Re: [Leica] an idea for a contest

[Bill Satterfield <cwsat@cyberhighway.net>]

give it tot he guy in Europe that has been posting about needing one but little
or no money. If not why not start a LUG pool and buy him a used M6 with a lens
and send to him. I would contribute. I have deleted his posts.

Brian Reid wrote:

> I have a Leica IIIf, red dial, with 3 lenses (35/3.5 Summar, 50/2.8
> collapsible Elmarit (I think), 90/4 Elmar), 3 finders that I believe are
> called "imarect" (they attach to the flash shoe). I also have a Tower
> 135/5.6 for it that is not wonderful. The 50/2.8 is an unbelievably good
> lens and the finders, especially the 50 finder, are amazingly wonderful.
>
> I am the second owner of this camera; I bought it used around 1970 from a
> Baltimore Sun photographer who was retiring. The Sun permitted the use of
> Leicas in those days; most papers didn't. I have shot about 2000 rolls of
> film with it through the years, mostly Tri-X. The camera looks like what
> you'd expect it to look like after being owned by a newspaper photographer
> and then me. Not a museum piece, but not damaged in any way.
>
> I have an M6 now, for which I am very thankful. So I don't use the IIIf any
> more. I don't believe in owning cameras that I don't use. But this old IIIf
> means a lot to me, so I don't want to sell it. However, I think I might be
> willing to give it away as the prize in a Leica Users Photo Contest. Before
> I announce such a contest I'd like to see some discussion about what sort
> of contest it should be and what restrictions I'd place on the winner. For
> example, I don't think any working or retired professional photographer
> should be eligible to win. My goal here is twofold:
>     1. To get this camera into the hands of some needy person who will
> really use it, instead of putting it in a display case. An engineer with a
> mortgage who lives in Arizona is probably not needy; a student who lives in
> the former East Germany and who works in a grocery store is probably needy.
> But only if he's really going to use it.
>     2. To increase the amount of discussion about photography, instead of
> cameras, in this forum. I'm absolutely delighted at the pictures that some
> of you post; I keep hoping that someday I'll have something new I'm willing
> to show you all (I'm very proud of my old work, but I haven't managed to
> take a picture that makes me quiver in a long time). Maybe this contest
> would stir the pot.
>
> Any ideas for rules? I have a pretty good idea of who I'd want the judges
> to be, but the decision would be based both on photographic quality and on
> need. I want the entire setup to go to the same person, rather than having
> the kidney go here and the liver go there and the corneas go over there.
>
> Brian Reid