The response to my article on the future direction of Macfilos — either to concentrate on a specific market sector and personal interests or attempt to do everything — brought a satisfying and unanimous set of comments from regular readers. It seems that everyone likes Macfilos as it is.
Kris Such said: “I enjoy the curation of this sector of the market, whilst appreciating your wider knowledge of the market sector in general.” And John Nicholson commented on the community of readers: “To me, the really valuable thing about Macfilos is that it feels like a community of people sharing what they know about and enjoy, and you are the lynch-pin in that, Mike. So don’t feel any pressure to cast your net wider.”
For Tony Vidler it’s the pleasure of opening Macfilos every day — his lunchtime treat as he puts it: “The pleasure of opening the Macfilos daily email with the gradually emerging diagonal shot of the Leica top plate cannot be replaced by any other — so stick with Leica — and a bit of Sony.”
And Dan Bachmann, a friend from the Leica Society, feels that “Macfilos is part of the Leica community which values the feel photography gives as much as the feeling that photographs can give others”. Several commentators, including Mike Amos, point out that there are other photo sites covering the non-stop rollout of gear, so keep doing what you are doing: “I come daily because I like to read something from a passionate writer who knows their subject, not a string of press releases or reviews of stuff just because it was released.” John Reynolds confirms this view: “Macfilos works for me because you cover things you are passionate about. I don’t think you will go far wrong sticking to that.”
As for the oddball nature of Macfilos, Bo Dez points out that oddball is good. Nico agrees: “I like this place because of what it is, so keep it as oddball as possible. I am not the least interested in the mainstream stuff from Sony, Nikcanon or Fuji.”
All of this really confirms what I really already knew. I just value your contributions and suggestions. I started Macfilos on the base of my enthusiasm for technology and photography but I don’t claim to be an expert in either sphere. I regard myself as a photographer of modest talents (and with a great deal to be modest about) but I enjoy what I do and, as I’ve mentioned on several occasions, it keeps me sane.
The Macfilos community is very real, at least I feel it so, and it is something of an oasis in the spiteful and bullying culture which so often typifies social media. I continue to be amazed that intemperate comments or ill-judged criticism are almost non-existent. I can recall only one comment in the past few years which has been other than well reasoned and polite. I think we all appreciate that. Indeed, I do not feel the need to moderate comments — they are posted immediately and automatically before I see them — and have never had to delete a comment or ban a commentator. That’s quite remarkable, as you know, and I will leave it unmoderated as long as I can.
Following yesterday’s article and the enthusiastic response, I think I can safely say that it will be business as usual. We will continue to major on Leica and Leica photography but in a completely unblinkered manner. Where appropriate, other makes will be brought in provided I feel the content is appropriate and relevant. But we won’t attempt to be a general review of new products and developments. That seems to work for us all.
Again, thank you all for your comments. Special thanks are due to Nico, John Reynolds, Jean, Bo Dez, George, William Fagan, Mike Amos, Dan Bachmann, Gordon Brown, Don McConnell, Tony Vidler, Paul Glendell, John Nicholson, Andrew, Kris Sukhu, John Wilson, Joseph Lam, PF Myers, David Bailey, Per Ofverbeck, Brian Nichol and Timmy.
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I agree with the comments in general about the value of your blog. Rather than just comment occasionally I will submit an article in the near future that you can freely reject without hurting my feelings.
Please do, Brian, and I am sure it will be fine. Any other regular commentators who feel like writing a story — with some of their pictures — would also be most welcome.
Hi Brian, I am always interested in the articles of those of us who shoot, and why. As Mike truly knows. Happy to see anything published in the future. Dave
Hi Dave, I agree with you. I originally was a watercolour painter then was semi-paralyzed in the right half of my body by accident. The doctors told me to start using my left hand but I ignored them and got good usage back with 3 years of intensive physio. I shifted my emphasis to photography. I hate camera clubs because people ask what camera and settings you used. Painters do not ask what brush (tool – lens, camera, settings) you use. They discuss the emotions of your image and maybe what you are trying to convey. I quit camera clubs and joined an artist group and it was a refreshing experience. I want tools that get out of my way as an artist. Jumping on the latest tool usually has minute technical improvements that only mean that the tool is not familiar – I am currently struggling with the Hasselblad X1d and definitely preferred Leica SL interface. I will submit an article on this. The joy of photography is creative visual expression and the camera and glass (brushes/rendering) are tools to my artistic vision. I do not care about someone’s camera – do their images impact me?
Decent images come first, the image collector is less relevant. In fact I usually say "hats off!" to the person that shoots a ridiculously decent image with a camera that time either forgot, or the tech savvy chose to forget. Hence why I like to buy a generation behind the rest of the world – if you can do decent image, the gadget in your hands is less relevant.
Keep up the good work. We actually, and most secretly love it. Someone passionate about their direction and options in life. Without macfilos, half of us would never have come together.
My take on the responses is that readers generally want a broad range of topics, but a narrow range of camera brands. My own interest is in the ‘broad church’ of photography rather than the latest and greatest digital cameras or camera brands per se (except for collecting where I have a large collection of Leicas). I find much of the online discussions/articles/reviews, on the wider internet, of whether digital camera X is better than digital camera Y to be quite boring and I rarely finish reading them, if I even start. Most new cameras these days are very good and the significant differences (for me) are largely related to factors like handling and ergonomics. This is not the ‘be all and end all’ of photography, of course.
Macfilos is the best in the business with its broad scope and sense of humour. I hope that the contents of Macfilos will not be determined purely on grounds of branding and that it will continue to cast a good humoured eye over the wider world of photography and technology.
William
I am with you, but hope that you will also try the new cameras with leica lenses. There are readers with Leica R and M lenses that can not pay the high prices of new Leica M or SL cameras. They do not have your connections to the camera industry! (Used cameras are no real solution.)
Andreas, yes of course I will continue to use M lenses on other cameras. I find the Sony a7III does a good job and is a much cheaper alternative to the M or SL. Jonathan Slack, however, believes that using M lenses on mirrorless cameras (other than the TL, CL and SL) brings complications and isn’t ideal. But I do understand that many people own M lenses and cannot run to an M10 or SL. I can’t guarantee to try the Canons and Nikons because I don’t see the opportunity. But if one is thrust into my hands, together with and adapter, I will certainly try.