Photography or Cameras? What would you give up?

Photography or Cameras? What would you give up?

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    218
sitemistic said:
I don't know how these old threads in up showing on the home page when nobody has posted in months, ernesto. But this one was dead. Maybe it needed tgo be revived. :confused:
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I just saw my old thread emerging out of the past! :D
 
Gabriel M.A. said:
Give up collecting = use only one camera?

I digress.
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Gabriel,

This could start one of those "which equipment would you keep'" threads ... :bang:
 
narsuitus said:
Since I could not vote for giving up photography, I had to vote for, “Give Up Collecting (stick with one camera).”

However, I am a camera user not a camera collector. There is nothing wrong with being a camera collector—I just am not one. For example, I once had to sell two cameras because the collectors had driven the price so high, that I was afraid to use them for fear of devaluing them. I sold them for a profit and bought something I could use.

If I were forced to “stick with one camera,” to prove that I was not a collector, it would not be a rangefinder. I would stick with an SLR with interchangeable lenses (medium format film SLR or digital SLR).

If I were forced to “stick with one camera,” that I already own, it stick with my battery-independent manual/mechanical film SLR.

If I were forced to get rid of all my cameras and forbidden to buy any, rather than give up photography, I would start from scratch and build two large-format pinhole cameras (one with a flat film plane and one with a curved film plane).
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My original question is a hypothetical one, of course. "What if' kind of situation so that we get from you your thoughts.
 
Instead of "Photography or Cameras" try "Photography of Cameras" You can keep on doing both :)
 
ClaremontPhoto said:
Joe:


You are a good guy doing a good job.

RFF caters for fondlers and for collectors. Dual audience.

You know that.

Stephen Gandy knows that also.

You also know that us photographers are not much into gear, and that that the collectors are not really into photography in a meaningful way. There is, however, a small crossover.

We all get along well together.

Why muddy the waters trying to make out out like we are in opposition? Especially given your privileged position on RFF.

Chill.

Enjoy the diversity.
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Got to disagree, Jon.

I'd say that on RFF, there is a small group of folks just into photography and not into gear at all. You may consider yourself in that group, although you did say you have 5 cameras.

There may be another small group just into collecting gear and not into photography at all. I honestly don't think I know anyone here that is part of this group.

Then there is the largest group by far on RFF, of folks who appreciate both. If they had to decide between keeping a bunch of cameras and giving up photography, or keeping just one camera to continue to do photography, the overwhelming choice would be to do photography.

That's the way I see it, anyway.

The "us photographers" and "in a meaningful way" parts of your post irks me. You may not mean it to, but it comes across as condescending to me.
 
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It's a good question. I'm a little relieved that most chose photography over collecting. Also, a little surprised by this result.
 
Collecting and using go hand in hand.
I`d really hate to have but one camera to use.
Presently I have about 50 different RF cameras mostly from the and 40 `s and 50`s. I have a few from the 30`s that I guess focus with.
I like the fixed lens RF bodies like the Bolsey B2 and the Agfa Super Silette. The Wollensak and Apotar lenses were quite good. The cameras were small and lightweight too.
Nah, no less than 50 for me. I can use a different camera every week for a year and then start all over again .
John
 
It has always been my aim to stay with one camera and ideally one lens however I haven't been able to locate this camera and have accumulated lots of other cameras in the process. This is not necessarily collecting as I had every intention of using it when the itch occurred.
 
If I could have only one camera, or borrow what I needed when I wanted it, that would be fine. Not great but I could do it.

I don't think I'd give up photography.

( What a horrible thought though.)
 
I'd mark "give up collecting" except that in order to give it, I'd have to have started. I do have several cameras, but that's because they call do different things well. Not really a collecting sort, me.
 
As long as there is 35mm film around I'll continue to shoot with one of my nearly 300 pre1970 cameras with focal plane shutters, and none of my wondrous works of mechanical art need anything as prosaic as a battery. And most of them are rangefinders.
And if and when film is no longer available I'll continue to make images with a
digital camera, or whatever is the latest image making device around then,
and my wife, my harshest critic, will still be able to say,"more boring bloody photographs"!
 
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