Hi all,

I'm a new 'M' User, and I was wondering if I put some gaffer on a M black body, when I'm gonna take off, does the paint will go off too ? Thanks in advance, and sorry for my basic english :-)

Regards,

-- Simon Alibert (simonalibert@mac.com), March 25, 2002

Answers

The paint job on leica bodies is very tough, so i doubt if it will come off with gaffa tape!, but why cover a work of art with crappy tape? If you want to be inconspicuous you can change the red spot for special black ones, plus you can also cover up the white paint 'Leica M6' engraving-- (try black shoe polish)!!, but black tape looks cheap and nasty.

Happy disguising!

-- Karl Yik (karl.yik@dk.com), March 25, 2002.

Unless you are going to wrap the entire M6 in tape so that it isn't recognizable as a camera at all (in which case you'd need to tape over the lens also, and then you won't get too many keeper shots), don't delude yourself into thinking that anyone other than a serious photographer, a Leica user, or someone over the age of 55 will know how much it cost. If you really want security, sling a cheap, broken camcorder over your other shoulder--theives will grab that instead.

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), March 25, 2002.

I have carried 2 Leicas, M2 & M3 for 30 years with the chrome parts covered by black photographic tape. It only came off when I had one or the other serviced. The tape is like masking tape but black and easy to work with. I have what is left of a 100 foot roll that I've had forever. It comes off relatively easily. My newer M6 classic is black. I can't speak to why anyone should or shouldn't tape their cameras but it works well for me and I like it. I just put some on the top sections of an aluminum tripod so it wouldn't be so cold to the touch. Good luck.

-- Don (wgpinc@yahoo.com), March 25, 2002.

I'm not sure whether your camera is a 'black chrome' or 'black paint' version. While I have used gaffers tape on black chrome M6s (not to disguise them but to prevent wear on certain wear-prone areas) for years without any ill-effect, I have managed to damage the 'black paint' on a Nikkor AIS lens when removing gaffer's tape! An area of the black paint came off with the gaffer tape when I took it off.

Hope this helps

Harold

-- Harold (harold@haroldgess.com), March 26, 2002.