Gear vs Happiness

[Nikkor AIS]

Look at all the gear I have and look how happy I am 🙂.

Seriously, I have been fighting "the dreads," as I have come to call them.

And the truth is, buying more **** will make you happy for a little while. Who more than me knows the "rush" of getting the dream lens or Leica MP in the hand. But the fact is, when you find yourself not being able to sleep and it's past 1 in the morning, and you're all alone, then the touch of cold steel and glass isn't going to cut it. Even if it does have a red dot on it.




The light and inspiration must come from within. The pleasure derived from seeking/having material possessions is short-lived.

It's interesting, for years I used to trade one set of gear for another. While it was sad to lose my Nikkor 500 4.0 IF-ED AIS or the
special-edition Twin Lens Rollei 2.8, it did kind of balance the sour and the sweet. And isn't that life?

Finding the balance is the key. And it's kind of silly but to me, carrying one bag really hurts my back. And while carrying a full bag of Leica and another bag of Nikkor glass is overkill for most folks, for me it works just fine.




Taken by my pal Shaun with my Nikkor 300 2.0 IF-ED AIS on D3.

 

[kossi008]

For me, the correlation is so strong that I can make use of it from the back end:

Whenever I find myself craving some new gear, I know that I am not satisfied with some general aspect of my life. Then I just need to sit back and figure out what it is... 😀

 

[Brian Legge]

I like a mix of reliable shooters and project cameras. Spending evenings with norhing to develop, scan or read learning about repair and trying to resurrect dead cameras is fun. ...I just need to get better about finding those cameras homes once they are reliable.

 

[David Hughes]

Buying is easy, what makes me happy is hunting for and finding gear: especially in junk or charity shops for a few coins. The online auctions are so boring...

Regards, David

 

[robert blu]

It's true, when I'm down I need some good vibration. And a new piece of gear gives extraordinary good vibration. If I can afford it! But if I manage to make the first step into a new photo-project this gives a positive feedback anyway and most of times is less expensive than gear . But it requires more energy, thinking, planning looking for ideas. To go in front of a shop window is easier...
Chocolate is good as well and helps creativity !
robert

 

[Roger Hicks]

For me, the correlation is so strong that I can make use of it from the back end:

Whenever I find myself craving some new gear, I know that I am not satisfied with some general aspect of my life. Then I just need to sit back and figure out what it is... 😀

Elegant!

Cheers,

R.

 

[helen.HH]

So true.

Being in the middle of a very dry spell at the moment, which is being caused by issues outside of photography,

Then ... I suddenly feel like selling the whole lot and finding an entirely different interest.

Couldn;t AGREE more at the Moment !!!!
Arghhhhhh.....😱

Best to ALL - helen

 

[monochromejrnl]

I've discovered that when GAS hits the only antidote is to make prints. Helps remind me of how my gear is more than adequate and that my time and energy should be focused on refining my darkroom skills to make what is most important - the prints.

50 years from now (if I live that long) the 'significant' 'desireability of the gear, no matter how great will pale in comparison to the prints of family, friends, places and a time past.

 

[kievman]

Here is a cure for GAS, but not happiness (real happiness comes from within not gear etc... you just need to learn how to bring it out- Tao de Ching)
Just buy a pile of cheap Russian and Japanese rangefinders and glass, and play with them and fix them whenever you get GAS and maybe ever use them for shooting!!!!! Isn't that a novel idea!!!??????????? Works for me every time - K

 

[Chriscrawfordphoto]

I need new gear when I am shooting a project and discover that I don't have the right lens. I have enough camera bodies to do anything, though I suppose I ought to buy a digital camera since I gave my D70 to my son and sold my 14n a couple yrs ago.

 

[_goodtimez]

Oh boy now I know why about my wife:

Happy: needs the stuff
Unhappy: needs it even more