too much gear?

[BradS]

When you have to look at an inventory list to decide what kit to take to Grandma's house for the holiday....:confused:

 

[StoneNYC]

+1

When it doesn't all fit in my three pelican cases....?

 

[cjbecker]

My hasselblad kit won't fit into an expedition 8 bag...... Well there is a rolleicord stuffed in there also. Not bad for only having 2 cameras.

I am quite proud of my hasselblad kit. Have every accessory I could use, and do use them. Prism focus sports finder (a really useful viewfinder), regular sports finder, grip, speed winders, speed focus handles, extra back, 45 finder, cut film back, flash extension, it's amazing what you can make the hasselblad do.

 

[benjiboy]

I've been there Brad and have the T shirt, I had loads of diverse equipment that made no sense as an outfit that I had accumulated over the years, but I rationalized my gear about 25 years ago and sold most of it and settled on Canon FD SLR's and lenses and mamiya C 330F TLR's and lenses, since then in the past 25 years I have only bought 2 cameras and my gear now makes sense.

 

[Dr Croubie]

When you need to keep going down to the local hardware store to buy more shelves...

 

[Theo Sulphate]

I use my stuff in alphabetical order.

 

[gone]

I'm trying very, very hard to get down to one camera. It's the only thing that makes any sense. If you have even two they're like Tribbles. Suddenly, from two you have a dozen! And none of them work "right" of course. You have to carry crib sheets to remember that one has a light leak on one side of the back, the other hangs below 1/25, the other, other one may say 1/500, but it's nuts, and is actually about 1/180. etc.

I wonder if anyone has too much film/chemicals/paper?

 

[Chrismat]

I fondly remember the days when all I had were a couple of K1000s with a few lenses and a Pentax 6X7 with three lenses. It made it so easy to shoot. Now I have so much more equipment that figuring out what I'm going to use next can eat up a lot of time. But I have to say, the different equipment does make photography seem new, it doesn't get stale.

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

This thread makes me giggle a little bit.

I really have three cameras that are serious contenders. Hasselblad, for landscape and those portraits/figure work I wish to make for myself.
35mm for everything else, Leica/Canon/Pentax doesn't matter.

 

[StoneNYC]

When you need to keep going down to the local hardware store to buy more shelves...

Shouldn't keep your developer next to your alcohol... Just thinking that's not a good idea

 

[eclarke]

When I can't get any more

 

[summicron1]

Looks like a good starter kit. You planning to branch out at all?

When you need to keep going down to the local hardware store to buy more shelves...

 

[hdeyong]

I've sort of decided to make a New Years resolution to possibly start thinning out my stuff, well if……..

 

[BradleyK]

+1

When it doesn't all fit in my three pelican cases....?

Or when your Nikon system alone won't fit in six 105 and two 111 Halliburtons. Yep...a rationalization of bodies is definitely forthcoming in the New Year. Potentially on the chopping block: an F5, an F3HP, an extra MD4/AH-3, possibly a pair of F2s (F2A, F2AS)... The Hasselblads and their eight lenses fit nicely in their pair of 111s, the Leicas and their seven lenses in their 106...but the Nikons....

 

[StoneNYC]

Or when your Nikon system alone won't fit in six 105 and two 111 Halliburtons. Yep...a rationalization of bodies is definitely forthcoming in the New Year. Potentially on the chopping block: an F5, an F3HP, an extra MD4/AH-3, possibly a pair of F2s (F2A, F2AS)... The Hasselblads and their eight lenses fit nicely in their pair of 111s, the Leicas and their seven lenses in their 106...but the Nikons....

See I try and only keep one type of each body type that I use, one 6x7 SLR, one Rangefinder 6x7 etc, not multiple bodies of the same format and function, get rid of all your Nikon biddies except 2 and all your overlapping lenses, choose the best of the overlapping lenses (like choose the 2.8 over the 4) and get rid of the excess lenses too.

You don't need more than 2 ever (unless you're a Paperazzi from the 1980's).

 

[Theo Sulphate]

(signature) An assortment of F-series Nikons (F to F6, excluding the F4)

I'm curious how the F4 got to be excluded. In my case, I've got F through F4 and chose not to get the F5 and F6 because those bodies don't have many external controls; they're more like the digital bodies.

 

[darkosaric]

How about new rule: if the price of all gear you have is below 5000$/€ --> it is ok ?

 

[MattKrull]

It is only too much gear if it overlaps capability.

Having a complete Nikon system and Canon system, where neither has a distinct advantage or obvious usage case = too much gear.

Having a something to cover every possible scenario, is not. Rollei 35 for walk-about, 35mm SLR with all the lenses for every situation where portability matters, medium format to cover those times when image quality trumps portability, and LF/ULF for when nothing but the best will do; that is justifiable.

Sometimes we just have to agree to disagree with our spouses on what constitutes too much

 

[darkosaric]

Sometimes we just have to agree to disagree with our spouses on what constitutes too much

With women it is easy: Just count how many pairs of shoes she has

 

[frank]

With women it is easy: Just count how many pairs of shoes she has

And her number of purses = your number of camera bags.

 

[benjiboy]

I'm trying very, very hard to get down to one camera. It's the only thing that makes any sense. If you have even two they're like Tribbles. Suddenly, from two you have a dozen! And none of them work "right" of course. You have to carry crib sheets to remember that one has a light leak on one side of the back, the other hangs below 1/25, the other, other one may say 1/500, but it's nuts, and is actually about 1/180. etc.

I wonder if anyone has too much film/chemicals/paper?

I find the best option is to have a few cameras that you use regularly, and instead of constantly buying more pay to have them serviced professionally occasionally when required so they are all in good working order.

 

[BradleyK]

I'm curious how the F4 got to be excluded. In my case, I've got F through F4 and chose not to get the F5 and F6 because those bodies don't have many external controls; they're more like the digital bodies.

Actually, an F4S (subsequently "upgraded" to an F4E) was part of my arsenal for a period of time. When the display decided to give up the ghost I decided not to bother repairing or replacing the camera. If you review the classifieds, you can read my post; I donated the camera to a fellow APUGer.

 

[BrianShaw]

I find the best option is to have a few cameras that you use regularly, and instead of constantly buying more pay to have them serviced professionally occasionally when required so they are all in good working order.

Me too, and that is the course of action I recommend whenever this topic comes up (which seems far too often)... but I couldn't care less if others choose to do differently. I choose to live and let live.

 

[BradS]

With women it is easy: Just count how many pairs of shoes she has

My wife used gripe at me about my camera habit...one day when she was at work, I came home for lunch, took all of her shoes out of the various closets around the hose and lined them all up side by side down the hall around the corner and into the bedroom. Ever since, we have an agreement: I don't say anything negative about her shoes and she does likewise about my cameras....it works for us.

 

[BradS]

More than 1 camera is too many. 2 if a professional wedding photographer or photojournalist in a war zone (same difference).

!