GAS mask

[wlewisiii]

I had been happy with my Canon Rebel XS for quite some time. Then about a year ago, I got a Yashicamat 124G on a whim and my shooting changed. I started taking it seriously. Then I bought a GSN at a flea market for $8 and while trying to figure it out, I discovered this place. That lead me to FSU cameras (especially the Iskra and Kiev) and fair amount of GAS.

Now for my daily use cameras, I have a Kiev 4a, Kiev 5 and a Contax III (at Henry's Day Spa) and a nice set of CV, Zeiss and FSU glass for them. I find that the GAS is pretty much missing; yes, there is a part of me that would love a R2C to use those lenses with modern conveniance, but frankly, the cameras I have are sufficent. For the odd bit of GAS, the local St. Vinnies suffices with the occasional Ikonta or QL17 that usually get sold at near cost after I've played with them. Now it's a matter of practicing. I've got tools that are better than my skill set; I need to improve myself a whole lot before I worry about any fancier bodies.

William

 

[johne]

Roger,
Just remember, if GAS does not get you, the next Cabbage Patch or Bennie Baby will. This syndrome is endemic to modern society for lo these many moons. Johne

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Johne,

No, if GAS doesn't get me, there's not a lot else that will. CERTAINLY not hideous dolls, overpriced gymn shoes, 'designer' clothes, 'must-have' vehicles...

It's an advantage of being an ageing hippie.

Cheers,

Roger

 

[johne]

Roger, Be careful. I probably outage you . Been there; seen it. Did not bite on much of it [skipping cameras!]. Johne

 

[SolaresLarrave]

I agree with the idea that GAS is just an expression to joke about and gloat about purchases, but, as Kim aptly put it, there's a number of things people do with their stuff.

The somewhat disconcerting thing is that, instead of going out to use our gear, sometimes we miss the forest for the trees and just accumulate gear... I plead guilty of buying medium format stuff, but then, every summer I make sure to use it.

In any event... let's be happy we can do this. Thanks to the web I've been able to play with and later pass on a number of lenses and cameras. And, by the same token, I've received joy unlimited from those who have sold some coveted piece of gear to me. Heck, we're keeping the economy on a roll!

As long as we don't take ourselves too seriously, it's all in good, clean fun! 🙂

 

[back alley]

Something that surprises me is the assumption that Gear Acquisition Syndrome is universal and not to be deprecated.

Sure, I used to suffer from it, and I still get it very occasionally when I handle something especially desirable, such as the 75/2 Summicron I've had on loan for the last two or three months. But since I sold my Leica collection some 30 years ago, my criteria for buying gear have been:

1 Will I use it?

2 Can I turn a profit on it?

Admittedly, because I write a 'Classic and Collector' column for Shutterbug I can justify pretty much anything under heading 2, but even at that, I generally prefer to borrow stuff rather than buying it -- unless it is something I would use (such as a Thambar I borrowed recently) or can sell on at a profit once I've finished with it.

Some stuff I own because it's not worth the effort of selling: the article is the profit. But the camera (like the Baldessa 1 in the May Shutterbug) just sits around, too good to throw away, not worth selling, though I'm hoping to unload a lot of it at Bievres next month.

But more and more, I feel as if I have just too much STUFF -- the capital letters being an expression both of its volume and of the extent to which I no longer want so many possessions. I want to travel and take pictures, not buy yet more cameras. I find increasingly uncomfortable with the cheerful way in which so many people talk about GAS and assume that everyone has it.

Anyone else feel the same way?

Cheers,

Roger

no. not me.
it's a pleasure for me.
it's a creative outlet for me.
i never buy with selling in mind or profit as a motive. (not that there's anything wrong with that)

i love photography.
i love taking pictures.
i love looking at a photo that makes me go 'wow'! (mine or someone elses)

and i love playing with the gear.
why else would a canon excite me more than a leica?
the feel of it, the look of it. not the price of it.

it's like why do i prefer redheads over every other gender 😉

i sometimes feel like i have too much stuff, like recently, and then i sell what i know honestly what i'm not using.
i usually sell when making the choice between gear becomes mentally or emotionally burdensome.
like the bessa r and lenses. i really liked that gear. but alas, i loved the canon p and all the old chrome lenses and i felt badly when i would always choose them over the cv gear.
if i had never bought that first p i would still be blissfully in love with the cv gear.

gas, no problem. it's helps 'our' local economy, nurtures our young (newbies) and keeps old farts like me interested.

nah, my answer is no.

joe

 

[sf]

I have GAS

I have GAS

Redheads. . . .they are their own species. My favoriate species. And really good for pictures.

About GAS, well, I also buy things for what they are and what they can allow me to do. Some photographer types will say something about the magic bullet and how some photographers chase them. Well, I don't chase those. I buy tools that will specifically open doors for me. For instance, I just put down 800 bucks for a perfectly mint Fujinon 75mm f5.6 lens for 4x5 at Samy's Cameras in Los Angeles, CA. THAT is my Leica - it is the piece of gear that I fondle. It is my precious. I bought it not because I think IT will create beautiful pictures, but because its angle of view will allow me to capture images that my 150mm will not. Not to mention the Fuji glass is way better than my Caltar (150) whose glass looks as if it had been fondled by a group of careless people wearing sandpaper gloves.

Buying gear, at least lenses and different varieties of cameras is simply opening doors. It is acquiring tools for creating images. I can justify spending a couple grand on a new camera if I know that it has capabilites that will allow me to do something new or to do something old in a new way.

One thing though, is that I always buy used. Lenses, bodies, anything. That way, when I am done with it, I can sell it and not take a loss. Heck, I made money on my last purchase/sale process.

 

[varjag]

Well, to me acquiring a rangefinder had an opposite effect. Before that I desperately wanted a modern DSLR, but since I got my Kiev (an impulsive purchase at a flea market) the need has vanished: it perfectly suits the style of photography I like. So in fact it saved me about a thousand of US treasury bills. Now, if I only had the 2/85, the 4/135, the 6/28, a universal finder and a fanblade flashgun with bulbs.. 🙂

 

[StuartR]

I think I am one of those hybrid folks. I aquire different types of gear because I am interested in how it will effect my photographic process. Having a bunch of different lenses is interesting in how they all draw the image differently. I have a lot of gear, but thinking about it, I do not have a single duplicate item. I may have more than one lens in a focal length, but they are different lenses -- for example, I have three 35mm lenses -- Leica 35mm f/1.4 ASPH, Canon 35mm f/1.8 and Konica 35mm f/2 (in the Hexar AF). All of these lenses create different images.

In any case, I certainly do have a side of me that takes pleasure in the unique aspects of the gear. Part of my enjoyment of photography is how the tools can truly be a union of form and function. In a similar manner, I enjoy listening to a turntable more than a CD not only because of the pure analog signal, but because there is something beautiful about a physical process that creates music unfolding right in front of your eyes and ears. That's what's so great about life -- the complexity! The human mind tries to break things down into easily consumable categories, but the complexity of everything, even if it is just the complexity of what gives us pleasure, is just too great for easy explanation.

 

[Roger Hicks]

StuartR -- An excellent analysis: a multi-engagement of the senses, plus comprehensibility. I can certainly related to that!

Varjag -- A useful saving!

Cheers,

Roger

 

[taffer]

"it's like why do i prefer redheads over every other gender "

"Redheads. . . .they are their own species. My favoriate species. And really good for pictures."

AMÉN !!! 😀 😉

 

[Bertram2]

About GAS, well, I also buy things for what they are and what they can allow me to do.
I buy tools that will specifically open doors for me. For instance, I just put down 800 bucks for a perfectly mint Fujinon 75mm f5.6 lens for 4x5 at Samy's Cameras in Los Angeles, CA. THAT is my Leica - it is the piece of gear that I fondle.
It is my precious. I bought it not because I think IT will create beautiful pictures, but because its angle of view will allow me to capture images that my 150mm will not. .

Well, I don't think one can speak of GAS in this case. That's just "normal" decent 4X5 sex ! 😀
Best regards,
Bertram

 

[rbiemer]

My friends and family are simply astonished that I have 12 cameras, but Ireally do have a plan.
I own two 120 cameras: a Seagull TLR and an Arax modified Kiev 60. My medium format needs are covered.
I own several 35mm RF cameras and am getting close to having a working kit--2 bodies and assorted lenses--and when I get that together the rest will go away.
I do own some that are just goofy fun: the Nickelodeon Blaster($1 at a garage sale and it takes four shots on a regular 24x36 neg) comes to mind.
I don't own a modern 35mm SLR and haven't quite decided that I need to get one. On the rare occasions that I want to shoot with one, I can borrow my sister's Rebel.
I do own one camera that I don't use and bought only because it looks so nice on the shelf: an Ansco 620 folder. Another $1 garage sale find. It was apparently unused and in the original box. I admit to hoping I could use 120 film in it but no dice.
Most of my gear is FSU simply because I find that class the best bang for my buck.
Photography is my hobby not my living and so I can use what ever I want as there is no penalty for not having the "right" system.
And yes there is a major cool factor that I enjoy. No one for two or three counties has any of this equipment. And I am shallow enough to bask in that knowlege.
If I worked as a photographer my needs would be vastly different. I am friends with two pros--one guy worked for the UN(mostly reportage on their food programs) and went digital as soon a he could, the other guy shoots mainly weddings and portraits and he is sweating which digital back to get for his Hasselblads.
I have mentioned this elsewhere, but I think that GAS doesn't really apply to people who make their living from photograpy: the job determines what gear is used much of the time. Similar to my work experience-- I'm a chef and I own several knives but I don't lust/obsess after them. I treat them as tools and don't think about them much as long as they do what I need them to do.
The cameras I have are certainly objects of desire as much as they are tools.
If I earned just a little more than I do now, I'd be trying to build a Leica system instead of concentrating on the FSU gear....
just my .02$, Rob

 

[StuartR]

Rob -- would it tempt you if I told you that you can still buy 620 film from B&H? It is listed in the catalog that I get -- PlusX, Trix and some others if I recall correctly...

 

[Kim Coxon]

Hi,
I may be wrong but I am pretty sure, 620 film is exactly the same size as 120. The only thing that is different is the ends of the spools. I have heard that some people buy 120 film and rewind it onto 620 spools in the darkroom.

Regards
Kim

Rob -- would it tempt you if I told you that you can still buy 620 film from B&H? It is listed in the catalog that I get -- PlusX, Trix and some others if I recall correctly...

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear rbiemer,

I am intrigued by the parallel with cooks' knives. As an amateur cook -- professional only insofar as I have done a few cookbooks -- I appreciate good knives, especially Sabattier and Wuesthof. I also have some good 'no-name' or unknown-name knives. But isn't the parallel that there is a 'quality plateau' above which it doesn't matter much and below which they aren't good enough? I am intrigued by this, especially as I have hairdresser friends who spend more than I would think possible on scissors. I'd be most obliged to hear your views.

Cheers,

Roger

 

[wlewisiii]

Rob -- would it tempt you if I told you that you can still buy 620 film from B&H? It is listed in the catalog that I get -- PlusX, Trix and some others if I recall correctly...

Yikes, $9 for one roll of Tri-X or $8.50 for one roll of Plus-X? They must be respooling it in house at that price. I think I'll stick to 120 format cameras 😀

J and C Photo has various 620 emulsions available for about half that price IIRC.

William

 

[aizan]

for me, gas is caused by a lack of commitment, by being a generalized this-and-that photographer. what would be best for photographing this? oh, how about that? horses for courses, the right tool for the job....

and who doesn't like owning cool stuff?

 

[rbiemer]

I haven't figured out how to do multiple quotes so:
B&H, J&C, and Film For Classics all do have some 620 film but it is a bit pricey.
I will be happy to try re-spooling my own when I get my wet darkroom up and running again.
Roger, about the knoves-- I currently use Wustoff Trident(sp?) and IF I ever need to replace them the Sabatier are going to get a close look.
Yes there is a point after which the quality is basically the same--ie, excellent and then it's just a question of which fits your hand better. There are some differences in the steels: some are harder to sharpen but stay that way longer some are easier but don't hold an edge as well--like any tool there are always trade offs and compromises.
Years ago when I was starting to realize that I needed to use my own knives instead of whatever happened to be in the kitchen I was working in, I bought a Camillus chef's knife. Great value and I was happy with it until one of my co-workers thought he'd do me a favor and get it "really sharp" so he took it home and put it on a bench grinder(I hadn't learned the lesson of taking my knives home with me every time ) it was really sharp. For about ten minutes and would never hold an edge after cuz he had overheated the blade and screwed the temper--I lost my temper as well but that's a seperate issue.
The knives I own now are the replacement for that knife. I couldn't find another of the Camillus so I spent about five times the $ on the Trident and have not looked back.
When ceramic knives were starting to appear I did spend some time checking them out but deciced against getting one for work. I do have a ceramic vegetable peeler that's pretty amazing but that lives at home and doesn't get the amount of use.
So, yes, I agree about the quality plateau!
To bring this back to cameras: For my needs the break point is just about at the FSU gear. Not great but good enough and inexpensive. Would I like a Leica,Zeiss Ikon, Canon? Absolutely!! But I can't justify spending the $. Of course if someone wanted to sell me any of those for what I paid for any(oh, heck, all )of my FEDs ,Zorkiis, or Kievs I'd be happy to trade up 😀
Rob

 

[Roger Hicks]

Dear Rob,

Thanks very much indeed for the insights. Camillus is a brand I don't know but I sympathize with what happened at the hands of your 'helpful friend'.

I have two or three Sabattiers (the third is ex-government and unmarked but so much like a Sabattier that I think it must be) and five Wuesthoff (I can't do an u-umlaut Wusthoff) Tridents. Far be it from an amateur to advise a professional, but for me, the stainless Wuesthoffs take a better edge, for longer, than the carbon-steel Sabattiers. I used Sabattiers for 20 years then inherited the Wuesthoffs when my mother-in-law died, and the Wuesthoffs are better. For me, anyway. Then again, the finest sharpener I have ever found is an Accusharp from Fortune Products, Inc., Marble Falls, TX. Removes quite a lot of metal with each sharpening but is VERY effective -- even better than a carborundum stone and a lot faster.

I am sure you are right about the FSU cameras. I use Leicas, Voigtlanders, etc. because I can and of course they are nicer to use. The lenses are also sharper and contrastier. But I am not sure that I take better pictures with an MP than with my Zorkii 4K.

Cheers,

Roger