Feedback Poll! Give your opinion about "Showcase" threads...

How should gear "Showcase" threads be organized?

  • In dedicated "Showcase" sub-forums under the parent "Gear" forum.

    Votes: 11 84.6%
  • In the existing "Gear" forum with a different thread prefix

    Votes: 1 7.7%
  • In the Photo Galleries section

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Other (give details in a comment!)

    Votes: 1 7.7%

  • Total voters
    13
  • Poll closed .

Kevin

Code Monkey 🐒
Folks, it's time to give your opinion on something. :) In short, we have a category for "Gear" with forums under it for the major items like Sony, Fuji, Leica, Canon, and so on. Two of those forums have "sub-forums" for showcasing images related to the item, Fuji Showcase and Leica Showcase. At the moment the other major brands like Sony, Canon, and Nikon do not have dedicated sub-forums for showcase discussions.

To be consistent, how would you guys prefer to see showcase threads? 🤔

One option is to create more sub-forums like the existing ones so we end up with a new "Sony Showcase" forum, a new "Canon Showcase" forum, a new "Nikon Showcase" forum and so on.

Another option is to use the existing forums using the thread prefixes to show the type of thread it is. For example, in the main Fuji forum the threads have a prefix of "Fuji" while threads in the Fuji Showcase sub-forum have a prefix "Fuji Showcase". If those showcase threads were in the main Fuji forum then the prefixes would show "Fuji" for general Fuji gear threads while "Fuji Showcase" prefix would show for showcase Fuji threads. Then the same would apply for each of the areas so in the Sony forum there'd be prefixes for "Sony" and "Sony Showcase", in the Canon forum there'd be prefixes for "Canon" and "Canon Showcase", and so on.

Yet another option would be to move the showcase threads to the Photo Galleries category in some fashion. The idea there being that the "Gear" category would be more specific to the physical gear while threads primarily intended for attaching images would be found with the other various image thread discussions in the Photo Galleries category.

Is there other options you're thinking of?


The questions that arises is if a thread is created like "Here's a thread of Widgets taken with a Leica", does that belong in the Gear category with other Leica threads or in the Photo Galleries category where other threads about Widgets could be found? 🤔 By contrast a thread like "Here's a thread of various items taken with a specific Canon lens" should likely be in the Gear section but is there enough of those kinds of threads to have their own "Canon Showcase" sub-forum or put them in the main existing Canon forum? 🤔
 
I've maintained my own personal philosophy that if a pic doesn't necessarily exhibit artistic merit but it showcases the lens or camera nicely, it's got a place in Gear forums and in Showcase threads.
 
I think the way they are used in the Leica and Fuji examples is excellent. I think if there were similar showcase threads for the camera makers, people would start filling them up with images.

And I think I just voted for the wrong option. What I describe sounds like I should have selected option 1, but I voted for option 2.
 
And I think I just voted for the wrong option. What I describe sounds like I should have selected option 1, but I voted for option 2.
;)
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I see the conundrum: Showcasing often means to show a lens at its best, but sometimes it's just a series of test images. The latter really shouldn't appear in any Gallery threads - so there's a definite need for Showcase threads in the Gear section; I personally think that it's good practice to make those available in brand-/mount-specific subforums (so you can navigate your way there without searching if you so chose), but as long as they're somewhere in the Gear section, I'm basically fine with any solution. So, I voted option 1 but can easily accept 2 as well.

That said, including information about the gear used is something everyone can do at any time when posting in a Gallery thread. So I don't think it's necessary to include specific Showcase threads in that section. Promoting Showcase threads might incite some (me?) to more consciously avoid unneeded gear comments in Gallery threads.

Definitely something to think about for myself - I'm prone to mix these aspects when experimenting with new gear.

M.
 
I havent voted, and won't. The "Showcase" stuff came in from the merged Fuji, leica and sony forums. The reason there arent any others is because cameraderie (or serious compacts as it was) was just for general, not necessarily specific cameras/lenses. We didnt have Showcases. I don't usually pay any attention to them. TBH, I cant see the point of them. We already have gear forums for gear discussions and we have a bazillion image threads for various cameras etc... Showcase just seems like over-specialisation to me.
 
Sue, for me the lens showcase threads are good for people researching a lens before purchasing. Able to see how the lens performs in different situations. And a place for requests of specific types of shots/settings for those researching. Which is why I will often post an image in a thread it fits in. And again into a showcase thread.
 
Folks, it's time to give your opinion on something. :) In short, we have a category for "Gear" with forums under it for the major items like Sony, Fuji, Leica, Canon, and so on. Two of those forums have "sub-forums" for showcasing images related to the item, Fuji Showcase and Leica Showcase. At the moment the other major brands like Sony, Canon, and Nikon do not have dedicated sub-forums for showcase discussions.

To be consistent, how would you guys prefer to see showcase threads? 🤔

One option is to create more sub-forums like the existing ones so we end up with a new "Sony Showcase" forum, a new "Canon Showcase" forum, a new "Nikon Showcase" forum and so on.

Another option is to use the existing forums using the thread prefixes to show the type of thread it is. For example, in the main Fuji forum the threads have a prefix of "Fuji" while threads in the Fuji Showcase sub-forum have a prefix "Fuji Showcase". If those showcase threads were in the main Fuji forum then the prefixes would show "Fuji" for general Fuji gear threads while "Fuji Showcase" prefix would show for showcase Fuji threads. Then the same would apply for each of the areas so in the Sony forum there'd be prefixes for "Sony" and "Sony Showcase", in the Canon forum there'd be prefixes for "Canon" and "Canon Showcase", and so on.

Yet another option would be to move the showcase threads to the Photo Galleries category in some fashion. The idea there being that the "Gear" category would be more specific to the physical gear while threads primarily intended for attaching images would be found with the other various image thread discussions in the Photo Galleries category.

Is there other options you're thinking of?


The questions that arises is if a thread is created like "Here's a thread of Widgets taken with a Leica", does that belong in the Gear category with other Leica threads or in the Photo Galleries category where other threads about Widgets could be found? 🤔 By contrast a thread like "Here's a thread of various items taken with a specific Canon lens" should likely be in the Gear section but is there enough of those kinds of threads to have their own "Canon Showcase" sub-forum or put them in the main existing Canon forum? 🤔
I’m not really fussed about how the forums are organised, but your last paragraph is a strong argument for tags, and the ability to search for multiple tags.
 
I don't really have an opinion one way or another. Although I have participated in lens or camera showcase threads in the past, I've been trying to limit my participation to less gear-centric threads, such as "Random pictures", "Seen while strolling", "Bicycles", and so on. I figure if I focus more on the act of photography rather than the tool used, GAS won't have as much of a chance to raise its ugly head.
 
I voted #1, for me I want to post some of the better photos taken with the gear and not necessarily have to justify the photos to belong with the existing artful threads, besides I'll probably need to create my own threads anyway so it wouldn't hurt to have gear related showcase sub-forum. Sometimes the showcase threads really tell you a lot about the lens/body, I came from mu-43 and there I remember a few of the longest threads, the PL25 1.4 images thread, Olympus EM5 images thread, and of course, the off-topic "for the dog lovers".
 
I agree with Sue. It seems to me that there are many other sources for photos that showcase the technical characteristics of a lens of camera. There are, however, relatively few that offer an emphasis on technique and the image itself, which seems to have been a strength of the Serious Compacts philosophy.
 
Isn't option 1 all about putting those (existing!) threads in their place and making them less visible, yet sufficiently easy to find and/or fit in?

I think it's mostly a question of where to place the threads we already *have* - after all, a few (very) gear-centric sites were merged into this one *before* Kevin took over, and I personally think that reliably placing Showcase threads in the Gear section is the best way to keep gear talk marginal in the image-centric sections of the site. I sometimes like to talk gear and do so in image threads as well, but we could actually move it out of the Gallery section more consciously, especially if people take issue ...

I completely concur as far as Cameraderie's main merit is concerned: This is *not* a gear site - even if photography has an extensive gear side to it ...

M.
 
I’m not really fussed about how the forums are organised, but your last paragraph is a strong argument for tags, and the ability to search for multiple tags.
Tags, unfortunately, is one of those things that a lot posters don't fill in. Here at Cameraderie we've got an add-on in place to try & automatically insert tags so the newer threads in the past year are likely to have them, and I've added some default tags to the older threads, but there is a treasure trove of older discussions that could benefit from have good tags on them.
 
Forget to mention why this poll got started in the first place....

It came up as a question in one of the Sony gear threads where the proper place was to post some images since there were Fuji and Leica showcase areas but not for Sony. I've added a Sony Showcase prefix already as an available option but before I did anything else (like adding more sub-forums as described in poll option #1 or flattening the existing sub-forums back into their parent forums as described in poll option #2) I wanted to get the community input.

Based on the poll results so far I'm pretty glad I asked because I'm the sole #2 vote. 😉
 
Forget to mention why this poll got started in the first place....

It came up as a question in one of the Sony gear threads where the proper place was to post some images since there were Fuji and Leica showcase areas but not for Sony. I've added a Sony Showcase prefix already as an available option but before I did anything else (like adding more sub-forums as described in poll option #1 or flattening the existing sub-forums back into their parent forums as described in poll option #2) I wanted to get the community input.

Based on the poll results so far I'm pretty glad I asked because I'm the sole #2 vote. 😉
Thank you for making the poll Kevin, I thinking making it a sub-forum will not distract people who aren't interested in seeing them, can you move the existing showcase threads into the sub-forum?
 
So there's some new sub-forums..... Nikon Showcase, Sony Showcase, and Canon Showcase. If you guys think there should be some for other Gear forums like M/43 or the 'alternatives' just give the world.
Thank you for making the poll Kevin, I thinking making it a sub-forum will not distract people who aren't interested in seeing them, can you move the existing showcase threads into the sub-forum?
I've moved a bunch of threads tonight into the new sub-forums. If anybody spots any threads that I may have missed (either should be moved to/from a 'Showcase' sub-forum) please let me or any of moderators team know and we can move it.
 
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