photogs and gear-madness?

[mooge]

I am a bit if an equiptment freak. but then a good deal of us are. what's with this?

I can answer for myself- I have a fascination for complex mechanical/optical devices. and I needed something else to waste time reading about.

you?

cheers.

 

[Al Kaplan]

I think that I'm safely past that point. I got rid of my 4x5 view camera and lenses several years ago followed by my Hasselblad outfit, and my Leicaflex bodies and lenses. Kept my Rolleiflex T and a Minolta Autocord L with the selenium meter ripped off its front. I got it that way years ago. I've even cut back on my Leica lens collection. I sold my fourth M body. Down to three now.

 

[crawdiddy]

Many here are gearheads. No need to justify it, although they take their lumps. Some are "Collectors", and they take even more.

Some have postulated that the low percentage of female forum members is related to the gear/equipment lust.

 

[tbarker13]

During this past year, I have purchased far too many cameras and lenses. Most I buy, use a little bit, and then sell. I like to think I'm finally coming to the end of that path.
I'm trying to focus on just a few lenses and leave it at that.

I really want to have a working tool box rather than a collection of tools, if that makes any sense.

 

[bmattock]

[removed - argumentative]

 

[squirrel$$$bandit]

I just love mechanical things, seeing how they work, feeling them, messing around with them. And I admit that gear acquisition is soothing to some deep emotional disturbance...being surrounded by well-designed things, extensions of the self...it makes me feel larger somehow.

I use everything I have, and if I don't use it for a while, out it goes. Usually.

 

[cmogi10]

My camera's are tools, everything I own I use and I don't like having things around that don't serve a purpose. I like to count on my gear and never have to think about it. I've bought and sold a fair bit of gear but only to try to narrow down what works best for me with the least amount of hassles and problems.

 

[mcgrattan]

I'm a little like bmattock. It's fun to take advantage of the huge drop in prices, and to experiment with things.

That said, over the past 12 months or so I've gotten rid of quite a bit more gear than I've picked up and I'm increasingly converging on stuff I use a lot [and getting rid of the stuff I don't]. I have at least 2 things I plan to buy soon [because I'm getting increasingly confident about exactly what it is I like and want], and about 6 that I plan to get rid of [because it turns out that despite expectations they aren't what I like or want].

 

[35mmdelux]

Sometimes it diff to pass up a good deal for a tool or backup. I buy with travel in mind so I can take it with me (MP, Makina 67); or, for fast shooting here at home (MP, F6).

The Linhof Master is long gone and the Hasselblad may need to find a good new home.

For me, the buying/selling must to come to an end, when its sole purpose was simply to get some quality gear for some great photography.

 

[Al Kaplan]

When you're making your living with photography most people need the versatility of a lot more gear than they really want, but from a steady client's viewpoint somebody who can shoot 35mm available light and also knows how to use all the swings and tilts of a 4x5 view camera is a big advantage. Toss a Hasselblad outfit into the mix and you just might have a happy client.

Now I say that I'm sort of retired, only shoot film, just work with rangefinder Leicas plus a Visoflex II-S for macro and the 400mm. They can take it or leave it. Life is a joy!