Forum ideas

[Andrew Reid]

So the forum is pretty good at the moment thanks to some spicy discussions, it would be boring if we all agreed all the time, but I also think we should encourage people to come back - big names from before like Mattias Burling , Dave Maze, they are missed. Maybe we could occasionally drop them a note to say so. I can't promote the forum myself, it just looks like I am spamming people with my blog.

Maybe that's where you all come in 🙂

Would some of you be willing to post a few links here and there in popular Reddit groups, on DPReview and on social media groups?

It would supercharge the place and get us noticed more... Then we'd have some great discussions with new people, and regain some control over the camera community in an independent way, rather than everything being hoovered up by the big US social media giants who are opening supporting a fascist regime at the moment.

Never been a better moment to get our independence back from social media.

Mark Zuckenberg and those like him are pure evil.

The forum way is a better way.

It offers everyone here a higher profile and higher involvement.

The better our content, the better the discussions, the more people will come...

I know a lot of forum posts have to reference other people's talking point or content, so a topic can devolve into lots and lots of URLs to social media, or YouTube video embeds.

But rather than have rules around this, which I don't want to do, it would be great if we could encourage people to join who will use the forum a bit like having their own blog - Posting original hands-on opinions and content about cameras and shooting... Our own insight is better than constantly referring to that of others - It would be good for the community.

Just some thoughts and open to more ideas too about how to grow this rather nice place that we've got.

[fuzzynormal]

6 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

forum way is a better way

Let's hope in a larger context than cameras, yeah?  

The USA is a business plan more than it's a nation --and business isn't much about community.  After all, once we're doing things for each other we aren't doing it for shareholders. 

I'd certainly rather see people congregate on-line in smaller less invasive digital places.

[Andrew Reid]

I want to see Facebook groups die a death.

Let's get the good folk on those groups to come here instead.

[ND64]

50 minutes ago, Andrew Reid said:

want to see Facebook groups die a death.

Would die long ago if marketplace wasn't added to the platform. Zuck is idiot, but his team is clever at resurrection of zombie services. Reddit is another example of how people get used to live in terrible places. Its ocean of high value information/experiences/stories, but it needs high mental capacity to explore. Its cascading comment section is unbearable. Garbage/bot volume is insanely high.

We need more smaller, neat, well administered forums; and less public squares. 

 

[PannySVHS]

Great idea! @Andrew Reid There are so many cool people I enjoyed to interact with on this forum. So many cool posts. I would love some of the older discussions to be continued and new topics to be explored in the Eoshd spirit we all cherish. We could share more of the cool findings and lens explorations and footage like we have been doing in the past. My Konica 35-100mm F2.8 needs to be showcased or my 16mm lens set which has been in use for the SI2K from Pillefilm in Cologne until they quit business three years ago and so on.

Sharing footage has become less pleasant though with all that datamunching these days, especially when it comes to footage with people and family. It's a challenge we are facing. In addition to the fact that vimeo as we know it has practically dissolved.

Maybe i should get a dog like gunpowder which people might enjoy to see being filmed, of course only until @Mattias Burling  is coming back. Since we are at it, I would love to see @Ed David swinging a Cinealta F3 around again with his Libatique handheld camera skills.

Like said, great idea, Andrew. Maybe another 8bit challenge would be lovely too. Ed David putting the internal 8bit Slog of the F3 to a test. I could do the same. Anyone still with a C100 or og C300 around?:)

[MrSMW]

I don’t think there is any ‘perfect’ solution on-line, but a forum is easily the best IMO.

Everything else is shit.

All social media whether it be Fakebook, YouTool, Instagratification, DickTok, all have a place in modern society, but as I think you can probably tell, I personally despise them.

They are all just soapboxes for anonymous persons to either spew venom or fabricate a false image of a lifestyle that is not their actual reality.

I’m not really a fan of folks even here being anonymous but that is just my opinion and not my call to make.

I think there is only 2 things missing here right now and they are connected and those are:

A. More active members and 

B. A small mod team.

I think A is probably affected by not having B in that some threads can descend into the old Wild West at times.

I’m not talking about having a team of Off Topic Nazis patrolling the place as some if not most of the off topic banter is a large part of what makes the place and community, but folks who know where the line is and can steer things and if necessary, do a little bit of tidying up here and there.

One final thing that folks always say they want is less gear talk and more talk about actual work, but the reality is a new camera is going to get 10+ pages of chatter and a piece of posted work will be lucky to have 10 people comment. It’s just how it is ie, IMO, gear talk WILL just out-balance everything else at least 10:1.

[Andrew Reid]

4 hours ago, MrSMW said:

I’m not talking about having a team of Off Topic Nazis patrolling the place as some if not most of the off topic banter is a large part of what makes the place and community, but folks who know where the line is and can steer things and if necessary, do a little bit of tidying up here and there.

Yep it's needed but a big job, more than I can handle. Some off topic is fine by me, just not every other post and really long uninteresting diversions into what someone had for dinner.

[BTM_Pix]

Saw this today and whilst I don’t exactly agree with his views on the image making output of some/many of the YouTubers mentioned, it is in an interesting watch and raises really valid points about being sucked in to the reviews but then taking stock of what he really needs.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s a new manifesto for this place but it certainly does speak to its original vibe and make do and mend spirit.

 

[zerocool22]

The void gap that can be filled is business talk. I fear it is too tech / creative oriented. And the business side is ignored. Openly communicating about prices/locations/jobs seems a bit taboo at times. While that part is the part that feeds their kids( most important. ) and I feel most creatives arent naturally gifted in that division.

[maxJ4380]

14 hours ago, PannySVHS said:

 

Maybe i should get a dog like gunpowder which people might enjoy to see being filmed, of course only until @Mattias Burling  is coming back.  

your on the right track i think. However think bigger like, an ex police dog. Plenty of exciting material to film with walking an ex police dog down the street...

Like said, great idea, Andrew. Maybe another 8bit challenge would be lovely too. Ed David putting the internal 8bit Slog of the F3 to a test. I could do the same. Anyone still with a C100 or og C300 around?:)

nope, but i could cover the branding up with a bit of tape and write 8bit across it when my camera eventually arrives

who would know ?... 

 

[MrSMW]

1 hour ago, zerocool22 said:

The void gap that can be filled is business talk. I fear it is too tech / creative oriented. And the business side is ignored. Openly communicating about prices/locations/jobs seems a bit taboo at times. While that part is the part that feeds their kids( most important. ) and I feel most creatives arent naturally gifted in that division.

I kind of agree but also am personally somewhat wary when it comes down to too much personal detail as to what, how and how much. You never know just who is reading...

Information can be taken and used against people/businesses in an underhand manner and I have had this 4 or 5 times in my career, and those are just the times I aware of!

In my specific case...not that I wish this to be about me, but to emphasis the point, I have worked my nuts off for over a decade to achieve something in the marketplace that does not really exist, even today.

I get self-entitled folks directly holding out their hands for an info dump (seriously such as, "you don't know me, but here are 10 fundamental questions relating to your business I would like answering" and then get all offended when you politely decline) and others slightly less direct but still fishing, usually as seemingly genuine, but fake enquiries that then have a question and then another and then 2 more and then...but I spotted them well before that stage.

I won't even reveal the true nuts & bolts to a paying client. And paying clients never ask anyway.

But anyway, there are a few here and potentially for the future that can or will only share to a point, especially if a competitor could say, "thanks very much, I shall take that and set up shop on your doorstep for 25% less".

There are others who might wish to share but also wish to remain anonymous so their 'celebrity' status keeps things more grounded.

So I can understand the reluctance of some, many even to discuss anything of this nature beyond a certain point.

I wish it were otherwise, but that's my experience. It's a dog eat dog world!

[Snowfun]

If it is to be a community then it needs to facilitate off-topic discussion. After all, if I go to the pub with work colleagues, we tend not to just chat about work. 
If it is to be an online space primarily for people to post opinions about camera gear then it inevitably attracts fanboys and other undesirables. 
 

I’d like to see a space where the forum’s “big hitters” are encouraged/expected to post, say, a 5x5 scene short (5 x 5 seconds) and we discuss it - the gear, the technique, the post and, importantly, the creativity and ART. A new one every month or so. @Andrew Reid to start?!

[QuickHitRecord]

6 minutes ago, Snowfun said:

I’d like to see a space where the forum’s “big hitters” are encouraged/expected to post, say, a 5x5 scene short (5 x 5 seconds) and we discuss it - the gear, the technique, the post and, importantly, the creativity and ART. A new one every month or so.

I think you're onto something. Getting people out of pixel peeping and into actually making (and sharing) stuff is an unmet need. Think about all of the hobbyists who caught in a cycle of constant upgrading and never shoot anything other than their cat or their significant other making coffee.

I know that EOSHD has done this at least once in the past. DVXuser used to do it too. A couple of brainstorms that I may have shared before:

1) A monthly challenge that imposes a creative limitation each time (i.e. shoot everything at f/8; use only natural light; shoot in standard definition; shoot something in the style of Wes Anderson; use a pre-2012 camera; capture a short scene about a conflict between two joggers, etc.). The prompts can come from Andrew or member suggestions.

2) Old camera "round robin". Established members pitch in a low-value camera body and ship it to the next member, who tries to get the best footage possible out of it before shipping it to the next member, etc. All results are shared and discussed. Maybe there would have to be several of these going, one for each continent.

[eatstoomuchjam]

7 minutes ago, QuickHitRecord said:

A monthly challenge that imposes a creative limitation each time (i.e. shoot everything at f/8; use only natural light; shoot in standard definition; shoot something in the style of Wes Anderson; use a pre-2012 camera; capture a short scene about a conflict between two joggers, etc.). The prompts can come from Andrew or member suggestions.

I'd love a monthly "challenge" (as long as it isn't a competition) to inspire the creativity of members.  Perhaps the one suggesting the theme could change monthly too, with the previous month's suggester choosing the next month's suggester along with the suggestion!

[Andrew Reid]

I've put three chat sticky threads up to talk about 3 quite different subjects.

This is for when we just want to chat and talk general things.

 

[IronFilm]

On 3/10/2025 at 7:22 AM, Andrew Reid said:

Maybe that's where you all come in 🙂

Would some of you be willing to post a few links here and there in popular Reddit groups, on DPReview and on social media groups?

I'll quite often link to your past content when it's relevant, for instance when I talk about how Nikon was better in the past at video than people normally give them credit for, I'll link to your D5200 coverage (it's what made me get an D5200 back then!), or even the D750 review. 

On 3/10/2025 at 7:22 AM, Andrew Reid said:

But rather than have rules around this, which I don't want to do, it would be great if we could encourage people to join who will use the forum a bit like having their own blog - Posting original hands-on opinions and content about cameras and shooting... Our own insight is better than constantly referring to that of others - It would be good for the community.

Maybe invite people to do guest blog posts?

 

On 3/10/2025 at 8:53 AM, Andrew Reid said:

I want to see Facebook groups die a death.

I'm saddened that all of the facebook group discussions are behind a Walled Garden, thus in the long run they're doomed to an extremely high risk of being lost to the mists of time. 

https://justapedia.org/wiki/Walled_garden_(technology)

Vs what's out in the open here on forums such as this, are more likely to saved by Archive.org and similar. 

Also searching social media posts is horrible, while searching forum posts via Google is still somewhat quite good. 

14 hours ago, zerocool22 said:

The void gap that can be filled is business talk. I fear it is too tech / creative oriented. And the business side is ignored. Openly communicating about prices/locations/jobs seems a bit taboo at times. While that part is the part that feeds their kids( most important. ) and I feel most creatives arent naturally gifted in that division.

100%, I'd love to see more of this. 

It's one of the reasons I really like watching Tin House Studio, even though I'm not working in the photography industry but in a totally different niche, a lot of the business talk concepts he discusses are largely transferable to any other niche that's also an artistic field / freelancer. 

https://www.youtube.com/@TinHouseStudioUK  

 

[kye]

8 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

I've put three chat sticky threads up to talk about 3 quite different subjects.

This is for when we just want to chat and talk general things.

 

One topic I find missing is discussion of the creative aspects of our own film-making.  Maybe there are too few people shooting things, or too few that are willing/able to share, but to me this is the only topic worth discussing.

We all know that the pros can take most equipment and create great images from them, proving that creativity and skills are far more important than equipment, yet the discussions focus on the equipment, the industry politics, the changing media landscape, and everything except what matters - the skills.

As much as there are many reasons to hate on other social media platforms, there are many places out there where people post their own work and discuss it on both technical and non-technical levels, creating an opportunity for constructive feedback and creative growth.

[Emanuel]

19 hours ago, Andrew Reid said:

I've put three chat sticky threads up to talk about 3 quite different subjects.

This is for when we just want to chat and talk general things.

 

Good initiative!

 

On 3/9/2025 at 6:22 PM, Andrew Reid said:

Would some of you be willing to post a few links here and there in popular Reddit groups, on DPReview and on social media groups?

That's what I am already used to do! : )

 

On 3/9/2025 at 6:22 PM, Andrew Reid said:

It would supercharge the place and get us noticed more... Then we'd have some great discussions with new people, and regain some control over the camera community in an independent way (...)

It also depends on you, Andrew, the more you post the more people come to read you... Don't you take notice?