Sell my equipment for a X2?

[Bruno Gracia]

Hey guys! I'm thinking to sell my MP, 35 lux, 28 Cron and 50 Sonnar, Coolscan 4000 and Roelliflex (also films and chemicals), and buy a X2 and save a lot of money. I have the M8 as well.

Weeks ago I thought start a project with film but... I never make a wet copy and feel a little bit lazy to learn, despite the high costs.

I love colour (Provia and Ektae and Portra), but prefer black and white, and also sold the Monochrom because Tri X and Neopan are so different..

So now I have all this equipment and don't know where to go and what to do, mainly I have been thinking a few options after sell my gear:

1) Pay a good photography school, get 1 CaNikon and try to obtain a good title.
2) Get the X2 (I miss it) and go far away with my couple, and try to start a long term project.
3)... Stay with all my things and... Well don't known,
4) sell everything less the M8 (or get a M9) and the 35


I'm blowing my mind and need peace, I'm losing the right way speaking about photography..

Thanks!

 

[dave lackey]

Hey guys! I'm thinking to sell my MP, 35 lux, 28 Cron and 50 Sonnar, Coolscan 4000 and Roelliflex (also films and chemicals), and buy a X2 and save a lot of money. I have the M8 as well.

Weeks ago I thought start a project with film but... I never make a wet copy and feel a little bit lazy to learn, despite the high costs.

I love colour (Provia and Ektae and Portra), but prefer black and white, and also sold the Monochrom because Tri X and Neopan are so different..

So now I have all this equipment and don't know where to go and what to do, mainly I have been thinking a few options after sell my gear:

1) Pay a good photography school, get 1 CaNikon and try to obtain a good title.
2) Get the X2 (I miss it) and go far away with my couple, and try to start a long term project.
3)... Stay with all my things and... Well don't known,
4) sell everything less the M8 (or get a M9) and the 35


I'm blowing my mind and need peace, I'm losing the right way speaking about photography..

Thanks!

Oh, my...
Go with your heart, it is the only way to find peace.

 

[clayne]

Why would you go through all the machinations of selling all this stuff, suffering opportunity costs, etc. on a single piece of equipment? You have all the gear you'll ever need and a ton of options that said gear presents to you.

3. Stay with all my things and... *do something with them*

 

[tuanvinh2000]

Dont sell any equipment. Put them aside for bit and try to understand/develop your long term project first.
I got into the same stage a few months back, got lost in defining my own style. I went back to it by taking less photos, read a lot more books and try a few different ideas. Slowly once you know what kind of photos you want, pick the appropriate equipment by then and after a few months of working on the project, sell the stuffs you dont use (and wont miss).
All of your lens/bodies are very fine stuffs. Work on the photo project now and you will find good use of your equipment down the road. Buying/selling takes quite a lot of time from the photos. Do only if needed.

 

[helen.HH]

if you can affiord to Buy the X2
shoot it for awhile and then make your Decision

otherwise sell the 28 cron ...keep your other lenses & MP
buy the X2 and see

 

[clayne]

If anything, I'd sell the M8 while it's still worth more than 500$. It's not going to gain any value - while the rest of your stuff isn't exactly going to drop in value.

IMO: You desire change because you don't have a focus right now and somewhere you believe changing gear will bring new focus. In the end it'll just be a bunch of wasted time and money unless you commit to what you have. We've all been there.

 

[furbs]

Try a change of scenery. Shoot something different. It really doesn't sound like the gear is your problem.

 

[Bruno Gracia]

Thanks I appreciate your opinions. Do You think analog costs are the main reason to think quit film? My kind of pictures are streets, people and some portraits, because of that I sold the X2 and buoght the MP (for streets) and Rollei (for portraits) but think... Maybe with the X2 I will have enough for everything, is it suitable for professional work? Damn.. I tried analog one year ago, since then never has been the same, pictures are so 3D, gorgeous, fabulous black and white and awesome colour... But sometimes You must think with the head... This is the typical heart vs mind situation.

 

[bonatto]

I'd get rid of the M8 and the Rollei. The M8 for Clayne's reasons. The Rollei, unless you plan on buying ANOTHER scanner, or wet printing, what are you doing? Collecting negs?

Keep the Scanner, the MP, and the M glass (maybe consider consolidating to just two lenses with similar signatures).

Figure out what your project is, buy a bunch of film, go out and shoot it.

 

[clayne]

Thanks I appreciate your opinions. Do You think analog costs are the main reason to think quit film? My kind of pictures are streets, people and some portraits, because of that I sold the X2 and buoght the MP (for streets) and Rollei (for portraits) but think... Maybe with the X2 I will have enough for everything, is it suitable for professional work? Damn.. I tried analog one year ago, since then never has been the same, pictures are so 3D, gorgeous, fabulous black and white and awesome colour... But sometimes You must think with the head... This is the typical heart vs mind situation.

I'm not understanding what the major cost issues are for you. Is it the film itself? What is the cost you're coming up against? Film prices, even if they've increased, aren't exactly out of line with inflation, and chemicals have always been cheap.

If you don't do your own development of film, that's probably a good candidate to spend some time on. You'll learn a new craft, and you'll save a lot of money. You shouldn't be spending 10$/roll just to develop after the fact. That's 10$ you could be using to buy more film and chemicals.

Might as well sell the M8 IMO, as it's a sunk cost that's just depreciating every single day. Use that money for real tangible consumables or a trip.

 

[Bruno Gracia]

I developing myself black and white, but colour cost are expensive, 8€ per roll, may I should consider a JOBO?

Sometimes I want the immediate of digital but hate the black and white and the lack of soul in color...

I have a big problem, always I see a great work I search the equipment used to do it, then I think oh well! Buy this two lenses and Rolleiflex and that's all! After I think where are You going with this?

I need to stuck with a system, one camera and one or two lenses, and enjoy again, but.,, don't You think having Film system is almost necessary to produce wet prints?

I've much enjoyed the X2 but prefer miles away the M system.

 

[PatrickCheung]

Hi Bruno!

I made my first black and white prints a few months ago and it's made me fall in love with film again. It does take quite a while, but I really enjoy it. Maybe try that out first?

And I'd say sell the MP and get a cheaper film body to help pay for the X2. I might be switching my gear around soon and could possibly offer you something for free 🙂 Send me a PM!

I like having the option of digital (M8!), but I've primarily shot film for the past 3/4 year. I'd say keep at least one film kit!

 

[clayne]

You do not have to go out and get a jobo. Buy a tetenal c-41 kit that will do up to 20 rolls. Research the countless threads that show how to do this at home easily with just a hot water bath and 3 minutes of development. That's 120€ or so of saved costs right there (including the price of the kit). You can use the same tanks, the same everything. Embrace the fact that you do not have instant access to photographs you've just taken. Use this to your advantage to create photography not immediately biased by your own ideas of what you think it should look like. Sell the M8 and use the money to buy film or out it in the bank. Don't buy any more cameras. You have the cameras you just need to burn film and use this idle time to learn new self sustaining craft.

You do not need to make wet prints right now just to shoot film.

 

[noisycheese]

Why would you go through all the machinations of selling all this stuff, suffering opportunity costs, etc. on a single piece of equipment? You have all the gear you'll ever need and a ton of options that said gear presents to you.

3. Stay with all my things and... *do something with them*

Amen to that!!

JMHO, but I think the best thing you can do right now is STOP and think this through. If you sell your gear in haste to get something you have the fever for (the X2), believe me - one day you will come to regret it.

You have a Leica MP, 35 lux, 28 Cron and 50 Sonnar, and a Rolleiflex - do you have any idea how fortunate you are to own such an outstanding kit?? Many people would happily sell a kidney to get this setup!

With the MP and three lens kit - and the Rolleiflex - there's not much you could not do in terms of a photo project, unless you need macro capability or a 600mm lens for sports/wildlife.

The MP and 35 Lux will do anything that the X2 will do and will result in image quality that is at minimum equal to if not better than the X2.

Of course the X2 is digital, meaning it's faster in terms of seeing the results, you have variable ISO, you don't have to remove the bottom plate to load film, SD cards hold more than 36 images, bla, bla, bla...

The main strength of the X2 vs. the MP is speed of results. The strengths of the MP and 35 Lux are legion in comparison to the X2 IMHO. Speed is good but it is not the holy grail.

The main thing I'm saying is don't go off half cocked and do something you will end up regretting down the road in terms of selling/trading the gear you already have.

Been there, done that, never again. :bang:

 

[rjschell]

I agree. Don't sell it unless you need the money. Instead, concentrate on the direction you feel led. Catch the vision, and then figure the best 'mode of transportation'.

 

[ktmrider]

X2?

X2?

Get a used X100 for $600.

 

[clayne]

Get a used X100 for $600.

Or save 600$ and don't buy yet another camera. The solution here isn't more gear. The general problem, of course, has nothing to do with gear and new/different gear is usually a distraction for lack of direction.

 

[maitani]

I'd sell the MP the 28 and the 50 the scanner and the rolleiflex

keeping the 35 lux only and the M8,

with the free cash I'd add a good user M4 (or M6 if you want a meter) as one film setup

buy the Sony RX1s and remain with the spare cash to take a vacation

 

[Jubb Jubb]

One camera, one lens. I'd suggest refining your gear to just this.

 

[matt335]

hmmmm, buy a dog, start another habit...