[bdery]

I just coupled LBA with a severe downsizing of my kit. How's that possible?

I just replaced a FA50 macro (actually still up for sale), a K135 f2,5 that wasn't being used, and a M150 f3,5 not seeing light often either, with a DFA 100m macro WR that will be able to serve more or less as a replacement for all these lenses. And I'm really glad I did. Now I have six lenses, each with a specific purpose:

WR

18-55 WR
DFA 100mm macro WR

Perfect for hiking, camping, snowshoeing, etc.

Standard kit

Sigma 17-70
FA100-300 f4,7

Perfect for a normal day out, with unplanned photo ops

Lightweight primes/low light/high IQ

DA21
F50 f1,7
DFA 100mm macro WR

Perfect for low light, some home studio, and for travelling light.

That feels like a very well balanced kit for my needs (others will feel differently of course). One could say that I'm missing a high IQ tele lens (like a DA*300 ?) but that's really not in my plans, the FA100-300 will have to serve that purpose. For the rest, I'll use the macro and crop

Did anyone else ever donwsize to get more efficient?

[pxpaulx]

I just downsized from the sigma k mount120-400 to 100-300mm panasonic (micro 4/3), lost about 2.5 pounds and pocketed a couple hundred bucks....well, aside from buying another camera to go with it, haha.

I've gone to mostly primes myself, though I guess I wouldn't consider my collection downsized in any sort of manner!

For K-mount: 10-17mm Fisheye, 15mm, 30mm (sigma), 43mm, 50mm, 50mm Macro, 100mm WR, 600mm (sigma mirror), 18-55mm WR, 50-135mm.

For Micro 4/3: 14mm, 17mm, 100-300mm, 14-42mm.

I don't prefer one brand/mount over another, m4/3 is super compact and great for telephoto; Pentax does rugged, sealed and awesome primes, they are all too much fun to use!

[RioRico]

I don't downsize. I sell off some extra lenses only to be able to buy some more. I don't suffer from LBA -- I *glory* in it! Except when I'm broke.

[dadipentak]

I don't downsize. I sell off some extra lenses only to be able to buy some more. I don't suffer from LBA -- I *glory* in it! Except when I'm broke.

My hero!

[RonHendriks1966]

Well I do change my lensline sometimes to have a good set of lenses that I use. Having 7 lenses at the time is enough, but I do want something long and fast. Maybe 120-300mm/f2.8 in future. I also descided to have some doubles in my lensline to have some back-up when needed. So 60-250 stays when 120-300 comes. Still want 31mm. Also want a FF camera to go for wide-angle, in that case 14mm and 21mm are obsolete.

Never ready with a lens line-up.

[BigAndRed]

Downsizing is such a dirty word!
ive sold my istDL to a friend with a 18-50 but still have 3DSLR bodies, K100, K20 and a infrared dedicated K10 and a X70 cos its light. Olympus underwater pocket camers for snorkelling. too many lenses to count from 8mm to 2600mm.
standard kit would be a Sigma 18-200 zoom, 8mm fisheye, Pentax 50mm f1.4, Tamron 90mm macro. swap bits when i need. maybe the sigma14mm f2.8 on the IR camera as well.
got 100's of cameras, lenses and bits in collection going back to 1912 1/4 plate camera.

[Just1MoreDave]

It would be a wild exaggeration to say I will become more efficient, but here's my plan, still in progress. I got a good deal on a Pentax-M 120mm f2.8. This lens is quite close to the K 135mm f2.5 in some ways, yet an improvement in others. It's smaller and lighter, and therefore a good travel lens. I never traveled with the K135/2.5 because it was too heavy; I used an M135/3.5 instead. Also the minimum focus distance is a foot shorter so the M120/2.8 is more flexible, it has a built-in hood and takes 49mm filters.

I also have a Super-Multi-Coated Takumar 105mm f2.8 that I kept for its minimum focus distance and small size. For some reason, I rarely use it. Possibly it's too close to my 90mm macros, and I know the small base bothers me a bit. So I can sell the K135/2.5, M135/3.5, SMCT 105mm f2.8, and since I'm selling those, might as well put up listings for the other stuff I've accumulated or failed to sell before. With some work/ambition I could get rid of maybe 15-20 lenses.

[Biro]

Up to now, I have generally only added to my lens collection - pausing, perhaps, when financial circmstances dictated - but slowly building the collection for the long haul. Downsizing never entered my mind. But with the advent of micro four thirds, I can see that changing. Like others, I find Panasonic's 100-300mm zoom to be much more satisying, affordable and practical than most long telephotos for APS-C. I'm beginning to suspect I may sell off many of my biggest and heaviest zooms and use mostly primes with my Pentax kit while reserving most zoom work for my micro four thirds kit. There'd be some exceptions of course. Already, I use micro four thirds almost exclusively when I'm travelling.

[bdery]

Downsizing is such a dirty word!

Yeah, but selling lenses I don't really use does make sense

got 100's of cameras, lenses and bits in collection going back to 1912 1/4 plate camera.

I do still have stuff like a Kodak Brownie junior, a Bazooka Joe 35mm, and some other mementoes from the past.

It would be a wild exaggeration to say I will become more efficient, but here's my plan, still in progress... With some work/ambition I could get rid of maybe 15-20 lenses.

Good plan. It WILL require some motivation, though. Right now selling lenses in the marketplace isn't that easy. For instance, the lens I thought would sell the fastest is the only one, out of four, that I listed (FA50 macro).

Up to now, I have generally only added to my lens collection

At first I did that, but after a time I decided never to keep duplicate purpose lenses, and to buy only to either have some fun then make a profit, or improve my kit. I'd love to be able to afford building a collection (if I was a millionaire, I'd definitely collect Pentax lenses) but for the time being, I won't do that, I'll keep my money for other goals.

use mostly primes with my Pentax kit while reserving most zoom work for my micro four thirds kit. There'd be some exceptions of course. Already, I use micro four thirds almost exclusively when I'm travelling.

Interesting how several people now work with two systems. For me, If I want to travel light, the DA21/F50/DFA100 make an amazing and small combo. But most of the time I'll travel with my Sigma and FA100-300, plus the DA21/F50. Now that I have the DFA100 that could change, but the Sigma will probably still be with me most of the time. Except when the weather is at risk, in which case the DA18-55 WR will be my go-to lens.

[bdery]

Here's what my primes team look like



A nice family !

[Nick Siebers]

That is a nice set of lenses! In my mind I am able to reduce to single digits lenses, but I somehow never get around to actually making it happen. The 100 macro WR, I could see letting a few lenses go for a beauty like that, though. :-)

[bdery]

"single digit" number of lenses? I'm actually glad I made that happen. Even for a collector, I believe there must be a main kit used most often.

[RioRico]

"single digit" number of lenses?

That's so... deprived.

"I'm depraved on account-a I'm deprived."
--S.Sondheim

[abacus07]

I've thought about doing something like that in the future. But what could I really sell. Everything is special in its own way.

I think we'll see a lineup reduction in a couple of years if I am able to add several ltd's. But I'm not really feeling held back by the legacy lenses for what I do. Mostly landscapes and architecture. Other than wide angle and that is planned soon.

[bdery]

That's so... deprived.

How many lenses can you use at a time6 and how many duplicates are really useful?

I could have kept lenses like the FA28, but having the DA21 means I would never have used the 28, so why keep it? I can't afford to be a collector.

I've thought about doing something like that in the future. But what could I really sell. Everything is special in its own way.

Again, for a collector this makes sense. But otherwise, it's probable some of these lenses are never used.

for me, the last time I had used my M150 f3,5 was a year and a half ago, when my cousin got married. It was useful in the church. but then no use for more than 18 months... It's a very nice lens but it never saw the light of day.