It is a dead end to keep a single image Leica thread like this right now. Less and less people visit and post.

I don't know will Fred even see this thread. This poll may do nothing.

With more and more mirrorless cameras hit the market, this forum is a mess now and will be even messier in the future.

Check front page.

If only 37 people vote for it, I cannot see any reason to do it, to be honest. If there was a massive demand, perhaps.

I actually like the variety of this forum. There are plenty of Leica specific forums out there, but this is my favorite, because there are knowledgeable discussions about all kinds of cameras and lenses in one place that I'd likely not look into, otherwise.

carstenw wrote:
If only 37 people vote for it, I cannot see any reason to do it, to be honest. If there was a massive demand, perhaps.

I bet non leica user won't bother to vote a dedicate Leica forum. It not only the problem of Leica, It getting harder for all specific brand interested surfer get useful information quick unless he stay here full time.

Before, mostly this forum is for Canikony user with Alt glass, slowly NEX, FUJI, OLYMPIAS, Sumsung shows up here, I bet there will more once MKII, MKIII coming. Native lens mirrorless of FUJI, NEX, OLYMPAS and SUMSUNG etc alos belong here. Consider market share of those mirrorless now and in near future, this gonna be a "busiest" forum.

Does a good dish need everything in the same wok to taste good?

douglasf13 wrote:
I actually like the variety of this forum. There are plenty of Leica specific forums out there, but this is my favorite, because there are knowledgeable discussions about all kinds of cameras and lenses in one place that I'd likely not look into, otherwise.

I will prefer that if I want Leica information, I visit Leica forum, if Zeiss and all other manual lens then Alt forum 'use to be'.

zhangyue wrote:
douglasf13 wrote:
I actually like the variety of this forum. There are plenty of Leica specific forums out there, but this is my favorite, because there are knowledgeable discussions about all kinds of cameras and lenses in one place that I'd likely not look into, otherwise.

I will prefer that if I want Leica information, I visit Leica forum, if Zeiss and all other manual lens then Alt forum 'use to be'.

Mirrorless systems muddied the waters much more than Leica, though. There are only a few Leica threads on the first page.

zhangyue wrote:
I don't know will Fred even see this thread. This poll may do nothing.

Yeah, he reads here. I'd say the chances of him seeing this thread are about 90% or so. 100% if you send him a PM.



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I'm with those who like it the way it is - diverse and all! Even if I owned a leica I would still want to post in the Alt forum here. If you don't like all in one thread just make more threads. There's a million ways to divide it up. By lens, by subject type, by location, or even single user threads like the current Croatia thread. If you want it designated Leica just put Leica in the title somehow:

"This Week (11/1~11/8) With Leica"
"Leica Sports Image Thread"
"Leica Portraiture Image Thread"
etc. etc. etc.

I for sure don't think it's messy in here - at all. The Alt forum as it is currently is like Baby Bear's porridge in that fare-tale: Juuuust right! The only thing I would change is adding user defined number of posts per-page or hardcoding it to around 50 if it needs to be hard-coded.

The best thing would be if Leica was separated but would have highlights/10 most current threads from alt forum on a narrow side menu. Similar to news websites. It might be technically difficult though, I have no clue.

Yeah, that would be nice!

Or reverse stickies. Like cut the thread listing down to around 50 or 60 total (instead of the current 100) and then have a section at the bottom that additionally listed all the long themed threads.

Rokkor Image Thread,
ZE/ZF/ZM Discussion and Images,
Nikkor Image Thread,
Olympus OM Image Thread,
C/Y Image Thread,
Leica ______ Image threads,

and so on. Where they still get bumped to the top of the normal listing with new posts but can always be found at the bottom as well. Kinda the same as your side-bar idea but just in-line at the bottom (maybe separated by another ad space or something).

zhangyue wrote:
It is a dead end to keep a single image Leica thread like this right now. Less and less people visit and post.

I don't know will Fred even see this thread. This poll may do nothing.

With more and more mirrorless cameras hit the market, this forum is a mess now and will be even messier in the future.

Check front page.




So rather than a messy alternative forum, you want a nice tidy, Leica only, alternative forum.

Now then, why exactly do you, as a Leica user, feel you deserve a dedicated forum more so than, say a m4/3 dedicated forum ?

I think there is more talk about the EM-5 and m4/3 in general than Leica talk so wouldn't it make more sense to have say, a m4/3 forum, or a NEX forum, or a CSC forum

Seems a bit arrogant to think that Leica needs its own forum even when its in the minority of total alt forum discussion.

What would the argument for that be then ? That even though your system represents less overall traffic it cost a lot of money and thus deserves special treatment or something??

A $7000 "true" rangefinder user shouldn't have to mix with threads about all those fake RF's like the Fuji's right ?

Need your own exclusive forum, perhaps password protected even, just to make sure to keep out the undesireable owners of other systems ?

Keep from having to subject your eyes to images from NEX, m4/3, Zeiss, Fuji etc right ?

douglasf13 wrote:


Mirrorless systems muddied the waters much more than Leica, though. There are only a few Leica threads on the first page.

I agree with you and Mat on this one. How "Alt" is using a NEX or OM-D (or whatever) with native AF lenses?

The forum definition certainly allows for it, but there was a time when the majority around here would have found that kinda, I dunno, funny.... AF?... Did someone say AF?

Millsart: You totally miss the point, I don't even know what are you talking about! There is nothing to do $7000 camera, or elite status of leica, I have zero Zero feeling about leica's elite status. Looks that is in your mind more than mine.

You make a good point for m4/3 forum though, why people care about it only have to surf all those 'elite' leica thread or zeiss image.

The point I am trying to make is not just for leica but trying to do something with this forum as things change a lot lately for mirrorless thrive.

As for me, other than size advantage, I still prefer my Nikon+zeiss output. So why don't keep your imagination for yourself.

Again,looks like it is you think leica that way, not me.

Apart from true alt stuff, I think in this forum there is probably more talk about Sony cameras than any other, so if anything should be split off, it would be Sony. I would be sorry to see it go though. I like reading about that stuff, but would never visit a Sony-only forum, just like I don't visit the Canon and Nikon forums (in spite of being a Nikon owner).

carstenw wrote:
Apart from true alt stuff, I think in this forum there is probably more talk about Sony cameras than any other, so if anything should be split off, it would be Sony. I would be sorry to see it go though. I like reading about that stuff, but would never visit a Sony-only forum, just like I don't visit the Canon and Nikon forums (in spite of being a Nikon owner).

I agree on all points. It is hard to argue that Sony at this point is "alt" but it would be a shame to have to go looking for the Sony stuff rather than stumbling across it as happens here. Plus, the Sony gang seems to be less gear-obsessed so there aren't endless threads debating whether the new lens X means panacea or the end of the world as tends to be the case elsewhere...

millsart wrote:
...Now then, why exactly do you, as a Leica user, feel you deserve a dedicated forum more so than, say a m4/3 dedicated forum ?

...Seems a bit arrogant to think that Leica needs its own forum even when its in the minority of total alt forum discussion.
...

Need your own exclusive forum, perhaps password protected even, just to make sure to keep out the undesireable owners of other systems ?
...

Oh of course. Only 'real' Leica owners will be admitted.

1/ Applicants for membership need to apply, approval then goes to a board to view portfolio, access your financial and social status. Decisions will be made in no less than 90 days.
2/ You would have to scan or fax receipts to prove ownership. Only 'original' owners may apply. Absolutely NO second hand owners will be admitted.
3/ Mebership by referal from an existing member only
4/ Membership can be willed to family members

Yes, need to keep the, ah, smelly people out...

pingflood wrote:
I agree on all points. It is hard to argue that Sony at this point is "alt" but it would be a shame to have to go looking for the Sony stuff rather than stumbling across it as happens here. Plus, the Sony gang seems to be less gear-obsessed so there aren't endless threads debating whether the new lens X means panacea or the end of the world as tends to be the case elsewhere...

This is getting off-topic... BUT... has anyone here played the PS3 game "Afrika", or "Hakuna Matata", as it is called in Japan? Hilarious, you have to go out shooting wild animals in Africa, and apart from your first camera, all the gear is... Sony! Tadaa No FF cameras though, the best camera is the A700, and the best lens the 300/2.8. Quite a nice game, if you have some patience and tolerance for a slower pace, and less than cutting-edge adrenalin experience. I play it with my 4-year old daughter

I feel another sub-forum will start making the alt forum a ghost town.

I forget Nikon V1, panasonic, pentax, ESO-M, RX1, RX100, cellphone, sigma DP1,2,3,4... anything you can think of not Canikon, are ALL belong here.

It will be never ending.

That is awesome once more player join in, wait for next round of Canikon indrocuction.

I think the alt forum is unique and great because it is exactly what it is. A mix of a lot of different stuff, and good people and photographers. Why fix something that ain't broke? Sometimes it's okay to leave things as they are.

I agree 100%: the mix makes it great. Most other forums are so boring because they are so uniform.