Conclusion: I buy gear because it is toy for man. It has nothing to do with photography. nothing more nothing less....
How about yours?
Nothing to do with Photography? I cant make that claim. A camera not being used is not interesting to me at all.
I've gone full circle with my gear purchases. From a Canon Rebel XT--> Canon DSLR w/ a bunch of lenses---> Fujifilm bridge camera----> Fujifilm DSLR----> Fujifilm X cameras----> Fujifilm medium format film cameras.
Thankfully, my purchases of the two Fujifilm range finders has stopped all gear buying. I'm not going on 2 years without a single purchase and that's pretty unprecedented.
I grew bored of the digital rat race where everything is automated and done for you. Every trip out with my digitals resulted in hundreds of shots to review. Soon my archive reached 40,000 images. I could not explain to myself what these images were for other than to occupy my hard drive. Not seeing the point to this I grew dissatisfied. Somehow I wandered back into the film world and after lurking for a bit started shooting again. It was such an amazing re-discovery. After half a year I started developing my own film and that experience just confirmed that I was on the right path. It was so fun that I started shooting too much, just so I would have more film to develop. Now I'm about to embark on printing and the fun will just increase. It feels so good to produce something tangible rather than a computer file.
I like buying gear (used gear, mostly), to stay engaged and keep broadening my experience base. One of my fantasies is to have a camera store's worth of gear, to try and compare anything that piques my interest or to test premises put forth on forums -- not likely to every happen, but I do have a pretty nice selection to play with.
All the collecting and fun of testing is a prelude to actually selecting the correct tools for assignments, projects, or trips. I like to work and travel light, which I define as doing more with less pieces, not reduced size or weight (except for the overall kit taken). So, if I can correctly estimate an assignment and take only three primes and a FF body, great! Or, cover an event with one FF body, flash and a zoom, great! Or, grab my G1X super-P&S and make it work for personal jaunts, great!
I'm glad there is a thread celebrating the love of camera ownership as it's own joy.
Good topic - thanks for starting it. I have owned most of the major camera systems because I have a problem known as "G.A.S.". 😳 I have realized over the years that if I would have kept my Canon 20d with the Sigma 17-70 and Canon 10-22 and 70-300 DO, my images would probably not have suffered much compared to the many different cameras and lenses I've used since then.
But.
For me, buying and using different systems is a joy in itself and provides me inspiration. I love photography, but I also love technology, art and craftsmanship. Right now I seem to be bouncing around between Sony, Fuji and Leica M. The Sony / Fuji gear satisfies my tech cravings and the Leica satisfies my craftsmanship and connection with art requirements. It's hard to explain but I think others in this thread get what I'm saying here... 😀
I'm at a point where I would like to keep only a small set of lenses that would cover most of what I'm shooting.
I did go through the phase of accumulating gear, trying all the good stuff that I can lay my hands on. I believe this is a necessary learning process . But I later realized all this buying and selling was getting boring. I felt less motivated to make good pictures. Too much gear to think which one I should pick up for the day and shoot. And with other priorities in life, I left most of them untouched.
Then there was a period that I was somewhat satisfied with what I had. And so like a gearhead, I explored printing at home. As a hobby, I don't print for anyone but myself and family. It's that physical product, which I can hold, frame and look at without turning on my computer, changed my view. And so I became more practical with gear.
My main goal nowadays is keep my gear small in size and weight. I do know my preference of focal length now so I spent appropriately for the focal lengths I shoot the most with. I selected gear that I can bond with. This I found is a tricky thing. I have gone through tons of top, excellent optics, but only a few (probably only a couple) that would really speak to me. So now I only keep a small set of 5 lenses: 15, 35, 50, 85 and a Makro.
Camera is seen as a platform to exploit my set of lenses. I don't particularly bond with any of them. However, I do want a higher MP body just for the flexibility of printing large, crop (I rarely crop though), and to avoid moire . My ideal set-up at the moment would be the A7S and A7RII. I don't see myself getting anything after that unless there is truly a new tech coming out that can deal with small, symmetrical lenses with ease. That day might be a long way from now.
I have been involved with photography for almost sixty years, and have used many cameras and formats over that time. (Probably the biggest mistake was Polaroid - three years of images, faded away to nothing...) I have concluded that the commonly expressed sentiment that "You can't improve your photography by buying new gear" is about 75-80% true. The remaining 20-25% are those situations in which new gear can either make doing what you feel you need to do easier, stretch yourself into something you have never done before, or both. Three examples over the last four or five years: (1) A very bad back forced me into mirrorless gear just to continue, when I could no longer carry 1D bodies and L glass. (2) Buying a used RX1 got me back into full frame and showed me how great IQ really can be. (3) Realizing that spending too much time stitching 35mm images with mixed success was not a viable substitute for a top quality ultra-wide lens led me to buy a used a7r and a 16-35 f/4 FE lens as a companion to the RX1. I may or may not be a better photographer now, but I am a happier one
My photographic journey began with a humble point and shoot Kodak >> Canon 20D + 24-105 + 17-40 + 50 1.8 >> Canon 5D Mark II + the same lenses >> Fujifilm X100S >> Sigma Merrill DP1 + Sigma Merrill DP3.
My main objectives were a search for excellent picture quality along with lessened weight. I really struggled with the weight of the DSLRs during travel. The Merrills resolved both points for me.
I'm aiming for a lens trinity trinity from classic lines:
FD
OM
M
Contax G
So far, only the Contax is done (28, 45, 90), but the others are close. The FD is 20-35L and 85L--need the 50L. The OM is 24mm f/2.8 and 50mm f/2 Macro--looking for a 100mm f/2.
Of course, I wouldn't mind a Contax/Yashica trinity either...or Nikon (AI-S of 35mm f/1.4, 85mm f/1.4, and 200mm f/2?)
I've used EVERYTHING out there.. For me, I look for one thing above all else. Realistic reach out and touch it colors/rendering (mostly colors geared towards skin tones). Second, is drawing style (character etc). Third is ease of use (ability to get my work done with minimal hassle to me).
The S-system for me has been the best at portraits. Both natural light and studio lit. And I've actually grown to like ALL my S-lenses and the way they render (ouch on the bank account). If the lenses focused faster (faster then even the S-007 which is the fastest in class, and fast in it's own right).. IF they focused faster, I could probably get away with just two S-007 bodies and a few lenses for everything (though I'd probably keep an S-006 for SOOC jpg files).
I'm going to keep searching until a body comes along with the speed of a 1Dx, the accuracy of a S-006 and the rendering/colors/character of the S-006 and S-lenses. Plus a usable TTL system for those times when quality of light is bad (note how I didn't say availability of light).
I have 5 different systems. Ideally I'd like one but the way I work doesn't allow it.
With all that said. I could get by with 2x D750 cameras a 35+85 kit. But I wouldn't be happy/satisfied with my results.
I've got a BUNCH of really nice gear. Bodies and lenses.
The ugly truth, is that I could probably get rid of it all and still be able to produce with nothing more than my RX1R.
It's easy to say.. but it's hard to do.
I admit a GAS problem. I adore beautifully made gear. Almost as much for what it is, as for what it can do.
But I also admit that the whole "shiny shiny" thing that I suffer from is silly in reality..
j.
Gear whore speaking. Since I don't make money with photography, it's simply about having fun and trying out stuff. With four dozen lenses and many film/digital cameras, I have the basics covered. Unfortunately, I shoot studio most of the time, and that requires another world of gear to be funded. Lighting gets expensive, fast!
There was a time when I got different lenses just to try them out on the different cameras that I had in the last twelve years : Rebel->1Ds->Nex3/5->A7. To be honest, the A7 is almost everything I wanted and the A7II seems to be it. On the lens side I had a lot of them, mostly less expensive ( bar two ZM's, some half-fancy C/Y glass ) but now I select lenses in focal lengths that I know I really use ( so no long lens for Zoo and stuff like that or fast AF for sports that I never shoot ). It has become more quiet in my lens bag lately.
I would say, in younger years I bought gear because I liked to have it ( partly with no useful reason ), now I only buy if I think it would be an improvement for myself.
rico wrote:
Gear whore speaking. Since I don't make money with photography, it's simply about having fun and trying out stuff. With four dozen lenses and many film/digital cameras, I have the basics covered. Unfortunately, I shoot studio most of the time, and that requires another world of gear to be funded. Lighting gets expensive, fast!
At least you do shoot in the studio and use that lighting. I have a Profoto collection gathering dust since finding affordable studio space in the NYC area is virtually impossible and I don't dare to sell my lighting kit since I fear I won't be able to afford buying it all back later (bought much of it at great prices used).
Plus, I tend to move regularly and who knows where I'll be next.
I buy stuff (finances permitting) mostly when I feel that it can bring me shots other gear(s) can't. This was especially the case with the primes, 14/2.8 and 24/1.4. There was, of course, an element of curiosity with every purchase but it's rarely a primary driver for me. Especially because I know well that I suck at reselling and therefore always end up stuck with gear I don't want anymore, and/or end up selling stuff at huge loss.
But at the root of it, I'm a photojournalist (now formally, after a few years of hiatus) there's a certain set of lenses from which I can't realistically stray very far. Everything else is gravy.
. But I later realized all this buying and selling was getting boring. I felt less motivated to make good pictures. Too much gear to think which one I should pick up for the day and shoot. And with other priorities in life, I left most of them untouched.