Feedback Site changes, again

I still shoot with an OM2n as well. Picked up an OM-4T that I thought would replace it, but somehow I bond better with the 2n.
That was exactly the mistake I made at the end of my time with film SLRs. I thought a fancy new OM4 would improve my photography, but what I should have spent my money on was getting my beloved OM2 serviced and working properly. I sold the OM4 but I still have the OM2.

-R
 
Hi all,

I merged quite a few forums, taking a brand-specific approach rather than the prior brand-and-format approach. This was done in preparation for merging a few of the other sites into this one, namely FujiXspot, Leica Place, and Forever Film.

The main reason for the changes is that it has been too much $$ and work keeping all these sites updated, licensed, etc. That said, I do think it will be a good change for everyone, bringing in some more members and activity.

Let me know what you think. Also, a name change is probably in the works again. I know this isn't gonna be to everyone's liking, but it's an important part of making the new members from the other sites feel welcome regardless of whether their gear is compact. @Lightmancer suggested a bunch of different names. Right now I like CameraCommune.com - love it, hate it, indifferent, other ideas, let me know :).

All best,
Amin
I'm behind the times because I just noticed the new site lineup. Love it. Makes much sense.

PapaDee
 
I like the new site. I could see that the old serious compacts site was not getting much traffic.

My only quibble is with the highly contrasting stripes or bars that run down each side of the pages. I think they distract from the text and images without serving a purpose.

Edit: One more thing: when I click on a photo to expand it, it expands to the right and down. Images will expand all the way to the edge of the page on the right, but leave a large margin on the left. I think images should expand to the left as well.
 
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So, funny enough I'm searching for "cameraderie.com" and this thread came up in the Google results which led to me reading the whole thing. Even though this thread is a bit old, it's still interesting reading.

On names, I like "Cameraderie" as the main name. I know somebody mentioned that they dislike word play names but I think it really works in this case since the community is not targeted by what gear somebody is using but rather towards a common enjoyment.

On the domain names, it doesn't look like "cameraderie.com" will be available anytime soon but I did go ahead and register "cameraderie.net" and have it redirect to here at "cameraderie.org". Prior to 2010 the .com domain was used by a US based photography club before it was allowed to expire at which point the photo booth business picked it up. The domain "PhotographersLounge.com" is available from a squatter for $2,460.00 USD so that ain't happening! :LOL:

On gear having soul, I'm torn on this one. For older gear, made of metal and likely hand-crafted by a skilled crafts person, I think they do have a bit of soul in them, a touch of the people who crafted the raw materials into a tool and then a touch of anybody who may have owned it before you. That piece of gear, having seen moments of joy, sorrow, and scenes of peoples lives who may not be with us anymore, has a soul that could tell many stories. Newer gear, on the other hand, seems sterile to me. Yes, I'm a tech geek who likes the latest & greatest shiny toys, but when I pick up a modern camera I don't feel a soul from it but rather just see it for what it is, a collection of mass-produced parts of plastic, circuit boards, glass, and metal. Compare that to picking up an old camera and the various dings & scratches to the body, the paint worn down on the dials from the photographers hands, maybe a leather casing that has dried and showing some scratches... all of it tells a story. In short, there is a reason why old gear might end up being displayed on a shelf while used modern gear is more likely destined for a recycler (or, in my case, the dreaded bin of outdated gizmos & gadgets).


{And, after that last part, I think it's time for me to call it a night. My posts after midnight tend to be a bit more rambling versus when I'm fully awake. :D}
 
I have a shelf with the Olympus E1, EP1 and EM5. On another shelf sit the Minolta X-700, Leica Digilux 1 and the Lumix LX100. I had many other cameras, but those are generally gifted to other people when I’m done with the (mostly after a few years). Indeed, only a few make me want to keep them.
 
I'm probably quite the opposite of @marlof: I'm a collector (some would probably say, a pack rat) as well as a shooter, I guess, and I love some of my cameras with an unreasonable amount of passion. Does it mean that they have "soul"? Surprisingly, I find that difficult to answer - mostly, I admire some ingenious (and very often, simple and straightforward) solution or functionality; the fact that (relatively) small, well-made cameras can be the most intuitive shooters over technological milestones and masterpieces still intrigues me every time; that's why my most loved cameras are old (and not so old) rangefinders and also folders from way back ... Not that said milestones and masterpieces don't hold a lot of appeal, though ...

I mainly like to experiment and explore - which often means putting together some setup which I then grow to like and don't want to miss ... In short, it's hard for me to let go of anything. I'll have to change that at some point in time ...

M.
 
One thing: my shelved cameras are the one not in use. I still use the EM1, Pen-F and GX9. Of those the EM1 will not be shelved, but the Pen-F will eventually, and the GX9 might (too soon to tell).
 
I primarily shoot Leica and Nikon Digital to use older lenses as they were originally designed to be used, with an RF in the case of Leica and with a Reflex for the Nikkors. I have a collection of lenses that is fairly large, close to 100 Leica mount lenses and ~80 Nikon lenses, plus others. Maybe 250 lenses? I mostly shoot manual focus, but picked of a Nikkor 24~85 AF-S VR lens for $25 that needed some work. 5 minute job, screw in wrong place on mount, missing screws, used an old Nikon N6000 parts donor to replace screws. At first, thought it was broken until I remembered to turn AF ON for the Df... I think in 10~15 years that most modern cameras and lenses will depreciate considerably, but the older lenses will retain much of their value. The latter- thanks to Mirrorless cameras.

Taking apart old lenses and cameras, there is a precision and quality of workmanship that is rare to see these days. I've also seen some Hacks from 80 years ago to finish a job on a Zeiss lens.

Just to add- as someone that writes most of their own software down to the device-driver level, picking up a digital camera with a cumbersome menu puts me off to it. The Df- read the book once, configured everything to where the menu selections consist of Format Card, Select non-CPU lens. Everything else- use the dials. The Leica- the same. The Leica raw format is a joy in it's simplicity, easy to write code to read/modify/write the .DNG files as implemented. The Nikon .nef and others are convoluted, keeps Adobe in business supplying updates. The Olympus E-PM1- I end up using as a P&S, menu settings are obscure. Same with many of the other cameras that I've handled for others. One neighbor had a Nikon D3200 that would not work on AF. Some obscure menu setting that was separate from the AF/MF setting, but was more like "Lens Detect". Whatever it was, it just looked obscure enough to be part of my "Randomly type, point, and click until the computer does exactly what I want it to do" philosophy of 45 years of using computers.
 
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I hang on to almost all of my cameras and lenses, apart from the ones I've given to immediate family. Interestingly, only a few get deep emotional attachment beyond the others. The Leica M9 is one. The Ricoh GRD III is another, despite having lesser image quality than later models. The Contax T3 and Fuji Natura Black rate high on the emotional attachment scale, as does the Pentax ME, which Dad used before he gave it to me.

I see Cameraderie.org as a continuation of the gathering of supportive, likeminded people who come together under the love of photography and cameras. While I loved the Serious Compacts moniker, 'Cameraderie' fits this place perfectly.
 
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