Please help me stop buying cameras and lenses

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valdas

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It all started long time ago with film Canon and cheap kit zoom lens, then there were more lenses (never ever any zoom any more), then there was Zeiss lens to Canon via adapter, then some Contax cameras (you know - just to be able to use Zeiss glass, right?). But maybe Zeiss glass is NOT the best? Then there was M6 and M lenses... And then some "adventures" here and there - why not to try OM system, it is cheap (ok, as long as you don't start buying f1.2 which I did)! But then you realize that the true IQ is in MF! Rolleifelxes and Mamiyas... and then back to cheap stuff - FSU FR and P&S (why not?)... And finally - why could I not have my "dream SLR camera"? The problem is that FM3A then requires good lenses to go with...

Ah, is there a cure, "AA club" or something? OK, I tried to get away from this - I managed to sell ALL (!!!) FSU stuff and some P&S, but how do you part with Contax glass? Or Zuiko? And it's not frozen $ that I cry about - the gear is just underutilized, waiting months to be used.

OK, now where I need you help... No way I need to keep 3 SLR systems and RF, so I will be strong and something will go this time. But what? RF I will keep, so 1 or even 2 SLRs must go. Which? Here is the list to chose from (if I sell body, I sell all lenses as well, why keep?):

1. Contax Aria and AX (AX is partly functional only - AF, no MF) with 28mm f2.8, 50mm 1.4 and 1.7, 85mm 1.4 planar, 135mm 2.8 Sonnar and 200mm 3.5 tele Tessar
2. OM1n and OM2SP with 21mm 3.5, 35 f2.8 PC, 50 f1.2, 80mm f2.0
3. FM3A with 50 f1.2, 105mm f2.5 and 180mm f2.8 (still in the mail, travelling)

Your opinion?
 
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Depending on the condition of my wallet that week, I may be interested in some of the Oly or Nikon stuff, so I strongly recommend you dump one of those two systems.
 
Of the kit you listed, the FM3a is the one I would sell. I ended up having to get another OM 50mm f1.2, I missed mine so much! I also miss my Aria. I do not miss the FM3a at all. I just don't like the Nikon glass as much.
 
Guys, this is not and AD, gear will be in Classifieds when/if the decision is made... And please don't tell me to sell GOOD stuff and keep the rest...
 
Haha I know, I think we are just all messing around with you. The way I look at it you have 3 manual focus SLRs. That's a lot of overlap. But do you need the money you'd get from selling them? If it would be nice to have, slim down the herd. If you don't really need the money, then keep them.

If you want to sell, which one do you use the least? Which one do you like the results of the least? Sell it and move on with your life.

The OM sounds like the nicest kit to me, but that's because it has the best spread of focal lengths for me. It's also the one that would get you the least money (I think?) so maybe keep it.

The FM3A sounds attractive to me because of the hybrid nature of it's shutter and the ability to use the modern Zeiss ZF lenses. But that doesn't mean those two features are important to you. The camera would also probably fetch a decent price. On the other hand, with the addition of a nice lens in the 20-28mm range, you have a really nice setup there too.

I'd personally sell the Contax kit. You might be able to get a decent price on the lenses since the DSLR people on fredmiranda.com love to talk Zeiss and adapting Contax lenses. Then again, it's the system I've looked at the least, so maybe I'm overlooking something important about it.
 
Stop buying the stuff you "can afford" and you'll soon find that you can start buying the stuff you actually want.

Buy a piggy bank and stuff real notes into it each time you DON'T buy something you "can afford".

You'll be surprised at how fast it mounts up. Then think about what you REALLY want.

Cheers,

R.
 
Roger Hicks said:
Stop buying the stuff you "can afford" and you'll soon find that you can start buying the stuff you actually want.

Buy a piggy bank and stuff real notes into it each time you DON'T buy something you "can afford".

You'll be surprised at how fast it mounts up. Then think about what you REALLY want.

Cheers,

R.
Click to expand...


good advise, but hard to follow. I REALLY want what i buy, but i want to WANT LESS. i buy probably too much compared to what i can afford anyway...

the point of the thred - help to see pros and cons of keeping/selling this or that
 
Selling gear just makes me want to buy more. As someone well experienced in the act of selling gear only to buy something new a few days later I can tell you with great certainty that it never works out.

I'm sorry to crush your plan like that, but I do have a solution that has worked for me, and I think can work for you too.
I have found that when I have no money I don't buy gear. Its really quite simple.
You may soon find yourself in a position to buy some new camera gear, I certainly hope that you do. When this happens rather than buying the gear send the money to me.

After I receive the money I will phone, snail-mail, or email you (at your preference) to congratulate you on not buying new gear that you don't need.

If the urge to buy is too strong to resist I will also accept ANY gear that you cant help yourself but to buy - you pay shipping costs. I do hope whatever you happen to send me works with something else I already own but I'm not here to judge so you can send me anything you happen to stumble upon. When this happens I will contact you (always by phone, this is discipline mister!) to reprimand you gently for buying something new while simultaneously encouraging you to do better and just send me money.

My methods is simple, and basically fool-proof as long as it is followed diligently. I accept cash, paypal, money orders, and personal/bank check. If my helping you not buy gear becomes a regular thing I will build a website to accept credit-card payment directly - to make not buying gear more convenient for you.

Regarding "photo trips" and "instructional classes" - these are excellent ways to improve your shooting, and I sincerely hope you take one or 2. The problem is that at these events you will be exposed to SO MUCH new gear that the urge to buy new may be overwhelming. Don't worry my friend, I can help you out! If you fly me to the event (unless within 180miles of NYC, where you only pay gas & tolls) and put me up in a hotel I will stay loyally by your side and say "no dude, you don't need that" every time you ogle someone's (insert piece of gear here) or say "I think I want one of those" for $25 per instance OR a flat rate to be agreed upon in private.
 
Personally I'd just stick with Nikon, because it's a current system, lots of lenses, countless different cameras. Of the lenses you have, the 85 Planar is the only unique reason to stick with the Contax unless you're particularly fond of 50mm lenses. I've never been a fan of Olympus, though if I dare mention this, it always brings down a storm of abuse from Olympus aficionados. Flog that and the Contax and you'll be able to afford a choice of Nikon wides.

What sort of thing do you shoot? And what's wrong with different systems for different applications? A portrait camera and lens; a wide-angle camera and lens; etc.

Quite honestly, I am convinced that once you are above the 'quality threshold', it matters more to be comfortable with the gear than to worry about (possibly imaginary) differences in lens performance and camera specification.

Cheers,

R.
 
Roger,

It makes a lot of sense what you are saying. Although I love Contax lenses, I am not a big fan of their cameras, i've seen too many issues in the past with the reliability. Then even lenses are great, in reality it is all in my head, not that best Nikon lenses are inferior (to Zeiss) in a way that anyone can tell looking at the photograph.
 
Everytime you think you want something make yourself wait one month before you buy it and research all the CONS to that equipment. By the time you wait that long and you know everything that people don't like about that peice of equipment, there's a good chance you'll realize that you don't actually need it.

Works for me everytime
 
This is how it worked for me to get out of that loop. May not work for you, but it IS possible.

I went through a LOT of gear because I wanted to try it out. Wanted to see how it imaged, see how it handled, etc. I'm not a collector, so didn't have to deal w/ that obsession (or "interest" if you're in denial on that one). Pretty quickly I got a handle on which items I really liked, and which I didn't. Sold what I didn't, and you'd think that would be the end of the story. It wasn't.

I'd go back now and then and look at an image from a camera/lens I'd sold in the past and say "Why did I sell THAT"?. Then, I'd buy it again. Finally, and I swear I must have used every camera ever made that was in my price range and interested me, I decided to start looking at some of the lower cost cameras. Good cameras, mostly made in Germany, but cheap compared to my Leica stuff. I found some excellent cameras that cost me peanuts AND made wonderful images, sold the expensive stuff, and am now happy as a clam. That may change in the future, as all things are constantly evolving and changing moment by moment, but it looks real good from where I used to be.

My film usage has gone way down too, as now I shoot what interests me. Before I was always testing gear and burned through a lot of film.
 
I agree with Roger Hicks. Sell the Contax and Olympus systems, keep the Nikon. All the different focusing ring directions get to be too confusing. Stick to one system.

The FM3a has high resale value because it is the last manual focus Nikon F camera made by Nikon. (I'm not considering the Cosina made Nikon FM10).
The lens mount is not obsolete, and you can still mount a ton of great Nikon (or Zeiss ZF) lenses on the FM3a.

You have a decent selection of Nikkors. You may find that some of them are pretty big on the little FM3a body (the 180, 50 1.2). I found the 50 1.2 to have too much barrel distortion, and it's hard to get the focus exact at f/1.2. However, if you like it, keep it. Once Nikon stops making these lenses, then the price will shoot through the roof. In the same vein, you may not like the 180. It's great sharp glass, but it has no tripod collar. It'll tear your camera's tripod mount out. An alternative is the 200 Micro Nikkor.

You may want to think about a Nikkor 28mm f/2.8 AIS as a purchase to funnel your Contax and Olympus money into. Great lens with no distortion.
 
I would second Roger's opinion - an FM3A is great for the one or two longer lenses you might need apart from RF glass... I use it with the 85/1.4 or 100/2 Planars ZF most often. I would sell the rest and if you have an M6 with a 21,35 and 50mm lenses, then you are set for practically everything. Concentrate on taking pictures, and print some every month, this way you will shift focus to the output rather than to tools.
 
When I was younger, the way I kept from accumulating too much gear was to trade in the old stuff. That's a little harder these days, what with the dearth of photoshops all around. And with the price of what I am after being much lower now, that means I wouldn't get much for the trade-in anyway.

These days, my main interest is to improve on the gear I have, and then jettison what I don't need, unless it is something I deem collectable (like an example of early rangefinders, or SLR's). And trying out different cameras and formats is just natural to us, as we look for that elusive "perfect camera".

Your Aria system would most likely excite a Yashica fan, and the Oly and Nikon sets have many loyal followers. I'm partial to Nikons myself, so that would be the one system I would keep. But you haven't even touched it yet, so wait before you make a judgement on that one. If you can live without Zeiss glass, and don't want to put any money into repairs on the AX, sell the Contax set. If you don't need the superwide, sell the Oly (you can always pick-up a Nikkor 20mm later). Give the Nikon a good check-out when it arrives, and if it doesn't feel right in your hands, dump it. But then, unless you paid a mere pittance for it, you might not get your money back on it.

What you have to ask yourself is, "What am I going to shoot that requires me to have such-and-such camera system?". With all the accessories available for the more popular cams like the Nikons, that's another reason to loose the Contax. Though you may be able to eventually find some extra stuff for it, with the lower production numbers, you'll be searching a long time for them.

PF
 
Why get rid of any of it? Just find a bigger shelf! 😉 Let the spirit of the day move you to which equipment you choose.

I think I have the opposite problem. When I buy gear I get distracted and confused. My 50 Summicron has been my faithful companion for several years and has never let me down. I started dating around the 35mm FL a little over a year ago. Although I have been able to get some images that I really like I think I may be happier with just the 50. I may upgrade to a 1.4, but that will take some more time to pray about...
 
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