Benjamin Marks
Veteran
Well, it is time for me to take the plunge on the M8.
And unlike previous purchases, this one has to be financed by the sale of equipment, because the M8 costs just too damn much to pay for it out of pocket (last year we put a second story deck on our house for roughly the price of an M8). So, the 50's era Contax and Sonar will go, the M7 will go, the early Summilux will go, ditto a nice Summarit, a very clean chrome Canon 50/1.5 that I only bought a year ago from Kevin cameras, ditto a CL, ditto a 135 tele-elmarit, a 50 Elmar, a DR Summicron and so on. The "must sell" bag is sitting in the other room filled with these and other stuff. I'm on the fence about the R-D1. On the one hand, if I have the M8, I will probably use the R-D1 much less; on the other, the R-D1 and the M8 have different sorts of technical issues to deal with -- it might make an ideal backup. Here's the thing: why is it so difficult to get rid of this stuff? I had it all laid out on the table last night. Hey, sorry for the hand-wringing . . . anyone else out there find it difficult to say goodbye to their used equipment?
When all is said and done, my lens line-up will be proportionally newer, more Leica glass, but I feel like the overall character of the lens collection will have changed, with classic glass losing out over all. I will keep a different DR 50, a Sumarit, all my C/V glass, a 50 Hexar, the modern Leica glass and so on. Some stuff just doesn't make sense to sell (probably could not get enough for the Jupiter-8 to justify loss of the "entertainment value" of the lens, if you know what I mean). The Nikon glass falls into this category. Ditto a Hassie 500C -- man this stuff sells for small change these days.
I suppose the psychology of this is only interesting to me -- it's basically that of a 17 year old who can't afford the wheels he wants without selling the baseball card collection. Oh and the comics too.
Blue,
Ben
And unlike previous purchases, this one has to be financed by the sale of equipment, because the M8 costs just too damn much to pay for it out of pocket (last year we put a second story deck on our house for roughly the price of an M8). So, the 50's era Contax and Sonar will go, the M7 will go, the early Summilux will go, ditto a nice Summarit, a very clean chrome Canon 50/1.5 that I only bought a year ago from Kevin cameras, ditto a CL, ditto a 135 tele-elmarit, a 50 Elmar, a DR Summicron and so on. The "must sell" bag is sitting in the other room filled with these and other stuff. I'm on the fence about the R-D1. On the one hand, if I have the M8, I will probably use the R-D1 much less; on the other, the R-D1 and the M8 have different sorts of technical issues to deal with -- it might make an ideal backup. Here's the thing: why is it so difficult to get rid of this stuff? I had it all laid out on the table last night. Hey, sorry for the hand-wringing . . . anyone else out there find it difficult to say goodbye to their used equipment?
When all is said and done, my lens line-up will be proportionally newer, more Leica glass, but I feel like the overall character of the lens collection will have changed, with classic glass losing out over all. I will keep a different DR 50, a Sumarit, all my C/V glass, a 50 Hexar, the modern Leica glass and so on. Some stuff just doesn't make sense to sell (probably could not get enough for the Jupiter-8 to justify loss of the "entertainment value" of the lens, if you know what I mean). The Nikon glass falls into this category. Ditto a Hassie 500C -- man this stuff sells for small change these days.
I suppose the psychology of this is only interesting to me -- it's basically that of a 17 year old who can't afford the wheels he wants without selling the baseball card collection. Oh and the comics too.
Blue,
Ben
Bill58
Native Texan
Ben:
Do you still have the Canon 50/ 1.5 for sale? If so, would you pls. Pm me w/ current price? I haven't been able to find a better one.
Thanks,
Bill
Do you still have the Canon 50/ 1.5 for sale? If so, would you pls. Pm me w/ current price? I haven't been able to find a better one.
Thanks,
Bill
Revelatio
Newbie
Hope you enjoy it. I did the same thing recently, putting my entire DSLR setup on sale to get the M8. :bang:
Ming The Merciless
Established
I always find it hard parting with my gear because I tend to bestow human feelings on the darn things. I know that sounds nuts and likely is nuts. But here are these machines that enabled me to do what I love doing and perhaps even get to art through them and I'm casting them aside. It doesn't help that I give names to all my cameras like "Rex" (Contax RX), "Essie" (Contax S2), "Quincy"(Contax 139Q), "Aria" (Contax Aria) "Bessie" (Voigtlander Bessa R) . Crazy huh?
back alley
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like nike says...just do it!
it's only stuff, if you really miss something you can always buy another.
new is fun too!
joe
it's only stuff, if you really miss something you can always buy another.
new is fun too!
joe
Sparrow
Veteran
back alley said:
How can you say that!? They’re my babies! keep everything, I sold a lens in 1980 and still regret it
Benjamin Marks
Veteran
Well said, Joe. And I know you are right intellectually. I'm just trying to understand the gut check of getting rid of the "just stuff". No doubt based on a certain insanity. I don't give my gear names, like Ming above, but I definitely think he's on to something. Selling off a piece of gear means saying goodbye to whatever capabilities that lens or camera brought to the table.
But I was looking at all my 35mm RF stuff on the dining room table last night (under the bewildered/bemused eye of my sympathtic wife) and it is definitely too much gear -- more than I'll use in the coming year, probably. So on the block it goes -- at least the stuff that I cannot rationalize keeping. The choices are interesting. I have a particularly hard time getting rid of classic RF's -- so the M2 and 2 M3's are staying -- the M7 is going. The Contax is going, but the Nikon is staying. The medium format RF's (Fuji 6x4.5, 6x7) are staying. Pentax 67 is sort of the same logic as the Nikon stuff -- doesn't bring enough at sale to justify selling.
Bill: I haven't actually posted any of it for sale yet (need to take some snapshots, note serial numbers and the like). And I will definitely post for sale in this forum before going to auction. In general, I try to price stuff at a 10% discount from the KEH price -- it is worth it to deal with forum members who are generally straight shooters. I can PM you tonight (EDT) with s/n and condition, once I am home from work.
But I was looking at all my 35mm RF stuff on the dining room table last night (under the bewildered/bemused eye of my sympathtic wife) and it is definitely too much gear -- more than I'll use in the coming year, probably. So on the block it goes -- at least the stuff that I cannot rationalize keeping. The choices are interesting. I have a particularly hard time getting rid of classic RF's -- so the M2 and 2 M3's are staying -- the M7 is going. The Contax is going, but the Nikon is staying. The medium format RF's (Fuji 6x4.5, 6x7) are staying. Pentax 67 is sort of the same logic as the Nikon stuff -- doesn't bring enough at sale to justify selling.
Bill: I haven't actually posted any of it for sale yet (need to take some snapshots, note serial numbers and the like). And I will definitely post for sale in this forum before going to auction. In general, I try to price stuff at a 10% discount from the KEH price -- it is worth it to deal with forum members who are generally straight shooters. I can PM you tonight (EDT) with s/n and condition, once I am home from work.
Joe Mondello
Resu Deretsiger
I tell you in a really weird way having my sentimental camera gear stolen (DS M3 with lenses a 2.8 Rollei, stuff my Dad gave me after he closed his business) having that all get stolen has made it easier to see these things as just things.
That's not to say that I don't empathize, I do. I really do get it and still struggle to remember that having the DS M3 is less important than having the memory of Dad to which it is/was attached.
HTH.
BTW, you'll be fine. Your new gear will get more use and you'll fall in love with it too!
That's not to say that I don't empathize, I do. I really do get it and still struggle to remember that having the DS M3 is less important than having the memory of Dad to which it is/was attached.
HTH.
BTW, you'll be fine. Your new gear will get more use and you'll fall in love with it too!
Sparrow
Veteran
I actually found theft less traumatic than selling, thinking about it I haven’t actually sold anything since 1980
SolaresLarrave
My M5s need red dots!
It took me about four months to let go of my Contax G gear, but in the end, when I packed it, I knew it was going to be used and cherished. So, Ben, I'm with you in this one!
jamriman
Established
Bought and Sold
Bought and Sold
Sometimes I regret it, sometimes I didn't. Now I feel I reached my perfect kit. All Leica lenses. All fast and ASPH, 90 marco elmar, Pre 35 cron, 50 DR, 50 collapsable current and old. 50 tiny 3.5 Red. Regret selling nocti. Sold a few years back for $2000, bought one recently for $2900. Try here first and photo.net, no luck, sell on the bay.
Bought and Sold
Sometimes I regret it, sometimes I didn't. Now I feel I reached my perfect kit. All Leica lenses. All fast and ASPH, 90 marco elmar, Pre 35 cron, 50 DR, 50 collapsable current and old. 50 tiny 3.5 Red. Regret selling nocti. Sold a few years back for $2000, bought one recently for $2900. Try here first and photo.net, no luck, sell on the bay.
ferider
Veteran
Hi Benjamin,
- don't take this wrong, but it would seem that if you are comfortable buying an M8 you would not need to finance it by selling other gear. Say you have 2 old-timer cars, that you really love. Now you decide to buy a Ferrari. Why would you sell the old-timers to finance the Ferrari ?
- I suffer from GAS as well. My smart wife (trying to fight the addiction more than the costs) has figured out that it is not only fueled by being attracted to cool gear, but also by selling. She recommends now that before selling, I put stuff away for a few months and then sell, if I haven't touched it
I know, I might not be helping ...
Cheers,
Roland.
- don't take this wrong, but it would seem that if you are comfortable buying an M8 you would not need to finance it by selling other gear. Say you have 2 old-timer cars, that you really love. Now you decide to buy a Ferrari. Why would you sell the old-timers to finance the Ferrari ?
- I suffer from GAS as well. My smart wife (trying to fight the addiction more than the costs) has figured out that it is not only fueled by being attracted to cool gear, but also by selling. She recommends now that before selling, I put stuff away for a few months and then sell, if I haven't touched it
I know, I might not be helping ...
Cheers,
Roland.
back alley
IMAGES
think...new possibilities!!
Benjamin Marks
Veteran
Thing is, I already own a completely irresponsible amount of photo gear (e.g more than I use in a year). And I have sold a bunch of stuff off over the years (sold a Pentax LX that I always regretted getting rid of, my first M3 too --eventually replaced, first Speed Graphic - what was I thinking??). In fact, I've never really been happy to see the back of a useful gizmo. Maybe the bright side is that my computer and peripherals are comparitively worthless, ditto bicycles, ditto cast iron frying pans . . .so at least there is some value to the stuff that is currently going on the block. So the grown up thing to do about the photo gear is just to bite down hard on that leather strap and place the ads.
back alley
IMAGES
but rollie, some of us could never afford a new car and 2 oldies.
i would have loved to keep the black ikon and bought the new r4 and lenses but not on my salary.
not complaining, just a matter of finances for me.
joe
i would have loved to keep the black ikon and bought the new r4 and lenses but not on my salary.
not complaining, just a matter of finances for me.
joe
ferider
Veteran
back alley said:
I agree and understand Joe. Point is that if you buy an M8 (or a Ferrari) you must be past this threshold, no ?
Just trying to figure out the psychology of this ...
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Benjamin Marks
Veteran
ferider said:
I think I could make the purchase without missing any meals, but at a certain magnitude of purchase (and the M8 definitely qualifies for me), it's hard to justify. But I can have access to this body (which will let me use a greater proportion of my M-mount glass than the RD-1) by converting existing gear. Also, I have come to conclusion intellectually that I do not need 6 Leica M bodies (not even counting the Bessa T's on this one). Now I just need to drag the Id along. . .
Ben
back alley
IMAGES
ferider said:
likely true, yes.
the m8 is not even on my radar.
the psychology for me...i cannot cope with too much gear. i feel better when it all has the same mount and is interchangable. it just seems more practical/logical than having several differing mounts.
plus i wonder sometimes, because my shooting time is limited if having too many choices reminds me of these limitations and increases my frustration level.
joe
ferider
Veteran
Ben: do what I do: put the "must sell" bag away somewhere, and sell in two months or so.
But keep that Canon 50/1.5, they are getting rarer and rarer
Roland.
But keep that Canon 50/1.5, they are getting rarer and rarer
Roland.
John Rountree
Nothing is what I want
Roland is trying to look at the psychology of this, and from a little different perspective, so am I. First, the attachment to things (IMHO) is based on the good times and good photos you have had with this equipment. Thus, it transcends plain equipment and migrates to an irrational positon of being a "friend", not just another lens or camera body.
But, (I will take the heat if you want) it sounds to me that as an active shooter you have way too much equipment. How can you lug all that stuff around? How much time do you spend thinking about or changing lenses instead of actually taking the picture? I don't mean to sound condescending, but collecting is very different than shooting. If the M8 and reduced tonnage of gear will actually allow you to go out and shoot more then I think you will soon forget about those "friends" you left behind.
But, (I will take the heat if you want) it sounds to me that as an active shooter you have way too much equipment. How can you lug all that stuff around? How much time do you spend thinking about or changing lenses instead of actually taking the picture? I don't mean to sound condescending, but collecting is very different than shooting. If the M8 and reduced tonnage of gear will actually allow you to go out and shoot more then I think you will soon forget about those "friends" you left behind.