I work for my local Sheriff's Department making training videos and the like. We have a pair of A1's and a bunch of nice equipment to go along with them.

When I shoot by myself (exteriors and whatnot) people do ask what station I'm filming for quite often, but what's more amusing is to be riding with a deputy and get out of the car with him or her. Everyone thinks they're going to be on "Cops," and hams it up.

I recently was taking footage of a local fair with the A1 and everyone wanted to know what channel I was from. I was shooting pictures of a steam engine that was cordoned off, and they insisted I come into the "danger zone" (and it was horrifically dangerous) to get better shots.

Gotta love it when the appearance of the camera allows you better access!

Back in 2000 when I was a senior in high school I went to an Al Gore rally in Kansas City and brought my old Canon AE1 35mm SLR camera with a big telephoto lens on it. I think I lied and told someone I was with my school newspaper and they let me up in the press booth which was a stage set up above the crowd for the journalists and photographers. I was with all the guys from the KC Star who had super expensive Digital SLR's which were a new thing back then (they were all shooting Nikon then). After the rally I got to go in the press tent and eat a free meal. I remember seeing Robert Novak from CNN. Anyway, as an 18 year old it was a lot of fun and it was all because I had a "professional" looking camera around my neck. :)

Birthday party
 

I taped a kid's birthday party using my A1. With the A1 I got a lot more room to get better shots than if I had had my Sony HC20 since people gave me more leeway. I even had people ask for my card. The video turned out great and hopefully I will do a few more parties.