[skierd]

I’ve noticed that I have a fairly consistent cycle of GAS. It goes, generally, as such:

1 - I could really use a new lens. Usually something fairly expensive in the Ultra Wide, portrait, and/or long telephoto range. reason to usually boils down to I either want more reach or magical thinking that a special lens will inspire me to get out shooting. Not entirely untrue, but a 77 limited isn’t going to make me a people person suddenly any more than the DA*11-18 will make the northern lights appear or the DA560 will make wildlife appear in range.

2 - large(er) formats
2a - Pentax 645D, with lenses. To replace my APS-C setup.
2b - 4x5 field camera, with lenses. To augment digital. Mind you I have no space to develop at home...

3 - exotics, and pseudo exotics. Leica M’s lead to Fuji mirrorless, neither of which really fits my normal shooting style though I do love rangefinders. Leica is too expensive and Fuji doesn’t really get me better than my Pentax setup so...

4 ...start back at step 1.

Anyone else have the same sort of pattern? At least so far I haven’t acted on it!

[murrelet]

There's also... I don't really need or want it but wow, that's a really good price for that!

And... I feel like I haven't bought anything in a while (it was only 6 weeks ago), I should look around and see what's out there

[vector]

I think you pretty much described my GAS cycle. I usually don't give in but I still own more glass than I need. Funny thing is my regular shooting right now happens with 50mm on FF or 35mm on APSC so you can't get any less exotic than that. I have 3 AF 50's (FA 1.4, F 1.7, DA 1.8) and 2 AF 35's (DA 35, HD FA 35) plus several MF of each focal length including the very sharp Saymang 35mm F1.4. So of course I would love the HD DFA 50 and a Sigma Art 35 but who can justify the cost for what is strictly a hobby? But I could really use a 77, and a 43, and 31, and a 300mm f4, and a 150-450, and the new 21mm... time to start buying lottery tickets I guess

[Wasp]

Oooh, let's gave the mirrorless lark a go. Get a Samsung NX100, they are cheap enough. Oooh, that's nice. Get a couple more lenses for the system. And another body. How about an 85/1.4 in NX mount? The one you have in K mount is great. Uhoh...

[MossyRocks]

I use to but apart from a few things never had any regrets and those regrets were cheap things bought on a whim. However I've become more selective in what I buy and think about why I am getting something. For lenses my most recent purchases were that DFA 100/2.8 macro, SMC A* 400/2.8, and Laowa 12/2.8. Each of these had a specific goal and plan for and yes in each case they solve specific problems. The 100 macro solved the problem of not having anything really near that focal length and not having something that would do 1:1 macro without tricks resulting in poor quality, the 400 solved the problem of only having shorter slower lenses for astro (which I do a lot of), and the 12mm again is for night shooting because my old S-M-C 17mm fisheye takumar is completely useless for astro. Each one was not an impulse buy and was contemplated a fair amount before I got them. However for the longest time I wanted the 500/4.5 mostly because I wanted a gigantic lens and am really glad I didn't get it as what I would have done with it would only end in disappointment.

Now on my list is the contemplation of possibly getting the K-new because some of the reasonable speculation around it would offer immediate gains over what I have and a nice equatorial mount. Again both solve actual technical problems that present very hard limits that I run up against and in the end I will likely end up with both at some point.

[MossyRocks]

There's also... I don't really need or want it but wow, that's a really good price for that!

I forgot about that. Problem is in both cases while I basically stole the lenses I ended up keeping them even though I had planned to get them and flip them. The first was my Sigma 300mm f/4 APO Macro that I got for $130 with the plan that I would use it a couple of times find out that it wasn't that much better than my old S-M-C 300/4 and end up turning a nice profit. Problem is that it wasn't just a little better but tons better so it got to stay. Then there was the SMC A 50mm f/1.2 got for $250 so again basically stole. I actually went in with a plan to buy it and sell it here making a tidy profit because on a crop sensor I found I didn't really like the 50mm focal length and already owned a number of 50s so why did I need yet another one. Then I used it and just loved how it renders things and the options it offers. So here we are about a year on from when I got it and I like the 50mm FoV again because of how it renders and use if frequently.

[StiffLegged]

I... a 77 limited isn’t going to make me a people person suddenly any more than the DA*11-18 will make the northern lights appear or the DA560 will make wildlife appear in range.

They don't? Aaaahhh ... that's because you ain't using them on a MILC body. Isn't it? Err No, you just need another extra two dozen megapickles... Um.

[officiousbystander]

I’ve noticed that I have a fairly consistent cycle of GAS. It goes, generally, as such:

1 - I could really use a new lens.

I think a lot of the time the cycle starts from reading a post here.

I do have that problem as well, especially if there is an interesting offer, only I take so long in deciding that the offer is gone or has expired. And than I feel so lucky!

[pepperberry farm]

I think a lot of the time the cycle starts from reading a post here.

oh yeah - plenty of those type of posts, just looking for your money to burn...

they were really bad last year when the contests were running...

[Wasp]

I neglected to mention that I look on the classifieds every day for interesting Pentax and/or Samsung NX stuff. There is an NX300 with 45/1.8 but it's all white. Walking around with that is something that I am still getting my head around. There is also an NX30 with 18-55 kit lens. It has a broken flash that is easy to repair. Yeah right.

Then again, I could live without a built-in flash so I am holding out for a price drop. I'm not very good at low-balling negotiating. GAS, who me?

[ChristianRock]

My cycle is more like this:

1. Start researching something of good value that I don't really need - maybe a 2.8 zoom for my Pentax, or a prime that's slightly better than something I already have, or film cameras systems (Leica R, Contax), or Canon old full frame cameras, or more recently Nikon 1 (I found that I could buy a camera system with a body and 2-3 very good lenses for about 3 lenses for like a couple hundred dollars!! And those lenses are pretty sweet, I'd rather have a Nikon 1 than any of the 1" Sonys or Panasonic!)
2. Keep searching and watching
3. Finally find what I'm looking for at a great price!
4. Think about it some more and think "nah, I don't really need that".
5. Start all over again in step 1...

[monochrome]

I've written this before. This is my cycle for - say - DFA*85/1.4 -

1. I don't need it (I have 2 other 85mm primes)
2. I can't afford it anyway (unless I sell a bunch of stuff, which is a lot of work).
3. I really have to decide between APSc and FF.
4. Ooh! Ooh! Shiney! Me Want!
5. Now what am I going to sell
6. I hate product shooting
7. OWTH - I'll just keep them all.

[AggieDad]

Here are a few of my rationales for new stuff. I am pretty sure they are inside the bounds of normalcy.

• I just saw a magnificent image shot with an xxx lens. I probably should get one of those.
• I need to up my photography a game a bit, become an elite photographer. I'll order a K-1 Mk2 tonight.
• Let's see... I've done birds. I've done macro. Maybe I'll focus on monochrome. I probably should get a new lens or camera body or, better yet, both.
• I am really into panoramas. Wouldn't a pano with a 645-Z be awesome? Hmmm... I wonder if there are any listings in the Marketplace.
• An older camera body is like an older computer – it just needs to be updated. I can't fall behind the techno-curve.
• Shooting Pentax allows me to save money by using older lenses. And there are sooo many old lenses to buy. I just saw two more that look real interesting.

[DWS1]

I don't know anything about the GAS cycle. I didn't even know I was infected until I inventoried my gear the other day, and realized I haven't used 2/3 of it in the last year or longer.