[Leica] an idea for a contest

[Brian Reid <reid@mejac.palo-alto.ca.us>]

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