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Who wants a lens sub forum?


NZDavid

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This isn't a new idea, but hasn't happened so far. So how about this year? Optics have been instrumental to Leica's success. Even in the digital age, Leica glass still makes a difference. And each lens is so individual. So why not have a Leica lens sub forum dedicated to the topic? For example, which 50 has the best bokeh? Is fast glass worth it? Which wideangle for architecture? In all forum languages. Alles optisch! Please say if you agree.

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  • 2 months later...
This isn't a new idea, but hasn't happened so far. So how about this year? Optics have been instrumental to Leica's success. Even in the digital age, Leica glass still makes a difference. And each lens is so individual. So why not have a Leica lens sub forum dedicated to the topic? For example, which 50 has the best bokeh? Is fast glass worth it? Which wideangle for architecture? In all forum languages. Alles optisch! Please say if you agree.

It makes a lot of sense and works well in other online photography forums. Besides, some of us purchase quality lenses for the long haul (if not, for life) and even the best of digital bodies will likely have been made obsolete due to "digital obsolescence". We also purchase our lenses for use across multiple Leica-m Body types, whether digital or analog (film). ;)

Edited by BRJR
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... We also purchase our lenses for use across multiple Leica-m Body types, whether digital or analog (film). ;)

 

I think that's one of the reasons why a lens sub-forum would "work", but wouldn't add anything to the users.

 

Some years ago I thought a lens forum would be useful and questioned about this in the German forum. In the meanwhile I think different.

 

Subfora are only useful, if you can rely on certain topics - here lenses - to be found and threads about them to be started in a certain subforum. The problem starts with users thinking different whether a certain question is about the lens or the camera or the customer or history or the state of society: "Is it safe to use collapsible lenses with the M9?", "My 15mm shows much more vignetting with the digital M than with film", "Which sunshade for a Summitar?", "Why do Leica customers have to pay so much for glass?"

 

I think, even if we had a lens forum, users wouldn't start thinking and behaving different and you would find lens related topics spread all over the forum like now.There are already thousands of them which would not to be found in a future lens forum, so searching would become even more difficult. And I should not exspect moderators shifting threads to and fro.

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The problem starts with users thinking different whether a certain question is about the lens or the camera or the customer or history or the state of society:

 

"Is it safe to use collapsible lenses with the M9?" M9 Forum

 

"My 15mm shows much more vignetting with the digital M than with film" Lens Forum

 

"Which sunshade for a Summitar?" Lens Forum

 

"Why do Leica customers have to pay so much for glass? Customer Forum

 

IMHO.

 

I think if the correct section is ambiguous (e.g. with your second example) then it can sit in the place the OP wished it to be, as that is where they felt they would get the correct answer. If it is obviously in the wrong place (e.g. your 3rd example being placed in a digital forum) it will need to be moved. That is how it works already and I don't see why it can't work with a lens forum too.

Edited by Phil Urwin
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Out of 53 threads on page one of the Customer forum, 17 are to do with lenses. There are several others on lens hoods and finders which might also be included. There are several more lens threads on the Digital forum, plus several more on M9 forum, mainly relating to focusing or compatibility issues specifically related to M9, and also some on the Film forum. For example:

 

Retractable Summicron damage M9 ?

Converting Leica R lenses to m42 mount

Sharpest aperture for Digilux 2?

Macro and wide converter for Digilux 2

NEX-7 + Summicron

DLux-5 and Raynox DCR-250 macro lense

Lenses with less minimalist looking

Leica R 250mm

75mm Summarit stripdown??

f/0.72

Super Elmar 21mm f3.4

35/2 biogon or 35 summarit?

Summaron Lens Question

Somewhat OT: Why Japanese Foundry Can't Manufacture ZM 85mm Sonnar

50 summicron aperture ring loose

Lens choice zeiss vs. older leica

35mm summicron vs 35mm summilux

Pitch for Leica lenses

21mm or 25mm? the Cropping factor from 18~28mm

Um, is a 90mm Summicron supposed to do this?

Aperture Ring on 2.8 90mm Sticks

18mm SE examples on M9 for interior

LEICA ELMAR-C 90mm f/4 with M9

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No I wouldn't like to see a lens sub-forum.

 

As I see it members of LUF have the terrific advantage of being able to roam and drop into discussions that they may not previously have bothered with simply because it is in front of them on the Customer Forum. Cross pollination of views and ideas and history and techniques is better than ghettoisation in specialist sub-sections.

 

I also think it will reduce posts on specialist subjects, out of 'sight out of mind' being the watchwords. Forum overload by having to trawl around into little dark corners and see if anything relevent is happening will be a natural human response. I'm sure many people don't go into the X1 forum for instance because they don't have an X1, despite plenty of general photography questions and discussion happening there. So posters and the Forum in general loses out on expertise simply because a thread hasn't caught the experts eye.

 

And then you have the dark side of Forum behaviour. People who set themselves up as demi-gods on a specialist subject for no good reason other than there is usually nobody else to argue with them. It isn't hard to see that in action on other well known forums.

 

So a lens sub-forum is a bad idea.

 

Steve

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I count 6 - is that going to make a difference? :p

 

Actually, it seems like 6 "for"', 4 "against"', 1 " none of the above" and the remainder don't care enough to vote either way. Based on those figures and the voting turnout, this board is a true democracy! :D

Edited by Phil Urwin
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  • 1 month later...

Yes, I think it is high time to get a lens sub forum started.

 

I notice many lens redirects that the modulators have to throw into the Customer Forum from for example the M9 Forum. Seems it would make administering this site easier for all concerned.

Edited by algrove
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The idea isn't new and I have in fact advocated a lens forum myself (not that this mattered).

 

There are reasons for and against this suggestion and we have heard them all but it is undeniable that there is a similar category for camera bodies with a model-based, fine-scaled subdivision on top on the one hand and on the other no such category for lenses just a catch-all forum for lenses, support questions etc.

 

I am not advocating having a sub forum for wide-angles although one might argue that separating M8 from M9 entries is not much more meaningful. But it sure seems odd that support and lenses should be considered more closely related that two models of M cameras.

 

I said odd, nothing more serious than that. But IMO it would be cleaner to have

 

Lenses

Digital M bodies

Film M bodies

 

plus the existing fora.

 

C

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Yes, I think it is high time to get a lens sub forum started.

 

I notice many lens redirects that the modulators have to throw into the Customer Forum from for example the M9 Forum. Seems it would make administering this site easier for all concerned.

 

+1

 

Bernhard

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I totally agree with this. It only makes sense. A sub-forum for each focal length in Leica's lineup (most widely used) would be a very welcomed addition. So here goes to the moderators: please add these features. Thank you!

 

+1 for the lens sub forum.

 

I was thinking about how to best structure it. One page for each focal length seems like a good way to go.

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