Are you able to let go?

While not necessarily an answer to your question, I've sure found myself owning some equipment that, for whatever reason, won't let go of me!

:bang:
 
I'm quite happy when I have about 25 cameras around me, and that is for the past 20 years or so the case. But the collection must be kept alive, so over these years the collection changed for about 70%, so 70% sold and 70% new buys. If I want to buy new gear, I first sell some stuff mostly the onces I haven't used that much or the onces that are alike the one I will buy: e.g. I sold a Hexar RF and the Leica M4-2 to be able to finance the M7. I must admit though that total investment per item raised considerably over the years.
 
Selling is a PITA... and I try to avoid it as much as possible...
On the other hand, the DR Summicron 50 (or rigid Summicron 50) is probably Leica's best lens EVER... in the sense, that it draws B&W in a very balanced way, and is able to "paint" the background, as against "blur" the background in a quite unique manner. I use the Planar and C Sonnar as well, and yes, the Planar at f2.0 is as sharp as the Summicron at f5.6, and the C Sonnar is dissolving the background and "rounding" the skin in a unique way, and both are much more flare resistant, but still... I will keep that lens for sure - maybe it might make sense to get rid of it and buy the rigid Summicron instead, to get a slightly more compact version.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3115/2650396494_508d587b3c_b.jpg
 
tbarker13 said:
Hence my qualifier - "Obviously, there are some exceptions to this."🙂

But I do believe in the concept of embracing impermanence. Of course I have a few belongings with extreme sentimental attachment. It's just that none of them are labeled Leica, Zeiss, etc.
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Dear Tim,

For the first para, sure; I don't want to overstate the contrary.

For the second, indeed: accepting transitoriness is essential. I could (I think) let go of any camera I have, but as I've had the Leica IIIa for nearly 4 decades, and as it was my first-ever Leica, I'm fond of it. As I am of my watch (a 17th birthday present) and my hip-flask (a 21st birthday present).

Cheers,

R.
 
Funny. The only camera I wish I still had was the Pentax K1000 that was the first camera I ever purchased. If I had that today, I wouldn't sell it.
Alas, it went away more than two decades ago.
 
I haven't been shooting much this summer since other stuff has held my interest. I looked around my house and it looks like the 'crazy cat lady' but with cameras.

They're everywhere. There are cameras from junk stores with the price tags still stuck to em.

I still dont' sell anything.. Most likely because I'm a hoarder. I wonder if they make goofy pills to make me better?

I'm greatful that people DO sell things though. I have mostly just given away camera gear to other people that are interested, and I hope they will use it more than I did.

What sucks is the only way to make any money is to sell your GOOD stuff. And you always regret that. And it's a waste of time to try to sell your junky stuff.

Catch 22 paired with a mental disorder = crap piling up.
 
My problem has been that I was interested in all formats from 8X10 to 35mm for the past twenty or more years. I have so much STUFF now in all formats that I am on a selling binge to get down to so few options that it won't be a question of spending time and agony trying to figure out what I want to use for any particular situation.

That said, I am really agonizing over selling my Rolleiflex 3.5 whiteface even though I haven't used it lately. It may be the last thing I sell.
 
Thanks Roger to remind me of the "three poisons", it really makes me think more about it and how I could just put the lens onto my camera and use it more instead of whining around here and go out shoot more.
 
I can let go, but it's not always easy - I recently sold my M6/50 Planar/35 Biogon (all in beautiful condition) and a whole pile of other stuff to finance a Nikon D700, which was something of a wrench! It was actually the second M6 I'd owned, and I sold both of them within 6 months of buying them, because they were beautiful objects I loved gazing at, but I never used them enough to justify having them around.

I've no doubt I'll succumb to "Leica Lust" again at some point, but at the moment a G1 and and FE2 that cost me less than £300 for the two feed my film habit adequately, and I'm glad I sold the Leica/Zeiss stuff.
 
I'm completely hopeless when it comes to letting gear go. Since I became serious about photography less than 2 years ago I've only managed to sell one lens and that was only because I had 2 identical copies of that particular version and so I knew I wouldn't miss it.

I do have several lenses that see almost no use but for a variety of reasons I either can't bear to part with them or I can't be bothered because of the relatively small return.

My Pentax 40/2.8 pancake is one example. I hardly use it because it's more than a stop slower than my 50s and has only a slightly wider FOV, but as a piece of design it is remarkable and I was so intent on finding one that is seems silly to sell it now.

Another is my Pentax 1.7x AF converter that I got for a steal. It's a remarkable and quite unusual device that gives MF lenses AF but because I don't have any long, fast telephotos it sees little action. A sensible person sell it and get something more practical like the FA 43/1.9 or 35/2 but it's such a special gadget that I'm afraid I'd regret losing it.

It's a never ending struggle...

Matthew
 
Tom A said:
There is a simple rule - the moment you have sold it, a shot crops up that could only been taken by that lens! You instantly start chasing down an another one and there are absolutely none available in a/ the condition the one you sold was and b/ prices just went up exponentially to what you sold it for!
I hate parting with lenses and I only do it if I have a duplicate of it!!!!!!
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I should sell stuff... however it's the knowledge that Tom is right that makes me freeze up at the moment I decide to unload. I've also given stuff away however that's not the same.. ;- )
 
FrankS said:
I can sell photo gear stuff, but I only do it in order to buy other photo gear stuff.
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Same here. No problem in letting gear go, but is always to fund more & different gear 😀 As well, another - if not the main reason for it - is that I am trying to keep my kits (Nikon, Leica M, Leica R) pared down to "useful" rather than let them grow inordinately 😉 pretty hopeless task in the end...
 
I have this trouble but eventually G.A.S. makes me sell so I can buy something else without upsetting the wife too much- then I suffer sellers remorse. You are perfectly normal!
 
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