Where can I bring my camera in public without looking like a moron?

I think its cool wearing my Sony NEX around  my neck on the strap but where is approratie places to wear it?

Going to work?

Shopping mall?

Grocery store?

Restaurant?

Drs office?

How often you guys wear your cams with you in publci? and list what kind of places.

I dont wear a camera, I carry it.  In a bag.  A Billingham bag.

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You can make yourself look marginally cooler by slinging the camera by the left strap lug and tripod socket, using a tripod plate footing or one of the many sling fitments out there. An expensive example of this (I made my own from my usual neckstrap) is the Luma Labs Cinch. The nice thing about this position is that your camera is tucked away safely against your lower side above your hip when you're walking, and easily comes to shooting position with a simple grab. It also gets the neckstrap away from your right hand, where it always seems to interfere when shooting.

Unfortunately, the simple truth is, a camera is a dead giveaway that you're a geek, no matter how you slice it. After years of travel, I've simply accepted this truth. I will walk through areas with my camera slung at my side, tucked behind and under my arm, without shame. At least I don't have my point and shoot dangling from its skinny neckstrap and swinging into the condiments when I walk up to a street vendor to get lunch...like I see so often.

But, really...why would you carry your camera into a doctor's office?  That would raise suspicions and HIIPA violation complaints pronto.  Keep a small shoulder bag at the ready.

... may I suggest that you might try actually using your head.

DSLR. Shoulder bag. Goes anywhere I go. I'm in a shopping centre with it right now. Been to doctors, hospital, hearing test, hardware store, grocery store today. lol.

...I carry mine in my purse. 

Usually carry my cam on the opposite side of my Colt 45(or whatever caliber I choose for the day)

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ABA DABA

In a belt bag out of sight under my shirt tails or jumper.

Brian

You got to not mind looking like a moron. It's an easy sentiment to say, and it's darned hard to do at times. However it's true just the same.

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Shoulder holster, alongside the Magnum 45. "C'mon punk,make my day".

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Well thas the thing, i bought this camera to take it out with me and explore, not to stay at home and collect dust.  I want to bring it with me everywhere!  But i dont want to  look like an idiot cause lets face it, unless youre a tourists how many people carry a camera around their neck in public?

Just the photographers.

If you are worried about how it looks, you are only a picture taker.

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Photons by the bag.
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You got a camera, now go out and get a life; or at least a picture of one!

Well, I do it. lol. But yeah, I have been questioned by the police. It's part of the job

I tell them I shoot open source stock for wikipedia... lol. (which I do)

I bought an old film Pentax 645 before Christmas, and felt totally self-conscious when I went out to take some pictures. Carried it over one shoulder, no bag. This Pentax, FYI, is about as big as three Nex-7s... weighs about 4 pounds.

But I figured I'd better get over my shyness. I started watching people walking by very carefully, and realized that nobody was paying any attention at all to me, or to the camera. And what if they did? Hey, if you drive by in an interesting car, I'm looking at you -- and so what?

But my big lesson was that since I'm just an ordinary-looking older guy, I'm just not on anyone's radar. And since then, I haven't worried about any of this at all.

A contrary thought -- you could make a press pass, put it in a plastic holder, also around your neck. Go all the way! Super-visible! Copy the art below in any graphics program, put in your own info, have fun!

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Jonathon Donahue -- Olympus XZ-1 tips at http://jon404.com

So, what's stopping you?

If you count carrying it in your right hand, every photographer does just that.

Wear it when you expect or hope to take a photo. Anywhere else it's just not doing anything useful. If it's not safe to wear it, don't.

Use it where it's legal and safe and you want to. Both need to be true. For example, running into a street riot and stopping passer-byes ans asking to take their photos - legal, but not safe.

Looking like a moron is something personal. If this feeling is one you have without a camera then you need to speak to a professional counselor. If it only happens when you have a camera then you're just self conscious about using your new toy and just need to work through that.

Personally I don't start feeling self conscious until I start lying on the ground to take a shot. At this point people staring at me does bring just the tiniest hint of "what the blazes am I doing ?" into my thoughts.

Of course if you think you're a moron and walk around all day wearing a bird suit or trekkie outfit complete with vulcan ears or similar exotic attire then you just need to start taking photos of people and wait until the mental penny drops.

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StephenG

I can truly relate to your thoughts.

When I see people walking around with some "honkin' camera" around their neck hanging over their chest or gut, I usually think to myself, "man oh man, they sure look like a pretentious moron".

That perception is compounded is they are out and about in a natural environment when the natural lighting is really uninspiring. If they start to shoot photos in such uninteresting light, it gets even worse. The "icing on the cake" is when they are (quite futiley) using "fill flash" in the middle of a large open space in a natural environment. That's when I know that they are just a bit "challenged".

When I go out with my own "honkin' cameras", when I don't have them in a protective case, and don't want to trust that the strap won't perhaps slide off my shoulder, or get whacked on something if carried on one side, I typically wear jackets zipped-up in order to cover the camera.

If somebody thinks that I have a gut, or a grapefruit-sized cyst under my jacket, that's their problem. Far better that than to risk the eternal burning shame of risking looking like a "pretentious moron" !

An added benefit is I feel like less of a walking advertisement to get mugged for my camera gear. My trusty mono-pod usually seems to be interpreted as some sort of weird weaponry. Only the most sophisticated of the punks figure out that it is not a club for bludgeoning people with.

PS - To ward off potential muggers, and to impress dental assistants, consider the "primal" look. And whatever you do, don't ever, ever lay on the ground. It invites people to step on you (or worse).

I don't wear a camera for the sake of wearing a camera; I wear a camera when my intent is to take pictures, and that does not include the shopping mall, grocery store, restaurant, or doctor's office.  I kept a camera at work in my desk (elementary school) to record special events, loan to a student who wanted some snaps on a field trip, or to develop picture books of familiar items to help build vocabulary for certain special needs students.

I might wear my camera at zoos, amusement parks, fairs, boat shows, state and national parks, parades, various museums, hydroplane races, and just about any tourist attraction.  In short, if there's a place or event I want a visual reminder of, I take my camera.

I do not wear my camera.

I take it with me when I want to shoot pictures and I take it where I want to  shoot pictures

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I cannot. You should not care about what other people think about you, only what you yourself think about you. If you don't think that you are doing anything wrong, then that must be good enough for everyone else. If they judge you for no good reason, then they are not worth worrying about.

When I hear about people like you i think... ok, lets leave that out of here. But in any case, usually my camera is either in my hands or in my bag. If I do use the strap, it's hanging to my side, not across my belly - I will admit that that would look strange.

Sometimes the weather is bad around here for days on end. At some point I decide to go out and try to make the best of it and challange myself to find a subject that is still ok or even benefits from the bad weather. I don't see anything wrong with that. I don't succeed very often, but I still don't think I am stupid for trying.

True enough.

Although I don't ever really do the same, I share the general sentiment. Caring about what other people think about you is just not a useful approach. You should always strive to do what you thinks is right, not what other people think is right. Screw them if they think you look like a fool.