No More Collecting For Me!

snegron · Aug 10, 2006

Today I got my pics back from the lab. I shot a test roll of Kodak High Definition ISO 400 with my recently purchased Nikon F3HP and an old 50mm 1.8 lens. I was not expecting anything spectacular, but boy was I wrong! The colors, sharpness, tones, and overall quality just blew me away. I have recently been using Nikon DSLR cameras and was somewhat happy with the results after some PS work, but the images straight out of the camera from my F3HP are light years ahead in terms of resolution and tonal range. So, I have decided to stop collecting film equipment for the sake of collecting and shoot as much film as possible. After all, what is the purpose of collecting old equipment anyway? To carefully hold on to it for several years and sell it to someone else at a higher price? In the meantime, imagine how many outstanding images are not being taken just because you want to maintain that "mint" condition on that old F2 or FTN? Now where did I put that old 105mm 2.5...?

argus · Aug 10, 2006

snegron said:
...So, I have decided to stop collecting film equipment ...

No one on this forum will believe you :rolleyes:

snegron said:
After all, what is the purpose of collecting old equipment anyway?

There will be a day when you decide that only one camera is not enough for a grown man (read: boy)

Have fun!

G

DBP · Aug 10, 2006

snegron said:
After all, what is the purpose of collecting old equipment anyway?

The only good reason to collect anything is aesthetics. And old cameras are often lovely.

Uncle Bill · Aug 10, 2006

They are safer not cheaper than drugs. Besides, I use all my gear.

Bill

Sjixxxy · Aug 10, 2006

snegron said:
After all, what is the purpose of collecting old equipment anyway?

I primarily shoot with a Speed Graphic, and often abuse it quite well, so in my world, there is a simple term for collecting.

"Spare Parts"

snegron · Aug 10, 2006

argus said:
No one on this forum will believe you :rolleyes:

There will be a day when you decide that only one camera is not enough for a grown man (read: boy)

Have fun!

G

After the next mint FTN, I'll stop, I promise...

BruceN · Aug 10, 2006

I am NOT a collector. I NEED all of these cameras. Now, quick, someone help me convince my wife.

Bruce

copake_ham · Aug 10, 2006

I agree!

I would never "collect" cameras -I "acquire" them!

I use all of my cameras. I'm not like those Japanese collectors who shrink wrap them and put them in the deep freeze. And only fondle them once a decade!

Besides, I need that room in the deep freeze to store my film.

Buy cameras and shoot the heck out of them - that's what they're for gosh dangit!

rjs003 · Aug 10, 2006

I have been collecting them for years and the one criteria that I have is that the cameras must still be able to take pictures.

Lee Shively · Aug 10, 2006

I don't collect, I accumulate. I use them all--except for a couple of sentimental favorites I wore out years ago.

snegron · Aug 10, 2006

BruceN said:
I am NOT a collector. I NEED all of these cameras. Now, quick, someone help me convince my wife.

Bruce

My wife stopped beliving that line after about the 12th camera body...

AZLF · Aug 10, 2006

snegron said:
My wife stopped beliving that line after about the 12th camera body...

Same here. She is very reasonable about it though. The last camera body and lens I bought (number 14) I told her I bought it, "Cuz I wanted it and it is a very cool camera". She nodded and went back to the book she was reading. Life is good.

Doug Knutsen · Aug 10, 2006

Hey, I refuse to take responsibility for my actions! It's not my fault that Kodak made so damned many different folders or Yashica made so many different variations on the Electro 35 and Lynx themes! The absolutely mint Kodak Vigilant Six-20 that just arrived is absolutely necessary for my work. And, maybe tomorrow, the postman will bring the bring the Kodak Pocket 1-A I won off eBay. Really, it's necessary for my work! I'm not a collector. I'm strong. I have will power......gotta get back to eBay and see how my bidding is doing......

Doug

firecracker · Aug 10, 2006

I've just auctioned off a used shooting lens, and I can't wait to use it!

I don't collect anything but stock up the necessary items...

Papa Tango · Aug 11, 2006

copake_ham said:
I agree!

I use all of my cameras. I'm not like those Japanese collectors who shrink wrap them and put them in the deep freeze. And only fondle them once a decade!

Besides, I need that room in the deep freeze to store my film.

Really? You are not making this up? Who does this, and is this a big thing?

thebanana · Aug 11, 2006

I put it in perspective for my sweetie. Some guys collect vintage cars. All my gear in total wouldn't come close to the downpayment on a a restored '57 Chevy.

Gerald Koch · Aug 11, 2006

If most people who collected cameras just left them on a shelf, I would agree with you. But, as you can see from the replies, most people continue to use old cameras. I enjoy using old cameras and making prints from the negatives.

Dan Fromm · Aug 11, 2006

Gerald Koch said:
If most people who collected cameras just left them on a shelf, I would agree with you. But, as you can see from the replies, most people continue to use old cameras. I enjoy using old cameras and making prints from the negatives.

Gerald, what you say may be true of the people who post here. But I'm acquainted with a few, um, very special people who have many more cameras than they can possibly use. Several are serious collectors with more than "MORE" in mine, others are serious accumulators who just want "MORE."

What I don't understand is why I should care about other' motivations or practices. A accumulates cameras, doesn't use them. B accumulates cameras, uses them. As long as both are happy, so what?

Cheers,

Dan

Tom Hoskinson · Aug 11, 2006

I'm happy, Dan - but my wife is becoming very cruel and sarcastic.

"Don't you have a dozen of those already?"

Same problem with hand and machine tools...

copake_ham · Aug 11, 2006

Pragmatist said:
Really? You are not making this up? Who does this, and is this a big thing?

Well I may have exaggerated about the deep freeze - but yes, as I understand it, there are big-time collectors (mainly in Asia) who buy rare or pristine classic gear and then shrink wrap it for protection.

Steve Smith · Aug 11, 2006

copake_ham said:
Well I may have exaggerated about the deep freeze - but yes, as I understand it, there are big-time collectors (mainly in Asia) who buy rare or pristine classic gear and then shrink wrap it for protection.

A similar thing happened in the mid 80's with metal body National guitars. Dire Straits put one on the cover of an album and people started collecting them including Japanese collectors who had them as display items in perspex cabinets. The prices rocketed out of the reach of those interested in actually playing them and have never really dropped again.

However, most old cameras were more of a mass produced consumer item than National guitars were so the fact that some people buy them as display or investment items should not really affect the price or availability to the rest of us (hopefully!).

Steve.

k_jupiter · Aug 11, 2006

Dan Fromm said:
Gerald, what you say may be true of the people who post here. But I'm acquainted with a few, um, very special people who have many more cameras than they can possibly use. Several are serious collectors with more than "MORE" in mine, others are serious accumulators who just want "MORE."

What I don't understand is why I should care about other' motivations or practices. A accumulates cameras, doesn't use them. B accumulates cameras, uses them. As long as both are happy, so what?

Cheers,

Dan

It's pretty simple. If you have more cameras than me, you have a serious problem. If you have less, you are to be pitied.

And the number is...

37 (with 2 more on the way for kite flying).

tim in san jose

snegron · Aug 11, 2006

thebanana said:
I put it in perspective for my sweetie. Some guys collect vintage cars. All my gear in total wouldn't come close to the downpayment on a a restored '57 Chevy.

That is my second favorite line as well! I also put it in another perspective, "Honey, at least I am collecting Nikons instead of Leicas. Think of all the money we are saving."

firecracker · Aug 11, 2006

copake_ham said:
Well I may have exaggerated about the deep freeze - but yes, as I understand it, there are big-time collectors (mainly in Asia) who buy rare or pristine classic gear and then shrink wrap it for protection.

There's a reason to protect the gears from a fugus attack. The wet season from late May to mid July is really wet, and the humidity level stays way over 60, 70 percent all the time. One or two years won't hurt much, but any longer than that, yes, definitely.

firecracker · Aug 11, 2006

Steve Smith said:
A similar thing happened in the mid 80's with metal body National guitars. Dire Straits put one on the cover of an album and people started collecting them including Japanese collectors who had them as display items in perspex cabinets. The prices rocketed out of the reach of those interested in actually playing them and have never really dropped again.

However, most old cameras were more of a mass produced consumer item than National guitars were so the fact that some people buy them as display or investment items should not really affect the price or availability to the rest of us (hopefully!).

Steve.

Yeah, every foreign product is a potential rare collectable item in this culture, which kills me. Even mass-produced low-end domestic cameras are so, too.

You can see a lot of blogs by those collectors who show their test results from their book knowledges, etc. They never fire the shutters of their vitage cameras because that will decrease the values.

No More Collecting For Me!

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency