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

[squeaky_clean]

I don't think you're crazy.

You have to go with what works. I find sometimes having a bunch of gear just keeps me from shooting a lot of film rather than helping me. I just sold all my RF stuff because I found that I really didn't use it, and when I did, didn't like the results. For my own stuff I shoot my old Pentax K2 almost exclusively. I love that camera. I can just "see" with it. I just picked up a Pentax ME super, which is one of the smallest SLR bodies out there, to be my carry/street camera. (The K2 is a little heavy and large)

So, I guess I can kinda relate, although it I wouldn't want to get rid of or put away all my Pentax lenses. If I had to pick, my 50mm f/1.7 would my choice, hands down.

I've thought about selling other stuff, too... But some of it I would have to buy again at some point, and it serves its purpose. Like my EOS gear. Much more practical for doing weddings and the like, which I've been doing more of.

But yeah, all that to say that simpler is better, and you should go with what you know you like. That's my 2 cents.

 

[Will]

1 camera, 1 lens; is the right thing to do.

Just pack everything.

Yesterday, I found it hard to have more than one lens when I take my camera out.

Too many choice, suddenly shoot is a lens test.

My mood turned really bad, I ended up throwing away the film...






Will

 

[sf]

I did the same thing, Chris. I sold everything but my RF645, and just bought the lenses for it.

It seems that the most can be had from just putting money into film and developing. And putting more energy into shooting more, instead of gathering gear.

For the price of an M camera, you can buy a brick of great film and travel the world for a month. Certainly priceless. Point is, no need for more than one camera. Trouble is, it's hard to convince the GAS of that truth.

Medium format is nice that way - just about all the quality you need for consumer sized prints - better than anything 35mm, and there is little need for large format 99.999% of the time.

I don't know about the glass on the Canonet - I've seen good stuff from it. But, if I were to sell everything and go down into 35mm, I'd have to find something sweet - Leica - and tip-top glass.

You'll be happier. And richer.

oh yeah, and standardizing everything from the camera (just one) to the print, is very efficient use of time, money, and skills. I'm shooting all 645, all on the Bronica, all B&W, all home developed, all scanned my way. Simplify, man! I just found that shooting with 5 different cameras and 10 different films, and three different formats was very costly, and 2/3 of my formats were nearly 100% useless.

You are a wise man.

 

[StuartR]

Ok, my advice is a little different, but I think it gets to the same purpose. I usually find that a desire to buy or sell gear is more about anxiety about your photography, not about the equipment. In other words, buying or selling equipment more often addresses the areas that you are anxious about. So for example, if you are worried about the kind of portraits you take, you might feel like you would be better if you had a 90/2 lens or a Hasselblad setup. I think the important thing to ask yourself is what type of photography you want to do, and then when you have a solid answer, the equipment you need will be much clearer. For that reason I think that one camera one lens is as much a crutch as buying every piece of equipment under the sun. For one photographer, they might do best with a single camera and lens, but for someone else, it might be far too limiting for what they tend to photograph.

 

[Bertram2]

"To know you have enough is to be rich." -from the Tao Te Ching
Am I completely off my rocker??

No not off rail. That's a good idea. But do not sell anything, or you will regret it.
I would not buy the CL. Get the best out of the Canon, the cheaper camera will make your experience more interesting, and as I suppose also more satisfying.
Try to get the very best out of th Canon, if it is comparable to the performance of a Yashica GSN it is good enuff for all purposes.

bertram

 

[einolu]

I was really happy with my Bessa R and Jupiter 3 for a long time. When I went to California I took that kit and a lot of Neopan 1600. I was really happy with my photography on that trip.

Just recently my Jupiter broke so now I am probably going to buy a Voigtlander lens so that it lasts me longer (tired of buying soviet 'junk'), even though its kind of pricy. Once I do that I can stop worrying about equipment until something else breaks... So from experience I will tell you that if you are going to simplify, get something very dependable (from what I can tell these Voigtlanders are pretty good and buying something new appeals to me).

 

[ch1]

"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??

As joe said in the first response - if you do not need the cash - pack all but the one camera body and necessary lenses up.

Then stash them - ideally at my place 😀

Er..,just kidding in part. If you have some family or trustworthy type friends a day's car drive (or 3 hours or more flight time away) send the "stash" there.

Then, see how it goes. And every time you get a GAS attack - think about what's in your "stash" and figure out where you stand.

Good luck!

 

[Don Parsons]

What kind of picures are you trying to take???

What kind of picures are you trying to take???

Chris,

I mostly agree with Stuart's advice.

Decide what type of photo's you mostly take and then equip yourself accordingly.

I, for example, take mostly airplane photos. I can get by with two lenses, a 50 and a 90/100. I have a whole bunch more, now some fast zooms, but if I'd have to choose, I'd take a 35 and a 90.

Equipment is a crutch. Sometimes it helps, when you really need it. Other times, it's an excuse.

don

 

[einolu]

I think chris is talking about rangefinder photography, which I believe is about documenting life as it happens, in which case a normal lens is basically all you need.

I am about to move down to new york city for 6 months for work and am planning to bring my bessa r, a 35mm skopar (getting one soon, either via ebay or cameraquest), 100' of apx100, some rodinal, my other darkroom things, and my film scanner. I get a smile on my face just thinking about it 🙂.

 

[einolu]

Bumping this up because I feel it is one of the more interesting discusions we have had as of late. 🙂

 

[zuikologist]

Chris

I had similar thoughts. I have found 35mm is more of a natural FOV, and I am thinking of keeping one 35mm, one 50mm and one Bessa R2 body, with perhaps an Oly XA /Oly SP similar for when even the Bessa is too big/obtrusive.

It might make an interesting blog for say a 6 month or 1 year project, with photos, to see if the one lens/one body helps or hinders and if your shooting style changes or improves over that time.

 

[f/stopblues]

zuikologist, that's a great idea about the photo blog. I'll have to dig up that thread about the different photo blog sites. This computer stuff is a constant battle for me! Sometimes in the streets here you can hear my screams echoing.. "I am Photoshop's foe!"

I'm leaning towards a compromise between selling things and boxing things up. I'm going to shed things I know I haven't been using (SLR that I literally had to dust off the other day, duplicate gear, etc) and I'll box up some things that have sentimental value and that I still enjoy and stick it in my parents' basement out in the suburbs. I really don't have anything that's terribly rare or prized.

einolu is correct that I'm considering this with RF style photography in mind, if there is such a thing. More of a street photog's point of view, but of course that's subject to change cause I'm not really sure what'll happen down the road. HCB style maybe? :angel:

Edit: Forgot to comment on something.. I've really started to enjoy the 35-40mm FOV. It's wide enough to give breathing room and layer things more easily, yet isn't so wide that you have to struggle to fill the frame. For me personally it feels very natural.

Yay, fun project 😀

 

[f/stopblues]

I hope you don't eat the noodles and peanut butter together..

 

[dnk512]

One is good, but you need two of that one! Just in case the first one breaks 🙂

 

[planetjoe]

Actually, noodles with a peanut sauce are pretty good, even cold. Peanut butter works a treat, if you throw in some soy sauce and peanut oil.

Okay, that was OT; sorry about that - it's near lunchtime here.

As for "thinning out the herd", as it were, I've always liked that idea. I just can't seem to accomplish it. I liked what StuartR said about accumulation of equipment (and some GAS) being about anxiety over photography. Maybe all this GAS I've been suffering from is just an attempt to see what kind of photography I should be doing.

Of course, I should discover that by actually shooting, not buying. Great thread, folks; thanks. By the way, I LOVE the photo-blog project idea.


Cheers,
--joe.

 

[Gid]

I can sympathise. Have a similar problem myself which I am going to address via sales of maybe trades. Until my recent GAS attacks I used my RD-1 and 35mm almost exclusively and life was really simple. Since I began to acquire stuff my photog has taken a dive as I spend more time "trying out" and "comparing" as opposed to taking pictures.

Brave and stress reducing move IMHO. I wish you well.

Regards