I should sell my ..... so I could .....

skibeerr said:
I had a good think about which gear gave me my best work and "for now" I am sticking with that.
I have learned that compensating for my lack of talent by buying new stuff does not work and sucks the bank account dry, and selling gear to finance it only caused regrets.
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Same here.

Cheers,

R.
 
skibeerr said:
I had a good think about which gear gave me my best work and "for now" I am sticking with that.
I have learned that compensating for my lack of talent by buying new stuff does not work and sucks the bank account dry, and selling gear to finance it only caused regrets.
Click to expand...

Great advice. We're almost back to the maturity of the film camera with digital systems now. There's no need to buy and sell monthly or annually. The sensor break-throughs aren't happening like they once did. The past twenty years saw many large generational changes in systems and it was important to keep up with sensor improvements. Not so much any more.

I have changed systems several times over the past forty years, but not impetuously, and not without good reason and planning. During the digital era, I bought into Olympus E series, bought a lens set, and stayed with them through four generations of bodies for about 12 years (with the same lens set) until they switched to mirrorless and m4/3.

And honestly, today I have returned to the best systems (for me) that I'd used previously because they fit my needs; Leica and Hasselblad. Here's my formula for acquiring gear:

First, give long consideration to what and how you shoot most of the time. THEN look for a camera type that fits your needs.

Then find a system body you can live with... that fits your hands and has the controls where you logically look for them. Get a finder style you can live with. If the body fits in your hands and is intuitive to operate, it'll be fine. Sensor technology today is advanced enough that images from comparable cameras from different manufacturers are impossible to tell apart. Ergonomics and control placement are more important. If you can't find and operate the controls intuitively, you won't be happy with the body in the long term.

Your lens set is really what's important. Think about your set of lenses as a lifetime investment. Once you've settled on a style of camera and figured out a body you can live with, buy the largest aperture glass you can afford in the focal lengths you use most in that mount with lens barrels with a tactile feel that you like. While the "feel" of a lens isn't discussed much, it's still an important factor for fine focus control. That's not as important with autofocus as with manual lenses, but it's still something to consider.

You can always stop down or use ND filters, but you can't easily compensate for not having enough aperture if you need more aperture in low light and don't have it. As shoots come up you didn't cover well because you didn't have the "right" focal length, you can always add more or less focal length lenses in that same lens mount. Individual lenses may occasionally come and go, and bodies may occasionally come and go for various reasons, but the set of lenses you acquire is what will serve your needs.

Last, if you shoot both film and digital, buy a system that will allow you to use your set of lenses on both kinds of bodies.

It's been said that good manual lenses should last through at least five generations of bodies, even with heavy "pro" use... but there's really no reason (except failure) to replace bodies regularly. Today's autofocus lenses, however, are pretty much throw-aways when they fail. And they do fail.

You don't have to spend a fortune on photo gear to make good images. Spend your money once and get what will work for you, and then go make images.
 
Well ... in a moment of 'must return to rangefinder passion' I've just ponied up for an M240 ... and I've sold nothing! 😱

You think you have problems! 😛
 
daveleo said:
It is ironic. I did not think the plan through very well. I have one Niikor left and debating what to do about adapters and future lenses. Fuji really has a nice series of X-lenses.
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I wouldn't worry about it. Trying out old lenses is fun but the X-E1 isn't the best for it, the adapters + lenses end up being very big and awkward, the focus peaking is quite lacking, and the native lenses are pretty fantastic.
 
Been using Foveon dSLR for a year now, but selling it soon and continue with full frame Canon. Nothing to do with money, my gear is usually generation or two behind latest and greatest. It's more to do with curiosity and trying something new.
 
I "Standardized" on Olympus E-series, (like hepcat) for years, resulting in 4 bodies and 9 lenses, but sold everything when Oly discontinued the development of Fourthirds, switching to microFT.
Since this huge disinvestment I only buy 2nd hand gear (It is really surprising to see how fast people sell their stuff, with a huge loss) and today I have a nice collection of Fuji primes and zooms to go with the XP1 and XT1, just waiting for the first 56/1.2 on the 2nd hand market to have my (current) dream set complete.
 
I have been shooting more and more with Rollei TLR's and love the negs I get. Also I prefer the waist level shooting style. It seems to be more "stealth" for street, or at least I am more confident composing this way. I still have 400 rolls of various Arista films in 135 and when they are nearly gone I will likely sell off the Leicas.
 
I should sell my...
GR1v, zeiss 35mm c-biogon, cl, cle, summicron 40mm, 50mm etc.
so I could....
buy a smallish high-end fixed lens digital camera.
 
SolaresLarrave said:
Talk to joe, our esteemed moderator. He's a specialist at shedding gear A to fund gear B. At this point, he should be in the process (or done with) of shedding gear K... or thereabouts.

As for yours-truly... I'm more like I add one system and then have to fund two. 🙂
Click to expand...

i have always considered any money lost on this buyibg & selling thing as rent for using the gear…never felt like i was losing anything but more gaining experience with all kinds of gear.
fuji has satisfied me with their lenses and i am still happy with the basic xe1 bodies…they do the job for me. i may eventually add a newer model body but there are a few things that are more important than camera gear that i have to clear up.
someday, if the gods approve, i hope to get another rd1 body with one lens…just for the sheer pleasure of using it again.
 
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