Gear Deacquisition Syndrome?

Dante_Stella said:
Does anyone else get the opposite of Gear Acquisition Syndrome? In other words, do you ever get the insane urge to get rid of gear that you know might actually need?

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this, happens once a year, recently even more often. I don't rationalize, it's not a pursuit for a simple tool for better photography, most of times it's not because of financial reasons. I simply have to.
 
I love my Rolleiflex 3.5 "whiteface". But I haven't used it in 5 years. But, if I sold it I would not be willing to pay the going cost for a replacement. That has been a real dilemma.
 
Took "a Miata worth" of Hasselblad (mostly) and some Leica to the local used camera shop, for consignment sale. Just agreed to buying the car, and will need to pay it off quickly.

The Miata will get much more use than the Hasselblad and Leica items that I took in.

Might need to take in more items too.

Yep, de-acquisition can be a good thing to do.
 
I have not taken photos in a while now but I still I have kept my cameras. Hopefully the desire for taking photos will return.
 
Ok. Did the count. In the last two months, I sold (or gave away):

  • 8 cameras (6 analog, one Polaroid, one digital)
  • 5 lenses (4 for Leica, 1 for Konica AR)
  • 2 flashes
  • 10 bags
  • 1 tripod
  • 25 rolls of near-date film
  • 1 tripod
  • 1 book
  • a couple hundred bucks of misc stuff
  • and $693 of miscellaneous stuff on Ebay
(I also eliminated almost photo item I owned that was made before 1970).

But then (re)acquired - for almost exactly the same amount of money:
  • 1 camera (a Rollei 2.8GX to replace my 2.8F)
  • 1 lens (a 75 Summilux)
  • 5 small flashes (including 3 slaves)
  • 1 bag

Well, three steps forward, two back! I had to list more items in the classifieds tonight to put things back in balance. Well, at least the new stuff takes up less space.

D
 
In the past few months I sold my Epson R-D1, Hasselblad X-Pan II, Fuji X-Pro1 and X100S, Canon 5DmkIII.

On the other hand I bought a Sony RX1RII, a Fuji X-Pro2, a Sony RX100IV, a Fuji 100-400mm lens and a 35mm C-Biogon, in total costing much more.

Over the next few months I will shed my Canon lenses and speedlights, a Leica MP, probably the Fuji G617 and GF670. I am consolidating on a Fuji X system, a Leica system and some one-offs (Sony RX1RII, RX100IV, Ricoh Theta S). The only film bodies I will have left will be a Hasselblad 500C/M, a Contax T and my father's Nikon F3.

The initial motivation was fondling a Leica SL at the San Francisco Leica Store, even though I am never going to buy a camera that heavy again (big part of the motivation for pulling out of the Canon system, that and the uncompetitive sensors). Considering what I would have to dispose of to acquire that camera triggered a long-overdue reconsideration of the gear I have accumulated that largely collects dust since I acquired a wife and toddler.

The Fuji system is not fully equivalent to my Canons: no full-featured TTL flash, specially for macro photography (I have the MT-24EX), but it's way more fun to use and the X-Pro2 is as good IQ wise as the 5DmkIII despite the smaller sensor.
 
Well, no. I buy carefully and rarely sell anything. But recently I wanted a "better" lens and sold several lesser lenses to raise the funds. Felt remarkably good, and I plan to continue to unload unused gear. With restraint!
 
When I finished working I got parted with my professional Nikon gear without a moment’s hesitation or a pang of conscience – F2 Photomic, two Nikkormat bodies, a FM body, bunch of Nikkors from 21 to 200mm, zooms, filters etc, customised aluminium hard cases.

Although this gear had been with me through thick and thin, I just saw it as my work gear, stuff I had to use for work.

My personal gear, the gear I’ve chosen to use for my personal work, is a very different matter. There isn’t much of it, just two Leica M bodies, IIIb and four Leica lenses… plus a Rollieflex 6006 and 6008 (but these don’t count ;)).

I don’t baby my Leica gear and I’m not a curator, and I’ve never had the mind-set of being a collector, although I’m fortunate to now be able to afford most cameras out there, I don't acquire stuff to put on shelves. What I have I use.

Could I get rid of my Leica gear? Yes, if I had to. After all, in the great scheme of things it’s just ‘stuff’.

But boy, it would be a hard decision, upsetting and a wrench.
 
I can see myself in so many posts here. ;)

The "natural cycle" of GAS had hit me some years ago, but it came in different "phases".

Phase 1: Buying, buying, buying. (Why are all those items so cheap?)
Phase 2: Hell! What do I do with all that stuff? (Now, I know why those things were so cheap!)
Phase 3: Sell the items I don't need/want/whatever...
Phase 4: Buy some other things that make way more sense: better lenses, better cams by selling four, five, six... cheap ones for one better one.
Phase 5: Change of systems ... several times, because... well, you know.
Phase 6: Re-discovering analogue photography. Back to Phase 1 for while.
Phase 7: Ooops, I really need to do something. Evaluate and decide what has to go and what can stay.
Phase 8: Selling most of the things that I am not totally convinced of and buying some cameras and lenses that fit the gaps.
Phase 9: Still selling items after ongoing evaluation and buying the occassional interesting piece. ( <-- I am here!)
Phase 10: Sell everything because of giving up photography. (Not there yet, and hopefully never! ;) )
 
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