12.14.2018

Breaking the new camera spell by looking at photos already in my collection.

This is one of my favorite photos from Iceland.

Yeah, yeah. I suckered myself into laying out more cash for yet another camera system. I sat down today to look at the range of lenses available in the Fuji system and I was in that "I'm doing important research..." buying mode until one of my clients texted and asked to see my gallery of images from Iceland. I pulled up the gallery on Smugmug.com and decided to buzz through it to make sure there were no images of me drunk and hanging from a chandelier that might make said client reconsider our working relationship. That's when I was brought up short. I was immediately reminded of how much I loved the color and detail of the images I shot with the Panasonic G9s. They are beautiful. I looked over at my selections of lenses for the G9's system and smiled. There wasn't one in the drawer I didn't enjoy using.

A stand out for me was the selection of images I took using the camera's square format setting in conjunction with the Sigma 30m f1.4 DN lens. The colors and textures make me sit up and take notice. In fact, I can't see much reason for pursuing any technical improvements for my use...

I can't really blame Michael Johnston's review (theonelinephotographer) of the X-H1 for my latest buying spree. Everything he wrote is true from my perspective. I think it's just human nature to presume that the grass on the other side of the fence is always greener (and yummier). 

Will I stop cherry picking the Fuji lens line up? Probably not.

Why not? Well, I can afford the cameras and lenses without any financial strain on my family unit. As one of my sage friends once remarked to me when I confessed to my terrible camera buying addiction: "Cheaper than keeping a mistress. Or collecting Ferraris. Or putting in a wine cellar and filling it up. Cheaper than collecting fine automatic watches."

I think most people are far too timid about funding their passions and hobbies. How tragic I think it would be to have saved millions and millions of dollars for retirement; to have planned to finally engage in that wonderful pursuit of art, only to get hit by a bus, or an errant anvil or grand piano falling from a building window,  and die the day after you turn over the keys to the office and the I.D. badge...

11 comments:

EdPledger said...

Cheaper than a boat, motor and trailer for fishing the coast. Like I told my fishing buddy, we should have just joined the River Oaks Country Club and saved some money.

Anonymous said...

And it doesn’t hurt when gear can be acquired 2nd hand at a steep price drop compared to new.
If only I could justify unloading my D600 to get a D750 :). Unfortunately (photographically speaking) I’m at the other end of the spectrum re family, so young child and mortgage take priority.
Cheers,
Not THAT Ross Cameron

Keith said...

A guy once told me that sometime in his 40's he mentioned to his wife that he was having a midlife crisis and he wasn't sure which, be he needed either a new mistress or a new motorcycle. His wife replied that she reckoned he didn't need either, but that he damn well better buy that motorcycle.

David said...

Reality checks don't bounce.

David Bateman said...

A new mistress! Was the old one not good. And why didn't his wife question that?

Malcolm Myers said...

I realised long ago that there is no point saving all your money for retirement and then starting to enjoy life then. Live life now, it's much more fun. As for cameras I now have a growing collection of mostly film cameras that seem that seem to pop up at bargain prices nowadays. One day I'll get a darkroom too, hours of fun :)

Anonymous said...

I keep listening to the rumor talk about receiving boundless online grant applications so I have been looking
around for the top site to get one. Could you tell me please, where could i get some?

TMJ said...

I agree absolutely. And as a professional you can offset the costs against tax, depreciate them etc.each financial year and just look at it as as very inexpensive long term rental

Jim Restle said...

If there are any photos of a drunken Kirk hanging from chandeliers, you will share them with your loyal VSL readers, right?

Anonymous said...

I was very happy to find this page. I want to to thank
you for ones time for this particularly fantastic read!! I definitely
enjoyed every bit of it and I have you saved to fav to look at new stuff on your web site.

neopavlik said...

Continually looking at my work has helped me fight the upgrade of my D600.
The cost to benefit ratio helps as well.