Another Forum Idea: Miscellaneous Gear

Looking at the various The Gear Sub-Forums, it doesn't look like there's an appropriate place to discuss... everything else. Stuff like tripod heads, long lens backpacks, lens filters, leveling bases, lightning triggers, and so on.

Say, for example: I was the prototype tester for the just-released Acratech V2 ballhead, so I would be open to answering questions from anyone who has questions about it... but where should such discussion take place?

I doubt that a Miscellaneous Gear Sub-Forum would get heavy traffic, so maybe it's not needed; however I think it bears consideration.

Thanks for listening.

Mike

www.mikespinak.com

I think either Miscellaneous Gear, or General Accessories.
You are right we will need something.

Agreed. There needs to be a home for discussing how to stop camera bags from breeding in the back of the closet, what to build with all the extra dividers accumulated over the decades, and stuff like that.

Will_Perlis said:

Agreed. There needs to be a home for discussing how to stop camera bags from breeding in the back of the closet, what to build with all the extra dividers accumulated over the decades, and stuff like that.

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Lighting Gear!

The lighting gear is supposed to include "all other gadgets, grips and bags".

Why? Since nowhere else in photography are there so many pieces of things, power cords that don't fit, radio flashes on Uganda frequencies, strobe bulbs that are orphans and 48 umbrellas bought for a rave that got raided. They collect.

The second place for this stuff is in the Buy& Sell.

Asher

Asher Kelman said:

Lighting Gear!

The lighting gear is supposed to include "all other gadgets, grips and bags".
Asher

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But most folk wouldn't necessarily associate Ball heads, wireless WFT kit, etc with lighting. Maybe the lighting name needs a change?
Maybe not, I like the lighting section.

$0.02

Lighting Gear!

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That works for me, if everyone knows that "lighting gear" is to be read as "all accessories"... but it seems counterintuitive.

Maybe the lighting name needs a change?

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I think that an addition to the name "Lighting Gear", such as "Lighting Gear and Miscellaneous Accessories" would provide people with the necessary clue as to the proper forum for gadget talk, which would not be clear otherwise.

Mike

www.mikespinak.com

"I think that an addition to the name "Lighting Gear", such as "Lighting Gear and Miscellaneous Accessories" would provide people with the necessary clue..."

Yes. If assorted other gear is to be bunched into "Lighting Gear" than the name should show that. For example, I had a comment about some Thinktank gear to make but didn't know quite where to put it. Tho' it involved a 1DMk2, it might have been applicable to any DSLR.

Another vote for a change

Will_Perlis said:

"I think that an addition to the name "Lighting Gear", such as "Lighting Gear and Miscellaneous Accessories" would provide people with the necessary clue..."

Yes. If assorted other gear is to be bunched into "Lighting Gear" than the name should show that.

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I vote for "miscellaneous" (or some equivalent).

IMO, "Lighting" is too specific, and NOT indicative of other content.

If someone is looking for a roof rack for their car, they don't do a search under "trailer hitches".

(But they might look under cargo-carrying/towing equipment, and reasonably expect to find both)

I vote for "miscellaneous" (or some equivalent).

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I really don't mind what it is called, but as I think "Lighting"** should exist, I come back to the idea that another thread should provided.

**Of course, Lighting could be called "Studio", but let's not get into that at present

Got it!

Asher

My thought for the Lighting forum was the discussion of Lighting techiniqes, but I suppose that that would be discussed in the various photographic forums as the light requirement of each varies. I will create a misc gear section..

Michael,

I am sure that discussion of lighting techniques, as they pertain to a specific discipline of photography, will come up in the respective discipline's own photographic forum. However, there is also a place for more generalized discussion of lighting, in a Lighting Forum. For, example, on another forum, someone was recently considering whether to buy a flash, and was asking for example pictures of camera flash vs. separate flash unit. Cases like this (admittedly very basic) lighting question are independent of specific areas of photography.

Mike

www.mikespinak.com