Thinking of doing something extreme (AKA everything for sale!)

[f/stopblues]

"To know you have enough is to be rich." -from the Tao Te Ching

Over the past couple years I've been simplifying my equipment, changing from zooms to primes, AE to handheld meters, and motor drives to my right thumb. I don't know if this gradual migration to simplicity is the cause, but I've been increasingly content with my photographic process. I love putting the very least possible between the subject and myself.

In just the recent past I've been accquiring more equipment again and getting my boxers in a bunch about buying all these things I "need" (I'm not pointing any fingers RFF!). The result? Discontent. I went to Colorado last month and the whole time only shot with my Canonet QL17 even though I had a suitcase full of other equipment. It was such a freeing experience!

So what now?

I'm considering an experiment for myself.. shedding all my equipment except one body and one lens, then shooting truckloads of film and enjoying the pants out of it for at least a year. No lens buying, no multiple formats to deal with.. no worries, just photography. Crazy? Probably! It's a reverse GAS of sorts that happens to be MUCH easier on the wallet.

I'd keep:
-Either my Canonet QL17 (40/1.7) or accquire a Leica CL with 40/2 (I want my one single camera to be sharp!)
-All my darkroom junk and developing equipment
-That's it!

The ultimate thinking is that I can easily concentrate on the images instead of worrying about formats, lenses and the like. Its an attempt to breathe some life into my work by focusing my energies. That's my one tool I'd use to see the world with. In a year I can take stock of my progress and decide where to go from there.

Am I completely off my rocker??

 

[back alley]

off your rocker?
not really.

you need to do what will satisfy your soul.

if you don't need to sell your stuff for the $$, then maybe just pack it away and ignore it till you feel the need for something else in the box.

joe

 

[Todd.Hanz]

Am I completely off my rocker??

No, I don't think so. I wouldn't sell everything though, just put it away for a while and shoot with the chosen camera. I don't know what equipment you have but it may be harder to come by when you decide to buy it again.


good luck,
Todd

 

[lushd]

No - not crazy at all. I sometimes have this same thought. If I could only keep one camera and lens out the whole cupboard it would be the Zorki 4k, Black Jupiter 8. I know I would be happy photogtaphically. The thing that stops me doing it is that most of my stuff came to me cheap or even free and it would raise not much at all (except for the two Leicas) and it has brought me a lot of pleasure.

 

[JoeFriday]

yeah.. keep everything.. unless you have a lens in the 21 to 28mm range.. give that to me for safe keeping

 

[BrianShaw]

"To know you have enough is to be rich." -from the Tao Te Ching

)snip(

Am I completely off my rocker??

I don't think you are *completely* off your rocker... but since I don't know what equipment you are shedding, I might change my mind 😉

Try an experiment (although you've sort of done that already). Put your "excess" equipment away for a while and see if you can really live without it. For me that period of time would probably be about a year.

Meditate on the following: "if I sell something and later decide that was a bad idea... can I afford to re-buy what I'll need."

I hang on to some equipment (my 4x5) even though I don't use it much. In fact, it's been more than a year since I've taken it out of the closet. My logic... it's all paid for, I like it, and despite the fact that I don't NEED it I enjoy using it occasionally. My work with that camera goes in fits and spurts. And I know... if I got rid of it I would end up regretting the decision and re-buying a similar kit.

You're quote is a great one... but I thought I said it first (I keep telling this to my wife every time she returns home from a shopping trip with bags of clothes, etc.)

 

[Sonnar Brian]

If you do this, get the CL with the 40/2 Summicron.

 

[BrianShaw]

if you don't need to sell your stuff for the $$, then maybe just pack it away and ignore it till you feel the need for something else in the box.

joe

Great minds think alike... we were typoing the same thing simulaneously... from thousands of miles apart. It's like finding my my twin that was separated at birth! 😀

 

[cp_ste.croix]

I'm glad you're enjoying the QL17!

I often feel the same way about selling off darn near everything, but the threat of a financial loss prevents me most days...If only we knew then what we know now. Put your gear on a shelf for 6 months, and if you never crave to use it, sell it...

If you have anything really sweet and cheap let me know 🙂

 

[dreilly]

I like your thinking and I go through the same bouts every once in a while. Very healthy I think, at least, to simplify things. Maybe not to bounce back and complicate with more needful things later...

Anyway, if you like your Canonet, I'd keep that and spend the $ you'd spend on the CL for film or an airline ticket to someplace pretty.

If you're not shooting with other lenses, that defeats a large part of what makes the CL so expensive--and attractive. That rokkor 40/2 is sharp, but the canonet is nice and so are a host of other compact fixed-lens rangefinders that could be had for less cost than even the rokkor alone.

I tried CL and an M3 with rokkors and summicrons and elmars and a Hexar AF and am back to an old Olympus 35LC--and love the results. It's a little bulky, a little old fashioned, but I don't worry about bumping it and I'm always extremely impressed by the pics it takes!

I've come to the realization that, for me (so don't flame me anyone) fixed lens rfs are fine for now. I just don't use a lot of different lenses.

I still miss the feel of the M3. Nothing like that. But the CL didn't have that feel to me. Nice, but not an M3. I don't miss the CL.

 

[wlewisiii]

Sell everything and buy a Holga...

What? :angel:

William

 

[ChrisPlatt]

If I used but one camera and one lens for one year
I am certain my photography would improve...

Simplify!
-Chris-

 

[f/stopblues]

Good points to ponder guys.. especially about putting everying away for a while.

Oh and I can thank Chris (cp_ste.croix) for initially putting me on this slippery slope of rangefinders!

Also as an afterthought, I think part of it is that I've been dabbling in different areas of photography for about 5-6 years now. I don't feel like I've "mastered" any one area, but rather have a base knowledge of a lot of different things. Maybe I'm longing for that focus.

 

[ruben]

Well, perhaps to give you another incentive, and just in case you succeed, after that year you could open a gas dis-intoxication support group. A support group meeting once a week, exchanging our soul experiences, I think I may join.
Otherwise, my wife may hospitalize me some day.
Cheers,
Ruben

 

[JoeFriday]

my only problem is that I had nothing pretty to take pictures of all last year 😀

things are looking up this year, however

If I used but one camera and one lens for one year
I am certain my photography would improve...

Simplify!
-Chris-

 

[SolaresLarrave]

I wouldn't sell anything and purposefully concentrate on one aspect. Later, I'd move on to another format or another field, but never give up your hard-earned gear.

 

[principe azul]

The first time I travelled abroad after getting into photography all I took was an SLR with a 50mm lens, and twelve different types of film.

Last time I travelled abroad, I'd narrowed it down to one ISO 100 b/w film, one ISO 1250-1600 b/w film and one ISO 400 colour slide. But I had two cameras, two incompatible cameras, and four lenses. And I was wondering whether I should have left the Holga and Moskva-5 at home...

I love the gear, but sometimes it just paralyses me with indecision. Nice article here by Mike Johnston about going with one camera and one lens.

 

[BrianShaw]

my only problem is that I had nothing pretty to take pictures of all last year 😀

things are looking up this year, however

Pretty... who needs "pretty"? Last night I was in the local emergency room (not for myself, I was accompanying someone who was quite ill) when in walks a big, burly, dirty guy with big, burly, dirty leather work boots and a blood-soaked towel around his ankle. Two questions immediately came to mind: (1) why is this guy working on Easter Sunday, and (2) just in case he isn't ovservant of that holiday... why did he attempt to cut his foot off. I felt compelled to take a picture of his boot and the growing pool of blood beneath it. Not art, and not pretty, but graphically interesting. Unfortunately I didn't have a camera with me. So much for that decisive moment. :bang:

 

[Sonnar Brian]

> If I used but one camera and one lens for one year

There would be a mass riot by the Nikon's, Canon's, Leica's, Retina's, and Polaroid's.

We can't play favorites, can we?

 

[Fred]

Chris, I really know how you feel. I just put together a lightweight kit for when I'm out and about on my motorcycle that fits into a small back pack. One RF body and a 35 and 75 lense combo. This covers virtually everything if shooting negs (can always crop).

Living with a single lens these days having been spoilt by the joys of the system would be hard for me but would also be a good challenge. 😱

My advice FWIW put everything in a box that you are thinking of selling, tape it up and add a note to it saying 'do not open for 2 years from todays date'. If in 2 years you have not missed it then consider selling. I was stupid and sold some wonderful kit years ago only to miss it now. At least I had the sense to hang on to my old Pentax MX kit, wonderful but I really must use it again sometime. I'm almost 100 percent RF these days for personal stuff. 🙂