Re: [Leica] an idea for a contest

[D Khong <dkhong@pacific.net.sg>]

Hi Brian

It is great to know that you are putting up a nice set as the grand prize
for a proposed photo contest.

While the contest rules may be easier to establish, I am not sure about the
means test to verify the deserving party.

Dan K.

At 07:17 PM 9/10/00 -0700, you 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
>
>