K
Krasnaya_Zvezda
Guest
That was my affliction prior to camera GAS. I have 8 guitars, 2 trumpets, a sax, a clarinet, a piano and 2 keyboards... hardly have time for any of it anymore, with all this photo stuff to play with.
"But this photographer did this with just this..."
- Thread starter Stephanie Brim
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phototone
Well-known
It is not false economy to strive to own the best tools you can own for the art you practice. I play (amateur) saxophone. I own a pro-level saxophone. I will never have to purchase another sax, as I have as good as it gets. My only limitation is my own ability, not the tools.
If all photographers could get by with a 40mm lens, then why are there so many choices available to us?
Every photographer has his/her own vision. It is appropriate to make gear selections according to your own personal vision of what you want to achieve. This is not an arguable debate.
It is also appropriate to own a variety of equipment and formats if your vision cannot be contained within one format. Sometimes to expand our vision, we need to experiment with new formats, and possibly change or discard items along the way. Sometimes we go through phases where one format lies dormant for a while, to be discovered anew on a future date. Cameras do not add to the overhead of running a household, they do not require additional utilities, or regular meals. Like good books, they can be re-discovered over and over again.
If all photographers could get by with a 40mm lens, then why are there so many choices available to us?
Every photographer has his/her own vision. It is appropriate to make gear selections according to your own personal vision of what you want to achieve. This is not an arguable debate.
It is also appropriate to own a variety of equipment and formats if your vision cannot be contained within one format. Sometimes to expand our vision, we need to experiment with new formats, and possibly change or discard items along the way. Sometimes we go through phases where one format lies dormant for a while, to be discovered anew on a future date. Cameras do not add to the overhead of running a household, they do not require additional utilities, or regular meals. Like good books, they can be re-discovered over and over again.
Bertram2
Gone elsewhere
Bertram2.... whose arguments sound plausible and are opinion only. Best regards said:
Honu-Hugger
Well-known
And sometimes we need to satisfy immature fantasies: I could hardly wait to buy a Rollei 35 once I was on my own, mostly because my father wouldn't let me have one before then 😀. The funny thing is most of what he didn't like about the camera is true; I probably still use it to this day with a measure of spite -- emotional maturity continues to elude me.
Kevin
Rainbow Bridge
Well the Mamiya 6 is a great camera outside of the studio. I have taken mine on vacation and to bars loaded with delta 3200 shot wide open. The fact that the mount is collapsable makes it even more portable. The dials are really big and it feels good in the hand.
Obviously strangers LOOK when I am using this camera because it is somewhat large compared to a 35mm rangefinder. What were you planning on using it for...which shooting contexts?
Obviously strangers LOOK when I am using this camera because it is somewhat large compared to a 35mm rangefinder. What were you planning on using it for...which shooting contexts?
bmattock
Veteran
Oh my. Dare I add something here?
With respect for everyone's individual opinion...malice towards none...please do not take this as any sort of attack or political statement....
Whenever I buy another firearm (yes, I have a lot of guns), people whose business it is not feel empowered to ask me "Haven't you got enough guns already? What could you possibly need more for?"
Or, they make a blanket statement, "It should be illegal for a person to own more than X number of guns." [Fill in the X with some arbitary number from 1 to 3]
It's the same with everything. When we moved into our new house, one of our neighbors thought it appropriate to ask us why we 'needed' three cars when there are just two of us.
Why did we need a house with four bedrooms when we have no children?
I don't 'need' more or better houses, guns, cars, or cameras. If I want them and can afford them, then it is no one's business but my own (and my wife's of course).
I got tired of trying to explain myself to such people. They always have perfectly good reasons for owning the things THEY own, they just don't grant others the same rights they have. I just ignore them and do as I please.
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
With respect for everyone's individual opinion...malice towards none...please do not take this as any sort of attack or political statement....
Whenever I buy another firearm (yes, I have a lot of guns), people whose business it is not feel empowered to ask me "Haven't you got enough guns already? What could you possibly need more for?"
Or, they make a blanket statement, "It should be illegal for a person to own more than X number of guns." [Fill in the X with some arbitary number from 1 to 3]
It's the same with everything. When we moved into our new house, one of our neighbors thought it appropriate to ask us why we 'needed' three cars when there are just two of us.
Why did we need a house with four bedrooms when we have no children?
I don't 'need' more or better houses, guns, cars, or cameras. If I want them and can afford them, then it is no one's business but my own (and my wife's of course).
I got tired of trying to explain myself to such people. They always have perfectly good reasons for owning the things THEY own, they just don't grant others the same rights they have. I just ignore them and do as I please.
Best Regards,
Bill Mattocks
Honu-Hugger
Well-known
bmattock said:
Hear! Hear!
XAos
Well-known
bmattock said:
We desparately need a one camera a month law.
kmack
do your job, then let go
Do what you want to do, as long as it does not scare the horses, and you think it is worth doing.
R
RichardS
Guest
Stephanie Brim said:
What makes you think you have to justify anything to them?
Dick
Stephanie Brim
Mental Experimental.
It's not that I have to, I suppose, but more that what they say makes me feel compelled to...like it's a crime to want what I want for some reason. Of course I know it isn't and of course I know that worrying about it is somewhat stupid because they have no idea who I am. I actually got kicked off a forum that I enjoyed because of it.
It seems to me that there are two kinds of photographers where this is concerned: those who try and help people make the best decisions as to their gear needs and those who, instead of just answering the questions asked, must ask why the gear is needed. I've noticed, with most of the latter type, that 'I want it' isn't a good enough answer. 😀
It seems to me that there are two kinds of photographers where this is concerned: those who try and help people make the best decisions as to their gear needs and those who, instead of just answering the questions asked, must ask why the gear is needed. I've noticed, with most of the latter type, that 'I want it' isn't a good enough answer. 😀
parks5920
Well-known
Just remember this; the more you buy the happier you'll be!
GEAR = HAPPINESS!
Well, maybe not, but it works for me! 😀
GEAR = HAPPINESS!
Well, maybe not, but it works for me! 😀
JoeFriday
Agent Provacateur
I'm writing my congressmen and demanding a camera registration database! And only people in the military need a Rapidwinder! And how about that camera swap loophole??
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Byuphoto
Would like to upgrade
Stephanie you could tell them what I do. Do you need more teeth, because you are about to lose those. When I got rid of all my digital gear everyone said I was crazyand my busines would go down. I shoot more weddings than ever because of the low light ability of the rangefinder to do candlelight. I have five SLR bodies and the newest is over 20, once again the same thing. I started collecting old cameras and my sister, who has 6 cabinets full of ceramic birds asked me what I could possibly want with all those old cameras. Human nature is always going to be what I have is better and you should listen to me. I also have 4 Harley's heaven forbid. Never been able to master riding more than ona at a time but I keep trying.
MY point is be careful of whom you solicit advice. You may just get it
Well I am out the door to shoot some dragonflies. Now which 3 cameras do you guys think I should use? ;-)
MY point is be careful of whom you solicit advice. You may just get it
Well I am out the door to shoot some dragonflies. Now which 3 cameras do you guys think I should use? ;-)
einolu
Well-known
Watch "The Fabulouse Life" on VH1 and feel better about your meager purchases. Did you know that Jay Z has a $600000 watch? How about the fact that Jonny Depp owns an island?
God I hate that show but I cant stop watching it 😛.
God I hate that show but I cant stop watching it 😛.
Sonnar Brian
Established
> I actually got kicked off a forum that I enjoyed because of it.
How could you possibly have enjoyed a forum with such narrow-minded people? Your Home at RFF. Here you just run the risk of someone trying to adopt you.
How could you possibly have enjoyed a forum with such narrow-minded people? Your Home at RFF. Here you just run the risk of someone trying to adopt you.
kiev4a
Well-known
Stephanie:
The other day I was on an unnamed forum and said I was thrilled because I had picked up a nice 300mm lens for $70. The first response was "well, that lens isn't nearly as good as the later ED-IF model, which is what 'serious' photographers would want." (for several hundred dollars more) That was followed by several more posts running down my choice.
My response was that nowadays photography is my hobby and I really can't justify to cost of the newer lens when the older model will do just about anything I want it to do. I said I felt I had to balance "wants" v. actual "needs."
I remember (vaguely) when I was your age and spent hours reading magazine ads, lusting after Mirandas ("Sensorex" was a cool name for a camera and the female models they used to promote it were pretty cool, too). Then it was Nikons and/or Leicas. In the meantime I learned with what I could afford --a Petriflex -- then stepped up to a Mamiya 1000 TL. I eventually did get my Nikons and Leicas. But when I got them I discovered the sharpness of the pictures weren't really that much better--it was the feel and the ruggedness that put the top of the line cameras above the middle and lower tier brands. By that time I was a newspaper photographer and needed that reliability factor.
What I saying, I guess is there is nothing wrong with "wanting" whether it's cameras or cars or guns or a premium wine. But something else needed to become a good or great photographer is patience--when it comes to technique and equipment.
A lot of us joke around about GAS and the need to buy more equipment--buy--buy--buy. But the fact remains we can only use one camera and lens at a given time. There is no way I can go out to shoot and use 60 Russian rangefinders, my Nikons and assorted and sundry photo items. Another thing to consider is that a lot of the members of the forum have reached a time in life when they have more spendable income they can use to buy the stuff they couldn't afford when they were your age--not everyone fits that mold, but a lot do.
Patience, Stephanie. I know that's easy for me to say cuz I ain't 21. But if I were you I would try to get a few pieces of equipment -- telephoto, wide-ange and a decent body (your Nikon FE isn't a bad start). Or for larger format keep your eye open for something like a Mamiya C220. I wouldn't waste my time with a lot of really old gear like Argus and the FSU stuff (I can say that because I have a truckload) Get some good solid, reliable equipment that you don't have to tinker with constantly. Then shoot and shoot and shoot and study what you shoot. And don't pay any attention to those forum queens who try to belittle everyone else to make themselves feel superior. Most of them do a lot better bragging about their $5,000 f2.8 300mm than they do shooting photos.
Stay with it. I think all of us here in the forum admire your enthusiasm and determination. And those qualities, in the long run, are likely to mean more than whether you are taking photos with a Mamiya 7, a Leica M3 or a Yashica 124G.
The other day I was on an unnamed forum and said I was thrilled because I had picked up a nice 300mm lens for $70. The first response was "well, that lens isn't nearly as good as the later ED-IF model, which is what 'serious' photographers would want." (for several hundred dollars more) That was followed by several more posts running down my choice.
My response was that nowadays photography is my hobby and I really can't justify to cost of the newer lens when the older model will do just about anything I want it to do. I said I felt I had to balance "wants" v. actual "needs."
I remember (vaguely) when I was your age and spent hours reading magazine ads, lusting after Mirandas ("Sensorex" was a cool name for a camera and the female models they used to promote it were pretty cool, too). Then it was Nikons and/or Leicas. In the meantime I learned with what I could afford --a Petriflex -- then stepped up to a Mamiya 1000 TL. I eventually did get my Nikons and Leicas. But when I got them I discovered the sharpness of the pictures weren't really that much better--it was the feel and the ruggedness that put the top of the line cameras above the middle and lower tier brands. By that time I was a newspaper photographer and needed that reliability factor.
What I saying, I guess is there is nothing wrong with "wanting" whether it's cameras or cars or guns or a premium wine. But something else needed to become a good or great photographer is patience--when it comes to technique and equipment.
A lot of us joke around about GAS and the need to buy more equipment--buy--buy--buy. But the fact remains we can only use one camera and lens at a given time. There is no way I can go out to shoot and use 60 Russian rangefinders, my Nikons and assorted and sundry photo items. Another thing to consider is that a lot of the members of the forum have reached a time in life when they have more spendable income they can use to buy the stuff they couldn't afford when they were your age--not everyone fits that mold, but a lot do.
Patience, Stephanie. I know that's easy for me to say cuz I ain't 21. But if I were you I would try to get a few pieces of equipment -- telephoto, wide-ange and a decent body (your Nikon FE isn't a bad start). Or for larger format keep your eye open for something like a Mamiya C220. I wouldn't waste my time with a lot of really old gear like Argus and the FSU stuff (I can say that because I have a truckload) Get some good solid, reliable equipment that you don't have to tinker with constantly. Then shoot and shoot and shoot and study what you shoot. And don't pay any attention to those forum queens who try to belittle everyone else to make themselves feel superior. Most of them do a lot better bragging about their $5,000 f2.8 300mm than they do shooting photos.
Stay with it. I think all of us here in the forum admire your enthusiasm and determination. And those qualities, in the long run, are likely to mean more than whether you are taking photos with a Mamiya 7, a Leica M3 or a Yashica 124G.
Honu-Hugger
Well-known
I couldn't agree more; my only question is how did you acquire this wealth of wisdom at your young age (I have had the pleasure of meeting kiev4a -- he's in his mid to late thirties) 😉.
kiev4a
Well-known
Honu-Hugger said:
OK, Doug. What are you shining me up for? "Late 30s?" You're after something.
Stephanie Brim
Mental Experimental.
Hey now...I have love for both my Argus cameras! 😀
I'm getting rid of the Nikon if someone can point me to a better deal with a rangefinder camera and a 50mm f/2 lens. I'm also going to get rid of a couple other cameras if I can. I shoot 50mm a lot which is why I pretty much gathered cameras around me that have that focal length...but I'd like something wider eventually.
The Nikon is the biggest ticket camera that I own. The lens sells for 200 bucks on Keh.com and it's older than me. I think it's time to get rid of the 35mm SLR altogether and finally go straight to rangefinders.
Now if only I could find a buyer for the bloody Nikon I'd pick up...something.
I'm getting rid of the Nikon if someone can point me to a better deal with a rangefinder camera and a 50mm f/2 lens. I'm also going to get rid of a couple other cameras if I can. I shoot 50mm a lot which is why I pretty much gathered cameras around me that have that focal length...but I'd like something wider eventually.
The Nikon is the biggest ticket camera that I own. The lens sells for 200 bucks on Keh.com and it's older than me. I think it's time to get rid of the 35mm SLR altogether and finally go straight to rangefinders.
Now if only I could find a buyer for the bloody Nikon I'd pick up...something.
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