Who remembers RFF when it started ?

aoresteen said:
Hello all!

I joined Jun 7, 2004 22 1/2 years ago. The last 3 years have been very hard as our youngest daughter lost her battle with breast cancer. I haven't used a RF camera since then and I have a huge backlog of film to develop.

My, the site has changed! It's like starting over.
Click to expand...
I am deeply sorry to hear of such a tragedy. My warmest wishes to you and your family.
 
I joined on November 1, 2008. I had lurked a while before then, wondering if I should post a DSLR picture in the gallery of a forum of rangefinder enthusiasts. I needn't have worried. I received a warm welcome and support, which was a huge relief after the trolls on photo.net. Finding RFF was a revelation - so many knowledgeable, helpful and friendly members... for which I am, and remain, very grateful. Sad that some have passed on (a special mention to Jim Barnes, barnwulf). RFF was a world of rangefinder cameras and lenses I had been unaware of.

My first rangefinder was an Olympus XA, which I bought new around 1980, to take skiing. I had sometimes used my father's Yashica Lynx 1000 before that, but mostly I'd used SLRs - Olympus OM and Nikon, then Canon digital. About 10 years ago I bought my first Leica, a IIIc, and became hooked on these small cameras and lenses that produced excellent results. And a different way of seeing.

When I took early retirement 15 years ago to become a full time carer to my two daughters (and now my wife) I was - and still remain - deeply touched by the kindness and support I have received. To all of you kind souls please accept my deepest thanks. Hopefully when things settle down I'll get back to shooting all the film sitting in my freezer!

This site is a great resource, a great community and a great place. Thank you Stephen, thank you MP Guy, thank you mods, and thank you all for making it what it is.

Warmest regards,

Lynn
Sydney
 
Checked earlier - June 2008. No idea how I found it, but I’d been drawn in to rf’s by a Zorki 4K. That led to some less inexpensive times!

Had some time out, but it’s nice to be back. Sorry some have passed on, but lovely to see others still here and enthused. And forming a community together.

Thanks!

Mike
 
I'm looking for a replacement black Konica C35, like the one I sent to Greyhoundman for CLA right before he disappeared, but was never returned.
Prices have gone up exponentially. Darn those hipsters! 😡

Chris
 
Archiver said:
Remember the TV commercial with the nuns talking about OS/2 Warp?

Click to expand...


That is a real gem. I vaguely remember the ad and used OS/2 through all its iterations and still have it on a box in the basement that I really should run the Gibson Spinrite on and then fire it up to see if it works. I really liked OS/2. And it had an interesting photo editor you could buy for it which came with a manual, hard bound, the size of War and Peace. The ad, in Dutch (?) illustrates the intrusion of English into so many languages on the back of tech.

Even the French surrendered to English a long time ago with "weekend", "pullover", "Ocedar" (for mop, O-Cedar) and "computer" despite the French word, ordinateur. And they have those large red octagonal signs with "STOP" in their centers, too. Fortunately while intruding in several; languages English does not seem to have harmed anyone, yet. It did give the Norman French of 1066 a drubbing.
 
From 2006 in my case. I had a tech problem with one of my Contax G1s and came to RFF for advice.

Several members posted and with their help I was able to (if temporarily) fix the problem.

I've had 2-3 'identities' here over that time. Not sure why - in self-retrospection I've had a lifelong tendency to come and go in many things, I used a name (identity) for a time and then, for reasons I've long ago forgotten, vanished from the scene, usually after trying to have my ID cancelled. Nothing really to do with RFF, all to do with me. As a disclaimer let me say I no longer do this. In my 70s I think I've grown up, finally...

I confess that I'm madly curious as to whether or not my older IDs still exist. All my personal notebooks for 30 years were destroyed in an office flood in 2012 so I no longer have those long ago names and login details.

I no longer to this, BTW. I plan to let DownUnder be my one and only monicker for as long as I am around.

To this day I find RFF is the most friendly, accessible, sensible and common-sensical sites for photo advice or pleasant gear-focused or even personal interaction with other members. This is a rare, even unique 'plus' - on the whole we are polite and respectful to all here and not (as is sadly the case in many other sites) angrily and intolerantly leap down one another's throats at the slightest disagreement or difference of opinion. Our mods are also sensible, practical and fair.

Long may all this go on.
 
Last edited:
rx7photog said:
Still new here, but loving this site! Lusting for a film Leica and a fast Leica slightly-wide angle lens now, though!!

rx7photog
Click to expand...
A little late but! - You'll do better with a Canon 35 instead. Look for the Canon 35/1.8 - it's exquisite and _MUCH_ saner priced than anything with the the L names on it. Trust me 🙂
 
I joined RFF in 2006, when I started searching for information about FSU rangefinders...and I was hooked immediately.
A great gourp of good people, and a source of interesting information.
 
Michael Markey said:
Keith

Yep .
Jenny lost interest and her brother (I seem to remember) started up again with a new version but folk drifted away .
Haven`t heard from Noel (Xmas) for a few years.
At one time he was coming up to Manchester on a regular basis .
Bob France and Paul (kully) are still out and about.
Keep in daily touch with Paul and we meet up now and again.
He posts on FB these days .
Click to expand...

I'm not Paul, it's just "Kully" 🙂 and haven't been out and about for ~10 years.
 
MP Guy said:
When I created RFF 20 years ago, I never thought it would grow into what it has become.
When I first started the site, I was hosting it on my own server in the closet using a DSL connection to get out to the world. Yes, DSL. Laugh all you want but it was the beginnings of RFF and I still remember many of the original members. Having said that, this is what the home page looked like back in the days.


View attachment 4815370
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom