Lens reduction strategies? (i.e. Anti-LBA)

bdery · 10-09-2014, 06:01 AM

Originally posted by 6BQ5

Your line up is a symbol of simplicity and perfection! I strive for something like that.

Perfection, I don't know1

but I'm at a point where I really don't need another lens. I might like to replace the 18-55 with the 18-85 at some point, depending on what kind of lens it is, but apart from that I now focus on taking pictures (and buying studio gear :P )

Originally posted by normhead

don't buy anything you don't plan to keep.

Except if it's a good deal. I've played with quite a lot of older lenses this way.

Homo_erectus · 10-09-2014, 06:07 AM

For me, figuring out exactly what sort of photography I like to do has led naturally to a reduction in lenses.

It turns out I do four things; macro, wild animals, portraits, and events. My goal is to get down to four lenses plus a teleconverter. So far I have the da* 60-250, the da* 55mm, and the Sigma 105mm Macro. My plan is to add the Sigma 18-35 for indoor no flash allowed work and the Pentax teleconverter. I'll probably get the teleconverter first because the 55 is good enough for events as it is. In the end I may skip the 18-35 entirely.

I sold my da 18-135, sigma 10-20, sigma 28mm and tamron 70-200 recently as I rarely shoot on the wide end, the 18-135 overlaps too much with other lenses and isn't as good, and the tamron was more or less a lemon being unusable below F/4 even after being sent in for repairs.

There's always something more awesome, rarer, more unique, but lenses are way too expensive for me to afford to collect them. And the lenses I have are better lenses than I am a photographer so there's plenty of room to grow and learn.

Andi Lo · 10-09-2014, 07:41 AM

This is like asking how to quit drinking in a wine enthusiast forum

For me if I dont love OR use a lens, I sell it. There are lenses that I love that I use only a few times a year. I keep them. (Tak 35/2, Jupiter-9, Sigma 4.5mm)

**monochrome** · 10-09-2014, 07:46 AM

Originally posted by Andi Lo

Tak 35/2

I have a pristine copy of that lens and a pristine copy of the K35/2. Doesn't make any sense at all

and I don't care.

stormtech · 10-09-2014, 07:46 PM

I went through a long phase of LBA. I had this urge to try them all or at least a sampling of many different lenses. What happened with me is I think the gear got in the way of my shooting in a way. After buying and selling a lot of lenses, I had finally settled on what I thought was the perfect kit for myself of 9 or 10 lenses. I was actually satisfied at that point and didn't buy a lens for over a year. But then it went even further in that I was looking at certain lenses on my shelf that I never used. I would then pick them up and kind of force myself to use them but they just didn't click with me for some reason. Ended up selling those couple off and down to my basic 4 lenses now.

This has been kind of liberating to me in a big way. It has forced me to use what I have (which is more than plenty) and I feel my creativity has taken a big boost. Some focal lengths just made no sense for me to have because of where I live and shoot. I now concentrate more on the image than the gear.

6BQ5 · 10-09-2014, 11:33 PM

Originally posted by stormtech

This has been kind of liberating to me in a big way. It has forced me to use what I have (which is more than plenty) and I feel my creativity has taken a big boost. Some focal lengths just made no sense for me to have because of where I live and shoot. I now concentrate more on the image than the gear.

I totally understand the feeling of liberation. When I started hanging up my LBA to dry I also started focusing more on the image because I had more time and energy to do so. Shopping for gear is a time suck. It really is. Hours spent on eBay shopping could have been spent winding up the shutter count on my K-30. Now I have to put the same time and energy into selling the lenses as I did buying it! Haha! Oh, it will never end, will it?

Andi Lo · 10-10-2014, 07:26 AM

Originally posted by 6BQ5

I totally understand the feeling of liberation. When I started hanging up my LBA to dry I also started focusing more on the image because I had more time and energy to do so. Shopping for gear is a time suck. It really is. Hours spent on eBay shopping could have been spent winding up the shutter count on my K-30. Now I have to put the same time and energy into selling the lenses as I did buying it! Haha! Oh, it will never end, will it?

I think shopping for gear / gear acquisition is kind of a subset of photography though

It really shouldnot take as long as it usually does... but it's more fun than it really should be, but I guess it's like programmers obsessing over computer specs?

**psoo** · 10-10-2014, 03:33 PM

Originally posted by reeftool

Since most of my lenses have been obtained at very low cost, I don't really worry about it. I have quite a few but there are still some that I want and can make good excuses why I "need" them. I do have some older Nikon and Olympus lenses that I don't have camera bodies for so those are possibilities but then I kick around picking up a micro 4/3 camera.............

It never ends.

I agree completely. Most of my lenses were obtained for next to nothing at garage sales. Many were off-name brands such as Vemar and Avenar, which actually perform satisfactorily. Some are low-end lenses by Vivitar and Sigma. Even my good quality Pentax legacy lenses are not worth much when one reviews selling prices in the Pentax Forums. So how much can I make if I advertise them for sale on eBay? The shipping costs and effort involved in packing them makes it non-worthwhile for me. I just plan to keep all these lenses (they don't take up much space) and take them out once in a while and have fun seeing how much quality I can squeeze out of a cheap lens.

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10-09-2014, 06:01 AM	#31
bdery Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Quebec city, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,357	Originally posted by 6BQ5 Your line up is a symbol of simplicity and perfection! I strive for something like that. Perfection, I don't know1 but I'm at a point where I really don't need another lens. I might like to replace the 18-55 with the 18-85 at some point, depending on what kind of lens it is, but apart from that I now focus on taking pictures (and buying studio gear :P ) Originally posted by normhead don't buy anything you don't plan to keep. Except if it's a good deal. I've played with quite a lot of older lenses this way.

10-09-2014, 06:07 AM	#32
Homo_erectus Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 410	For me, figuring out exactly what sort of photography I like to do has led naturally to a reduction in lenses. It turns out I do four things; macro, wild animals, portraits, and events. My goal is to get down to four lenses plus a teleconverter. So far I have the da* 60-250, the da* 55mm, and the Sigma 105mm Macro. My plan is to add the Sigma 18-35 for indoor no flash allowed work and the Pentax teleconverter. I'll probably get the teleconverter first because the 55 is good enough for events as it is. In the end I may skip the 18-35 entirely. I sold my da 18-135, sigma 10-20, sigma 28mm and tamron 70-200 recently as I rarely shoot on the wide end, the 18-135 overlaps too much with other lenses and isn't as good, and the tamron was more or less a lemon being unusable below F/4 even after being sent in for repairs. There's always something more awesome, rarer, more unique, but lenses are way too expensive for me to afford to collect them. And the lenses I have are better lenses than I am a photographer so there's plenty of room to grow and learn.

10-09-2014, 07:41 AM	#33
Andi Lo Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Posts: 2,924	This is like asking how to quit drinking in a wine enthusiast forum For me if I dont love OR use a lens, I sell it. There are lenses that I love that I use only a few times a year. I keep them. (Tak 35/2, Jupiter-9, Sigma 4.5mm)

10-09-2014, 07:46 AM	#34
monochrome Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Working From Home Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 26,276	Originally posted by Andi Lo Tak 35/2 I have a pristine copy of that lens and a pristine copy of the K35/2. Doesn't make any sense at all and I don't care.

10-09-2014, 07:46 PM	#35
stormtech Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: In the boonies (NW Penna) Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,744	I went through a long phase of LBA. I had this urge to try them all or at least a sampling of many different lenses. What happened with me is I think the gear got in the way of my shooting in a way. After buying and selling a lot of lenses, I had finally settled on what I thought was the perfect kit for myself of 9 or 10 lenses. I was actually satisfied at that point and didn't buy a lens for over a year. But then it went even further in that I was looking at certain lenses on my shelf that I never used. I would then pick them up and kind of force myself to use them but they just didn't click with me for some reason. Ended up selling those couple off and down to my basic 4 lenses now. This has been kind of liberating to me in a big way. It has forced me to use what I have (which is more than plenty) and I feel my creativity has taken a big boost. Some focal lengths just made no sense for me to have because of where I live and shoot. I now concentrate more on the image than the gear.

10-09-2014, 11:33 PM	#36
6BQ5 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Nevada, USA Photos: Albums Posts: 3,348 Original Poster	Originally posted by stormtech This has been kind of liberating to me in a big way. It has forced me to use what I have (which is more than plenty) and I feel my creativity has taken a big boost. Some focal lengths just made no sense for me to have because of where I live and shoot. I now concentrate more on the image than the gear. I totally understand the feeling of liberation. When I started hanging up my LBA to dry I also started focusing more on the image because I had more time and energy to do so. Shopping for gear is a time suck. It really is. Hours spent on eBay shopping could have been spent winding up the shutter count on my K-30. Now I have to put the same time and energy into selling the lenses as I did buying it! Haha! Oh, it will never end, will it?

10-10-2014, 07:26 AM	#37
Andi Lo Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia Posts: 2,924	Originally posted by 6BQ5 I totally understand the feeling of liberation. When I started hanging up my LBA to dry I also started focusing more on the image because I had more time and energy to do so. Shopping for gear is a time suck. It really is. Hours spent on eBay shopping could have been spent winding up the shutter count on my K-30. Now I have to put the same time and energy into selling the lenses as I did buying it! Haha! Oh, it will never end, will it? I think shopping for gear / gear acquisition is kind of a subset of photography though It really shouldnot take as long as it usually does... but it's more fun than it really should be, but I guess it's like programmers obsessing over computer specs?

10-10-2014, 03:33 PM	#38
psoo Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Long Island, NY Posts: 485	Originally posted by reeftool Since most of my lenses have been obtained at very low cost, I don't really worry about it. I have quite a few but there are still some that I want and can make good excuses why I "need" them. I do have some older Nikon and Olympus lenses that I don't have camera bodies for so those are possibilities but then I kick around picking up a micro 4/3 camera............. It never ends. I agree completely. Most of my lenses were obtained for next to nothing at garage sales. Many were off-name brands such as Vemar and Avenar, which actually perform satisfactorily. Some are low-end lenses by Vivitar and Sigma. Even my good quality Pentax legacy lenses are not worth much when one reviews selling prices in the Pentax Forums. So how much can I make if I advertise them for sale on eBay? The shipping costs and effort involved in packing them makes it non-worthwhile for me. I just plan to keep all these lenses (they don't take up much space) and take them out once in a while and have fun seeing how much quality I can squeeze out of a cheap lens.