Sell my equipment for a X2?

[robert blu]

Keep your gear, buy a lined exercise book and write what photography means to you. Hobby, passion, work....try to define why do you like to take photographs. Street? Why? are you interested in documenting the "human" environment in which you live? Are you interested in making relationship with people and tell their stories? Or are you just satisfied to "snap" a quick photo with someone in it? In my opinion what you need is to define a project, then try to read books how other developed a similar project, try to find a different way to develop a that project...Your cameras allow you many options, and by writing down your ideas you can find out easier where you want to go. Only in that moment gear choices could be involved, but first try to get the maximum from what you have available now.
Just my suggestion...
robert

 

[Bruno Gracia]

Thank You all guys, so the very important point is define a project and what photography means to me. X2 is gorgeous but I will miss the MP, that's for sure!

 

[Richard G]

Wow. I like so much of the advice, even when one piece is the opposite of the previous. Buying the dog seems to trump both. This reminds me of the Woody Allen ambush of the kidnappers The FBI says: "Throw the kid out, lay down your guns and come out with you hands up."
The kidnappers say "We'll throw the kid out. Let us keep our guns and get to our car."
The FBI says "Throw the kid out, lay down your guns and we'll let you get to your car."
And the kidnappers say "We'll throw the kid out. Let us keep our guns, and we don't have to get to our car."
And the FBI says "Keep the kid....."

This thread is like this. Keep your gear. Maybe do go ahead and buy the dog, really. I sympathize with you over the cost of colour processing. It was costing me a lot and I figure I will have paid for my M9 in two and a bit years, except I am shooting way more pictures with the digital than when I was exclusively film. I don't want to say anything more about digital and the M9 as it will look like me advising you to solve your problem with that. It would be a good thing to do, but it won't solve your problem.

I would weld the Sonnar to your MP and use one black and white film and maybe some Ektar, occasionally, on weekends, and stay with the 50 for several weeks. Take the camera with you every day, even if you don't take one photo for a week.

 

[sanmich]

I think the decision is twofold:

1- film vs digital
2- fixed lens vs system.

If you want to move to digital, and are ready to live with one lens, why not the x100?
and in that case (I mean if you are sure this won't limit your photography) yes, get rid of what you mentioned, because you have tons of money tied there.

(all this from a die hard film user...😱)

 

[jsrockit]

If the film process is too much for you at this point in your life, go digital. It's still photography.

 

[sanmich]

go digital. It's still photography.

DUCK!!

🙂

 

[Bruno Gracia]

Thanks!

Not really expensive for now, at lest black and white. I've bougth 50 triX and 20 fp4 chemicals for 300€ good price.. A M9 costs 3000€ in second hnd market..

 

[leicapixie]

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134914

http://www.rangefinderforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134914

Sell in haste, repent at leisure..
There is nothing wrong with your equipment.
You ought to be able to manage some photography..
Film is not expensive.Yes there is a cost factor, each time,
the button is pushed. Digital "appears" free. It's not!
I am surrounded by PC's going out of date..
One needs back up files.. due to very real risk of failure.
You need to start using the equipment.
Shoot a few frames per day.:bang:
The Rollie can be for a long term project.
Used with care, you will achieve way more quality than 35mm..
I take my time, each exposure.
A 220 film, 24 shots took 18months!
I had 23 perfect negatives for enlargement!
If you want a small digital, get a tiny point and shoot.
Around a $100. You will be amazed.😀

 

[clayne]

So after all the advice you're just going to sell the MP to get the X2? Sheesh. Yes. Sell it all.

 

[Bruno Gracia]

No, I've decided to keep my MP!

Now.. the second important question, which lenses? 28,35 and 50, or 28 and 50, or 35 and 50?

About the Rolleiflex.. I Don't know, other scanner, other kind of photography and project... Maybe I could use it just for portraiture into a 35mm project?

 

[mathiasprinz]

I'm going to add to the "dont sell anything"-comments, my advice is: Don't sell or buy anything, stop even thinking about it. Develop at simple photoproject and just do it with what you have. It can be anything. Photograph all doors in your neighbourhood. Or take a selfie everyday. Or go to any buisness and ask if you can hang around and photograph for a week. Anything. After about a week of photographing print out what you got, and try to arrange the prints to something that maked sense. Decide whether the project was sucessful or not. Decide if you want to work on it some more. Show the stuff to people if you are ready. In the end you will see that gear isn't the most interesting thing to think about.

 

[Bruno Gracia]

Thanks Mathias and everybody 🙂

One question... I love colour but.. it's important the ASPH. characteristics of a Lens, agains the pre asph?

 

[SaveKodak]

UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH :bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::bang::bang:

 

[jim sparx]

Give your cameras and eqip. to a charity case and enter a monastery. PM me for my mailing address.

 

[Bruno Gracia]

ok, got it...

Thank You all.

 

[Peter_S]

Bruno,

you largely know my view on this, and I know your affinity with film. We also know, however, what great a camera the X2 is. Not so much as a stand-alone solution, but it really seems the perfect complement to a film-M. The X1/2 can do well what film Ms cannot. When I really need to reduce it, I take my M6 with a 50 and the X1, they are the core of my setup.

Then I would really think about priorities, projects and how to approach the projects. Perhaps...the X2 for digital convenience and to carry with you anywhere? The MP with one lens, loaded with one film, the Rolleiflex with another film, to use during serious projects, backed by the X2? That is similar to my setup, but you are not me. I would prefer an M6 with MP-finder (cheaper, lighter, feels like you have in your hands all you need but nothing you do not. I always felt the MP is excessive...), but that is just me.

The Rolleiflex I would keep if you use it at least occassionally with passion...most other cameras that see no regular use I would sell. One classic like that is OK to keep, given you use it occassionally (and I personally could not work well on a film-only project with just one film body).

Do you need all the lenses? 35mm and 28mm and an X2 with 36mm FOV lens all seem a bit redundant. What about 50mm only on the MP? Because of the X1 I do not need a 35mm film lens (OK, I have the T3, but that is for high mountain photography when it is about light, light, light).

Not sure where the M8 fits into all that. It can sort of replace all of your cameras, but only sort of. I had an M8 and an M7, lliked them both very much. But they were too redundant, tied up too much money and I had too many reliability issues with Ms. I did not want two potential "Solms patients" anymore (the M6 can be fixed outside Solms) and was tired of treating my camera with too much care...
The X1 proved solid and sturdy, in reality as good as the M8, and has saved more than one photo project where my Ms went on strike.

In any case - keep a solid digital you love to use and that you take with you everywhere, also alongside your film cameras. I focus a lot on film these days, but the X1 takes a lot of film-induced load of me. I come home from trips with way less film images (an amount I can comfortably develop within my given time frame), but with a high percentage of good images. The X1 takes care of the spontaneous stuff, which may or may not be good (and more than often the results stun me again how good that little thing is).

Film only become restricting and you may loose the fun, making you drop film all together. And X2 only...well, nothing would place you more in a position to go shopping for a nice film camera again (speaking of - what you REALLY want is a Contax T3 😉 ).

 

[Jubb Jubb]

No, I've decided to keep my MP!

Now.. the second important question, which lenses? 28,35 and 50, or 28 and 50, or 35 and 50?

About the Rolleiflex.. I Don't know, other scanner, other kind of photography and project... Maybe I could use it just for portraiture into a 35mm project?

why not just keep either a 35 or 50 and spend your time shooting with the one kit.

 

[Stuart John]

Just keep it all and go out and do some photography. Find what equipment works for you and what does not. You have an MP for film and an M8 so your not in any great need for a digital body. Learn what focal lengths you like and sell what you don't. Stop thinking about gear and start thinking about photography. You can do great photography with the gear you have, no need for any more gear.

 

[Godfrey]

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.

Here's my plan in your situation:

- Keep the scanner and three lenses. They're the hard things to reacquire. Put the lenses and scanner aside for the future. Don't look at them.

- Sell the M bodies and the Rolleiflex. M bodies, film or digital, are easy to get. So are Rolleiflexes.

- Buy the X2. Use it. A lot. Complete a few projects with it.

- Stop reading equipment threads. Stop looking at new gear. Look at lots of photos and DON'T read what camera took them. Discover what you like in photographs and work to create it as best you can.

- Take a workshop using just the X2. Make at least a thousand photos you are satisfied with using it. When you are thoroughly satisfied with your work using it, and have a clear notion of where you'd like your photography to go, and can achieve that with the X2, consider objectively: 'do I need anything more? Is the expense and effort involved with doing film going to focus me on the photography, or will it get in my way? Do I need or want more than what the X2 allows me to do? Do I want anything more, for whatever reason? What's the reason?' Think hard, be honest with yourself; don't seek others' opinions. If you cannot answer the questions for yourself, you're not ready yet.

- When you can, you're ready. Then do what you want.

Given what you have, have had, etc, you have the means to buy whatever you want. What you're lacking is the direction and the decisiveness to go forward. My plan is designed to push you to find direction by first sating your immediate equipment jones/fantasy, then pushing you to see and become decisive about what you want to achieve.

Any of this equipment can do the job. Only you can see the job and decide to do it, and then decide what tools will do it best .. For you.

G

 

[clayne]

The OP doesn't need to change anything right now. He just needs to use the gear he has. Buy nothing.