# Debranding a 5DIII



## Jay Khaos (Jul 9, 2013)

I've seen some DSLR's where all the branding looks cleanly shaved off. Usually they seem to be older models. I'm wondering if there are any tutorials on doing this, but in a professional-looking way (like filling the cutout logo, finishing/painting to match, etc).

I'm aware that most of you will probably think that the idea of even attempting this is ridiculous, but if anyone has any experience doing this or has any advice that would be constructive, Id appreciate it.

I attached a pic where I roughly photoshopped what I'm talking about.


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## Rienzphotoz (Jul 9, 2013)

Jay Khaos said:


> I'm aware that most of you will probably think that the idea of even attempting this is ridiculous, but if anyone has any experience doing this or has any advice that would be constructive, Id appreciate it.


I don't think it is ridiculous but it must be a lot of work.


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## jsexton (Jul 9, 2013)

It looks clean but I'd really like to do a set of L Series "big white whales" like this one.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1214644/0?keyword=canon,200#11570912


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## Jay Khaos (Jul 9, 2013)

Rienzphotoz said:


> I don't think it is ridiculous but it must be a lot of work.



Yeah to do it right I imagine it would be...



jsexton said:


> It looks clean but I'd really like to do a set of L Series "big white whales" like this one.
> 
> http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1214644/0?keyword=canon,200#11570912



That's awesome... I think it would be awesome to have my 70-200 all blacked out like that. I'd feel slightly less pedofilish wielding it in public if it didn't look like I have a big cylindrical object in my face with a striped tube sock over it... 

That 200mm would look even better if the type on it were a darker grey (just visible), and the red ring also, dare I say...


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## stipotle (Jul 9, 2013)

Jay Khaos said:


> I've seen some DSLR's where all the branding looks cleanly shaved off. Usually they seem to be older models. I'm wondering if there are any tutorials on doing this, but in a professional-looking way (like filling the cutout logo, finishing/painting to match, etc).
> 
> I'm aware that most of you will probably think that the idea of even attempting this is ridiculous, but if anyone has any experience doing this or has any advice that would be constructive, Id appreciate it.
> 
> I attached a pic where I roughly photoshopped what I'm talking about.



1) Ridiculous
and
2) Sexy. 

I want.


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## mrsfotografie (Jul 9, 2013)

Sometimes this is done in advertisements where the camera itself is not the object of interest. Might be photoshop work tough.


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## Jay Khaos (Jul 9, 2013)

mrsfotografie said:


> Sometimes this is done in advertisements where the camera itself is not the object of interest. Might be photoshop work tough.



True, I've debranded my fair share of things in photoshop, working in the advertising world. There are a few semi-"practical" reasons why I'd like to have my camera like this in real life... but mainly for my own satisfaction to be honest.

From a somewhat theoretical standpoint: I definitely believe that gear branding DOES effect your personal brand. Whether someone is judging your use of one lens/body/brand over another... speculating about how much your gear must have cost you... discrediting your photos as merely a result of the luxury of having fancy gear, etc. I feel like even if someone still recognizes the body as a Canon, it still sends the subtle message that "it doesn't matter", or more importantly "it doesnt matter to me"

Plus looks like Batman


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## AshtonNekolah (Jul 9, 2013)

jsexton said:


> It looks clean but I'd really like to do a set of L Series "big white whales" like this one.
> 
> http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1214644/0?keyword=canon,200#11570912



I got a silly question, why are canon lens even painted in white? is it to keep them cool when out in the wild or in safari's. I know wearing a white t-shirt repels heat from the body, so im assuming that this will do the same for lenses? is this so with those white lenses of today? thanks.


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## Jay Khaos (Jul 9, 2013)

AshtonNekolah said:


> jsexton said:
> 
> 
> > It looks clean but I'd really like to do a set of L Series "big white whales" like this one.
> ...



I was actually thinking about that yesterday too.. I had the same guess after researching bags. Kata's "ultra light" bags come in light grey as the standard color. I didnt read anything about that in reviews but my assumption was that it was done to reduce heat since the ultra light model is marketed toward people putting the bag through more use.

Most of the big whites are used for sports and wildlife so I'd assume its the same concept. If it had a technical reason, I'd think Nikon would copy...


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## Atonegro (Jul 9, 2013)

jsexton said:


> It looks clean but I'd really like to do a set of L Series "big white whales" like this one.
> 
> http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1214644/0?keyword=canon,200#11570912



Nice !

What do you think of this ...

http://nikonrumors.com/2013/06/22/amazing-restoration-of-old-nikon-lenses.aspx/


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## noisejammer (Jul 9, 2013)

It kind of seems crazy to remove the Canon and 5D Mark III and then leave it with a big red ring...

On the white lenses - sure there may be some thermal benefit but the real reason is that they are easy to spot in TV images.... Canon gets free advertising every time a 'tog appears in the background.


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## unfocused (Jul 9, 2013)

I imagine these guys could do it, but they are not cheap: http://pimpyourcam.com/index.html


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## comsense (Jul 9, 2013)

Jay Khaos said:


> I'm aware that most of you will probably think that the idea of even attempting this is ridiculous, but


No the idea is not ridiculous but need to me looked with right logic. Only conceivable reasons to do this:
1) Avoid theft: would not work - Any normal thief given an opportunity would not be repulsed stealing an unmarked big camera with big glass 
2) Avoid attention: Would do the opposite - How many people look at photographer and scramble to read the model # on their camera. Most like the few who frequent forums like this. And even an unmarked rebel would raise the attention level of this group to moon. 
3) Style and statement: There can be no arguments against this one. Except, be careful not to damage $3K camera!!!


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## Jay Khaos (Jul 9, 2013)

comsense said:


> No the idea is not ridiculous but need to me looked with right logic. Only conceivable reasons to do this:
> 1) Avoid theft: would not work - Any normal thief given an opportunity would not be repulsed stealing an unmarked big camera with big glass
> 2) Avoid attention: Would do the opposite - How many people look at photographer and scramble to read the model # on their camera. Most like the few who frequent forums like this. And even an unmarked rebel would raise the attention level of this group to moon.
> 3) Style and statement: There can be no arguments against this one. Except, be careful not to damage $3K camera!!!



I didn't really ever consider the idea as a way to avoid theft. You're right, I don't think that would matter. And avoiding attention probably shouldnt be a main concern because I'd guess that I would get more attention, if anything, from other photographers. But even then, the attention is more likely something new like "how did you do that" rather than a discussion about the 5D vs 5DII vs pro bodies vs Nikon... or whatever.

#3 is the only reason really, and being afraid to damage it is the only factor stopping me from having it done already. If I knew I could cover the logo and have the finish perfectly match the rest of the body, I would do it ASAP.


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## Dylan777 (Jul 9, 2013)

I plan to sell & upgrade my 5D III in future, I'm not sure this is a good idea. It looks cool though


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## bvukich (Jul 9, 2013)

AshtonNekolah said:


> jsexton said:
> 
> 
> > It looks clean but I'd really like to do a set of L Series "big white whales" like this one.
> ...



The larger Canon lenses that have a fluorite element are painted white. Fluorite is very sensitive to heat.


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## Jay Khaos (Jul 9, 2013)

Dylan777 said:


> I plan to sell & upgrade my 5D III in future, I'm not sure this is a good idea. It looks cool though



Yeah that's definitely a smart argument against doing it.... I think I'd be willing to risk it though.


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## schill (Jul 9, 2013)

The closest I've come to doing this is to put black gaffer tape over logos and other labels. This was not for style or to prevent theft, etc., but to avoid reflections when the camera was close to a window. I didn't want to have pictures/video with a ghost out-of-focus "Canon" floating in them. The black camera doesn't show up but the logos do.


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## thepancakeman (Jul 9, 2013)

schill said:


> The closest I've come to doing this is to put black gaffer tape over logos and other labels. This was not for style or to prevent theft, etc., but to avoid reflections when the camera was close to a window. I didn't want to have pictures/video with a ghost out-of-focus "Canon" floating in them. The black camera doesn't show up but the logos do.



BEWARE the ghost camera! Mwahahaha! ;D


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## Halfrack (Jul 10, 2013)

Snug it?
http://delkin.com/c-147094-protect-snug-it-pro.html


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## Dylan777 (Jul 10, 2013)

Jay Khaos said:


> Dylan777 said:
> 
> 
> > I plan to sell & upgrade my 5D III in future, I'm not sure this is a good idea. It looks cool though
> ...



Look forward to see some before and after photos. Enjoy


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## eosphoros (Jul 10, 2013)

Wrap a LenSkins around the big white and a neoprene cover (various brands) on the body. Go camo, it's cool.


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## eosphoros (Jul 10, 2013)

LensCoat Lens Cover for the Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS Lens (Realtree Max4 HD) 
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/465881-REG/LensCoat_LC70200M4_Lens_Cover_for_Canon.html

LensSkins Lens Wrap for Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS (Black and White Smoke) 
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/814291-REG/LensSkins_LS_C70200X1BS_Lens_Wrap_for_Canon.html


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## neni (Jul 10, 2013)

Jay Khaos said:


> mrsfotografie said:
> 
> 
> > Sometimes this is done in advertisements where the camera itself is not the object of interest. Might be photoshop work tough.
> ...



The reasons stated make sense, at least up to a certain extent or/and under certain conditions. But I'm still laughing with the Batman thing. The best reason for debranding any sort of black camera body, ever! ;D ;D ;D


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## duydaniel (Jul 10, 2013)

Here is what I did with my 5D3
Ref
http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=15579.msg284306#msg284306


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## MrFotoFool (Jul 10, 2013)

Halfrack said:


> Snug it?
> http://delkin.com/c-147094-protect-snug-it-pro.html



Unfortunately, they cut a hole in the top so the name plate still shows through.


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## Jay Khaos (Jul 10, 2013)

neni said:


> The reasons stated make sense, at least up to a certain extent or/and under certain conditions. But I'm still laughing with the Batman thing. The best reason for debranding any sort of black camera body, ever! ;D ;D ;D



lol



duydaniel said:


> Here is what I did with my 5D3
> Ref
> http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=15579.msg284306#msg284306



That looks cool. Covers the practical needs for doing it... the texture of gaffer tape seems to match the finish of the body pretty closely.


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## RendrLab (Jul 10, 2013)

Get in touch with a trophy shop and see if they can get matte flexibrass material. It's usually gold/silver/bronze in color and used for trophies and such (hence the usual colors) but the manufacturers of the material (Rowmark & others) do have a lot of material choices (including matte) and they all can easily be laser cut to the shapes you need. Flexibrass has minimal thickness with 3M adhesive backing.
I had done the same thing while in the sign industry, only I used contour cut vehicle wrap vinyl that was printed to match the texture on my camera. A couple of little laser cut pieces of flexi is at most a couple of bucks.
In my opinion, the trophy shop is the much better choice. It may be best for you to do all the design work as most trophy shops do not employ designers that actually know how to take a photo and draw to scale from it.
It looks like you're proficient enough in Photoshop to accomplish this yourself, but let me know if you need any help with any part of it, as I now work with flexibrass and plastic on a daily basis engraving & cutting with a CO2 laser.


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## Rocky (Jul 10, 2013)

I cannot see any reason why we should debrand the equipment. People knows the equipment can still guess what they are. As for thieves or robber, they see a big lens and big camera, they know it is a good target. so why go through the trouble? Before the maturing of DSLR, my Leica M4 and 3 lenses travel to Europe, Asia etc with me. I have never have any problem. I do not even use the "never-ready case".


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## Jay Khaos (Jul 10, 2013)

RendrLab said:


> Get in touch with a trophy shop and see if they can get matte flexibrass material. It's usually gold/silver/bronze in color and used for trophies and such (hence the usual colors) but the manufacturers of the material (Rowmark & others) do have a lot of material choices (including matte) and they all can easily be laser cut to the shapes you need. Flexibrass has minimal thickness with 3M adhesive backing.
> I had done the same thing while in the sign industry, only I used contour cut vehicle wrap vinyl that was printed to match the texture on my camera. A couple of little laser cut pieces of flexi is at most a couple of bucks.
> In my opinion, the trophy shop is the much better choice. It may be best for you to do all the design work as most trophy shops do not employ designers that actually know how to take a photo and draw to scale from it.
> It looks like you're proficient enough in Photoshop to accomplish this yourself, but let me know if you need any help with any part of it, as I now work with flexibrass and plastic on a daily basis engraving & cutting with a CO2 laser.



I'm not sure I understand exactly what youre suggesting. And I'm not sure laser cutting anything would be necessary (unless I'm misinterpretting you). But I'm guessing that would leave a super fine edge (if the edge shows at all) tracing the Canon logo?



Rocky said:


> I cannot see any reason why we should debrand the equipment. People knows the equipment can still guess what they are. As for thieves or robber, they see a big lens and big camera, they know it is a good target. so why go through the trouble? Before the maturing of DSLR, my Leica M4 and 3 lenses travel to Europe, Asia etc with me. I have never have any problem. I do not even use the "never-ready case".



If you read beyond the title of the thread, you will see that I am not suggesting that others debrand their cameras... Just for advice/info on going about doing it. I even admit it's probably stupid. I completely understand that you (and most people) would probably never want to attempt it, and don't blame you


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## Jay Khaos (Jul 10, 2013)

Rocky said:


> I cannot see any reason why we should debrand the equipment. People knows the equipment can still guess what they are. As for thieves or robber, they see a big lens and big camera, they know it is a good target. so why go through the trouble? Before the maturing of DSLR, my Leica M4 and 3 lenses travel to Europe, Asia etc with me. I have never have any problem. I do not even use the "never-ready case".



PS - covering the branding isn't for the purpose of hiding what kind of camera I'm using. Maybe if it were a Nikon, that reasoning would be valid lol... I love my 5D and proud of it.

Main reason is that I like the aesthetics of it (one again, keyword is "I")


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## unfocused (Jul 10, 2013)

I'm quite confident that the www.pimpyourcam.com artist could help you out if you wanted to spend 800 Euro and ship it to Germany. Another 600 Euro for lenses.

As an alternative or a do-it-yourself project, it should be quite easy to remove painted lettering. Any hobby shop should have decal and paint remover (be sure you get some that is safe for plastic however). It shouldn't be that difficult to file down any raised lettering you want to remove, although you would probably need to buff and airbrush the area where the lettering once was to get a nice, smooth surface. The indented "Canon" on the front might be the biggest challenge as I can't think of an easy way to fill the indentation. Might have to just live with a black-on-black Canon logo. 

There are a lot of under $100 damaged or just plain old DSLRs on eBay. If you are serious, I'd get one of those to experiment on. You also might want to talk to an auto body shop and get their input. The Canon paint seems to have a bit of a texture to it that might be tricky to reproduce. 

Why do it? Well, why do some people spend thousands to customize their cars? 

I think those that worry about resale value are missing the point. On the other hand, I suspect that the nice custom jobs done by pimpyourcam could very well end up increasing the resale value since it turns the camera into a work of art.


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## Jay Khaos (Jul 10, 2013)

unfocused said:


> I'm quite confident that the www.pimpyourcam.com artist could help you out if you wanted to spend 800 Euro and ship it to Germany. Another 600 Euro for lenses.
> 
> As an alternative or a do-it-yourself project, it should be quite easy to remove painted lettering. Any hobby shop should have decal and paint remover (be sure you get some that is safe for plastic however). It shouldn't be that difficult to file down any raised lettering you want to remove, although you would probably need to buff and airbrush the area where the lettering once was to get a nice, smooth surface. The indented "Canon" on the front might be the biggest challenge as I can't think of an easy way to fill the indentation. Might have to just live with a black-on-black Canon logo.
> 
> ...



Yeah pimpyourcam would be cool, although I'm not really wanting to spend that much.. I'm pretty confident I could fill the top logo canon with some type of spackle like you use for dented walls before you paints them (something more suitable for the body's surface though), and lightly sand it down to get the shape right. But yeah, replicating the paint/finish would be the hardest part. The "eos 5d" badging would be the easiest I think, because the entire panel could be painted. I'd prob use a flat black, flat clear coat, and sand/buff with compound if its too rough... The mark iii badging, same thing probably.

I think you're right about the resale thing. Even if its done like in my photoshopped pic, I think you might get some extra interest as long as its purely cosmetic and done professionally.


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## RendrLab (Jul 10, 2013)

Jay Khaos said:


> RendrLab said:
> 
> 
> > Get in touch with a trophy shop and see if they can get matte flexibrass material. It's usually gold/silver/bronze in color and used for trophies and such (hence the usual colors) but the manufacturers of the material (Rowmark & others) do have a lot of material choices (including matte) and they all can easily be laser cut to the shapes you need. Flexibrass has minimal thickness with 3M adhesive backing.
> ...



Trophy shops sell thin plastic that has sticky backing that you could have them cut in about 30 seconds. Take the cut pieces and either stick it over your current Canon labels, or release the glue on the originals and replace the Canon labels with the cut pieces. The originals can easily be placed back on with no one ever being able to tell they were removed. So, if you were just wanting them removed for a short period of time or when you decide you want to resell it, the labels would be back on looking good as new.
Those EOS 5D and Mark III labels are laser cut (as I am talking about) and painted.
I will cut a piece on the laser tomorrow and post pics of what I am talking about if you need.
Just imagine the EOS 5D and Mark III logo decals replaced by blank, matte black ones (what you seemed to be looking for by the pic in your original post).
As for the Canon logo embossed on the top you are kind of limited in options as to what you can do. Gaffers tape is always an option (though it will look just like gaffers tape to anyone paying attention). The pimpyourcamera.com idea is another step in the right direction, though I would never, ever pay that ridiculous price. Any sign shop worth a darn could do exactly what they are for a fraction of that cost (Think $100-$200 US). Heck, you can vehicle wrap a cargo van for $2,000 US. I think that's a bit larger than a camera and lens wrapped for roughly the same cost.


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## duydaniel (Jul 10, 2013)

you paid Canon some money to carry their brand name around?


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## Rienzphotoz (Jul 10, 2013)

Atonegro said:


> What do you think of this ...
> 
> http://nikonrumors.com/2013/06/22/amazing-restoration-of-old-nikon-lenses.aspx/


Yeah, I had seen it on Nikon forums ... its funny that some Nikon users want their lenses to be white and some Canon users want their whites to be black ... classic case of "grass ilooks greener on the other side". In fact Nikon does quietly paint their fancier lenses white at customers request at a price. I use both Canon & Nikon gear but I want my whites to be white.


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## Radiating (Jul 16, 2013)

Jay Khaos said:


> I've seen some DSLR's where all the branding looks cleanly shaved off. Usually they seem to be older models. I'm wondering if there are any tutorials on doing this, but in a professional-looking way (like filling the cutout logo, finishing/painting to match, etc).
> 
> I'm aware that most of you will probably think that the idea of even attempting this is ridiculous, but if anyone has any experience doing this or has any advice that would be constructive, Id appreciate it.
> 
> I attached a pic where I roughly photoshopped what I'm talking about.



Just use some black electrical tape to debrand your Canon camera. It is very hard to tell it's on there if you do it right and use the right kind.


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## paul13walnut5 (Jul 16, 2013)

Jay Khaos said:


> Rienzphotoz said:
> 
> 
> > I don't think it is ridiculous but it must be a lot of work.
> ...



Man, thats no way to talk. 

We have a crazy culture here in the uk where folk obviously taking photos openly get hassle whilst the dangerous folk snap everything they need discreetly with their camera phones.

To me, being discreet is sometimes more suspicious looking. And I really don't want to think that way, almost assuming my own guilt.


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## photonius (Jul 16, 2013)

comsense said:


> Jay Khaos said:
> 
> 
> > I'm aware that most of you will probably think that the idea of even attempting this is ridiculous, but
> ...



So far nobody mentioned a real serious reason for "debranding a product":

LEGAL. Anywhere in certain "spaces", which can be TVs, movies, sports stadiums, there can be a legal restriction for professional photographers, vendors etc. to show their brand, if an exclusive right to use advertising space, branding etc. has been given to a specific company. I.e. of Canon sponsors an event, they may not wish to have Nikon shooters prominently displayed during TV broadcasts. So, perhaps Canon gives all the photographers free cameras, but professional XX wishes to keep using his/her Nikon, so it's best somehow to hide that he/she is using a Nikon, otherwise there may be consequences.
Probably quite a number of readers here are aware of the ridiculous limitations that were imposed on shops around the London Olympic venues based on sponsor pressure.
Or the ambush marketing of a Dutch brewery during the World Cup. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10321668
I have seen a number of debranded cameras in Tv shows, most likely because of branding/legal issues.
Then of course there are the funny instances where commercials for a MS product are made with Apple hardware, the Nokia PureView ad (http://www.theverge.com/2012/9/5/3295316/nokia-apology-lumia-pureview-ad), etc.
So, there are good reasons when you want to hide a product brand.

PS: I forgot the story of the athlete who had a contract with some sports company, but used running shoes from the competition, and added some stripes to hide the fact....


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