What's wrong with these people?
 

When I'm shooting events with my GL1, I tend to get a lot of John-Q.-Public-types who ask me if I'm "takin' pitchurs." First of all, this is a ridiculously stupid question to ask a man who's running a camera. Second, is it really that hard to tell the difference between a video camera and a still camera?

Invariably, when I inform these people that I am in fact shooting video footage, they act surprised.

There are obviously many more interesting things than this that we could be discussing, but the whole thing just strikes me as being really bizarre. I am wondering if anyone else runs into this, or if my neck of the woods is just especially populated by bucktoothed imbeciles.

Feel free to post your own stories of public thickheadedness.

Perhaps they are interested in what you are doing and are trying to find a way
to get a conversation started? I'm always interested in watching crews shoot
something and am always wondering how best to approach a friendly chat with
people who are obviously busy.

My favorites, are the ones who *see* you shooting something, yet still walk right in front of you... their eyes on the camera the whole time. Maybe they duck down 2 inches, and give you the "Sorry" face and shoulder shrug.

When I got married, it was in a public garden with a long path leading from a pond up to this pergola. The area is cordoned off from the public for the ceremony. Our guests sat in the pergola and we walked up the path at the start. An couple in their late 60s - him smoking a big, fat cigar - ignored the signs, the smartly-dressed people and an obvious bride and groom. About half-way into our procession up the path, they cut right across in front of us - literally about 10 feet away. I remarked "Thank you for being a part of our special day!" - I think the sarcasm was completely lost on them.

I'm thinking, we need specially trained dogs to help us. When somebody is about to walk into a shot, you can release the hounds, and they will quickly carry off the offending citizen... Maybe Dingos, they don't bark.

Heh...every here those Bill Engvel "Here's Your Sign" jokes? Perfect opportunity :-D

What is this, 20 questions?!
 

Maybe they're all taking a daily dose of "Dufus Factor".

A couple of months ago I was set up above a valley and a couple of hundred feet from a country road. Maybe one vehicle every 15-30 minutes would pass. Then a 2-ton truck slowed down, pulled off and drove over near my location. Great. Well, nothing is happening at the moment so I stroll over to the truck, hoping to get this guy off onto the road again. I'll call him Clem Yokel.

Clem has the window down and is staring open-mouthed (are all these people mouth-breathers?) at my XL-2 rig which is set up on a tripod. He doesn't say anything so ask him, "how's it going?"

"Huh? What's that?" pointing to the XL-2.

I turn to look at it, as if seeing it for the first time, and tell Clem, "It's a video camera."

"What?" Apparently looking at something and listening are mutually-exclusive activities for Clem.

"A vee-dee-oh camera," I repeat.

"What does it do?" asks a dazed Clem, for whom events seem to be moving a little too quickly.

"I record video with it."

"Well, uh, what does it tell you?" asks Clem.

Now what is that supposed to mean? Recognizing all the hallmarks of a conversation as fruitful as nailing Jello to a tree, I changed the subject to his truck (he was carrying water, but sometimes he carries fertilizer) and eventually got him to leave.

I just can't suffer fools.

You best watch your step... just remember what happened to Ned Beatty!

Sure, it's one small step from: "hey, nice camera" to "you've got a pretty mouth."

Umm... that's pronounced "Purty".

Actually, it's pronounced "Puhrdee". :)

When I was getting my scuba certification a line of us would be walking down the beach fully rigged up.

More often than you'd expect, someone would stop and ask, "You guys going diving?"

Well, no. We're going hiking. This is our water and lunch on our backs.

Hey Doug,
Don't forget what happened to Dennis Weaver in the Movie "Duel"

Honestly, still camera design hasnt changed majorly except the first few digi-stills, and the Nikons ... most are tradtionally shaped. What bothers me is when people brag that their digital still can do video too. Yeah 640x480 30fps video (many times while a Sony D600 is on my shoulder) and that it's comparable with whatI put onto "that huge tape monster."

Hey the first time I saw a XL1, I was thrown. The old Canon L1's (8mm/Hi8 tape) were shaped like SLR's but built on the same concept of the XL (prosumer interchangeable lenses).

I dont see how people can confuse the two but I answer "Yes, the camera provides 1,080 lines of horizontal resolution while taping onto a compressed tape format known as DV50. It process the three primary colors, which are independentley processed and then combined when recorded onto tape."

...That alwas throws them for a loop.

I've often dreamed of attaching a super soaker to the bottom of my camera........... oh the dream.....