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.