Present Status of Vade Mecum?

[Steven Tribe]

I am aware that Vade Mecum is a copyright document. Does anyone know the current status as regards the holders of this copyright? And, perhaps, whether there are plans for new revised and extended editions?

The reasons I ask are manifold:

1. It is a fantastically useful work which is worth developing even further.
2. At present it is, nethertheless, a mirroring of the objectives physically available in the UK at the end of the 90's. So there is a great deal about Ross, Aldis, and Dallmeyer etc. Many minor German and early american makers are either excluded or not covered comprehensively.
3. There are mistakes/repetitions and ambiguities at present.
4. Our internet age would surely facilitate a comprehensive submission and editing facility involving all with access to original language material?

Another alternative would be to develop the availability online of original catalogues that cameraeccentric and others have done so well?

[CCHarrison]

Hello,

Many years ago, I obtained the rights to distribute the VM from the Publisher and Dr. Neil Wright from the UK. The original authors have both passed away, and I am not aware of any attempt to update the work.

You are correct that US lenses are represented less than other countries. I have a page a few earlier american ads (1848-1875) here http://antiquecameras.net/18481875advertisements.html

Dan

[domaz]

Yes a Lens Wiki instead of a non-editable PDF document would surely be helpful. The Information wants to be free and really needs to be IMO.

[Dan Fromm]

domaz, there is somewhat of a lens Wiki, filled with nonsense and outright falsehoods.

Be careful what you ask for. You might get it. From the ignorant, ignorance.

[Robert Hughes]

In defense of Wiki's - they tend to improve with time, as knowledgeable viewers re-edit the pages. That's the Big Idea with Wiki's. If you run across a topic that you know something about, your responsibility as a good net citizen is to correct errors and submit the corrections.

If you don't like the errors, fix 'em.

[Dan Fromm]

Robert, I've fixed one set of bad 'uns. I'll be damned if I try to do 'em all.

I once published a book review that said, in essence, "This book is riddled with errors. If you know enough to protect yourself from them you don't need it. If you don't know enough to protect yourself from them you shouldn't go near it." That's Wikis.

Oh, and by the way, I also did this: http://www.galerie-photo.com/boyer-o...-objectif.html (French version) and this (http://www.galerie-photo.com/boyer-lens-optic.html (English). Gathering the information presented took years, required a fair number of lens purchases.

I don't know about you, but IMO the OP probably doesn't have a good idea of what he's asking others to do. As I said, I've done it; until I develop an obsession with another lens maker I'm not about to do it again, especially for free.

Cheers,

Dan

[Toyon]

It would be nice though if some of the outstanding experts, like Chris Perez and Fuji lenses, could add to the Vade Mecum and get some kind of share from a new edition.

[domaz]

domaz, there is somewhat of a lens Wiki, filled with nonsense and outright falsehoods.

Be careful what you ask for. You might get it. From the ignorant, ignorance.

And the alternative is leaving all the information as a monolithic non-editable volume that is hard to use? A Wiki can work if enough people want to contribute and you have knowledgable editors. Problem seems to be we are lacking people with knowledge who want to contribute.

[Dan Fromm]

domaz, stop whining, start doing. Make yourself into an expert and go correct errors ...

[goamules]

...Problem seems to be we are lacking people with knowledge who want to contribute.

A bigger problem is people lacking knowledge who like to perpetuate errors.

I would much rather buy a book from a lens scholar like Milan (are you listening?!) than read a bunch of stuff that may or may not be true. Still, I guess it's a start, right now you have to sort through a bunch of forums and try to glean the truth....