How do you guys avoid having GAS- bodies are so cheap?

GarageBoy · Oct 14, 2015

Well, I have way to many bodies, and yet, there's a lot of lenses I would rather have, and in hindsight, wish I spent the $$$ on instead...

But bodies are so cheap! $100 here and there... Pick up a body for cheap, then grab a 50 1.4 just so I can use it- bam already spent $200

Meanwhile, that Nikon 85 1.4 AF is still waiting for me... (and I already have an F100 to put it on... yet I still WANT an F3 and an FE2)

Dan Fromm · Oct 14, 2015

Your mantra for the rest of your life: "My my wants are simple, needs are few, I have enough."

Nikanon · Oct 14, 2015

GarageBoy said:
Well, I have way to many bodies, and yet, there's a lot of lenses I would rather have, and in hindsight, wish I spent the $$$ on instead...

But bodies are so cheap! $100 here and there... Pick up a body for cheap, then grab a 50 1.4 just so I can use it- bam already spent $200

Meanwhile, that Nikon 85 1.4 AF is still waiting for me... (and I already have an F100 to put it on... yet I still WANT an F3 and an FE2)

Likely if you have way too many theyre not particularly valuable or great cameras, or have no distinguishing characteristics. Get yourself into rangefinder equipment and you'll find a lot more variables in the equipment and much higher prices on average that often yield a greater satisfcation in what you can obtain.

Gerald C Koch · Oct 14, 2015

My grandmother used to say, "It's not a bargain if you don't need it ." Remember this when you are tempted to buy something.

Xmas · Oct 14, 2015

Delete PayPal account for starters.
Don't look at eBay.
Stay one block away from camera shops...

Xmas · Oct 14, 2015

Gerald C Koch said:
My grandmother used to say, "It's not a bargain if you don't need it ." Remember this when you are tempted to buy something.

Need and want are spelt different?

frank · Oct 14, 2015

How to avoid gas? Poverty helps.

benjiboy · Oct 14, 2015

Try some self discipline.

Gerald C Koch · Oct 14, 2015

George Carlin on stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac

removed account4 · Oct 14, 2015

frank said:
How to avoid gas? Poverty helps.

+1

being broke

Anon Ymous · Oct 14, 2015

jnanian said:
frank said:

How to avoid gas? Poverty helps.

Click to expand...

+1

being broke

Oh, that makes three of us.
Besides, I'd rather spend money on paper, chemicals and film.

LarryP · Oct 14, 2015

+1 on being broke. and what has helped me is making a list of whatever I'm gasing for does different my gear doesn't. Usually it's short enough where film looks like a much better deal.

JBrunner · Oct 14, 2015

Well, I probably got started a lot earlier than the OP. As a result I now have more stuff than I can possibly ever use. I'm entering a phase known as GSS, gear selling syndrome.

Bill Burk · Oct 14, 2015

GarageBoy said:
Well, I have way to many bodies, and yet, there's a lot of lenses I would rather have, and in hindsight, wish I spent the $$$ on instead...

But bodies are so cheap! $100 here and there... Pick up a body for cheap, then grab a 50 1.4 just so I can use it- bam already spent $200

Meanwhile, that Nikon 85 1.4 AF is still waiting for me... (and I already have an F100 to put it on... yet I still WANT an F3 and an FE2)

It's real hard to resist. Think gummy foam, capping, CLA... Then think about investing in one good one that already had that work and calling it a day.

mweintraub · Oct 14, 2015

What did it for me is being offered an F6 for a great* deal. I sold a bunch of gear** to get it. Continuing the trend of ridding of stuff I don't use to get better lenses for the kits I'm keeping. It's a good feeling!

* less than the going rate and was wiling to wait for me to get $
** gear I wasn't using and wasn't worth keeping

frank · Oct 14, 2015

The way I did it was to give in and try pretty much everything (except the crazy expensive stuff) so now when I see an interesting camera, often than not, I can say: Been there, done that.
This approach however is what lead to the limited finances, but also to some peace of mind.

Life is short. Eat dessert first.

Thomas Bertilsson · Oct 14, 2015

I actually wish I had fewer cameras. But due to silly emotional attachments I can't get rid of some of them.

I have a lot of Pentax 35mm gear that is in decent condition and I do use them, but I continue to keep them around because most of it was given to me by my father. He collects Pentax cameras, lenses, and gadgets, and when I visit he usually gives me something to keep. Can't say no.

Then there's the Leica, which I had a real love affair with. But focusing with a rangefinder is really hard with my poor eyesight. However, I obtained it at a VERY generous price from a good friend, who also had it and its lenses fully serviced. I can't bring myself to get rid of it.

In addition to that I have:
Holga
Two Hasselblad 500 bodies with lenses and a handful of backs and a slew of accessories.
Canon EOS-3 with 85mm lens (my main 35mm camera)
Zero Image 2000 pinhole camera
An old 5x7 Century that I never use
My deceased grandmother's old Olympus point and shoot camera.

I wish I could just work with three cameras in total, the Hasselblad, the Canon, and the pinhole.

darkosaric · Oct 14, 2015

If you have some extra money - then buy films, chemicals, and paper.

mweintraub · Oct 14, 2015

Thomas Bertilsson said:
I actually wish I had fewer cameras. But due to silly emotional attachments I can't get rid of some of them.

I have a lot of Pentax 35mm gear that is in decent condition and I do use them, but I continue to keep them around because most of it was given to me by my father. He collects Pentax cameras, lenses, and gadgets, and when I visit he usually gives me something to keep. Can't say no.

...

I don't count those cameras / lenses that i get from family. I can't sell those, so those are either stuff I use or shelf pieces.

blockend · Oct 14, 2015

Most material objects own us, not the other way round. I look at some of my cameras that languish in a drawer and think, this was someone's pride and joy. A German folder was probably a major investment. I saw an article today that said a colour print in the early 1960s cost five times the price of a black and white one. We are indeed spoilt.

As Bill said above, I got tired of spending my Saturdays stripping down and re-foaming impulse buys, that would have been better spent taking pictures.

GarageBoy · Oct 14, 2015

Thanks- to me, hoarding is a problem too - I.e. - I got attached to the idea that I HAVE to have a certain body, even if I don't use it, and even if I have cameras that I do use that does the same thing...

No new bodies til I get the lenses I've not saved up for because I've been busy buying bodies

DannL. · Oct 14, 2015

frank said:
The way I did it was to give in and try pretty much everything (except the crazy expensive stuff) so now when I see an interesting camera, often than not, I can say: Been there, done that.
This approach however is what lead to the limited finances, but also to some peace of mind.

Life is short. Eat dessert first.

I "have been" eating my dessert first. You should see me now.

For the OP; Newton's third law: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Since GAS is unavoidable in such a gear-driven craft, it may be beneficial to note that there is a reaction that can be used to alleviate the anxiety that sometimes goes with having bought (boughten?) too much gear. It's called SELLING. In fact, selling can be just as fun (and addictive) as buying. Of course, the secret to getting the most out of selling is to "buy low and sell high". Then those funds are funneled back into the system allowing you to get the gear you really want. In that scenario, GAS is simply wonderful.

blockend · Oct 14, 2015

DannL. said:
It's called SELLING. In fact, selling can be just as fun (and addictive) as buying. Of course, the secret to getting the most out of selling is to "buy low and sell high". Then those funds are funneled back into the system allowing you to get the gear you really want. In that scenario, GAS is simply wonderful.

You're probably right, but if I add up the cost of my time photographing the item, writing up the details, answering dumb questions, finding an appropriately sized box, packaging it as I would like to receive it, labelling the parcel, going to the post office to have it weighed, and sending it off, I'd have to have made a helluva steal on the purchase to be in pocket.

mweintraub · Oct 14, 2015

GarageBoy said:
Thanks- to me, hoarding is a problem too - I.e. - I got attached to the idea that I HAVE to have a certain body, even if I don't use it, and even if I have cameras that I do use that does the same thing...

No new bodies til I get the lenses I've not saved up for because I've been busy buying bodies

I know what you mean. I have two Nikon Fs with standard prisms because they were cheap. Do I need two? No. Do I want to sell one of them, yes and no. I really should sell one. Damn it. Ok.

blockend · Oct 14, 2015

mweintraub said:
I know what you mean. I have two Nikon Fs with standard prisms because they were cheap. Do I need two? No. Do I want to sell one of them, yes and no. I really should sell one. Damn it. Ok.

It's because you know the moment you sell one the other will develop a fault. They know what we're thinking. Don't be fooled.

How do you guys avoid having GAS- bodies are so cheap?

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