2012 FSU Contest - Pre-discussion

[Nomad Z]

Version 4. Final draft with chosen categories, some minor revisions, and reformatted for clarity.

Purpose
The purpose of the 2012 FSU Contest is to have some fun and a bit of friendly competition using old FSU photography equipment.


Shooting & Uploading Period
The shooting and uploading period starts on the 1st of May and ends on the 30th of June.

• All photos must be taken and uploaded during this period.
• No extensions to the shooting & uploading period.

Equipment
The spirit of the contest is to use FSU gear, which means both an FSU body and an FSU lens, and four subject categories are dedicated to this (see below). There is also a special category for entries taken using hybrid equipment - either an FSU lens on any body, or an FSU body using any lens.

• Depending on category, all entries must have been taken using at least one major FSU component - a lens or body.
• For hybrid equipment using an FSU lens, you are free to use film or digital as the recording medium.

Categories
There is a total of five categories for subject matter. Four for images shot on equipment comprising both an FSU body and an FSU lens, and a fifth, called 'Popolam' (Russian for 'half-and-half') for images shot with hybrid equipment (see above).

The categories are...

• Anything Goes (both FSU lens and body)
• Landscape (both FSU lens and body)
• Portrait (both FSU lens and body)
• Popolam (EITHER FSU lens OR FSU body - any subject matter)
• Street (both FSU lens and body)

• Participants may enter no more than one photograph per category, making a maximum of five possible entries (subject to equipment eligibility).

Uploading
Separate galleries to be made for each category, under an overall 2012 FSU Contest heading.

• Uploading can commence as soon as the galleries are ready, but not before the start of the shooting & uploading period.
• No uploads after the end of the shooting & uploading period.

Voting
Any RFF member can vote - voting is not restricted to only those that have entered images. Voting on entries to be made active once the shooting & uploading period has ended.

• Voting runs during the month of July.
• Period start/end to be adjusted if gallery closure and voting activation occurs later than the end of the shooting period (ie, voting lasts for 31 days, and hopefully starts on 1st of July).

Prizes
We have received an offer of some FSU equipment as prizes for the contest. Further offers are welcome. The exact nature of how prizes are to be awarded will be determined once we know what prizes are on offer. This could be for overall placing across all categories, or possibly a prize within each category.

• How we do the prizes is a bit vague just now.
• The prizes aren't the main reason for doing this - they're the icing on the cake.
• So don't worry about the fact that it's not clear yet!

[Coldkennels]

Just a quick question: East German cameras count as FSU and we're not limited to RF, right? The reason I ask is that I recently came into possession of a Pentacon Six, and while I love rangefinders, I might take that for a whirl over the next couple of months. Just wondering if it qualifies.

Also, you say uploading can start on May 1st, but what happens if you upload a great picture during May and then take a better one for that category in June? Having never used the galleries here, I'm not sure how it works. Can we delete the original one?

[domagojs]

What about metering? Must we use some old FSU lightmeter, e.g. leningrad, stalingrad, some-other-grad, or is it ok to use whatever way we please to determine the exposure?

[julio1fer]

What the heck is Popolam?

[Nomad Z]

Originally Posted by Coldkennels

Just a quick question: East German cameras count as FSU and we're not limited to RF, right? The reason I ask is that I recently came into possession of a Pentacon Six, and while I love rangefinders, I might take that for a whirl over the next couple of months. Just wondering if it qualifies.

Certainly not limited to rangefinders. My knowledge of FSU gear isn't extensive, so I can't say whether the Pentacon Six qualifies or not. Personally, I'd include it.

Also, you say uploading can start on May 1st, but what happens if you upload a great picture during May and then take a better one for that category in June? Having never used the galleries here, I'm not sure how it works. Can we delete the original one?

It looks like it is possible to delete your gallery submissions. For most people, I think it's a case of shooting your photos and uploading your best ones. I'm not sure if the subject of replacing entries has ever come up before. I lean towards allowing replacements during the upload period - I think it's good that the gallery becomes 'active' once things are underway.

[Nomad Z]

Originally Posted by domagojs

What about metering? Must we use some old FSU lightmeter, e.g. leningrad, stalingrad, some-other-grad, or is it ok to use whatever way we please to determine the exposure?

Any meter is fine by me. As is sunny 16 or whatever.

[Nomad Z]

Originally Posted by julio1fer

What the heck is Popolam?

As it says in the section about categories, it is Russian for "half and half"...

http://translate.google.co.uk/?hl=en...f%20and%20half

In other words, half-way to a full FSU camera.

[jarski]

looks like proper planning, just like properly organized Proletarians of Rangefinder Forum should!

nice to see FSU-lens, any-body category. but its good idea to limit number of photos, otherwise digital files might flood whole contest.

[pakeha]

How about using a FSU yellow filter? does this count as FSU ....very well organised Nomad
and i am just kidding about the filter.

[pakeha]

Oh yeah, how about those that wish making a donation to cover shipping/postage of prizes? I can start with a $10.00 donation, you can sort how this is to be transferred.

[Nomad Z]

Lets wait and see what pans out with the prizes, and where they are to go. A prize winner could be in the same town as a prize giver. In other words, we don't need to think too much about this at least until the entries are in, and probably not until the voting has been completed. There may well be other prizes offered, and they could come along at any time.

[Ron (Netherlands)]

If you want to keep FSU as strictly Former Sovjet Union then only the below 15 states apply (for instance Poland and East Germany were never part of the SU).

In alphabetical order:
1. Armenia;
2. Azerbaijan;
3. Belarus;
4. Estonia;
5. Georgia;
6. Kazakhstan;
7. Kyrgyzstan;
8. Latvia;
9. Lithuania;
10. Moldova;
11. Russia;
12. Tajikistan;
13. Turkmenistan;
14. Ukraine;
15. Uzbekistan

[Nomad Z]

Originally Posted by Ron (Netherlands)

If you want to keep FSU as strictly Former Sovjet Union then only the below 15 states apply (for instance Poland and East Germany were never part of the SU).

In alphabetical order:
1. Armenia;
2. Azerbaijan;
3. Belarus;
4. Estonia;
5. Georgia;
6. Kazakhstan;
7. Kyrgyzstan;
8. Latvia;
9. Lithuania;
10. Moldova;
11. Russia;
12. Tajikistan;
13. Turkmenistan;
14. Ukraine;
15. Uzbekistan

Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Tony, while I'm generally in favour of inclusion, one has to set limits somewhere. If East Germany wasn't part of the FSU, then I think the Pentacon Six isn't eligible.

[Coldkennels]

Originally Posted by Nomad Z

Hmmmmmmmmmm.

Tony, while I'm generally in favour of inclusion, one has to set limits somewhere. If East Germany wasn't part of the FSU, then I think the Pentacon Six isn't eligible.

That's completely fine. I'm a little surprised, to be honest. I always thought East Germany counted, but hey, you learn something new every day. The P6 stays on the shelf, then!

[obscura_68]

Would Horizon panoramic cameras count?

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Originally Posted by obscura_68

Would Horizon panoramic cameras count?

I think they were made by KMZ i.e. Krasnogorsky Mechanichesky Zavod, so should be in:

http://maps.google.nl/maps?hl=nl&sug...ed=0CEMQ8gEwAg

[Brad Bireley]

Still looking for an usable FSU camera to buy. Anyone have one??

[Nomad Z]

Originally Posted by obscura_68

Would Horizon panoramic cameras count?

I take it you mean the current model, rather than the Horison T from the 1960s. I hadn't really thought about cameras currently in manufacture in the georgaphical area formerly known as the Soviet Union. I was under the impression that the FSU contest is for kit that was made while the Soviet Union was still extant.

Personally, I'd be happy for current equipment to be included.

What do folks think? Yay or nay to inlcuding current equipment?

[obscura_68]

Originally Posted by Nomad Z

I take it you mean the current model, rather than the Horison T from the 1960s. I hadn't really thought about cameras currently in manufacture in the georgaphical area formerly known as the Soviet Union. I was under the impression that the FSU contest is for kit that was made while the Soviet Union was still extant.

Personally, I'd be happy for current equipment to be included.

What do folks think? Yay or nay to inlcuding current equipment?

Yeah I meant the Horizon Perfekt...

If it helps to be allowed to use my Perfekt, I'll agree to only take pics while seated on my Ural

[special.foto]

In true revolutionary style, i agree and also don't agree! Too much categories for me, would have prefered a single one, to focus the artistic flow. Also, i do not like the capitalistic treason to hook up a FSU lens with an imperialistic body, be it film or digital. But i do comply, because the need of the man is lower than the need of the union, in true communist style! You also would want to check your gear Happy shooting!

[eyesglassy]

I recently purchased a Jupiter 12 from forum member rybelyell, and he included a FED 5 & J8. I wondered if I would ever do anything with this brick. But now...

[Ron (Netherlands)]

Originally Posted by special.foto

In true revolutionary style, i agree and also don't agree! Too much categories for me, would have prefered a single one, to focus the artistic flow. Also, i do not like the capitalistic treason to hook up a FSU lens with an imperialistic body, be it film or digital. But i do comply, because the need of the man is lower than the need of the union, in true communist style! You also would want to check your gear Happy shooting!

+1 I would strongly prefer to have this only FSU and not only lens or only body - make it pure film like in the old days and I think the FSU experience can only brought to full strenght if one can only participate with an FSU body and lens (so in order to make it as transparent as possible, people should show a photo of the rig they are going to use)

[Nomad Z]

Originally Posted by Ron (Netherlands)

+1 I would strongly prefer to have this only FSU and not only lens or only body - make it pure film like in the old days and I think the FSU experience can only brought to full strenght if one can only participate with an FSU body and lens (so in order to make it as transparent as possible, people should show a photo of the rig they are going to use)

Well, four of the subject categories are for all-FSU kit (which, de-facto, means film), with an extra one dedicated to those that have hybrid kit.

The idea is to give hybrid users a way to participate while keeping the bulk of the contest 'pure'. Who knows? If the hybrid users have a good time, they may well start looking for more FSU kit for next year's contest. (I did - I hurredly bought a Fed 1 last year, which lasted two rolls, and since got two Zorki 4s, a J-8 and a J-11 to go with the J-3 and J-12 I already had.)

I think a note in each gallery entry, stating body and lens used (and maybe film type, etc), would be okay. Nothing wrong with posting a photo of one's gear, of course.

[special.foto]

Originally Posted by Nomad Z

Well, four of the subject categories are for all-FSU kit (which, de-facto, means film), with an extra one dedicated to those that have hybrid kit.

The idea is to give hybrid users a way to participate while keeping the bulk of the contest 'pure'. Who knows? If the hybrid users have a good time, they may well start looking for more FSU kit for next year's contest. (I did - I hurredly bought a Fed 1 last year, which lasted two rolls, and since got two Zorki 4s, a J-8 and a J-11 to go with the J-3 and J-12 I already had.)

Good point. Let's hope we get a positive feedback from this. What about the categories? Aren't they a bit vague? I still support the ideea of a single category, a bit more specific. Also the "hybrid" users can post in that category, after all it's photography taken through fsu lenses. I state it again, i do not agree with this, particularly with digital but, as Nomad Z said, this could be a positive thing, so let's do it. Digital users will have a handicap anyway, everybody knows you cannot beat film (just kidding guys )

[Nomad Z]

Originally Posted by special.foto

Good point. Let's hope we get a positive feedback from this. What about the categories? Aren't they a bit vague? I still support the ideea of a single category, a bit more specific. Also the "hybrid" users can post in that category, after all it's photography taken through fsu lenses.

There are five categories. Three are subject-specific, and two are open. I don't think there is anything particularly vague about 'Landscape', 'Portrait' or 'Street'. In what way should such categories be qualified to make them less vague?

Regarding the two open ones, it seems to me that the question of whether something is vague is irrelevant to any category where the photographer is free to choose the subject matter (it is, by definition, 100% vague, and intentionally so).

The three subject-specific categories and one open category are only for 'pure' FSU entries. The remaining open category (called 'Popolam') is for those using hybrid equipment. There is no mixing of pure and hybrid equipment within the categories.