How many cameras do you really need?

[dazedgonebye]

...one more...

Hate when I get beat as I write! :bang: 😀

 

[Photon42]

Even with difficult questions like this, life shows that 42 is the answer :-D

 

[bmattock]

If I can buy a strange old camera for 10-50€ and write an article about it that earns me 150-300€, that comes close enough to 'need' for me. As a result I have lots of strange old cameras; I've been writing about old cameras for close on 30 years, and I haven't got rid of all of them.

Ivor Matanle has been playing that game for a long time, eh? He's responsible for a great deal of my 'collecting'. Great man.

http://www.matanle.co.uk/

I have sometimes thought to attempt to follow in his footsteps, but he's done it all.

 

[Roger Hicks]

Ivor Matanle has been playing that game for a long time, eh? He's responsible for a great deal of my 'collecting'. Great man.

http://www.matanle.co.uk/

I have sometimes thought to attempt to follow in his footsteps, but he's done it all.

Dear Bill,

That's how I first met Ivor, 30+ years ago...

Cheers,

Roger

 

[Al Patterson]

You know how I get when people start bandying this word around. I realize that it is in jest in this thread, so I won't go non-linear this time around.

'Need' used in this manner is to me a word that people use when they want to tell you how to live your life, because what you're doing now bothers them in some way.

"How many X do you need" is code. It means "I think you have too many X, and I want to make it clear that I think you should have less X." Use any replacement value you like for X. They know they can't prevent you from owning X, but they'd really feel much better if you didn't own X, or at least not so much of it. It's a passive-aggressive attempt to stick one's nose in where it does not belong, is what it is.

And they ought to stop it.

What Bill said. When I was all film, I used to carry 2 SLR bodies (A-1) and three lenses. Then came RFs and digital, so I went to 1 A-1, 1 CL or Canonet, and a digital P&S.

 

[Al Patterson]

And yes, I do have too many cameras at this point. I will pare down some, as I'm sure I'll eventually add more, and I'm not REALLY a collector, just a user who doesn't ever sell the old stuff to buy the new(er) stuff.

 

[mcgrattan]

I have quite a few cameras [12 or 13, I think]. With the advent of digital and easy accessibility via ebay and online to dealers to incredibly cheap classic film cameras, it's just fun to play with them. Apart from my dSLR I don't think I've ever spent more than £100 UKP on a camera or lens and most have been £10-£20. I've not been crazy with it -- my dSLR and my film SLR take the same lenses, etc.

That said, I've been down-sizing for a while, and that's an ongoing process as I get rid of the cameras that I turn out not to use and in each category of camera I tend to find a 'keeper'. I'm happy with the 35mm compact camera(s) I have, and happy with my dSLR. So that's that category done. I'm happy with the fixed lens RF I have, so that's that one done.

I may replace the MF camera I have, and probably my screwmount Leica will go at some point, but other than that, I have no real gear-itch to scratch [except a new scanner].

I could live quite happily with the just the dSLR, a 35mm compact and a rangefinder, though.

 

[noah b]

I've got 4 cameras, mamiya 7 II and C330, Leica M2, and a Canon elan 7. I don't really want anything else, for most of what I do this setup is grand. Sometimes I want to sell the tlr and elan but they're handy machines.

 

[Sonny Boy Havidson]

Basically, nobody really needs a camera. So I tend to reduce my gear after spending time carrying my SLR and many lenses. Two years ago, I switched to RF with an Olympus 35 RC and this convinced me than I mostly needed a standard lens and that I prefered RF cameras so I turned to a CLAed Leica III F (all my other 35 mm gear is sold or nearly) : lght to carry, sharp and sufficiant (with Lunasix sometimes). My other camera that still receive some cconsideration is my TLR.

 

[ChrisPlatt]

Two is too many; a thousand is not enough.

Chris

 

[yanidel]

One, the latest. All the other ones are the reflection of my laziness to post them for sale and serve for good shelves decoration.

 

[Erik L]

i have 4 and any more would just be a backup

 

[Roger Hicks]

Basically, nobody really needs a camera . . .

Hang on, that's a bit like saying 'nobody needs a job'. If you earn a living with photography, you need cameras.

Cheers,

Roger

 

[vieri]

Need - well, the concept of "need" as been debated in the thread at some length, to me what I strictly "need" for my work is:

- a D3 & F5 SLR combo;
- 2/3 film M bodies (at the moment, 2 MP, 2 M2 - 1 MP on its way out);
- 1/2 MF film bodies (at the moment, 1 Hassy, 1 Mamiya 6);

plus, I have:

- 1 Oly XA;
- 2 Barnack Leicas;
- 1 Yashica-Mat 124;
- 1 Holga;
- 1 Pentacon Six;

which I all use, except for the last two which don't see much action.

 

[raid]

I don't "need" many cameras, but I am enjoying having many cameras. There is a difference between needing and wanting things.

Practically speaking, I would keep the M3 plus 50/2 Summicron + 50/2 Sonnar + Nikon 105/2.5 + Kobalux 28mm/3.5 as my only kit if I needed to trim down.

 

[januaryman]

This is all semantics - we don't "need" any. Can we get by with one? Sure. Would we be happy with only one or two? Probably not. I have 2 Leicas, 1 Canon P, 1 Bessa R, 1 Canonet, 1 Yashica Electro 35 GT, 1 Yashica Minister D and 4 or 5 SLRs. Obviously, I do not need these many. But I'm glad to have them! 😀

 

[Gadge]

Bmattock -That is brilliant and I have added it as my new signature

Gadge

 

[shadowfox]

One...

for every film format
for every brand (especially ones that are not often heard)
for every position of the mirror
for every design that don't use mirrors
for every shutter design
for every lens mount

... that's about it! ... and a pinhole, got to have pinhole 😀

 

[hiromu]

Since I cannot change in the middle with my 35mm cameras, I need a few... But of course, I have more than that.

 

[pkuglin]

I want two copies of every version Leica made from the M2 through the MP exception the M8, M7 and the "viewfinderless" versions i.e. M1, MDa etc. One chrome and one black (hopefully paint). Each version has its pros and cons and besides I love them - a perfect tool. My count may be off, but that is 16...

Then a couple of DSLRs and a a small P&S.

I would be happy with 19...

Oh, then every camera I owned until I graduated from HS. Now I lost count.