Freeing myself-FTN and 50mm

[codester80]

Recently I haven't felt the photography bug. After closer examination of my ambivalence I realized I'd made the act too complicated. I have a multitude of Nikon and Pentax bodies and a heap of lenses for each. I've been drowning in gear selection. With that in mind I've decided to get back to the bare basics of photography. I'm going to spend the next six months to a year with a Nikkormat FTN with a dead meter and the Nikkor-H 50mm. It's sunny f16 and being there for the immediate future.
Anyone else doing something similar? What crazy, self-limiting challenges have you decided to take on?

 

[madNbad]

Add a Sekonic 208 or a meter app for your phone just for those tricky times or a bit lower light. Other than that, load up on film and have a good time. At one point I sold everything and spent two years with just an Olympus XA.

 

[p.giannakis]

I had a similar period too, I spend a year shooting with an old Zenit 12XP and the 58 f/2.

 

[Erik van Straten]

I can recommend a black Nikkormat FTn with a working meter. Superb camera. But that is not the bare basics of photography. That would be a

Daguerreotype camera built by La Maison Susse Frères in 1839.​

Erik.

 

[Timmyjoe]

I was doing that with an F2 and DE-1 finder, and an old 50mm S.C. lens, until the F2 developed issues. It can be very creative. Have fun.

 

[daveleo]

Years back, I shot for months, using Tri-X in a Canonet (broken meter) and a card exposure chart. Much fun, great success, very liberating.
Now of course I have boxes and bags of gear and the decisions sometimes choke me with confusion.

 

[gerikson]

I'm trying to shoot just with one lens (Ultron 40mm) on digital full-frame for a year. It fits in all my bags and I can bring it everywhere.

However I'm not a fundie about it... I'll go for a normal zoom+flash for family events, and probably if we travel too.

 

[FrankS]

Every year for Lent, I give up abstinence.

Whatever works for you. Good luck!

 

[charjohncarter]

From 1963 to 1969 I used a IIIf and a 50mm, I did have a Instamatic 104 for indoor flash. I thought about gear all the time. I knew in my heart a great photographer was there if I just could get a SLR and a few lens. In 1969 I got a Asahi Pentax Spotmatic with a 50mm and a 28mm later, I used those for 20 years. The GAS thing had died a little but came back and now I have way too many cameras. Those simple days were the best.

 

[Moto-Uno]

I for one hope it's a complete and utter failure ! How else would we justify our G.A.S.
attacks ? Peter

ps: I'm joking of course.