What would you do if you had to start again? - inspired by Harry the K

[Archiver]

@Harry the K posed a great question here:

How Long Will Your Pictures Last?It all depends on you, your successors, and whether anyone else cares.

How Long Will Your Pictures Last? It all depends on you, your successors, and whether anyone else cares. By Jason Schneider Analog aficionados like me are excruciatingly aware that shooting pictures on film is considerably less convenient and a heck of a lot more expensive than shooting...

rangefinderforum.com

In response to @Retro-Grouch:

"Not that I wish for it, of course, but I do wonder how I would react if all of my photos and all of my equipment were lost in a disaster. Perhaps I could appreciate having the slate wiped clean and needing to begin again from square one. I suspect that my equipment would be greatly simplified (besides a Rolleiflex, what do I need, really?), and without the conceptual nonsense of "a lifetime body of work" (ha ha) weighing me down, I would probably explore some very different paths. The past keeps us grounded, but it can also be a burden."

@Harry the K replied:

"I find this a super interesting question: What would we do if we had to start anew on our photographic journey? What would be different after decades of experience?
Why do you speak of conceptual nonsense? I mean, we are accumulating not only images and equipment, but also knowledge that enables us to mentally move forward. The "lifetime body of work" so becomes a reality, beyond any concept."

---

Given what you know now from your experience with photography and cameras, what would you do/buy if you had a clean slate of gear?

For everyday, travel and documentary shooting:

- Leica M9 with Distagon 35, Summicron 50 v5, Elmarit or Summicron 28, Biogon 21/2.8, Nokton 75/1.5
- Panasonic GX9 with Panasonic 15mm f1.7, Olympus 25mm f1.8

For video and stills work:

- Panasonic S5 II X with Sigma 28-105mm f2.8, Sigma 50mm f1.4, Sigma 35mm f1.4, Sigma 85mm f1.4 L mount
- Leica SL3
- Panasonic GH7 with Panasonic 10-25mm f1.7, 25-50mm f1.7, Olympus 12-100mm f4, Olympus f1.2 Pro primes

I might - MIGHT - buy a film M like a MP or M7, but I hardly shoot film at all, so I am unsure if i would even be necessary.

 

[boojum]

If I had lost everything it would depend if it were covered by insurance. If it were I'd replace what was lost. If not, I'd just get something used that worked OK. What I shoot will not change if the camera changes. Same old crap, different day. It keeps me busy and interested. And broke. But it is fun, a challenge to be better.

 

[JeffS7444]

Film is where I might make a lot of cuts, but I might want to keep Pentax 17, Ricoh Auto Half, and a Nikon F/F2 w/plain prism around for starters. As for medium format, I'd have to ponder.

 

[wlewisiii]

Based on what I know now?

If I were back in 1983 (not 1984 😱 ) starting from scratch again? Nikon F3HP (only until the F4 came out) & 24/2AIS, 50/1.4AIS, & 105/2.5 Nikkor P AI'd.

If I lost everything tomorrow? K3iii & a full set of DA Limited lenses.

 

[Richard G]

M2 or M6; M10-R. 50 Elmar M. Summaron M 28. Summicron 28 first version

 

[Freakscene]

The gear would be irrelevant, so many places and people are gone. Luckily some would survive nomatter what, and my digital archive includes a best-of edit in a faraday cage in a cave.

In a way I would be delighted to no longer have 6-18 months worth of digitization ahead of me when I stop working.

 

[boojum]

in a faraday cage in a cave.

secure

 

[Ko.Fe.]

I went through many cameras and lenses. On film I have tried different color films, bw printing and all possible formats. Many cameras went through my own CLA. It wasn't swiped off, since I'm not a hoarder. I fixed, tried, sold, moved on.

So, for gear lusting thread as this 🙂 My insurance won't compensate a lot.
Based on low budget, I won't touch film again. Too much time and money. But every shot is awesome on darkroom print, color film scan.
And if you will take average shot, darkroom print it and show after twenty years - glory guaranteed.

I'm SOOC person, Sonykon colors are not my choice. Which is pity because their cameras, lenses for them are offering good size. Definitely not an L where adepts have to call Sigma 40 2.8 as compact.

Most likely I'll stay with DSLR trend, where more and more realizing mirrorless was made to be cheap and code based... DSLRs are robust, no useless eye AF and so on clutter in menus and batteries lasts for weeks.

But another trend, which is two wheels mobility and travelling very light would be Ricoh GR instead of GRD III and gimble for mobile phone to take video. Currently I'm trying waters with compact drones.

 

[bullterrier]

Then I wouldn't give up that easy, be more skillful and satisfied 🙂

 

[pvdhaar]

Wouldn't change a thing; start with what I could afford at the time, which was a Zenit-E, but with a better understanding of photography basics..

 

[nightlight]

Given what you know now from your experience with photography and cameras, what would you do/buy if you had a clean slate of gear?

If that were to happen - and money were not an issue:
Nikon S3 + 50 1.4
Seitz Roundshot 220
Linhof Technorama 617 + 72 Super Angulon

Crates of T-Max 400 🙂

 

[JohnGellings]

A Fujifilm GFX-100s and the 50, 63 and 80mm lenses. I would use it for everything including "street."

Likely this will be the set-up I will have next year, but I am not sure I will give up my other cameras.

 

[neal3k]

I would start with five Holgas, for the different films and styles I use.
Next would be three black Leicas, maybe a I, II, and III, each for different films.
That would work for a while but more would follow, as they always do.

 

[Yokosuka Mike]

Start over... I'd pursue watercolors, oil paints, ceramics, pottery and poetry... I'd learn to play the harmonica...

A fresh start at this point in my life... not interested. I've made every mistake, I've had every embarrassing moment possible... no need to start over now. The first time around was good-enough and bad-enough.

Thank goodness my wife still tolerates me!

Mike

 

[wlewisiii]

Start over... I'd pursue watercolors, oil paints, ceramics, pottery and poetry... I'd learn to play the harmonica...

A fresh start at this point in my life... not interested. I've made every mistake, I've had every embarrassing moment possible... no need to start over now. The first time around was good-enough and bad-enough.

Thank goodness my wife still tolerates me!

Mike

Part of why I chose to have the thought experiment of what I'd do instead of the Canon AE-1 I started with in (whoops!) 83 it was not 84 but you get the idea.

And I'm not ready to stop making mistakes just yet so that's the other end of the experiment 😀

The ex tossed my shoes in 2012 so that's not a problem at least! I can look for someone I can pretend thinks my snippy snaps are artistic 🤣

 

[Godfrey]

If I were starting over right now from scratch on equipment knowing what I know now? Not much different from my current most used camera:

- Leica M10 Monochrom with fast, either 35 or 50 mm lens.
- Leica M4-2 (share lenses with above)
- A medium format folder ... Like my Perkeo II, like the concept of the Makina 67 but haven't used it yet
- A Polaroid SX-70 derivative like the SLR670a
- A compact 35 and a submini (both Minox) ... although that little Voigtländer Vito II that I just finished first tests on could suffice, just as a Kodak Retina IIc could as well.

... and if we're saying "there can only be one" ...

- Leica M10 Monochrom plus Summicron-M 50 and Summaron-M 28.

G

 

[p.giannakis]

If I was starting again back in 1990, with the very little money I had I would probably buy a Praktica MTL and shoot a lot of Kodachromes of people rather than landscapes.

If I had to start now, I would buy the best F4 I could find and add a 50mm and a 35mm.

 

[Harry the K]

equipmentwise.....

Film: Rollei 35
Leica MP with Summilux 50 asph and Summicron 35 asph
Nikon F100 with the rest of focal lenghts for 35mm film
Rolleicord V
Intrepid 4x5

Digi: Fujifilm X-T
Nikon Z

Lots of lenses

Darkroom: Heiland Splitgrade on any make of enlarger

Paper Baryta warmtone

Post: Capture One

Portaits of family and friends concern Nr. 1

 

[JohnWolf]

If in this alternate reality I had the funds, I’d likely land where I am now: M10 and M2 with 35 and 50, plus a GR III.
If I didn’t have the dough, I might be content with just the GR. I’ve often considered doing that, anyway.

 

[Ororaro]

Back in ‘89-90’?
I’d have bought Five or Six Black Paint M2-M3 cameras, a lens for each of those bodies (noctilux 1.2, noctilux 1.0, summilux 50 V1, 35 summicron black V1, Steel Rim 35 summilux, 28 elmarit 9 element or 21 super-angulon… and I’d have stuck with thet all the way up to 2055.

Not a single thing more, only that.