RFF is my catharsis

[sf]

I'm not crazy, but every now and then, I like to let out a little excessive prose about my camera obsession. This is not necessarily true, but I get a kick out of writing every now and then. Hopefully it isn't true.

GAS is something of an addiction, or a curse or a gift depending on your perspective. I know that I fill the emptiness in my life with cameras. But GAS can also consume you - primarily your bank account. It can ruin lives. My family told me once that I need to "quit the insanity....just quit it George, you don't make enough at it, you don't NEED it. . . you have enough cameras. . . you should sell most of what you have." RFF is my methadone, my patch, my alternate fixation. When I get the urge to satiate my gear lust, I just come here and let the rage subside.

What do YOU do? Do you find yourself admiring cameras on internet gear sites? I sometimes spend hours filling digital shopping carts full of toys totally without regard for the rapidly piling total, only to close the page in a schizophrenic moment of clarity and purification. I find it . . . cathartic, sort of a reckless release of pent up camera passion. A breed of binge and purge, I suppose.

RFF is a less psychotic escape. It brings me down gradually, safely. Without supporting that destructive practice. It is healthy, enriching, and satisfying.

Thank you RFF.

 

[back alley]

my bank account is what keeps me in check!

this site adds to my gear lust at times but it also shows me that i can do more with what i already have, i just need to shoot more.

talent would help too.

joe

 

[RJBender]

I like to read old photography books. It makes me appreciate what can be done with some basic equipment and helps me forget about the latest auto everything cameras.

Read a book from the 1970's like this one:
Duane Michals: The Photographic Illusion

The book has an excellent technical section at the back with details on how the photographs were made. Michals used an Argus C3 for many of the photographs.

A photograph of Andy Warhol taken with an Argus C3 is used in the book and appears on this website:
http://www.unicom.unizh.ch/unimagazin/archiv/2-97/dynamik.html

This photograph was also made with an Argus C3
http://www.imagearts.ryerson.ca/imagesandideas/pages/artistpicture.cfm?page=142

There was a soft cover edition on eBay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4558426348

Here's another good book:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_2/102-0585269-2171354?v=glance&s=books

R.J.

 

[sf]

interesting stuff

interesting stuff

I like to read old photography books. It makes me appreciate what can be done with some basic equipment and helps me forget about the latest auto everything cameras.

Read a book from the 1970's like this one:
Duane Michals: The Photographic Illusion

The book has an excellent technical section at the back with details on how the photographs were made. Michals used an Argus C3 for many of the photographs.

A photograph of Andy Warhol taken with an Argus C3 is used in the book and appears on this website:
http://www.unicom.unizh.ch/unimagazin/archiv/2-97/dynamik.html

This photograph was also made with an Argus C3
http://www.imagearts.ryerson.ca/imagesandideas/pages/artistpicture.cfm?page=142

There was a soft cover edition on eBay
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4558426348

Here's another good book:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/t...f=sr_1_2/102-0585269-2171354?v=glance&s=books

R.J.

Next time I wander out to the bookstore or library, I'll look to see if they have any of these. That Duane Michaels is very creative.

I don't do enough reading, probably, but have studied a book of photographs (no actual text) by Sante D'Orazio called "Sante D'Orzaio : A Private View" that contains tons of amazing images - mostly well known images from various publications. I find that spending time studying a photograph, even without reading descriptions of how it was created, teaches me things about photography. Usually, I can stare at a photograph, and guess lots of things about it, and if I look hard enough, I learn secrets of method that help me in the future.

 

[SolaresLarrave]

There was a time when I was leaving drool pools by the computer... until I had a little accident: I hit the garage door of my house and had to spend all the money I had reserved for a nice, little Bessa R to fix both, the garage door and the car.

That situation also forced me to stop, collect my thoughts and self, and think on the route I wanted to take. Of course, rangefinders won. However, I forced myself to think more before taking photographs, and also to do it following some pattern or self-assigned project. That way, the drooling stopped, and also I managed to save money again.

Take good care of yourself, but also go and take more photos like your avatar! 🙂

 

[lubitel]

I often look at different cameras, wishing this or that, like Leica, Bessa, or maybe Contax, or may be medium format Kiev, half format Canon, or panoramic Horizont?

My Problem is I dont actually know what i want to achive with photography. That makes it hard to concentrate on one kind of camera, thats why even if I had the Leica I dream of, my GAS would not be satisfied. I'd be longing for Hassy or god knows what. I wish I could just say, camera X does all that I need. Then these Gas attacks would stop.

Right now I just enjoy experimenting and hope I'll find my way within photography before this GAS ruins me.

 

[FrankS]

I'm fortunate in the fact that I've owned, at least for a while, almost every camera that I thought would be what I wanted. This is due to advanced age (49), comfortable station in life, and opportunities between marriages to aquire the gear I lusted for. I"m at a point now where I don't think I can get any better gear than I already have, and thankfully, I'm fairly GAS-free.

 

[cp_ste.croix]

I drool over camera gear all the time, but what helps me with perspective is the fact that merely a year ago, my gear wishlist was entirely different...this helps me postpone any burning want as I am unsure if the last camera I'll ever buy will really be just that.

I also find that I make the most time for photography when I am oustide my everyday life, which means that though desire for new things is constant, I know that my need for them isn't that great. Of course, upon the dawn of my next trip somewhere, the GAS will swell until I either burst or take some sort of mental roll-aid. Adding the cost of a Leica to a trip signifigantly increases the costs 🙂

I am also always a little bothered with my own desires for possesions, which my gf does not seem to share with me. I am always left feeling a little ashamed at my consumptive consumerist drives.

 

[dcsang]

Lately, thanks to my conversion to the dark side, I rarely find myself "wanting" as I used to with respect to GAS.

A few lenses here and there now is all I look for. I have, like Frank, owned a number of cameras over the years and there are only a few that stay "in house" for any length of time. The "work" cameras stay (Canon EOS - film and digital), the 'Blad stays (because it's a Blad), and now the "M's" will stay. It's unlikely that I'll be doing much more GAS as I am pleased as punch with most of my gear.

Now.. where is that M4-P... that 35 'cron.... the 28 Elmarit....... 😉

Cheers
Dave

 

[SolaresLarrave]

Must admit, though... I've reached Frank's nirvana now. I simply don't search eBay that much, or long for a particular camera that "I need." Simply by accumulating a nice number of gear I came to the conclusion that I already have all I really wanted or needed, and anything else I get from now on will be purely a toy, not a tool.

BTW, I feel like it probably because my arsenal makes me drool, not images in the web. I'm the fortunate owner of three Leica bodies, two 50 'crons, a 35 Hexanon, a 90 'cron, two Elmarits (one in 28 and the other in 135) and a Leica grip. A 75mm isn't in the future and the only thing that sometimes makes me sigh is a Summilux 35. But then, I already have that one covered so...

I have to organize my slides, scan some more, buy card stock, print some shots and frame them... And look at other people's galleries more often! 🙂

 

[Peter Klein]

One of the traps of photography is that you can become such a gearhead that you forget to take pictures! 🙂 I try to avoid that. Sometimes I win, sometimes the joy of acquisition gets the better of me. eBay is a bit addictive--perhaps it should be a controlled substance.

When I inherited a Zorki 4, I almost got sucked into the FSU subculture. But I've come to the conclusion that I'm neither a tinkerer nor a gambler, and you have to be both to get the most out of FSU gear. So the Jupiter-8 stays on the Zorki for special occasions, and that's that.

I have most of what I "need" at this point--a couple of Leica "M" bodies, a fast lens and a slower more portable lens in 35mm, 50mm, and 90mm, plus a 21mm. I freely mix Leica, V/C and old Japanese optics. I occasionally indulge myself in another 50mm lens. 50mm is my favorite focal length, and I enjoy fooling with different lenses' signatures. I've got an old chrome 50/1.8 Canon on the way, so now I'll see how the Planar formula looks compared to my Summicron and Nokton.

My major GAS desire right now is a digital RF that will take my "M" lenses. The Epson R-D1 isn't it, due to eye relief, QC and price issues. So I wait, watch eBay and For Sale forums for the occasional lens, and try to remember to take pictures. And for digital, I stick to my Olympus E-1, kit lens, and the old OM Zuikos I already own. I avoid buying any more expensive digital stuff, so I won't have to sell it at fire-sale prices later.

Disgustingly sensible, huh? 🙂 Now if I can just keep it up. . .

--Peter

 

[Sonnar Brian]

I love to work on the gear that I shoot with, or pick up a piece of gear that needs some TLC in the form of a CLA. I pretty much have every piece of gear that I've wanted, like Frank it is due to an investment in years. I have my camera from age 8, almost 40 years ago.

I like using the older gear, from the 50's. A connection with being born in the '50s. My wife will ask which camera was made when she was born, I'll pull out a Canon 7 or Nikon S4. ME? Nikon SP, baby.

I like comparing results from different lenses. When results are so bad, as from the Jupiter-3 when first used, I love to tinker. Really is something to J-3's being labeled as "dogs" with a few great ones to be savored: That's because they need to be calibrated! So there we go, buy four of them and set up an optics rail in the basement.

 

[lubitel]

Notice something? All of you who have "enough" gear -- own a leica or a couple.

may be I do need one after all? 🙂

No! not now. After my last purchase (digital rebel) I decided I need to concentrate on taking photos. I am keeping myself away from Ebay. But reading all those "selling this or that RF"-posts, still makes me drool.

 

[FrankS]

I could have saved myself a bagfull of money by getting a Leica straight-off, but I think that you have to actually go through the process and experience other cameras first before you are "ready" for a Leica (or whatever your personality dictates as your ultimate camera.)

 

[hugivza]

It's interesting to read the posts, particularly since I have had a couple of bad GAS attacks lately. Getting my Contax CLA'd the tech showed me a Moskva 5 and asked what seemed to be a reasonable price in comparison to the Zeiss Super Ikonta. When I went on eBay and found that I could get one for significantly less I just punched the button and said "pick me". It hasn't arrived yet, but I have to ask myself how much I will really use it. I still have pretty well every camera that I have owned since uni, plus my old man's Yashicamat. They all get to go out for a ride once in a while. I sometimes wonder though whether I slim it down, but then I remember when I first bought it etc. Funny, I have never owned a Leica.

 

[GeneW]

Like Frank, I think if I'd acquired a Leica straight off I'd have saved some money. But the journey has been fun. I feel settled in now: Leica M2, Rolleiflex, Hassy and a fine pair of Olympus OM-1's. Plus a couple of digital 'rentals' ... (I don't think of the digitals as purchases since, like computers, they will have to be replaced periodically). Like Dave, I now think mainly in terms of a lens or two and maybe an accessory here and there.

Gene

 

[wlewisiii]

I don't know. I've seen and used a couple of Leicas now (CL & M3) and they just do don't "do it" for me. Now the first time I pulled a sheet of 4x5 out of the fix or handled a prewar Contax? Those are the moments for me. I'm pretty well set and honestly should cut my list down further. Perhaps 2 more screwmount lenses (a wide and a long) and short of winning the money for a new Linhof, I'm set for quite awhile I think.

I'll agree that the journey itself is more than half the reward.

William

 

[Pherdinand]

My last shooting session cost me alot - twentyfive rolls to develop, 6 rolls of 35mm c41, 5 rolls of 6x6 c41 and 9 rolls of 6x6 black and white to make proof prints, and i still wnat to let the 5 rolls of 6x6 slides scanned professionally - well, part of it.
For a moment i had my doubts, why am i doing this, or why am i not jkust "going digita" like "everybody sane" (sorry guys)
but then i realized it's much better than to spend the same amount on more camera gear

so the solution: shoot more and you'll have less time and money to spend on gear.

PS: in the same time i am hesitating about a mamiya c330 with 55,80 and 135 lenses + paramender...dammit

 

[Pherdinand]

Oh and i noticed, the less gear i use, the better the results. Getting used to something different again and again is counterproductive

 

[GeneW]

Oh and i noticed, the less gear i use, the better the results. Getting used to something different again and again is counterproductive

Ah but that C330 beckons ... a 'poor-man's hassy' with great lenses AND a paramender for fabulous macro shots in glorious 6x6 ... 😎

Gene