Do you list your gear?

[jaapv]

When I joined RFF I came from another (well, actually more than one) forum where everybody who wanted to be somebody had a signature with at least 10.000 $$$ of gear listed. When I came here it was a relief nobody had such a thing, so I did not have to make up all the Hasselblads and studio flashes and Gitzo tripods and other gear I did not have to keep up with the Joneses. The last few months I noticed that more and more members had impressive lists of things in their sig, so I compromised by hiding the stuff I honestly own in my profile. How do you feel about this? Is it just showing off, or does it give an insight into the poster's interest?

 

[Crasis]

Actually, I'd say that I try to avoid announcing my gear in any way. I'd rather have people like my images for what they are and not what they were made with.

In the same way, some people really only care about what the images were made with 😉

 

[Wayne R. Scott]

My photos suck regardless of whether I list my equipment or not.

Wayne

 

[Nikon Bob]

I have mixed emotions about that sort of thing. I don't know if it proves or disproves anything other than to show who has deeper pockets or more GAS than others. OTH it can be interesting to see what others are using/have. It is a personal choice to list or not and is neither a good or bad thing.

Bob

 

[Socke]

Why should I list my equipment?
I've heard the argument that it improves forums searches, but this is plain BS. Another argument is that you can see what somebody who answers your question uses himself, this is BS too. As long as somebody answers my questions I'm pretty happy.

And then there is the real problem, I can't decide if I should list my gear in alphabetical or chronological order 🙂


Edit:

And if alphabetical, do I list my Yashica Contaxes and Kyocera Contaxes under C, K or Y?

 

[Todd.Hanz]

No, I outgrew that phase 🙂

Todd

 

[egpj]

I used to list but then just listed what I have below. I think that there are two trains of thought here. One is gear centered and the other stress' the photo's and the creative process. Neither is better then the other and someone can exist in both "clicks". I would like to dabble in both but concentrate on the creative process.

 

[rover]

My photos suck regardless of whether I list my equipment or not.

Wayne

Me too.

I used to but when I became a Moderator I couldn't be a Dad with a Camera any more as my title so I moved that to my sig.

I don't think it is showing off, actually I think it is cool to see what some folks have. I think deep down inside we are all collectors of some type, so showing what you got is just a way of admitting the depth of your affliction. 😎

 

[jaapv]

So I am not the only one that is ambivalent about this. 😱 Maybe the forum should provide a field for it. I think Wayne has it right that gear has little to do with the quality of photographs. OTOH I have a feeling he is totally wrong: I suspect his photo's don't suck 😛

 

[kmack]

If I want to do a search for information about some particular equipment I really don't want to wade thru a bunch of hits on someone's tag line. Other than that, no problem.

 

[back alley]

So I am not the only one that is ambivalent about this. 😱 Maybe the forum should provide a field for it. I think Wayne has it right that gear has little to do with the quality of photographs. OTOH I have a feeling he is totally wrong: I suspect his photo's don't suck 😛

yet you DO have it listed, just not as easy to find as looking down a little.

obviously, i like listing my gear and posting pics of it too.
i would normally insert a joke about it now but i really get a little 'pissed off' at the 'you can't be a good photographer if you like your gear too much' attitute that crops up here at rff at times.

i work hard for the things that i have. i don't make alot of money by most north american standards. i don't own a house and my car is a 1992 model.
i'm divorced and live on a single income.
i have a decent stereo and some nice camera gear;these are the things that bring me pleasure.

and i'm proud of it all!

joe

and, i'd like to add that some of my gear was a gift from rff members and it's a (modest) pride thing to show it off a bit.

 

[ehparis]

I think it does provide some insight into the poster's interest and my abbreviated list is in my signature file. I imitated others in this regard after joining the forum.

I want to make it clear in my posts that I like the Leica M AND also the Nikon SLRs. I know of no other way to do it so the signature seemed appropriate.

I quite frankly could care less if someone has any doubt about it. If it isn't of interest to someone then just ignore it. Many on the forum with no signature files still clearly have more equipment than I from their posts and I'm not certain it's necessary once I'm no longer a newbie. I'm also not in a race with anyone and doubt most are.

Jerry

 

[flashover]

I list stuff in my sig usally when I gat it. I think I have 4 cameras listed out of a bunch of them. Oh it's 3 cameras my favs and new finds.

 

[ywenz]

Listing your gear in your sig and providing instruction to see your gear in your profile are the same thing.

Why is anyone even pondering about this subject? It is a very insignificant issue.

 

[back alley]

you can put an image in the sig.

 

[Rich Silfver]

What's next?

"I can't stand those that list links in their sigs",
"I don't like people that use colours in their sigs",
"Why can't everyone's sig look like mine?"

Geez.

(Oh, and I kinda like to see if someone is using the same sort of gear that I am. Listing that in a sig is a good way for that).

I find that people that do worry about things like this post are mostly fighting an imaginary battle. Most people don't list their gears for you to feel jealous. Sometimes you create the issue yourself.

 

[JohnM]

I like readinng the lists of equipment - interesting stuff. I don't list mine because, well, I am really lazy.

It can also be helpful - if you're considering a certain camera or lens, or have a question about using it, servicing it, etc., and you see someone with that item in their list, drop them a PM and maybe you get an answer. I've done it before and got some solid advice.

 

[Rich Silfver]

Now if you wanna talk about a real issue my TV just broke.
G'ddamn!

 

[Rafael]

I think that this fondler/shooter distinction is often hugely overblown. Some people like to list their gear, others don't. Those who are interested in the gear will take note of signatures that list gear. Those for whom the final image is everything won't. I really don't see what the big deal is.

But with regards to this claim that the final image is everything, I, for one, disagree. The fact of the matter is that photography is NOT all about the final image for everyone. I personally love spending time walking the streets shooting film. And hey, sometimes I don't come back with a single decent image. But the time spent shooting was still hugely rewarding for me. So the process of shooting is a big part of the appeal of photography, for me at least. And for that reason, gear matters to me. Shooting with different types of cameras leads to different sorts of experiences. It's as simple as that. Those are my 2 cents.

 

[Rafael]

And, on a more practical note, I agree with JohnM's reasons for why it can be useful to know what sort of gear others are using.