X-T3 - Black or Silver?

John Gellings wrote:

1. No deednets wrote:

John Gellings wrote:

goodbokeh wrote:

John Gellings wrote:

goodbokeh wrote:

Beyond cell phones, cameras are now unusual and suspect.

Silver is visible and gives a friendly and old fashioned feeling so people are less defensive. You will get a lot more smiles and cooperation.

Black gives a stealthy/serious look and thoughts go dark. They wonder if photos being taken are for some money making or nefarious reason. Frowns and hostile challenges are not unusual in many parts.

Black or silver has nothing to do with this at all. It has to do with you, the one making photos, and how you are perceived by the public.

John, recently in a Key Largo bar I took photos without defensive attitudes using my Dura Silver X-Pro3. An old fashioned looking camera with an old fashioned looking guy often, but not always, works. It is unlikely this would have worked with my (black) Sony a7R3 even with my smallest lens, the 35/2.8 Zony. I know this through experience. I can do this with a cell phone all day long but of course it is not quite the same (yet).

ACROS with yellow filter.

I understand that... I feel more comfortable with a Fuji over a Sony too... but is it in our heads or is it reality? To me, it’s how you are perceived by who you are photographing that is more important than the camera. If you are a creep with a Leica or a Sony, you are still a creep. Same with color. Of course cool looking cameras are conversation pieces as well though... and that can be enough to open doors.

It is reality. Possibly not everywhere but it is there. Size matters during daytime hours and visibility after dark. I was in Nepal during the earthquake in 2015 and noticed quite clearly that DSLRs were not welcome. A magnifying glass of course this disaster, but size is only tolerated to a point imo. Like I mentioned further up, silver after dark is often too much in people's face regardless of whether you actually take any photos or not.

I walked around Hanoi one evening with a silver Pen-F when I heard people say "Leica". Now, I am 6'4 but thought I should turn and clarify. I said, replica, plastic, Olympus. But felt like this small camera was being noticed. Didn't like it.

Deed

Sure, deed... when it comes to being a target, I’m with you. Also, dslrs are well known targets and also people think they magnify all of their flaws due to huge zooms lenses. But two Fuji’s one silver, one black... I’m not sure. I would think you looking like a 6’4” tourist made people recognize you first, then the camera.

Haha, yes there is that 6'4 thing but since I also used the X-Pro2 and the RX1 (3 of them all three incarnations) I wouldn't think that I shrunk when I used the X-Pro2 plus 23/1.4?

Although a relatively large lens it doesn't seem to come across as threatening. In Nepal I used the LX100 but avoided taking photos of people in their misery.

I must say that I was slightly beyond the "really-hate" threshold when I say some foreign photographers pull up their 5Ds and then let the machine gun rattle 5 frames per second to truly capture an old woman weeping ...

Sounds like cliché, doesn't it? But it wasn't.

Deed