Camera & Lens database

[fayeulle]

I think TE is a place of user-friendliness and for me, it is the best photos site on the Web Thanks to Adam. I have however to do a suggestion The improvement of the management of the camera and lens databases. The best way is to take example on PBase. Database is done with preestablished list by manufacturer and sales date. This avoids the doubled datas like"Nikon D80" and "Nikon D 80". With the current mode of TE management, it’s obviously impossible to seek and found what you need.

Base de donnée des appareils et des objectifs.
Je pense que TE est un lieu de convivialité et pour moi, c’est le meilleur site de photos sur le Web. Merci à Adam. J’ai cependant une suggestion à faire : L’amélioration de la gestion des appareils et des objectifs. Le mieux est de prendre exemple sur PBase. La gestion se fait à partir de listes préétablies par marque et dans l’ordre de sortie des équipements. Ceci évite les doublons du genre « Nikon D80 » et « Nikon D 80 ». Avec le mode de gestion actuel de TE, il est impossible de rechercher et de s’y retrouver.

[adam]

Yes, it should be like this. And it should allow one to enter aliases for the official names as well.

[fayeulle]

I am happy you agree with me... But your answer is "It should be...". Do you want to do this improvement. Do you have an idea for the required delay for this ? I am available if I can help you for this improvement.
Regards
JP

[adam]

"Do you want to do this improvement."

Yes, I do, however due to time constraints it is not currently possible to make these programmatic changes. Sorry for the inconvenience.

[lennarts]

I am also very much looking forward to this improvement. Currently I counted almost 20 different versions of many popular cameras such as Canon 300D for example.

[someguy]

Adam, is there anything that we, the community, could do to help? Maybe just have a test database and allow TE users access to it so we can help clean things up? It's one of those "many hands make light work" situations, if everyone just took a glance at the db and fixed one thing we could have it knocked out in no time...

-- C

[lennarts]

Labels, categories, classifications are only useful if they are systematic.
When the system is messy, it just gets messier and messier.

My suggestions:
1. Selecting a camera from the list should not be a 1-click procedure. Right now the list is way too long for a single drop-down menu. It would make great sense, if at least the camera brands (Canon, Pentax, Nikon, Sony, etc.) would be a separate selection from camera models.
2. At least camera brands selection could be a fixed list as there are limited number of camera brands. This would eliminate cameras like "Cannon" from the list.
3. Also, current listed cameras like "Anything I can brake", "A grey digital one" and "Cheapie film camera", could be perhaps grouped into "Other" or "Various" or smth like that. If one wants to call his/her camera with nicknames or add additional information like "on loan sometimes", this could be a separate field as the "Canon EOS 350D" and "Canon EOS 350D on loan sometimes" are essectially a same camera.
4. Entering a new camera to the database should not be made so easy. It should be an option if the camera is not already listed in the database. Right now it is easier to enter a new camera than to search for it from the list.

[m_s_s]

We had this tread before. It is not only problem with equipment, but also with location. For instance there is a few ways that you can put photo from Cardiff. It's in the same way with every other place. Some people just don't bother with exact location, and typing in 'cardif'.
regards