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A better title for this forum?

James Masi

New member
I'm wondering if there might be a better title for this forum, one that might better identify it for users. "Cameras with Digital Backs" is perhaps less clear that it might seem on first look. I think that people are looking for a forum to discuss "Medium and Large Format Digital Photography", and might not consider this foum to be focused on their issues. This forum would, by it's title, cover small format cameras with digital backs like the Leica DMR. Is that intended? It seems to me that the DMR and future similar cameras are better discussed in a DSLR forum.

I would suggest that "Medium and Large Format Digital Photography" might be a better forum title for this forum. There are many people looking for a home for such discussions, and perhaps better targeting the title of this forums might attract them here.

Any thoughts on this?
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
James that's a great idea!

I am always open to suggestions within broad limits of taste and legality.

We are not yet picked up by the searchc engines. I wonder how it works?

When Michael tapes changes your name over to "real", I will have to have you post in parenthesis your Zeiss heritage. I actually like the Biogens!

Do you have any digital backs?

I'm interested in getting a wide angle solution. Perhaps an Alpa.

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Rainer,

What about when the Digital back is used with a large format camera and then the back is shifted in rows X-Y and then again after moving up 4 cm in the Z direction until the entire 8x10 back is covered and then images are stitched.

What name would also cover that?

Asher
 
hm.
i dont know.
but do you think many people will make this after they realised that the sharpness of a 8x10 camera ( for too big mechanical tolerances ) will not hold up the needs for their 17 or 22 or 33 mp backs?

why not a seperat lf forum with film and digital? there are not so few people out who still shoot with lf. at least in my field of architecture shooting still the much greater number of photographer is doing so.
 

James Masi

New member
Asher Kelman said:
We are not yet picked up by the searchc engines. I wonder how it works?

Check with your website host. For a commerical website I had a short while ago, the internet company providing the hosting had options for search engine placement. Outside of that, I'm sure that a search on the topic might reveal some useful techniques.

I've sent Google the URL in response to a search that didn't show this site in the results. But we'll need to do alot more than that.
 

James Masi

New member
Asher Kelman said:
Rainer,

What about when the Digital back is used with a large format camera and then the back is shifted in rows X-Y and then again after moving up 4 cm in the Z direction until the entire 8x10 back is covered and then images are stitched.

What name would also cover that?

Which is why I suggested including "Large Format" in the title. While "large format" doesn't really exist in digital (sensor sizes don't get any bigger than 645 size), but most people associate the use of View Cameras as large format photography, even if the digital back used with it is merely medium format.

And yes, it would also cover the scanning backs, which under the right conditions are capable of stunning and unparalleled quality. And while their use and numbers are small, so is the use of the medium format backs, at least compared to DSLR's. I see no reason why they should be specifically excluded. Anyone with a view camera thinking about a digital back will (or at least should) be considering a scanning back if it is applicable to their work. And who knows, perhaps scanning back technology will also steadily improve so as to expand it's potential applications and ultimately sales. Why shouldn't that be discussed here? And if not here, where?
 
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yes thats right.
maybe it just will take some time till the mf guys will find the way to here.
did you invite james russel,mark tucker,guy mancanon,tim griffith,paul simon and the others we know from several forums?
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Rainer, that is so important.

Please help spread the word to back users. If you are in a group of refugees from the RG site, see if anyone can participate here. Once there is a critical mass here, the expertise here will be self-sustaining.

Eastwood has almost all of them. Mark, who I admire so much is already exclusively committed to an unpublished private group. Such was the downside of the turmoil to our community that started more than 6 months ago.

Remember, all of us are busy and need to earn a living. If someone unkown calls out of the blue to interrupt their work, it doesn't make a good impression. From a friend, contact is always welcome!

So it is expected that the word will mostly spread by personal contact. An email is fine if they just know of you and nothing more. However, we don't want to badger people. They have to earn a living!

This part of building OPF is part of the process largely influenced by each member here. I personally thank everyone a million times for helping in this effort.

Asher
 
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Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Medium Format and Large Format Digital Photography seems to be a better choice.

What do you think?

Thanks,

Asher
 
D

Doug Kerr

Guest
Hi, Asher,

Medium Format and Large Format Digital Photography

Makes sense to me, based on what seems to be the intended scope.

I myself am not so far involved with such yummy and expensive stuff, except to mention it when debunking the idea that "full frame" is a good short name for "full-frame 35-mm" since everyone knows that a frame size of 36 mm x 24 mm is the ne plus ultra of photography, "l'enchilada entier".
 

sdai

New member
Hi, Asher, is there any possibility that you could setup more color templates to view the board? I've just spend 10 minutes on this site and already felt more tired than shooting with a rangefinder for the whole day.

Thanks,

Simon
 

snaggs

New member
Asher, first thanks for starting up a RG replacement. Have you thought of making it clear that this forum won't be turned into a pay site in the future? Maybe by making it part of the sign-in at the start. I'm guessing many people would be encouraged to put in lots of effort knowing that it wont be commercialised again.

Finally, I support the vote to change the name of this forum to Medium format.. then its clear.

Daniel.

PS. Keep the digital rangefinder forum.. or maybe just rename it to "Digital M and R" or "Leica", for DMR and M8/RD-1 users. Other than the Leica site themselves, there is no forum on the net for Leica DMR or M8 users.

Asher Kelman said:
Rainer, that is so important.

Please help spread the word to back users. If you are in a group of refugees from the RG site, see if anyone can participate here. Once there is a critical mass here, the expertise here will be self-sustaining.

Eastwood has almost all of them. Mark, who I admire so much is already exclusively committed to an unpublished private group. Such was the downside of the turmoil to our community that started more than 6 months ago.

Remember, all of us are busy and need to earn a living. If someone unkown calls out of the blue to interrupt their work, it doesn't make a good impression. From a friend, contact is always welcome!

So it is expected that the word will mostly spread by personal contact. An email is fine if they just know of you and nothing more. However, we don't want to badger people. They have to earn a living!

This part of building OPF is part of the process largely influenced by each member here. I personally thank everyone a million times for helping in this effort.

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
snaggs said:
Asher, first thanks for starting up a RG replacement. Have you thought of making it clear that this forum won't be turned into a pay site in the future? Maybe by making it part of the sign-in at the start. I'm guessing many people would be encouraged to put in lots of effort knowing that it wont be commercialised again.

Finally, I support the vote to change the name of this forum to Medium format.. then its clear.

Daniel.

PS. Keep the digital rangefinder forum.. or maybe just rename it to "Digital M and R" or "Leica", for DMR and M8/RD-1 users. Other than the Leica site themselves, there is no forum on the net for Leica DMR or M8 users.

Daniel,

I have to recheck all I have written, but I believe I made it clear that the content of this site is free for everyone to access and that, to the best of my intention is to be for ever.

All post are assumed to be the copyright ownership of the respective authors and cannot be used by others without permission from the authors. We have no intention or plans to sell the site or the content.

We need all the professional input possible and that is why the ownership is not with OPF. We have usage rights.

As far as the name of the forum is concerned, let me know any updated opinions for the next scheduled tweaks to OPF after next week.

Asher
 
I want to talk about 8 x 10's

Hi, I am new here, (old time DPRevie.com)

I will go back to live in NY City after 9 years away for reasons outside of my work, and want to work for art galleries.

I know that the real working galleries are used to 8 x 10 and 4 x 5 transparencies for inshurance, catalogs and to show the work to prospective clients.

So please leave the Large Format portion on the title of the forum -- at least for now -- so that we can talk on the digital devices that will kill the Deardorff for good... or not.

After all even MF may or may not survive the end of the film age.

-- Contax, Bronica, Mamiya and the 6 x 6 Hasselblad are gone. There is only Rolley, Pentax and Fujifilm (H2) left. and who can say that 4 years fron now there IS going to be any Medium Format to talk about? then even celular phones will have 22mps !

At the moment I am considering a scanning back that is "only" $6.499 to use with my Sinar and continue to shoot some 8 x 10 transparencies the old fashion way.

So if any one here wants to compare large format film to scanning or one shot backs, please do it before even the FORUM becomes endanger DNA... please
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Leonardo,

No, this forum is not going to lose its identity!

I am so glad you are here as it is most important that we have a critical mass to have good feedback, discussion advice and argument!

Will Thompson just bought a Wista from EBay for a song and discovered not only a great 90mm lens but also a clean Polaroid back and Polaroid film.

The availability of first class equipment at really bargain prices allows us to redo the math for different jobs.

I don't know whether or not all the galleries use film. However, I would consider the economics of using film and scanning. Today the flatbed scanners are so good, that with film an 8x10 one can get a first class file for little cost. So if you are just starting in N.Y. and you have little free cash, check the format they want and since you are experienced with film, and they still accept that, hold on the scanning back for a while perhaps.

Good luck on your new venture,

Asher
 
Thank you Asher, I like life in the forums, there is so much knowledge in to so many highly focused fields and sub fields... also it is real human interaction, you post something and sit waiting to see the reaction, or observe threads going and going bad (like every "Mac is better than PC one seams to go").

Also photography to day is a moving target -- rapidly moving -- photo magazines come out to news stands all ready obsolete, so the only solution is the internet, where we can see how, for example, the ZD from Mamiya was the new kid in town ... and then did't come, same as the Foveon kid.

So thank you for having me in this Open Photography Forums and just ask you to forgive my english as a second language.
Leonardo
ps

Also I am getting used to the format and interface, for example, is there one place for me to follow up on my threads? and where should I go to ask questions regarding the use of the forums themselvs?
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
leonardobarreto.com said:
Thank you Asher, I like life in the forums, there is so much knowledge in to so many highly focused fields and sub fields... also it is real human interaction, you post something and sit waiting to see the reaction, or observe threads going and going bad (like every "Mac is better than PC one seams to go").

.............Also I am getting used to the format and interface, for example, is there one place for me to follow up on my threads? and where should I go to ask questions regarding the use of the forums themselvs?

Leonardo,

Generous comments, thanks. I appreciate the more people that participate and I don't have to post so much :)

We have very bright people and the discussion sometimes is lively, to say the least!

Asher

P.S. Here's some guides"

"Layback cafe" is for anything you want to talk about.

"OPF Look Feel and Vibe" is for delineating issues in the handling of material in OPF and the interface, ease of use and so forth.

"Provocative Thoughts and Images" forum is for discussions, statements and pictures that might be contraversial and even offend people. This area is still for civilized behavior and no harassment of others, illegal matters or antisocial material is acceptable. This particular room allows us not to close forums and delete posts or threads, but still maintain a civilized forum.
 
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