2012 FSU Contest - Pre-discussion

[Nomad Z]

Lets wait and see what pans out with the prizes, and where they are to go. A prize winner could be in the same town as a prize giver. In other words, we don't need to think too much about this at least until the entries are in, and probably not until the voting has been completed. There may well be other prizes offered, and they could come along at any time.

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

If you want to keep FSU as strictly Former Sovjet Union then only the below 15 states apply (for instance Poland and East Germany were never part of the SU).

In alphabetical order:
1. Armenia;
2. Azerbaijan;
3. Belarus;
4. Estonia;
5. Georgia;
6. Kazakhstan;
7. Kyrgyzstan;
8. Latvia;
9. Lithuania;
10. Moldova;
11. Russia;
12. Tajikistan;
13. Turkmenistan;
14. Ukraine;
15. Uzbekistan

 

[Nomad Z]

If you want to keep FSU as strictly Former Sovjet Union then only the below 15 states apply (for instance Poland and East Germany were never part of the SU).

In alphabetical order:
1. Armenia;
2. Azerbaijan;
3. Belarus;
4. Estonia;
5. Georgia;
6. Kazakhstan;
7. Kyrgyzstan;
8. Latvia;
9. Lithuania;
10. Moldova;
11. Russia;
12. Tajikistan;
13. Turkmenistan;
14. Ukraine;
15. Uzbekistan

Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Tony, while I'm generally in favour of inclusion, one has to set limits somewhere. If East Germany wasn't part of the FSU, then I think the Pentacon Six isn't eligible.

 

[Coldkennels]

Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Tony, while I'm generally in favour of inclusion, one has to set limits somewhere. If East Germany wasn't part of the FSU, then I think the Pentacon Six isn't eligible.

That's completely fine. I'm a little surprised, to be honest. I always thought East Germany counted, but hey, you learn something new every day. The P6 stays on the shelf, then!

 

[obscura_68]

Would Horizon panoramic cameras count?

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Would Horizon panoramic cameras count?

I think they were made by KMZ i.e. Krasnogorsky Mechanichesky Zavod, so should be in:

http://maps.google.nl/maps?hl=nl&sugexp=frgbld&cp=8&gs_id=u&xhr=t&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1280&bih=909&q=krasnogorsk&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x46b546bd8dd80e5d:0x8d388d926024784d,Krasnogorsk,+Moskovskaya+oblast,+Rusland&gl=nl&ei=OXqIT7ScDOas0QXrk8HeCQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=3&sqi=2&ved=0CEMQ8gEwAg

 

[Brad Bireley]

Still looking for an usable FSU camera to buy. Anyone have one??

 

[Nomad Z]

Would Horizon panoramic cameras count?

I take it you mean the current model, rather than the Horison T from the 1960s. I hadn't really thought about cameras currently in manufacture in the georgaphical area formerly known as the Soviet Union. I was under the impression that the FSU contest is for kit that was made while the Soviet Union was still extant.

Personally, I'd be happy for current equipment to be included.

What do folks think? Yay or nay to inlcuding current equipment?

 

[obscura_68]

I take it you mean the current model, rather than the Horison T from the 1960s. I hadn't really thought about cameras currently in manufacture in the georgaphical area formerly known as the Soviet Union. I was under the impression that the FSU contest is for kit that was made while the Soviet Union was still extant.

Personally, I'd be happy for current equipment to be included.

What do folks think? Yay or nay to inlcuding current equipment?

Yeah I meant the Horizon Perfekt...

If it helps to be allowed to use my Perfekt, I'll agree to only take pics while seated on my Ural

 

[special.foto]

In true revolutionary style, i agree and also don't agree! Too much categories for me, would have prefered a single one, to focus the artistic flow. Also, i do not like the capitalistic treason to hook up a FSU lens with an imperialistic body, be it film or digital. But i do comply, because the need of the man is lower than the need of the union, in true communist style! You also would want to check your gear 😀 Happy shooting!

 

[eyesglassy]

I recently purchased a Jupiter 12 from forum member rybelyell, and he included a FED 5 & J8. I wondered if I would ever do anything with this brick. But now...

 

[Ron (Netherlands)]

In true revolutionary style, i agree and also don't agree! Too much categories for me, would have prefered a single one, to focus the artistic flow. Also, i do not like the capitalistic treason to hook up a FSU lens with an imperialistic body, be it film or digital. But i do comply, because the need of the man is lower than the need of the union, in true communist style! You also would want to check your gear 😀 Happy shooting!

+1 I would strongly prefer to have this only FSU and not only lens or only body - make it pure film like in the old days and I think the FSU experience can only brought to full strenght if one can only participate with an FSU body and lens (so in order to make it as transparent as possible, people should show a photo of the rig they are going to use)

 

[Nomad Z]

+1 I would strongly prefer to have this only FSU and not only lens or only body - make it pure film like in the old days and I think the FSU experience can only brought to full strenght if one can only participate with an FSU body and lens (so in order to make it as transparent as possible, people should show a photo of the rig they are going to use)

Well, four of the subject categories are for all-FSU kit (which, de-facto, means film), with an extra one dedicated to those that have hybrid kit.

The idea is to give hybrid users a way to participate while keeping the bulk of the contest 'pure'. Who knows? If the hybrid users have a good time, they may well start looking for more FSU kit for next year's contest. (I did - I hurredly bought a Fed 1 last year, which lasted two rolls, and since got two Zorki 4s, a J-8 and a J-11 to go with the J-3 and J-12 I already had.)

I think a note in each gallery entry, stating body and lens used (and maybe film type, etc), would be okay. Nothing wrong with posting a photo of one's gear, of course.

 

[special.foto]

Well, four of the subject categories are for all-FSU kit (which, de-facto, means film), with an extra one dedicated to those that have hybrid kit.

The idea is to give hybrid users a way to participate while keeping the bulk of the contest 'pure'. Who knows? If the hybrid users have a good time, they may well start looking for more FSU kit for next year's contest. (I did - I hurredly bought a Fed 1 last year, which lasted two rolls, and since got two Zorki 4s, a J-8 and a J-11 to go with the J-3 and J-12 I already had.)

Good point. Let's hope we get a positive feedback from this. What about the categories? Aren't they a bit vague? I still support the ideea of a single category, a bit more specific. Also the "hybrid" users can post in that category, after all it's photography taken through fsu lenses. I state it again, i do not agree with this, particularly with digital but, as Nomad Z said, this could be a positive thing, so let's do it. Digital users will have a handicap anyway, everybody knows you cannot beat film (just kidding guys 😀 )

 

[Nomad Z]

Good point. Let's hope we get a positive feedback from this. What about the categories? Aren't they a bit vague? I still support the ideea of a single category, a bit more specific. Also the "hybrid" users can post in that category, after all it's photography taken through fsu lenses.

There are five categories. Three are subject-specific, and two are open. I don't think there is anything particularly vague about 'Landscape', 'Portrait' or 'Street'. In what way should such categories be qualified to make them less vague?

Regarding the two open ones, it seems to me that the question of whether something is vague is irrelevant to any category where the photographer is free to choose the subject matter (it is, by definition, 100% vague, and intentionally so).

The three subject-specific categories and one open category are only for 'pure' FSU entries. The remaining open category (called 'Popolam') is for those using hybrid equipment. There is no mixing of pure and hybrid equipment within the categories.

 

[Nomad Z]

Alrighty, the call for entries has been posted. I have also made an informational post in the general interest section, so that the contest can be brought to the attention of folks that don't read here regularly.

 

[NorpA]

Dear Nomad, thank you for your great organization and meticulous care on this friendly contest. I've just loaded my old FSUs waiting good light and inspiring moment. Just a simple question, is it possible to shoot and participate with a Zenit S? This is for sure a FSU camera but it's not a RF.

 

[Nomad Z]

The contest is not restricted to RFs. (I clarified that in the call for entries posts this morning.) In short, the equipment restrictions are: must be manufactured in the geographical area that comprised FSU (either Soviet or modern period), and not a toy camera like the Lomos. So, your Zenit S is fine.

I've just been putting my kit together. I recently got a Zorki 4K to go with the 4 I already had, mainly to get lever film advance. I had to adjust the rangefinder in it (focus looked okay at the film plane with an old SLR focus screen). The shutter is a bit iffy - the second curtain is sluggish on the slow speeds, but seems fine at the faster ones. I'm going to take the 4K out for a test run today. (The 4 was tested a few weeks ago, and is running pretty sweet.)

 

[ImpMan71]

Hopefully I have just sent my Kiev 4M to Oleg in time!
The Zorki 4K is still going strong if the Kiev doesn't return from it's holiday in time & then there is my very early Fed 1 I need to sort out......... 😱

 

[petronius]

The call for entries for the FSU contest made me think about the quote: "... and not a toy camera like the Lomos":

When cameras like the Lomo LC-A (or the Lubitel) were designed and produced, there was no term like "toy photography" involved. The engineers who designed them workers who assembled them would have felt harassed by any comparison with toys! Afaik these cameras were made for seriously photographing comrades.
Even the first "Lomographers" (and I entered the scene early) didn´t use the word toy. Convenience and unperfection, small, easy to carry with you, were the words I heard and read then.

When a make-money-group got control over the Lomography and started to create and sell overpriced plastic, the movement lost it´s innocence.

Serious work with the LC-A (or the Lubitel) is possible and I would be happy if the contest organisation commitee would allow to use these too.

I don´t want to be rude against anyone and maybe I am too late with my wish, but I want to free these cameras from the "toy"-stigma.

I finish with a big "Thanks" to Nomad Z for the organisation of this contest.