Epiphany?

[Gid]

Well not really, more a process of realisation. After 8 years of heavy buying and selling, testing and pixel peeping I have finally come to my senses. I printed some images on A3 (approx 15 x 10s) from a number of cameras ranging from 5mp to 21MP DSLR, 35mm and MF film (from scans) and guess what? There was no discernible difference between them other than the way the digital sensor renders colour or expected film differences- not just my opinion. As I continued to "chase" the latest - Fuji Xpro, OMD, Canon 5DIII, Nikon D800 - it occured to me to analyse my photography and consider what I really needed. The upshot is that in the last six months or so I have sold my 5DII and several L lenses, sold my M8.2, M7, OM gear and several other bits and pieces. In their place I now have (or have kept) an R-D1, Olympus E1, E400 and E3, Fuji X100, Canon F1 and EOS650 plus associated lenses. There is nothing that I need or want to do photographically that can't be covered by this equipment (or less). I don't shoot in the dark - seldom shoot above ISO400, I don't shoot sports or BIF and rarely print larger than 18 x 12. I don't need anything else - this is a double edged sword as I do miss the hunt and chase for new gear (as FrankS mentioned in his recent thread). No more testing! Back to photography (except for a nice Canon A1 I have my eye on 🙂)

I really have become fed up with the constant upgrade cycle :bang:

Anyone else in the same place?

 

[boomguy57]

I'm getting there too!

 

[back alley]

i believe i'm there as well.

the rd1s are really all i need for my style of shooting. i am in the process of getting a couple more lenses (the 25 and 75) and that should do it for me.
i'm holding on to some dslr gear but i'm not sure why.

 

[gilpen123]

I'm on the same road. Sold 2xM6, M8.2, M7II, M3SS, Rd1 but got the x instead, EP2, EP3, EPL2,, Nikon 28Ti, Contax T3. I now have the X100, OMD, RD1x, M2 and Leica IIIf. X100 might go maybe an X2 in the near future.

 

[Livesteamer]

I've had 45 years of chasing better equipment on my limited budget. Along the way I've accumulated Nikon F's and a bunch of lenses and Leica M's and a bunch of lenses including asph lenses.

Now at age 56 I find I do 90% of my shooting with a rather beat up IIIc and 50mm f3.5 Elmar and enjoy it greatly. The quality is just fine, the portability is great and it makes me slow down and think a bit.

Just what works for me. Joe

 

[charjohncarter]

I'm well passed that phase: 3 lenses for my Pentax 6x7, 3 lenses for my Pentax 35 SLRs, a few folders, a Rollei, ah. Well maybe I'm not beyond it.

 

[menthel]

Still lots of kit with overlaps. Mind you, I am just as bad! I have an x10 for carrying all the time, a 7D with lenses for wildlife and other DSLR moments, an M6 with lenses for film times and a Rolleiflex T when I need big, beautiful squares. And I am actually done, I don't need any more kit than that. I have no gear lust at present and am happy with my lot. The only thing that could happen is that I will realise I don't have the time for wildlife photography or film developing and I chop it all in for something like an X-pro 1 or a ff DSLR.

 

[Paddy C]

I'm there with digital (except for the addition of a couple lenses).

What's bugging me right now is wether I want/need to keep some or all of the film gear I still have.

 

[kennylovrin]

I've bought and sold a few cameras lately as I also really enjoy trying new things. However in January I got my 5dmkii (for a really good deal though) and I'm really enjoying the full frame and all that. Recently I got myself an R-D1 as well though as I wanted to try that manual feel. After just a few days using it I loved it but for different reasons I decided to send it for a tune up at Epson in Japan.

Anyway, I've been without it for a month now, and during that time I've had lots of time to look at other cameras and so on, just cant help it. (Now I was considering swapping the 5d for something smaller, eyeing the OM-D and X-Pro 1 etc)

But then one day I woke up and I realized I had only printed 3 photos the last eight years, and those three we're printed together at approx. A3 size. So basically one occurrence of printing.. The shots are from my 5dmkii and technically the quality is really great. Then I started thinking (and this really is obvious in a way) that I will never print anything bigger than A3, and it will probably take me another 10 years before I print again, and the quality I got now is so good that I don't see why I'd need better.

Anyway, my conclusion was basically "I will never need a 'better' camera than the 5Dmkii". Like I said, it really isn't that hard to see, but at the same time it is. So now I'm just waiting for my R-D1 back so that I can use it more, it will probably turn out that I don't need anything else than that either really.

Not sure what I'm trying to say specifically, but it can be quite a relief thinking of it this way. 😉

That being said, I'm still a gear-head generally, so I'm sure I'll be interested in trying out other cameras, but I really never needed to use the argument "I need it because it's better than my current camera".

 

[alexnotalex]

it's a personal passion, so there are no rules, nor right answers
in trying to keep my heart happy
i think that it is better
to regret things i did do
rather than things i didn't do

 

[Teuthida]

I agree. All I need is my M5, F5, Hexar Af, Fuji GA645, M8, X100, D3x and Sinar P2.

Keep it simple.

 

[seakayaker1]

What I need and what I want have always been two different subjects.


Sometimes what I wanted is not what I needed. Then there is the occasion of what I wanted is exactly what I needed.


There have been things that I wanted that I knew I did not need and have won the battle on most occasions.


Then there is always, life is short, have fun, and cause no harm.

 

[Richard G]

Never sold anything except an M4-2 as trade in for the M6. I should probably sell that. I agree with you about most of what you wrote. My eight year old Nikon Coolpix 4500, 4MP, is still a great camera with marvellous macro and excellent enlargement potential. If I was to pare down radically it might be the X100 and nothing else. But more likely the M2 and the M9 and three Zeiss lenses.

 

[FrankS]

So Gid, you're done too?

 

[Gid]

Frank,

It looks like it. I still have more than I need, but apart from the R-D1 and X100 (both of which I really like), there is nothing with a financial return anywhere near the utility value of the other gear. I will probably pick up a Canon A1 to complement my F1 (AE can be useful) - had one but gave it to my son and miss it. - but that is very little money. So as close to done as I have been for some time - it feels quite liberating 😎

 

[jsrockit]

The only epiphany I've had recently is to sell my M9 and lenses, buy two less elegant cameras and lenses, and then put the rest of the cash in the bank. It felt good.

 

[---f]

I miss my Lumix LC-5. It's sitting on the shelf but stopped working a number of years back. Looked and felt like a rangefinder and had a built-in summicron f2 lens. Even to this day, it was all I needed. If it still worked I never would've headed down the path of other Leica gear. But with the M4 + M8 and a 28-35-50 set, I'm all set. Of course, there's still the Hassy, the GW690II, the Mamiya 7ii (borrowed) and the 4x5 Shen Hao. Oh and then' there's the Minolta 35mm and Canon 35mm film gear too. but yeah, I'm all set!!! 🙂

Double Oh, I have an LX-3, wonderful camera, but the lack of a viewfinder, takes away from the experience.

Here's a tip. If you want to stop the GAS, then stop looking at the classifieds! Oh and it helps to delete your paypal account.

 

[Gid]

The only epiphany I've had recently is to sell my M9 and lenses, buy two less eloquent cameras and lenses, and then put the rest of the cash in the bank. It felt good.

It does feel good - paid for another holiday and still cash in the fund if I weaken 😱

 

[froyd]

I printed some images on A3 (approx 15 x 10s) from a number of cameras ranging from 5mp to 21MP DSLR, 35mm and MF film (from scans) and guess what? There was no discernible difference between them other than the way the digital sensor renders colour or expected film differences- not just my opinion.

Really surprised that you don't perceive the difference between 35mm and MF at the enlargement size you mentioned. With my equipment it's quite noticeable and the reason why I don't think I could easily let go of 120 film.

Sounds like you still have lot's of cameras on hand, particularly on the Olympus front. More pruning to do!

 

[Gid]

Really surprised that you don't perceive the difference between 35mm and MF at the enlargement size you mentioned. With my equipment it's quite noticeable and the reason why I don't think I could easily let go of 120 film.

Sounds like you still have lot's of cameras on hand, particularly on the Olympus front. More pruning to do!

If all the images were of the same subject then there might be a more easily discernible difference. However this was a random set of images - all with a reasonable amount of detail and foreground / background interest. The point is that all were good enough for my purposes. There are a whole range of variables at play in this completely subjective, non scientific exercise. I've shot enough 120 to know there is a difference with bigger negs, all other things being equal.

I do like Olympus, so no further pruning at this time 🙂