Poll: Old Camara/Gear forum area?

[Rafael Garcia]

If I can figure out how to start a poll here, I'd like to get one going on this subject. It has been the subject of a thread in the On Photography section, and strong opinions against and for have been posted. Please review the thread and cast a poll vote here

Pro: An area where owners of old equipment can go to find information would make it easier to zero in on appropriate posts and would allow that smaller community to share ideas without their posts dissapearing quickly due to the preponderance of posts on newer equipment on the Forum.

Con: It would complicate the Forum structure and it is unnecessary since older equipment is not essentially different than state-of-the-art equipment.

[lee\c]

why not have a coffee forum also?

Maybe a recipe forum also?

lee\c

[Rafael Garcia]

hmm... I like coffee!

Lee, I believe coffee and recipes would not be appropriate subjects for a LF photography board. Maybe you could start your own poll on this?

[David A. Goldfarb]

When does something count as old? Is my circa 1973 Tech V "old," even though it has most of the features of a new Master Tech? What about the Gandolfi traditional users, who might have a new camera that is almost identical to a 50-year-old camera?

If there were a collectibles forum, that might attract mainly collectors of 19th-century plate cameras, daguerreotype cameras, or the very collectible tropical cameras.

[Rafael Garcia]

My thought is that any camera user needing non-available parts or information would look there. I wasn't thinking of cut-off dates or anything like that. It would be a forum where information on parts, etc. is a LOT more informed than the current option, which is eBay.

[Michael Graves]

How hard can it be? It's like having folders on your hard disk. Does having a "My Documents" folder separate from a "Program Files' folder confuse you? If it does, then the extra area might be a problem. The other 99.8% of us will be able to manage.

If you simply aren't interested in the posts, then don't read them. But why object to providing a specific area for the posts? It's just another way of organizing data.

[Ralph Barker]

My thought is that any camera user needing non-available parts or information would look there. I wasn't thinking of cut-off dates or anything like that. It would be a forum where information on parts, etc. is a LOT more informed than the current option, which is eBay.

I think what David was alluding to is that absent a tight definition of what a sub-forum is supposed to contain, posters won't be sure where a question should go. Thus, those looking for information end up having to look through multiple sub-forums, and thread titles often don't provide the needed clues.

Part of the strategy behind the initial set of sub-forums was to recognize the practical side of how people post and to provide a minimal set of sub-forums that was reasonably logical.

[darr]

Rafael,

Why don't you start your own Vintage Camera Forum? You seem to be passionate about it so my guess is you would put the necessary work into setting it up. If you need instructions on how to do it, PM me.

[Rafael Garcia]

The alternative did occur to me. Frankly I would not have the time to spend doing the hard work of moderating, etc., so I am guilty of a certain hypocresy by trying to have it done by others. I believe it would be advantageous, but wouldn't be asking if I thought it would be counter-productive in this great place. The structure is existing, and it would just be another folder, one of many, as Mr. Graves states. As to the current organization, I can say there are areas I never visit because they seem not to pertain to things I'm interested in. Perhaps one more esoteric interest will not hurt any more than the ones already up.

[BrianShaw]

Cameras & Camera Accessories (34 Viewing)
Large format cameras of all types and sizes.

Maybe the LFF Managing-Director could add "and ages" to the forum description?

[Donald Qualls]

When does something count as old?

Well, I'm pretty sure my Ica and Zeiss Ideal plate cameras qualify -- the Ica is at least 80 years old, and the Zeiss not much younger. For that matter, my Speed Graphic is coming up on 70 pretty rapidly...

[Rafael Garcia]

Cameras & Camera Accessories (34 Viewing)
Large format cameras of all types and sizes.

Maybe the LFF Managing-Director could add "and ages" to the forum description?
Thanks for pointing that out... precisely what would be changed!

Everybody: Yes, I understand how things are now, and they are o.k. Do not be so afraid of change that you have to point out the obvious. All I suggest is a tiny change to the way things are set up, and have been set up for probably the life of this forum. It will not even happen, as moderators have already expressed their opposition to the proposal. I happen to think it would improve things for me and others, and want to know, because there was some support in the original post, how many others agreed with me. No big deal if it doesn't happen: I will still read and post and enjoy your company (you may have a different perspective on my company already). Brian, I had seen the inclusive caption before. Please re-read why I think that doesn't work as well for sharing info with owners of old stuff. No harm meant by my suggestion. The caption would not change. There would be a sub-forum with a title like "Vintage" below it, as a way to organize information so it's readily accessible, and not overwhelmed by posts about equipment that is still being manufactured. Searches could access both the main forum "Cameras and Camera Accessories" and "Vintage"; that would work fine. The idea is that the posts on old cameras would not scroll off the screen in a day, because the most visited/responded to posts are on newer equipment. Before I get shown the 'Search' button let me say I know it's there, and know how to use it (and do use it). Searches for specific subjects or terms may not bring up peripheral information relevant to a search if the same exact terms are not used in the search. That is why a sub-forum is better.

[BrianShaw]

Brian, I had seen the inclusive caption before. Please re-read why I think that doesn't work as well for sharing info with owners of old stuff.

Respectfully submitted: no, thank you. I read what you said, acknowledged that I don't particularly agree, and now I'm becoming bored with the brow-beating.

Good luck in your endeavor, but as a fellow user of old equipment I have had no difficulty working within the design of the current LFF configuration. In fact, when APUG added (one Saturday when Sean must have been bored) lots of additional forums and sub-forums, I found APUG to have become very difficult to participate in.

Damn it... there I go again... I just told myself to shut up and stop responding to this thread. Sorry to carry on like that. I won't do it again.

[Rafael Garcia]

Brian: It's not important. So we disagree... No big deal.

PS: If you go to http://aquariumboard.com/forums/index.php , a tropical fish hobbyist forum I have visited for a while, you will see an example of the sub-forum inter-connectivity I am referring to. There the image galleries are sub-forums to the main thread topics. They share the same search parameters and the sub-forum content also shows up on the main thread content. It is not a separation of subjects, but it is a great way to organize the images so those only wanting to look at them can do so without having to go through the entire thread. I believe the engine of that forum may be the same as on this one.

[Ole Tjugen]

"Old (non-supported) equipment"...

My two "serious" cameras both fail to qualify: One is a 1950's Gandolfi Traditional which is old, but still supported. The other is a 1990's Carbon Infinity - new(ish), but non-supported.

That most of my various plate cameras qualify is another matter, except perhaps for the Russian 30x40cm plate camera which could have been made at any time between 1930 and 1995.

My point is that there are far too many makes, models and ages of equipment in use to separate out the old and/or non-supported models as if they are in any way "special".

[Randy H]

Necessary? No.
Helpful? Yes.
Digital camera section on a LF forum? Why?
Not necessarily a cut-off date, but just vintage types or styles. Certainly our dear dorffs could fall into a vintage category. Even the home-brewers would be able to glean some insightful info and ideas from some of the old woodie-type field and views. It could be a place where a home-brewer and/or the restorer and/or the bottom-feeder could go to exchange ideas for or availability of, parts etc. Much like Rafael and his contraption for lens-board tilt/swing. The vast majority of the home-brews look like take-offs from some of the earlier cameras. Seems like I recall another forum where they have a section referring to the Canon cameras "Popular during ther Reagan years". Perhaps they could initiate something along those lines, and all the loungers could go there to post their individual political perspectives.

[Wayne Crider]

I'm going to vote no on this. I read about many here shooting older equipment already, old lenses, old Graphics, old Burke and James, Deardorfs etc and don't see a sub forum as being productive. Where do you draw the "old" line anyways? One idea that may be helpful would be to title threads more intelligently such that future searches would provide a more comprehensive list of what information is available.

[Ron Marshall]

Is it true that a two-thirds majority is needed to amend the forum constitution?