RFF Subject Organization

[jaapv]

i see it more like, 'the best of many'...

Hi! haven't seen you around for a while! Yes, it is a friendly place, has always been. I have been hanging around for over a decade, but the thing that keeps it together is the subject matter. If the forum would switch to embroidering I would not visit any more, to illustrate in the extreme.

The times , they are changing. The division is no longer between DSLR and rangefinders.

On one side the DSLR is being pushed out by EVIL cameras - believe me, the Leica SL is only one of the early fully professional EVF cameras- on the other side the general-public photography is by smartphones instead of by compacts -and Leica is starting to define the high-end there by associating with Huawei.
That leaves the middle ground to rangefinder inspired cameras, from the fully electronic ones, like the Leica X-Vario and many others, to the pure optical Leica M. One interesting part will be the cameras like the Fuji and Sony X-Pro that offer varying degrees of manual and optical experiences.

I think this forum should specialize in that middle ground, and it will continue to attract the kind of members that make it an attractive place to be. Leave the rest of the spectrum to DPReview and the like.
It is defining one's core business that keeps an enterprise going.
I would suggest a clear division in three:
Firstly rangefinders and rangefinder-inspired cameras. I know, a category with fuzzy edges.
Secondly general non gear-related photographic subjects,
Thirdly,as a kind of service to the members - all the photographic rest.

 

[radi(c)al_cam]

I think this forum should specialize in that middle ground, and it will continue to attract the kind of members that make it an attractive place to be. Leave the rest of the spectrum to DPReview and the like.
It is defining one's core business that keeps an enterprise going.
I would suggest a clear division in three:
Firstly rangefinders and rangefinder-inspired cameras. I know, a category with fuzzy edges.
Secondly general non gear-related photographic subjects,
Thirdly,as a kind of service to the members - all the photographic rest.

I approve this idea. In particular, «rangefinder-inspired cameras», that's good 😉
I mean, all rangefinder «system» cameras can be converted into an SLR, but OTOH, only very few SLRs can be converted into a viewfinder camera, and only very very few SLRs are known that can be used as a rangefinder camera 😉

 

[jesse1dog]

I believe that it's the participants and not the camera that really defines the forum. Case in point. I started off as a Rf user - Leica1,111c,111f,1c with a small collection of lenses - the uncoated 90mm being a star. However old age and declining eyesight has overtaken me. I can't read the calibrations on the lenses anymore without switching glasses and that makes using such equipment a pain not a joy. So I went digital to maintain my dubious ability to make pictures. Now I find the complete mix in RFF posts of interest.
In the purest sense should I leave RFF and not contribute to postings?
Surely if just one of my submissions strikes a chord with just one reader, I've been able to make a positive contribution. And if one member's posting impinges on me, the forum is working.
Inevitably the forum will go where Stephen wants it to go. If he wants to rein in various interests he will, that is his right. IMO there is sufficient structure here to cater for the multitude of interests members have. It's a gentle place with Mods, usually out of sight, moving threads on very smoothly.
Surely 'if things ain't broke, don't fix them'.
l

 

[Calzone]

I do favor this forum because it is rangefinder centric, even though I own and shoot lots of different cameras. I also kinda like that this forum is Leicacentric, and that people who are passionate and have knowledge about Leica gear have a strong presence here.

The SL perhaps IMHO is underrepresented here. Perhaps condense the A7 section(s) into a broader mirrorless section and throw the SL there to give it a place.

Cal

 

[Bill Clark]

I like the people who participate on this forum.

Pure and simple.

Smiles!

 

[jsrockit]

From my perspective, I use rangefinder cameras for a lot of things. I own a number of Leica cameras as well as other rangefinder cameras.

But I also enjoy other types of cameras and the ability to discuss these as well makes this forum very useful as well as very interesting for me. I do suspect that others feel the same way I do because this forum is a very busy place.

Exactly. Mirrorless was a game changer for many. Prior to those cameras, a RF was the only mirrorless (I know there's a mirror in there somewhere).

 

[f16sunshine]

I must confess that I struggle to see the relevance of an SL section on a Rangefinder Forum. As good a camera as it may be, it is an EVIL camera only linked to the M system by an adapter, as many cameras are.
Maybe the Bartender can lump it into the QXT subforum, but it begs the question: where is the S section and Leica Cine section, what about Panaleicas and shouldn't Sinar be included as well, and shouldn't each Leica system have its own section?
IMO that would rather dilute the forum brand and interest.

Jaap
From my view, I just don't see a disservice to anyone or any system and especially,.. interest in Rangefinder photography.
Every visit to this site improves the exposure of Rangefinder cameras and usage.
If some non-RF user is searching info on the Leica SL and finds the site via the thread Godfrey started, doesn't that benefit rangefinders and RFF?
More traffic here is a good thing.

 

[Michael Markey]

I like the people who participate on this forum.

Pure and simple.

Smiles!

Agreed .....

 

[CameraQuest]

I must confess that I struggle to see the relevance of an SL section on a Rangefinder Forum. As good a camera as it may be, it is an EVIL camera only linked to the M system by an adapter, as many cameras are.
Maybe the Bartender can lump it into the QXT subforum, but it begs the question: where is the S section and Leica Cine section, what about Panaleicas and shouldn't Sinar be included as well, and shouldn't each Leica system have its own section?
IMO that would rather dilute the forum brand and interest.

Leica SL section just added.

While the title RangeFinderForum was originally 100% accurate, photography moved on with mirrorless to add many other cameras that are now capable of shooting rangefinder glass.

While we are still primarily focused on rangefinders, there are so many great body alternatives now that it makes little sense to exclude non RF cameras.

Many members have a broad realm of knowledge and experience far beyond rangefinders. I made the decision to include that viewpoint at RFF.

Yes, organization is a bit problematical, but still far more logical than the nonsensical and illogical system that Leica corporate now uses to name their cameras (a kind of running joke conversation between jaapv and myself). He loves it, I loathe it.

And we we find ourselves in a complicated camera universe and we do our best to make sense of it.

Best,
Stephen

 

[icebear]

For me the essential part of photography is the shot I take not the gear I use.
Obviously I want the gear to be user friendly to me i.e. I want to like the cameras I use, they must not get in the way of shooting. Technically stunning results make the photos even more enjoyable.

Consequently I really find it troubling that the gallery participation is going down steadily. I remember (still😉) time when the week was up to 30 pages of submissions in the gallery and a lively participation in the weekly picks on 3 -4 pages. Now we are down to 6-8 pages of submission and a measly 1 page thread for the weekly picks. I guess priorities have shifted to social media sites for instant sharing of cellphone snaps and selfies.

Just talking gear about the latest and greatest gear without taking pictures is like talking about cooking and not eating. Showing these shots get feedback and get inspired by what others have captured is what makes me stay here.

Marketing speak about "mission" and "vision" and "USP" gives me the creeps for that matter🙄

 

[jaapv]

I think the gallery participation would be better if the upload procedure were a bit more straightforward. But it would probably use far more server memory in that case.

BTW, Stephen must be ecstatic: Leica just registered an M10 in China...😛 😀 :dance:

 

[Godfrey]

I’ve moved the most recent 14 posts in this thread (having to do with RFF subject organization) to a new thread here:

Rangefinderforum.com > Cameras / Gear / Photography > Rangefinder Forum > Help / Feedback forum > RFF Subject Organization
http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=157839

Thank you, Jaap, for raising an interesting subject that will be happy in the new location!

I like the Leica section's new layout.

I noticed that you have "Leica M10, 240 family, M-P, M60" ... you should add the 262s to that ("M/M-D 262 family" perhaps) to get all the designators in.

G