OP
OP
Clarification
I thank all who have participated in this thread which, I suspect, affects a hefty proportion of us on this site. Some GAS sufferers may still be in the (equipment) closet. Nice to know I'm not alone.
To those who think I am missing some Nikon classics, that is not by happenstance. I have many more Nikons in my stash, but just mentioned the first few that came to mind of which I have at least a pair. In my haste to mention my doubles, I neglected to mention a pair of the N90s, N2000, the N2020, the N6006, and the Nikkormats (a mint FS is one favorite piece).
I do not own an F3, F4, F5, or several of the older classics (tanks). Those, in my opinion, were working photojournalists' gear that had to withstand the rigors of the daily grind. I don't require that sort of equipment as a hobbyist. When I was photo director of a mid-size daily, I saw to it that the staff got the best we could find at the time.
To those who might think I don't actually use much of this stuff, think again. While I don't run through as much as a working pro did when film was in its heyday, when I go to a family dinner, I'm good for at least three rolls. Christmas parties call for much more. Each one-week vacation results in a thick, separate album of my best shots of the time.
And I do shoot an occasional wedding or bar mitzvah or other paying job.
The biggest caveat for me is to arm myself in every case with one or two of the same type of body. I don't usually mix SLR cameras. If I go out for an afternoon in the parks, I may take a Spotmatic and an H3v, both screwmounts. Or a Minolta X570 and XE-5, both MD mounts. Or a gorgeous Canon A1 and a tidy little T-70 in FD mount. Or a Super Program and my favorite Pentax MX, both K mounts. Or two Nikon autofocus bodies. Or a pair of Nikon manual bodies. I can take a couple of my favorite lenses, use B&W and color, or experiment with filters on one of the outfits.
For the paying jobs, I find myself using the gear I am most comfortable with, typically a pair of N90s Nikons or a couple of N8008s models, with the SB-28 strobes and appropriate lenses.
Most of my stuff is for the pure fun and joy of using finely crafted equipment to make pictures that matter to me and my family. And what I grab for a day's shooting depends on nothing more than my mood at the moment.
I do not have Canon AF gear or Olympus 35mm SLR stuff in my collection, but I have a few years left in me, so there's time.
In many cases I also carry one of my four Olympus XA cameras in a pocket. Or an XA2. Or my new favorite P&S, a Pentax UC-1 or Espio Mini (essentially the exact same camera but in black). I have two drawers full of point-and-shoot cameras. I am almost NEVER without at least a P&S camera within easy reach.
When I plan to take some time with my hobby, I also have gotten into the habit of making a quick refresher of the camera manuals to make sure I'm familiar with what I have chosen on that particular day. I remember one time shooting my first roll of the day on a Nikon when, after the 36th frame, I realized I had forgotten how to rewind the darned film on a camera that uses pushbuttons for that task. I had to drive home (not far) for the manual. Now, I either do a quick read-through of each camera manual, or make sure I have one along in the bag of the day.
So, to me, owning so many rigs by so many manufacturers is not especially a hassle. And, not meaning to start a Canon-Nikon-Minolta-Pentax war, I have never found that the top glass of one maker is any better than the top glass of another.
That said, I have recently inherited two apparently brand new Leica rangefinders with lenses that I have yet to use.
It may indeed be many months or longer before I get around to a particular camera, but I do exercise the shutters occasionally, along with the flash units.
So am I JUST a collector of esoteric 35mm gear, which some may think after reading my post? No, I think not. I rather enjoy using what I can. I also enjoy handling and keeping this fine equipment in top shape.
I have thousands of photos in my albums, and thousands more that didn't make the cut, stored in chronological order and dated along with the negatives.
Most of my albums are on coffee tables in my living room where the kids, and now the grandkids, spend time with them whenever they're home.
Funny, too, how the dozens of nieces and nephews who groaned 25 to 30 years or more ago: "Oh good grief! Here's Uncle Ken with his cameras again" now head straight for those albums to show their own children what we all looked like way back then.
There's a certain satisfaction in such actions that I find refreshing and that makes it all worthwhile.
And I smile inwardly that some day, when I am gone, those same family members will likely all want a piece of those memories that will live on in my photos.
I thank all who have participated in this thread which, I suspect, affects a hefty proportion of us on this site. Some GAS sufferers may still be in the (equipment) closet. Nice to know I'm not alone.
To those who think I am missing some Nikon classics, that is not by happenstance. I have many more Nikons in my stash, but just mentioned the first few that came to mind of which I have at least a pair. In my haste to mention my doubles, I neglected to mention a pair of the N90s, N2000, the N2020, the N6006, and the Nikkormats (a mint FS is one favorite piece).
I do not own an F3, F4, F5, or several of the older classics (tanks). Those, in my opinion, were working photojournalists' gear that had to withstand the rigors of the daily grind. I don't require that sort of equipment as a hobbyist. When I was photo director of a mid-size daily, I saw to it that the staff got the best we could find at the time.
To those who might think I don't actually use much of this stuff, think again. While I don't run through as much as a working pro did when film was in its heyday, when I go to a family dinner, I'm good for at least three rolls. Christmas parties call for much more. Each one-week vacation results in a thick, separate album of my best shots of the time.
And I do shoot an occasional wedding or bar mitzvah or other paying job.
The biggest caveat for me is to arm myself in every case with one or two of the same type of body. I don't usually mix SLR cameras. If I go out for an afternoon in the parks, I may take a Spotmatic and an H3v, both screwmounts. Or a Minolta X570 and XE-5, both MD mounts. Or a gorgeous Canon A1 and a tidy little T-70 in FD mount. Or a Super Program and my favorite Pentax MX, both K mounts. Or two Nikon autofocus bodies. Or a pair of Nikon manual bodies. I can take a couple of my favorite lenses, use B&W and color, or experiment with filters on one of the outfits.
For the paying jobs, I find myself using the gear I am most comfortable with, typically a pair of N90s Nikons or a couple of N8008s models, with the SB-28 strobes and appropriate lenses.
Most of my stuff is for the pure fun and joy of using finely crafted equipment to make pictures that matter to me and my family. And what I grab for a day's shooting depends on nothing more than my mood at the moment.
I do not have Canon AF gear or Olympus 35mm SLR stuff in my collection, but I have a few years left in me, so there's time.
In many cases I also carry one of my four Olympus XA cameras in a pocket. Or an XA2. Or my new favorite P&S, a Pentax UC-1 or Espio Mini (essentially the exact same camera but in black). I have two drawers full of point-and-shoot cameras. I am almost NEVER without at least a P&S camera within easy reach.
When I plan to take some time with my hobby, I also have gotten into the habit of making a quick refresher of the camera manuals to make sure I'm familiar with what I have chosen on that particular day. I remember one time shooting my first roll of the day on a Nikon when, after the 36th frame, I realized I had forgotten how to rewind the darned film on a camera that uses pushbuttons for that task. I had to drive home (not far) for the manual. Now, I either do a quick read-through of each camera manual, or make sure I have one along in the bag of the day.
So, to me, owning so many rigs by so many manufacturers is not especially a hassle. And, not meaning to start a Canon-Nikon-Minolta-Pentax war, I have never found that the top glass of one maker is any better than the top glass of another.
That said, I have recently inherited two apparently brand new Leica rangefinders with lenses that I have yet to use.
It may indeed be many months or longer before I get around to a particular camera, but I do exercise the shutters occasionally, along with the flash units.
So am I JUST a collector of esoteric 35mm gear, which some may think after reading my post? No, I think not. I rather enjoy using what I can. I also enjoy handling and keeping this fine equipment in top shape.
I have thousands of photos in my albums, and thousands more that didn't make the cut, stored in chronological order and dated along with the negatives.
Most of my albums are on coffee tables in my living room where the kids, and now the grandkids, spend time with them whenever they're home.
Funny, too, how the dozens of nieces and nephews who groaned 25 to 30 years or more ago: "Oh good grief! Here's Uncle Ken with his cameras again" now head straight for those albums to show their own children what we all looked like way back then.
There's a certain satisfaction in such actions that I find refreshing and that makes it all worthwhile.
And I smile inwardly that some day, when I am gone, those same family members will likely all want a piece of those memories that will live on in my photos.
