[oscaletrains]

Folks with this lens buying addiction thing...how many lenses does a person have to have in order to be identified with this disease? And for those who are LBA addicts, what lens is your "precious"?


And if you got over this affliction, how did you do it?

[MSL]

No fixed number of lenses - although once you get to 10+ in the 50mm range alone you are pretty much certified.
No cure, but can be temporarily relieved by lack of spending money, or storage space, or complaining spouse.
Precious is whichever "extra" lens you last used that produced a keeper.
Happy hunting

[surfar]

Its got to be 100 and I'm not quite there yet!


Every lens is precious even when you sell them because that funds something else!

[THoog]

For the true LBA sufferer, the "precious" is always the NEXT lens they will acquire.

People always ask about some magic number, but LBA isn't about how many lenses you have, it's about how addicted you are to buying new glass, and how much it impacts your life. You can be a collector without being an addict, just as you can collect wine without being an alcoholic (and you can enjoy the same lens again and again!). Heck, you can only own a couple lenses at a time, but if you're constantly looking for something "better" to replace them, you still have LBA.

That being said, as one of the forum's leading collectors of Samyang wide primes, I owe it to everyone to get the 12mm fisheye, even though I have the 8mm, don't shoot FF, and resent the $50-100 extra the K-mount version costs. Besides, I've found that my 8mm and 10-17mm fisheyes are just a little too slow for some subjects, and my old Sigma/Spiratone 12mm fisheye, while fun, is crap at f/8 and even then can only be used outdoors on a sunny day... And the new Sammy 20mm/1.8 is interesting, too...

[BigMackCam]

Another sign of LBA, and this may be just another strain of it, is itching. The itch to buy lenses you know you really don't need, just "because". I have such an itch right now for a Pentacon 30mm f/3.5 "Lydith" in M42 mount... I don't need it; I can cover that focal length and aperture in several ways already with newer, AF lenses... I'm not even keen on MF lenses at wider focal lengths because I find it a little difficult to nail precise focus... but I *want* a "Lydith"

[aaacb]

The itch to buy lenses

Spot on. I don't think I've ever had LBA, but I am aware of how easily I can justify any purchase because of some itch. But I've found out that it works well to 1) never consider selling old gear 2) use what I have and only decide to buy something when I missed shots repeatedly. And by missed, I mean actually missed, so cropping heavily or iso 6400 are fine as long as they'll make an 11x17" print. '

And that's another approach that works great for me: print! It's the best way to appreciate what your current equipment can do. If they're glossy prints, they even qualify as new shiny things

[monochrome]

Someone said the first step is admitting you have a problem.

My approach for the last 20 years has been to buy lenses I always wanted, sell them and buy some more lenses I always wanted. My wife says I forget about the try the lenses part that's supposed to go between the buying part and the selling part, which I suppose qualifies me as a lens buying addict.

In practice, when I get above 60 or so lenses I start to feel guilty and sell off a number of them. I have re-bought lenses that I have sold in those guilty disgorgements - but only if I thought the new lens was a better copy. I've done that four times.

Right now I have a selected list of lenses and cameras that I actually use, and I'm selling things not on the list that I don't or know I won't use. After all, the hobby should have photographing things as part of it at some point, right?

Everything on the list is 'my Precious' whenever I'm using it.

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Last edited by monochrome; 08-09-2016 at 07:03 PM.

[surfar]

when I get above 60 or so

I'm above this in age AND lenses, so its justified....no guilt!

[AquaDome]

They're all precious. That's why I keep them and don't sell them.

[monochrome]

I'm above this in age AND lenses, so its justified....no guilt!

Well I'm with you on the age part, anyway.

[reeftool]

I haven't purchased a lens in over a year so LBA isn't a serious issue although I still have nearly every lens I have ever owned. Parting with a lens? Seriously??? Why would anyone do such a thing?

[ChrisPlatt]

I think Paul (monochrome) is definitely on to something.

I have heard it said if you haven't opened a box one year after moving you should dispose of it.
Lately I'm thinking a lens (or camera) that hasn't been used in six months should be sold.

How many lenses or cameras can one amateur possibly use?
No matter how many I accumulate I find myself using only my best or favorite few.

Once I've accumulated excess gear too much time is spent maintaining it. IMO that's not productive time.
That time could be far better spent shooting, developing, printing, or any other activity for that matter.

Chris

[Sandy Hancock]

I used to think I had LBA, but now I have tried/owned/used/sold most of the lenses I have ever desired things have settled down appreciably. With a K-1, the Holy Trinity zooms, the Three Amigos, a macro and a good ultra-telephoto, the rest is gravy.

Yes, I still have a bit of gravy

[oscaletrains]

So as long as you don't have more lenses than how old you are, you are golden?

[redrockcoulee]

Someone said the first step is admitting you have a problem.

My approach for the last 20 years has been to buy lenses I always wanted, sell them and buy some more lenses I always wanted. My wife says I forget about the try the lenses part that's supposed to go between the buying part and the selling part, which I suppose qualifies me as a lens buying addict.

In practice, when I get above 60 or so lenses I start to feel guilty and sell off a number of them. I have re-bought lenses that I have sold in those guilty disgorgements - but only if I thought the new lens was a better copy. I've done that four times.

Right now I have a selected list of lenses and cameras that I actually use, and I'm selling things not on the list that I don't or know I won't use. After all, the hobby should have photographing things as part of it at some point, right?

Everything on the list is 'my Precious' whenever I'm using it.

You have more lenses than I do and yet I have several more systems than you do.

I think most people who think that the number of lenses that is too many would be their own number of lenses owned plus one. And of course each time they buy a new lens that number also increases. I am at the point that when I read about a lens that is new to me I investigate what info there is on that lens and that is about it, I don't actually look at buying it.