Is RFF even relevant anymore?

[kshapero]

I know I am asking for my head to be chopped off, but I think we need to exam this question. With Nikon's Mirrorless announcement on one end and the onslaught of Algorithm based smartphones on the other end, is there anything left? As a Rangefinder forum, all we really have is expensive Leica M's and nostalgic rangefinders of old. Sure we have lots of sub forums for other rigs but are they really RF's or are we just trying keep the forum alive? I, for one, appreciate the content level of this forum and read it everyday (and contribute my fair share). So my real question, is are we becoming obsolete? Do we care? Is the photog world leaving us in the dust of our film day memories? Written with respect and request for spirited reflection and lively discourse. Please no flaming.:cool

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ADMIN EDIT BY CAMERAQUEST

A few key decisions shaped RFF along the way.

1) would RFF remain film only, or embrace digital?
As Leica started making digital cameras, RFF started talking about them.

2) would RFF remain only rangefinders, or embrace other platforms?
As more members requested other non RF forums, we added other camera types

3) would RFF take note of mirrorless cameras that could adapt RF lenses?
any camera that shoots RF lenses is a RF of sorts, so there are many subforums on mirrorless cameras that can shoot RF lenses

4) would RFF remain centered on gear?
Yep, never any maybe on that. I don't see many discussions on Flickr wishing for more gear talk,
so why question RFF is primarily about gear?

Stephen

 

[xayraa33]

I know I am asking for my head to be chopped off, but I think we need to exam this question. With Nikon's Mirrorless announcement on one end and the onslaught of Algorithm based smartphones on the other end, is there anything left? As a Rangefinder forum, all we really have is expensive Leica M's and nostalgic rangefinders of old. Sure we have lots of sub forums for other rigs but are they really RF's or are we just trying keep the forum alive? I, for one, appreciate the content level of this forum and read it everyday (and contribute my fair share). So my real question, is are we becoming obsolete? Do we care? Is the photog world leaving us in the dust of our film day memories? Written with respect and request for spirited reflection and lively discourse. Please no flaming.😎

At its core this still a rangefinder camera forum albeit it has evolved into many facets since I joined in early 2004.

But even then it had many sides to it and it was not a one trick pony, so you can say it is constantly evolving and it is still to its true photo gear/image making and photo images inception of yesteryears.

 

[ptpdprinter]

I participate on RFF for the content which has nothing to do with rangefinders, of which there is a substantial amount. What's not to like?

 

[Timmyjoe]

I would assume many of us shoot with all different types of cameras. For work I have to use my DSLR's. For personal projects and pleasure I use a bevy of old Nikon & Leica rangefinders. Yeah, some from the 1940's & 1950's, but they all still work "as new" and about half the images I make each year are from them. So, only speaking for myself, I find RFF quite relevant.

There will always be a "latest & greatest", and with digital technology the latest and greatest changes almost monthly. There are web sites catering to folks who are interested in that. RFF seems to cater to folks who have a wider interest in photography, and a bit of respect for what came before.

Just my 2¢ worth.

Best,
-Tim

 

[raid]

Attendance is not "mandatory", so to speak. Any person can decide and act on staying or leaving any website.

 

[kshapero]

Since I find RFF generally speaking, an intelligent place to hang out, I appreciate that we include many other types of rigs in sub forums.

 

[madNbad]

It has a much broader base of information than a brand centric site like LUF. There is always an interesting thread that may have nothing to do with rangefinder cameras but show a deeper knowledge of both the art and science of photography. Most of us are on here because we like cameras, all types both new and old and this is one of the few places to visit where you can read an unvarnished look at the widest variety.

 

[shawn]

An internet forum that is based on the discussion of rangefinder cameras was (is) a forum fitting a niche. The majority of the photography world (manufacturers and consumers) moved away from rangefinders decades before the web even existed.

That is OK. How, and what we use, to take pictures has evolved from the very first days of photography. That is continuing today.

That doesn't mean RFF isn't useful or relevant. That the forum is evolving into a place where other tools for creating photographs is discussed is fine, IMO. And a good resource for information.

As far as the RFF part itself is concerned... back in my original film days I used SLRs. When I got back into film about 8 or 10 years ago I took up rangefinders. (And others)

My original digital was a P&S, then digital SLRs, then mirrorless. Thanks to the M10 I was able to just purchase a used M240 kit for about 35% the cost when new. So RFF is still very much relevant to me in discussing rangefinders.

Shawn

 

[lukx]

I think it is!

I think it is!

Coming from a whippersnapper who rather recently entered the world of analog photography and found a new passion in rangefinders, I must say I definitely see RFF as a very relevant medium.

It is a place where I can share this passion with other people. A place that fuels this passion. RFF helped me tremendously throughout the last year or so. I cannot possibly count the number of occasions where I got lost in threads from 2007, dozens of pages long, that discussed the questions i'd been asking (or not asking) myself. It is a great knowledge base. And the best thing: since the technology we use is ancient itself, these old threads remain relevant to this day and beyond.

Technology will advance, making photography faster, more convenient, and also more abundant. But I think there are still many people who will find that all this tech driven photography lacks the essence of what it is really all about. People who love photography for more than its social media potential will keep coming back to the old world of analog photography. And RFF is an important gate to this world.

And educating people and getting them hooked greatly serves the selfish objective to keep film alive so we can keep shooting it. If someone even younger than me finds grandpas old film camera, he or she is more likely to give it a go if there is information on it available.

So I say yes, this ugly forum is still relevant, no matter how great fake bokeh from smartphones looks nowadays. And if it all fails and film dies, at least we can mourn its death together and make the best of it.

 

[Papercut]

Asking about relevance raises the question of "to whom?" Or "to what?" (Relevance is always relative, i.e., related to something or someone.) Is RFF relevant to global photographic sales? Photography on global social media? Photographic technology development? Perhaps not. Is it relevant to those individuals who post questions, commentary, and yes, even photos on RFF? Yes, most assuredly it is. (As an aside: I am frequently struck by the number of dedicated photo threads on RFF -- sure, many of those are gear-centric (photos with such-and-such lens), but as a community RFF is pretty active in shooting images and posting them. We don't always discuss image content that much, perhaps because we find candid critique abrasive and corrosive of civility, but that's okay as there are other venues for people to seek out that sort of exchange.) Is RFF relevant to people searching for answers to questions about rangefinders (new and old)? Yep, I am sure it serves as a repository and interactive resource of knowledge and answers to a whole host of questions and concerns.

IMO, there's no need to wring our hands or even feel twinges of angst that somehow we're "not relevant" to a wider body of photographers. Since early days, there have always been multiple venues for photographic knowledge, each catering to sub-groups within the larger community of the photography obsessed. That hasn't changed and RFF serves its fairly small community well. In other words, RFF remains relevant to the people who make up the RFF community, as well as to some number of lurkers who pass through without leaving any trace, except in traffic stats and bandwidth usage. That's good enough, I reckon.

 

[FujiLove]

I know I am asking for my head to be chopped off, but I think we need to exam this question. With Nikon's Mirrorless announcement on one end and the onslaught of Algorithm based smartphones on the other end, is there anything left? As a Rangefinder forum, all we really have is expensive Leica M's and nostalgic rangefinders of old. Sure we have lots of sub forums for other rigs but are they really RF's or are we just trying keep the forum alive? I, for one, appreciate the content level of this forum and read it everyday (and contribute my fair share). So my real question, is are we becoming obsolete? Do we care? Is the photog world leaving us in the dust of our film day memories? Written with respect and request for spirited reflection and lively discourse. Please no flaming.😎

As others have said, RFF has quite a broad-base now, with a core of rangefinder content, so I don't think it's become irrelevant. I look at non-rangefinder content as much as any other. Having said that, there are other camera forums that I participate in much more. UK local photograph forums and 'Photrio', which I prefer for it's original analogue-specific content.

As an aside, my two most used rangefinder cameras are the Mamiya 6 and Hasselblad Xpan, neither of which are expensive Leicas or particularly old.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I know I am asking for my head to be chopped off, but I think we need to exam this question. With Nikon's Mirrorless announcement on one end and the onslaught of Algorithm based smartphones on the other end, is there anything left? As a Rangefinder forum, all we really have is expensive Leica M's and nostalgic rangefinders of old. Sure we have lots of sub forums for other rigs but are they really RF's or are we just trying keep the forum alive? I, for one, appreciate the content level of this forum and read it everyday (and contribute my fair share). So my real question, is are we becoming obsolete? Do we care? Is the photog world leaving us in the dust of our film day memories? Written with respect and request for spirited reflection and lively discourse. Please no flaming.😎

To me you are flaming already. 😀

According to your Flickr activity you quit from RF. So be it, I know people have to quit RF focusing for some more than just because reasons.
Then I see old threads I see how many other fellow members migrated same way. Something like film Bessa, digital Leica, FujiNoTaFilm.

But please, do not judge and make assumptions on what is happening here. Where are plenty of those who are like me. RF and RF like shooting. Check Gallery and many threads with pictures.

RF style shooting doesn't have to be strictly on RF.
Helen Hill photography is RF photography with any camera she is using and showing results of.
I often focus by the focus tab. And now also by AF in SLR.

As long as this forum is not about pictures of flowers 😉 and HDR, but no drama landscapes we will be able to pull it out. 🙂 It is about RF style shooting. Could be...

 

[mich rassena]

It's true the content of this website doesn't really fit it's name. The fact is, there's not much exciting news on the rangefinder front, and hasn't been for quite awhile. Rangefinders are more of a niche now that ever, so I'm glad this forum takes on other subjects. If it didn't it would be decidedly backwards-looking and inhabited by a more closed-minded crowd.

 

[Steve M.]

I think most, if not all, online photography forums are becoming a tad bit obsolete. Everything lasts only as long as it lasts, nothing goes on forever. I never considered this a strictly rangefinder forum anyway. It's a photography forum, w/ an emphasis on gear more than images and processes. Everyone knows that.

That's OK too. It is what it is, and I personally feel that it's wonderful that people can speak their minds on different things and not have to deal with an over reaching and over moderated forum like photo.net. Those negative traits surely contributed to it's decline and irrelevance. APUG got very heavily into over moderation as well, and people tended to become almost religious in their castigation of different forms of photography. That forum appears to have reinvented itself, and now offers more forums for non film users. It's probably a day late and a dollar short on this, and it's always been dominated by the one man who owns it, but at least it "appears" to be more democratic now.

It's the people that make a forum, and the forum's policies dictate the people that contribute to it. If a forum becomes over moderated it attracts people that have narrow views. They don't don't appreciate diversity or new ideas. This has always been a very democratic place, and w/ that concept disappearing in many areas of our lives today, it's a healthy place to be. I don't care about the latest and greatest offerings from Leica, or the best bag to put your stuff in, but there's so much else here that I like.

 

[Huss]

Nikon's mirrorless cameras, smartphones etc makes RFF more relevant than ever, not less.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Nikon's mirrorless cameras, smartphones etc makes RFF more relevant than ever, not less.

Pen F with 35mm (in 35mm equivalent) lens with just as at RF lens manual focus scale.

https://youtu.be/jQ0Dd92MmkQ

 

[Archlich]

I believe "relevant" is not absolute, but a relative term specific to personnel choices.

Rangefinders were rendered obsolete 60 years ago, but they still exist to this day for a reason...because people like them. I like them. In that sense RFF is always relevant.

 

[kshapero]

To me you are flaming already. 😀

According to your Flickr activity you quit from RF. So be it, I know people have to quit RF focusing for some more than just because reasons.
Then I see old threads I see how many other fellow members migrated same way. Something like film Bessa, digital Leica, FujiNoTaFilm.

But please, do not judge and make assumptions on what is happening here. Where are plenty of those who are like me. RF and RF like shooting. Check Gallery and many threads with pictures.

RF style shooting doesn't have to be strictly on RF.
Helen Hill photography is RF photography with any camera she is using and showing results of.
I often focus by the focus tab. And now also by AF in SLR.

As long as this forum is not about pictures of flowers 😉 and HDR, but no drama landscapes we will be able to pull it out. 🙂 It is about RF style shooting. Could be...

Excuse me but I joined RFF in 2006 and have never quit this forum. Flaming is the act of destroying, insulting or offending none of which am I doing. My thread was to create interesting discussion and a potential reset for good of RFF's direction. Never was their judgement in my thread. Yours and all positive and thoughtful comments are welcome here.

 

[benlees]

If RFF was just rangefinders it would have disappeared, though that base is what draws people in. I rarely go to LUF or APUG as their mandates are too narrow to be enjoyable for me. Some of the best threads on RFF are about new gear and this compliments the threads about film and lovely old cameras. A fine balance, I would say. I rarely venture to photo.net or the comments at DPR so it seems there is something special about RFF!

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Of course RFF is still relevant. It's not like it existed during the heyday of rangefinder camera photography, that was dead long ago. It is at least, if not more so relevant today as it was when it was started, with old RF lenses being more relevant in the present day use of mirrorless digital cameras. Those old (and new) rangefinder lenses, largely from Leica, Canon and Nikon now have a use on some extraordinary digital cameras. Remember, a camera is just a box with a hole (that sometimes has a lens in it) at one end and an image recording medium at the other. This use of old RF lenses on modern equipment is certainly responsible for our latest uptick in value of these optics as well as the little resurgence in film use we have seen over the last couple years.
So yeah, it's relevant.

Phil Forrest