Gear we dislike but keep...and why?

Alan Gales · Apr 28, 2018

I bought this little mini table top tripod on a whim when I was young. I kept that thing strapped in the top flap of my 35mm camera bag for many years because I thought that one day I might use it. I never did and finally gave it away.

I try not to keep things that I don't like or use. We have a small enough house as it is.

Kino · Apr 28, 2018

E. von Hoegh said:
Perhaps, if you keep some cameras you dislike, it could save you some time in purgatory.

Damn, I'm headed for sainthood...

Pioneer · Apr 28, 2018

MattKing said:
I have an old tripod that I don't like nearly as much as my current one.
But as it resides in the trunk of my wife's car, it serves its purpose well.
Older, less appreciated equipment that is already owned and paid for is a good choice for backups.

Old tripods never die. They just go to live in the trunk.

And you are absolutely correct. If it is already owned and paid for then it is a great choice for back up duty. Especially older gear that has proven its utility and reliability. Like or dislike no longer matters nearly as much.

John Earley · Apr 28, 2018

I have a Nikon N8008s that I've never been very fond of. I don't really dislike it but some things about it don't seem just right, the grip for example or the plastic back. I paid a couple of dollars for it and gave the lens from it to my son so I don't have much invested. The N80 I have is much much nicer so I would rather use it.

blockend · Apr 29, 2018

John Earley said:
I have a Nikon N8008s that I've never been very fond of.

Nikon's enthusiast SLRs of the era (F801 and F601 in UK) had the trickle down tech of the pro models, with none of the build quality Nikon were synonymous with. Some say they killed Nikon's reputation. I had a couple and they were "Nikon" in name only. Considering Nikon wouldn't put the brand on their Nikkormat, which was every inch a Nikon, the AF models were a white flag to market forces.

BradS · Apr 29, 2018

John Earley said:
I have a Nikon N8008s that I've never been very fond of. I don't really dislike it but some things about it don't seem just right......

I guess this is how I feel about the Mamiya too. It's not that I dislike it so much as some things are kinda goofy - in particular, the way light meter works in manual mode - and pretty much everything else about it I really like. Same with the minolta SRT....I don't dislike it so muchas It just feels goofy in my hands. I love the way that it works and the results I get.

dpurdy · Apr 29, 2018

I have always disliked my zone VI 8x10 but it works and I don't want to buy another 8x10. The other thing I hated from the moment I got it was my gitzo studex tripod. I still have it now 35 years later and still hate it but now it just gathers dust while I use my Bogen 3021.

k.hendrik · Apr 29, 2018

It's like kids; I love all my darlings.......

Cholentpot · Apr 29, 2018

I bought a EF 35-135 USM II that I figured would be a great all around lens a while back. Good for film and good for the other stuff. Turns out the 'other stuff' did not like the lens one bit, soft and would not focus with it. Stupid thing.

Then I got into anamorphics and other stuff and the lens functions perfectly. So now I won't get rid of anything in case it comes into good use in the future. Same happened with my Signet 50. And then I forced myself to learn scale focusing and I learned to like the camera.

M-88 · May 2, 2018

Zenit 11
It's in a mint condition and even though our market is oversaturated with Zenits, it's hard to find one with no chips or dents and with correctly functioning selenium light meter. So I hate it, but I'm keeping it.

Contax II
Whimsical shutter that has been repaired several times already, tiny-weeny viewfinder which makes me want to puke after glorious HD Window of Olympus OM-1. Why am I keeping it? It's Contax.

Nikon N80
It's too digital-like. Sometimes I think the only thing that makes it different from digital is the absence of display on the back. I keep it because it's convenient sometimes, when I need autofocus. It's my only AF film camera.

darinwc · May 2, 2018

Gorilla pod. I thought it would be fun to mount a camera anywhere. Never used it. Don't really like it.

Gear we dislike but keep...and why?

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