[hinman]

I am somewhat concerned about my LBA. I usually stop the buying when my paypal balance get close to zero. I have recently broken that rule big time. I pay as I bought more but my usual management of selling after buying has not kicked into full gear for a balance.

Observations

1. I am starting to have more adaptall-2 lens than my limited lens. I just ordered a 17mm f/3.5 and the 500mm f/8.0 and I am even thinking about the 24mm f/2.5 or the 28mm f/2.5. Weird. I lost my bid at $370 for a 180mm f/2.5 on the adaptall-2. That is likely the best 180mm that I have known for MF. By the way, I now have 4 copies of adaptall-2 P/K-A adapters. Why 4? I Know! I can have 3 lens all mounted and ready in the field with 17mm/35-80/70-210 and I can freely choose the mixing of limited, old primes and the adaptall-2 gems.

2. Yesterday, I just received my DA 40mm f/2.8 from B&H for $249.00. I do luck out the copy, though not mint, with marks on the hood, it works extraordinary well and it comes with the hood and cap in 30.5mm size. That thing beats the 21mm in terms of cuteness and thinness. It is the smallest prime in my gear. And my trio/quad/fifth prime look like 21/35/40/50/77

3. After the 645N, I have not even bought 1 roll of film and I have two lens and I am yet to start the process. But it is always easy to get tempted with the cheaper 35mm full frame. I am going to get a used MX and I am finishing my 1st roll of b&w in a SuperProgram. And I am eyeballing a Ricoh xr-p that can take iso 3200 and have shutter speed with 1/2000 sec. And it is black in color and small in size. I will report back my MX/SuperProgram and perhaps a Ricoh xr-p experience before I can even have time to touch on the 645N. God, please grant me the wisdom and time for my film experience. I want a scanner in Xmas.

4. At any time, I am ready for the white Pentax K-x order and as soon as I find myself recouping from my LBA purchases. And to add complexity in funding, my thinking are not far off from my planned purchase of Tamron 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5. God, please help me with a wise decision.

5. I have repurchased lens and TC that I sold before. It is like the cycle comes back to me without realizing that I am re-living the LBA nightmare in the past. I am shooting product shots of my Vivitar 100mm f/2.8 1:1 macro from Kiron along with SuperTak 100mm f/2.8 (m42) which I sold and missed before. And now I have a Panagor 3x Tele-macro converter for 1.5:1. It is not a 1:1 macro converter but a 3x Tele and 1.5:1 in close up

6. I am LBA happy but a bit concerned, should I?

My LBA/CBA flickr set in: Recent LBA and CBA set

Please feel free to snap my face to wake up or share comments for consolation, or discuss about remedies and practical solutions.

Regards,
Hin, the LBA worrisome warrior, Man

[axl]

LOL
I need to show this to my wife

[yeatzee]

My theory is that if you sell lenses that you use less than the rest you will have money to buy more lenses creating a viscous cycle. Therefor, I suggest trying to give away the ones you do not use much which will instantly eliminate a few from the list and will not leave you with any money after. Its a hard lesson but im confident it will work.

*First in line *

[Zav]

Never, I really mean it, never buy a Cosina Voigtlander lens. You would end buy them all

[MattGunn]

I have been steadily buying lenses for just over a year at an average rate of about one every week and a half and I now have quite a comprehensive collection. Unlike Hinman I have not yet sold a single one and so every one has been brough with money instead of paypal credit from the sale of the previous ones. I have been meaning to start selling off the less / unused ones for a while but it is simply much easyer to get more money out of my bank account
However I may have found a solution to this cycle. I have just brought a house and so I will not have any lens money for the forseeable future. This may provide motivation to sell of the surplus lenses before I buy any more or it may mean my overdraft takes a hammering. Only time will tell which...

[Ash]

Hin, you have a strong case of LBA - and you know it.
Just like any other addiction, you're going to need a change of attitude and rehabilitation.
It may even be as simple as spending whatever time you do shopping for lenses on shooting with the lenses you have.

Hope you find a way to keep things in check.

[DavidWasch]

I broke my rule recently as well. I was going to sell lenses to fund a recent purchase (DA 12-24mm), but I lost my nerve and bought the lens first.

Now I wrestle with which lenses to sell. To help me decide, I want to do side-by-side comparisons of my 'duplicates' (eg. the Sigma 28mm f1.8 or Vivitar/Komine 28mm f2.0?). Of course to provide a context for these comparisons, I crave additional lenses (eg. the M-28mm f3.5); so now I'm buying lenses to sell them!

The 12-24mm is hiding from my spouse in the closet until I hit break-even on my PayPal account. I sneak it out sometimes, but not without feeling evil.

[monochrome]

I understand the compelling pull of buying a lens I have read about and lusted after for decades, available now for less than it cost before, inflation included, when I am older and have more disposable income. I have tried and then sold back a number of these lenses. If you look at my list, I am gradually paring it down to a stable group of lenses that rationally match my cameras, and that I use at least once every three months.

I will simply link this post made by Peter Zack in 2008 - read it and attempt to follow his prescription.

Shoot with the lenses you have, not the lenses you dream about

[Mallee Boy]

I broke my rule recently as well. I was going to sell lenses to fund a recent purchase (DA 12-24mm), but I lost my nerve and bought the lens first.

Now I wrestle with which lenses to sell.

what is "sell" ??

[hinman]

Hin, you have a strong case of LBA - and you know it.
Just like any other addiction, you're going to need a change of attitude and rehabilitation.
It may even be as simple as spending whatever time you do shopping for lenses on shooting with the lenses you have.

Hope you find a way to keep things in check.

This is excellent suggestion. But I shoot pictures quite frequently. If you see my upload in Flickr, you will be surprised how much I shoot. I think I have at the minimum two to three photo shootings in a week's time.

I am concerned but I am actually really happy. Maybe it is either I get worse or I get wiser than last time. I remember I rushed to selling all unused lens. This time around, I am taking my time for documentary and enjoy the lens before it leave for a better homes.

I will manage it somewhat in check as I have a rough plan of selling. And besides, the other suggestion is right on -- I may be buying a house and am currently making an offer. The bad news is with a new house with a bigger backyard filled with grass, flowers, and a tree with a swing, I need all my lens ready for the photo shoot.

All are good! Life is good though the warranted concerns.

Hin

[hinman]

I broke my rule recently as well. I was going to sell lenses to fund a recent purchase (DA 12-24mm), but I lost my nerve and bought the lens first.

Now I wrestle with which lenses to sell. To help me decide, I want to do side-by-side comparisons of my 'duplicates' (eg. the Sigma 28mm f1.8 or Vivitar/Komine 28mm f2.0?). Of course to provide a context for these comparisons, I crave additional lenses (eg. the M-28mm f3.5); so now I'm buying lenses to sell them!

The 12-24mm is hiding from my spouse in the closet until I hit break-even on my PayPal account. I sneak it out sometimes, but not without feeling evil.

In my books, you do the right thing to buy and then test to sell the least performer. But I can't concur with you in hiding from your wife. I have all of my lens open to my boys and wife with no hidden closet. The only trick that I have, I don't get the box organized in the room so it look usually normal with ups, usps and fedex boxes. Honey, I am not hiding. Check it out! And I usually get the eyes rolling up from my boys who know his daddy better -- the photo nuts.

Don't sell the old until you make comparison NOT according to others' review, do you own measurement of liking factors, be a judge in your own right and more use will tell. And don't rush sell in guilty feeling, that is the last thing you want to do to manage LBA. Yeah, right! Please snap my face: look at who is talking -- the doctor or the patient!

Warmest,
Hin

[jsherman999]

.


Hin, like me, your best-laid plans of LBA management went out the window!



.








(actually that 1st shot isn't completely current, some adds/subtractions since then)



.

[k100d]

it depends on what kind of photographer you are. obviously you are the type of person who likes to buy a lot of different lenses and test them out and use different lenses depending on your mood.

personally for me, i don't like having stuff around that i don't use anymore. although the number of lenses you don't use shouldn't really affect your photography, it irks me when i have stuff lying around that i don't use.

[hinman]

I understand the compelling pull of buying a lens I have read about and lusted after for decades, available now for less than it cost before, inflation included, when I am older and have more disposable income. I have tried and then sold back a number of these lenses. If you look at my list, I am gradually paring it down to a stable group of lenses that rationally match my cameras, and that I use at least once every three months.

I will simply link this post made by Peter Zack in 2008 - read it and attempt to follow his prescription.

Shoot with the lenses you have, not the lenses you dream about

As much as I admire Peter and agree to to the diagnosis. I see LBA flaws in that thinking. You see, my appetite is way bigger and I do have the silly ambition to be happy in the hobby with continuous excitement.

I don't owe any credit purchase and I am financially capable for the purchase. Yes, I buy too much and that is no denying facts but I also have the want to document my paths with M42, adaptall-2 lens, film with slr and MF 645N camera, and my studies on gear and photography alike. Not trying something new hinders my thoughts of progress and hence I always have the excuse to trying out a new lens or something that people praise about.

Maybe, my blogging reasons do give me an incentive to try something new. In terms of photography, I have way more than what I need in shooting even as a professional photog which I am not. I am still very much the amateur like the time when I started my dSLR journey.

I will revisit the thread with open mind.

Thanks,
Hin

[dadipentak]

I cured my lba (by buying everything.)