[hinman]

It is no laughing matter and this topic gets to the guts in preventing me in enjoying the hobby fully. I wrote this blog post to start a series of discussions on how to manage LBA to get the best out of our frenzy buying behavior in acquiring lens

LBA Management -- Hin's Tech Corner

Hope you share your experience as well.

Hin

[gokenin]

I agree I dont think that the buying of lens should be seen as a bad thing it is afterall how we go about enjoying our hobby or profession. Myself I find that limiting myself to only extra cash or money from a lens sale in order to get a new one is an effective way to manage my LBA. I pay my bills and decide afterwards if there is any money that I can use towards lens buying. I do not use plastic to get any lens thats a bad habit to start so I know the cash only way is the way for me to go.
I look at my list of gear and I think that I can safely say that I have almost everything that I want.(the M100 in the marketplace is tempting I admit but right now I dont have to worry about it)

[heatherslightbox]

As for me, I'm in agreement that getting a new lens doesn't hurt every once in a while. As tempted as I have been by some deals I've seen, I still feel fairly confident that I can hold out until after Christmas before buying any more lenses--other gear is a different story. Last Saturday, I ordered a new tripod through a local camera store (BM190XB). After playing with the BM190XDB that was in the store, I knew I had to have a new tripod; I chose the slightly more expensive XB because it has the big flip leg locks like my BM680 monopod has, which I really like.

It's not even a month into the LBA challenge yet and I'm already beginning to get a better idea of where I want my lens kit to go after it's all said and done. This is what I have in mind:
Definitely...
1. Sell A50/1.7 and replace it with FA50/1.4 or possibly DA55/1.4. I'm spoiled on AF and the extra half-stop doesn't hurt, either.
2. Adding a second body--as to which one, I'm waiting to see what happens at Photokina.

Still thinking about...
1. Sell A100/4 macro and get Sigma 105/2.8 macro (or DFA100/2.8 macro). Besides getting 1:1 macro, I'll get an extra stop, which will help when using this lens with my TC.
2. A fast telezoom: in a sense, as much as I would like one, I'm finding it hard to justify spending the money on one since I've already got that range covered by the DA55-300. The second question in my mind is which one to get--a smaller one like the DA*50-135 or Sigma 50-150 or one of the 70-200/2.8s (from what I'm gathering, the 60-250 will be more than I want to spend).

Yet some more ideas...
Sell A100/4 and get a short telezoom. I really don't find myself needing 1:1 macro that much, anyhow.
Trade DA35 for Sigma 70 macro, if I decide I want 1:1 macro, after all.

I'm also open to different ideas from the collective wisdom of Pentaxians.

Needless to say, it'll be a while before I'll be making any final decisions on lenses or bodies. By the end of December, I would hope that a vision of what I really want will be clearer.

Heather

[creampuff]

Heather, such mental mulling is the root cause of LBA. Like they say, action follows thought. Stop thinking about upgrading (which is expensive in the long run) and utilize your existing gear fully. That might keep LBA at bay.

[hinman]

Heather, such mental mulling is the root cause of LBA. Like they say, action follows thought. Stop thinking about upgrading (which is expensive in the long run) and utilize your existing gear fully. That might keep LBA at bay.

Exactly! I am with Crempuff on his comment. If you look at my article, I suggest photo taking using your existing gear to the fullest. Only then, you know what you are missing. Just in deep thinking even with meditation, it may not be enough to get a good picture with what you need. You may crave for what you don't have. It may happen that what you have is already VERY good. Why fix something not broken? Don't use the challenge to starve yourself from taking pictures. Use the challenge to starve yourself into thinking of lens you don't have. Use the time NOT to visit forum for lens discussion. Use the time to upload photos and discuss what is missing in your photos and how you can benefit better with skills, perhaps a different focal length, DOF or speed you need to make your shot.

I mention as one valuable point in my post is to make your existing lens proud of you and not the other way around. If you read the thread started by Peter Zack, it makes a lot of sense in "starting to use your gear to the fullest"

It is much easier said than done.

Summary of practical measures:

• Use your gear to the fullest. Make your lens proud of you as their master
• Use your challenge time to take pictures and spend zero time in thinking what lens you don't have
• It is good to do the planning such as your post reporting what you are thinking. But put it as investigation. Let me try and see if my 100 can do what the Sigma 105 can do. Only then, you find how much the need is justified.
• Fight the FA 50 f/1.4 with your A 50 f/1.7. Push it to the next level in upping your MF accuracy
• Visit lens/dslr less, Visit Post your Photos often
• Suggest zero watchlist in ebay and zero to infrequent visit to marketplace. I delete them all in my challenge
• Grab books and resources to fill your thinking with knowledge in using your existing gear.

Hope you don't mind me to get all over you as I meant to help in an honest way.

Hin

[heatherslightbox]

Believe me--no offense taken here. I appreciate your honesty.

One thing I didn't say is that I'm trying to focus on a different lens in my kit every week. Already, I've spent a week with the 55-300 and the 28-75. This week, it's the 12-24. Now that I'm done with overtime at work and my house is back in order (it got really messy while I was working all those extra hours) after taking a day off to clean it, so I'll have more time to actually shoot.

I just recently found out about a newly formed camera club in my area--the next meeting is next week and I'm planning on going. They also do a field trip once a month, so I'm really looking forward to that, as well. Next month, my parents are coming for a few days and I've planned a photography-friendly itinerary for those days, so both Dad and I will be able to get a good workout with our respective kits. November will bring a trip to my sister's in the suburban Baltimore area--if nothing else, I'll get a lot of kid pics (2 nieces and a nephew). In December, husband and I will be going to Tennessee to visit my parents; this trip may include an birding outing to catch birds as they're migrating south.

Tomorrow, I'm planning on taking the camera + 12-24 to work with me; downtown Gainesville is rich with lots of photo ops, but I just haven't gotten around to exploring it as much as I would like to.

I am making more of an effort to spend more time in the photos section looking at what everybody else has done. I've got some photo books that I've started reading, but haven't finished yet. As for Fleabay, the only thing I currently have on my watchlist is a pair of jeans--no camera gear there.

On the subject of MF--I just find it hard to get an accurate focus sometimes, that's the main reason I'm considering moving to AF.

I get paid on Friday and will be getting the first of my OT money--most of which will be stashed away in an online savings account where I can't get to it too quickly. I'll leave some out to help pay for the new tripod, though. Most of this OT money will be going towards a photo workshop that I want to go to next spring at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont (Spring Photography Program at Tremont in Great Smoky Mountains National Park).

Believe me, it's not so much about the gear anymore--I just get these flareups every now and again. I still want that second body, though!

Heather

[paugie]

Gah!!!
How do you manage this?
I bought my K100D and a Sigma 24-60/2.8. It's still in Canada, I'm in the Philippines. Now I bought a Tokina 19-35/3.5-4.5. When I wake up in the morning, I look a eBay and the Marketplace.
And I haven't even taken a single picture with my equipment.
Madness! is that another word for LBA?

[hinman]

Gah!!!
How do you manage this?
I bought my K100D and a Sigma 24-60/2.8. It's still in Canada, I'm in the Philippines. Now I bought a Tokina 19-35/3.5-4.5. When I wake up in the morning, I look a eBay and the Marketplace.
And I haven't even taken a single picture with my equipment.
Madness! is that another word for LBA?

The Sigma 24-60 f/2.8 is a great lens for the price and I look forward to your pictures. As for the Tokina 19-35 f/3.5-4.5 with the macho 77mm filter size. It is one of the macho lens that I feel a stronger man in holding it, except that it is much cheaper than others and not well accepted by many due to its shorter focal range. But it sure works in charm with Sigma 24-60 f/2.8. A great combination, I have to give you a bravo for the wise selection

Hin's Recommended Wide Zoom
Tokina 19-35 f/3.5-4.5


without lens hood
flare apparent w/o lens hood


outstanding wide angle zoom


1/20sec, f/4.5, 20mm, iso 100, K10D, hand-held
In an art museum in Macau
Reasonable fast for indoor use


1/20sec, f/4.5, 24mm, iso 100, K10D, hand-held
very sharp for a zoom in wide open aperture

I am part of the LBA culpits -- one of the guy showing off with pictures bragging about one's lens. Yes, I do and I enjoy doing that. Don't ask me to stop and my lens are proud of the bragging. They are lens who love to be used for photos. All those "club A and club B" threads also kill you all along with me in sucking into lens club membership. So be warned of NO-FREE club membership and NO-FREE bragging rights. Temptation is strong and they won't stop coming, don't fight it but to manage it. Fighting it make you crave for more. Managing it will free your mind and up your photo senses to the next level

Heather, thanks for the reply and I have been proud of your staying-put on the lens and honestly, I find your lens a minimalist approach in NOT overlapping and have the gear with great versatility. I want your 12-24! And I probably craved the same thing you have in mind -- a 2nd body and the DA * zoom. I am a bit (reads much more) worse than you, I am lusting for a second body in Nikonian dark forces of marketing. And I have spent most of my time in selling gear. Thankfully, I learn to make new friends by the masses in selling gear as well as posting test shots for those gear that I placed in marketplace.

[monochrome]

Hinman: Having followed your original challenge and exchanges with your buddies on photo.net, and visited your website, and had PM discussions with Peter Zack on this subject, I accepted Heather's challenge. I cleared my ebay Watching list and I haven't opened my ebay saved searches since.

I identified 13 lenses that I will think of as my initial keeper kit (list here: PentaxForums.com - View Profile: monochrome), out of the 28 I own. The rest have either been listed here or ebay, along with assorted odds and ends. Every time I sell a lens I move the money out of the PayPal balance, etc.

One thing I decided is that, as much as I admire them, I don't need Takumars AND K lenses (complete overlap, right down to the lens designs), so the Takumars must go - a hobby CHOICE!

I will take many pictures (trying for 100 quality clicks each week) with these 13 lenses, using 1 lens exclusively each week. I usually try to do a particular style of shot each evening; once I did the "stand in one place and find the art" thing. Before I go to bed Sunday evening I change the lens on my K10D and it stays there for a week. I post at least two images each weekend.

I'm having a lot more fun, and actually getting a little better. The shots are starting to come out as I thought they would - and with all these manual lenses I really have to think and work with the image.

13 weeks takes me to December 1st, leaving one month in Heather's challenge. During December I will review the usage and fun quotient for the lenses I own and determine if I should exchange any of them (selling one or two to buy another isn't LBA, it is collection management) - I don't think I will need to.

So far I have kept the pledge completely.

But, as a certain former President has admitted, I have lusted in my heart.

[hinman]

Bravo for great sharing and tips.

Warmest,
Hin

[KungPOW]

Hinman,

Thanks for the great post! I really enjoy your blog, it is so very positive, and I enjoy that you wear your love of photography on your sleave. It is such a refreshing read when compaired to the "AF is too slow", "Is pentax dying", "why is there no pro camera", and "Can*n 5D rules the world" posts. I am thinking of this other blog writer...something about rice?

But your writings and photography add to the big picture (pun intended). You contribute through example and advice.

Thanks.

Heather!!!

Stand fast Woman! Stop the thoughts about the lenses! Although I am not officially part of the "LBA resistance front", I am trying allong with the rest of you. And you inspired me to stop surfing e-bay, and start shooting more with those unused lenses I have. Right now I am using my Father's Super-tak 1.8/55 from his old Spotie. It is the first SLR lens I ever used (I was 10 or 12 ish). And now I am remembering the joy that old lens brings. So thank you for getting me off e-bay, and out on the street where I belong! So keep at it! You can do it! stop looking at lenses to buy, and go shoot pics of your sock drawer with that DA 35 macro!

Eric.

[KungPOW]

Socks!

[Mechan1k]

He ... I just upgraded my vehicle ... and have a little one of the way ... I think that will cure my LBA for a while. I have a lot of saving to do now .. and get other finances in order.

But I have a lot of "toys" here now that can enjoy for quite some time ... I just need to find the time to get out and play with them ... I just picked up my last LBA purchase today ... and that's a Russian Zenitar 16mm F/E lens ... this is going to be fun.

[marlon]

I don't have R5000 a month ($650 ) just for lenses.
I can feel the "urge" but thing is, it's expensive. I agree that a new piece of glass doesn't hurt now and then, but you will NEVER become a master if you keep changing your gear all the time.

I have owned 6 lenses in 2 years, and at ANY given time, I physically owned only two. I cannot see myself having more than 2 lenses at the same time. If I can't take everything along in my camera bag, then I don't want it. I can't leave "some" at home and take "some" along. It doesn't feel right. Maybe Im being an idiot

[mrpackerguy]

I'm already ahead of the game when it comes to LBA - I'm also a bass player and over on the bass guitar forums, we always have "GAS" = gear acquisition syndrome". The result? Well only about 40-50 basses bought and sold over the last 5 years. My "GAS" is mementarily under control with only 4 basses at present. But since having been a member of this message board, and with my new K200d, I'm going through LBA, too.