, peace officer ignorance as to what a camera looks like remains with us for a time..... so that we RF users may, in peace and grace, snap photos because we look so harmless.... or at least.......unprofessional!

chris
canonetc

vsolanoy · 04-22-2005

I can't but think that the size a color of the the rangefinder have something to do it acceptance. Whatever magical forumal it is, I like it. The only thing that suprises people is the mechanical shutter sound, especially since the R3A doesn't have a silent shuttle.

MikeLeFevre · 04-22-2005

I'm a bit sceptical of this, it's a bit too much like the old- my Leica is invisible (and silent too) for street photography saying (which I've always thought was bs). People probably think it's one of those non-compact fixed lens digitals so don't take it as seriously as a normal consumer SLR. But I'm sure it's not invisible to local street thieves in some areas who aren't up on the history and distinctions between cameras.
M.

vsolanoy · 04-23-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeLeFevre

I'm a bit sceptical of this, it's a bit too much like the old- my Leica is invisible (and silent too) for street photography saying (which I've always thought was bs). People probably think it's one of those non-compact fixed lens digitals so don't take it as seriously as a normal consumer SLR. But I'm sure it's not invisible to local street thieves in some areas who aren't up on the history and distinctions between cameras.
M.

Not invisible, just that it draws much less attention than my DSLR or even my smaller digital cameras. I think the overall size and color contribute to being "invisible". I've never been convinced that no one will ever see the camera as you suggest that some Leica folks claim, but all that I was suggesting was that it was nice not being percieved as a "professional" event photographer -- no uneasy stares.

MikeLeFevre · 04-24-2005

Hello Victor, well said. Sorry for sounding a bit shirty.
Regards
Mike

vsolanoy · 04-24-2005

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeLeFevre

Hello Victor, well said. Sorry for sounding a bit shirty.
Regards
Mike

No worries.

Victor

Doug · 04-24-2005

Victor, I agree it's not so much a matter of a camera being invisible, or silent, but rather visibly or audibly ignorable. Somehow a big digital SLR causes folks to think they're being seriously photographed! Same with my Pentax 6x7, about the same size! :P But then it also makes a sound resembling the clap of doom...

By contrast a little point'n'shoot doesn't raise an eyebrow, the 'natives' remain calm, and you can do your thing pretty much ignored. I think this applies to 35mm RF cameras like the Leica too, and my Bronica RF645 doesn't stir up much attention either. And it’s very quiet. People might ask if it's digital, just being friendly.

So I think it's more psychological, and it's not only just the camera, but bags and meters and other paraphernalia, and the behavior and dress of the photographer that draws attention, often unwelcome. But despite alarming factors, if there's an obvious photographic target other than themselves -- some event or a landscape -- folks find it easy to begin ignoring you again...

Yeah, and the reverse is true too: If there's an obvious photo target, yet I'm shooting THEM instead, this will raise some questions amongst the victims even if I'm otherwise unremarkable!

tedwhite · 04-24-2005

Well, my son, also a photographer, and a very good one, just picked up another in an endless stream of huge Canon DSLR's, this one is some sort of 11 megapixel monster, to which he attaches a lens equally as huge. In a crowd you wouldn't fail to notice what he's got any more than you'd fail to notice someone with an AK47. Alongside him, with my Bessa R, I go virtually unnoticed. Actually, even with a 1964 black Pentax Spotmatic, I get very little notice, except the occasional old guy who says, "Jeez, I remember those. Does it still work?"

My son says, watching me standing on the other side of the street amongst throngs of tourists photographing a bicycle race, that the Bessa R looks like a point and shoot digital camera. He wants me to teach him black and white FILM photography, just so (I suspect) he can say he knows how to do it. Nothing wrong with that, fleshes a young photographer's resume out. But he's no dummy. He knows how lush a film negative is when it comes to pixels.

Ted

stet · 04-24-2005

man, that sounds kinda good. I feel like I get a lot of attention (and that I'm missing out on this inconspicuous-ness) with the 7s. maybe with the industar or the CV 35 pancake it won't seem so.

A couple weeks ago, a couple people at a food festival asked if I was a photokournalist or a professional photog. I told them I was taking an intro class and they just walked off!

tedwhite · 04-24-2005

Next time they ask, "Are you a professional?" just say, "Been there, done that."