[Bassat]

I fought the GAS for years with digital. Over the last year+, I've sold off $10,000 worth of digital gear, and replaced it with film stuff. I now own 6 35mm film AF cameras, 1 35mm folder, 4 6x6 foldelrs, and 2 medium format 645, with lenses. All in, I am at about $3,000. I can pay to buy, develop and scan about 350 rolls of film for that $7000 difference. Oh, yeah, and I am enjoying shooting again, and it's all FREE!

[ramseybuckeye]

I think when you get into shooting funks you start looking at gear to bring you out of it, at least I think I have done that before. I bought into a Sony a6000 a couple years back thinking because it has such fast autofocus it can work miracles. That super fast autofocus was not that much better than my K-50 where I had comparable lenses. And there was no long options that were't ridiculously overpriced. I was happy with the image quality, it was comparable to the K-50. And with the 20mm lens is was a nice small pocketable package, but the other lenses I had were not that compact, but still was using it for travel. The I got a KP and suddenly did not use this Sony system at all, The KP and select lenses weren't much more to pack than the Sony, so the Sony was sold off. I had done the same a few years earlier with the original Q.

Hopefully I don't do this again. Although I'm not sure that I regret buying these other systems, I had fun with them, realized that I preferred the Pentax K, and didn't really lose much of anything.

[skierd]

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.

This is what ultimately saves me: I am, or at least I attempt to be, a photographer, not a collector. If I don't go out and shoot it, why have it taking up space?

My KP has an amazing sensor. Would a 645 based system give me so much more than I'm getting from my KP, Sigma 10-20 f3.5 (or my wanted DA*11-18), 20-40 limited, DA50 1.8 and 55-300 PLM? Maybe, maybe not, but at the expense of weight, low shutter speed, loud and slower autofocus if I get FA lenses, and the expense of time and money changing everything out. Or a Fuji Xpro3, 3 Fujicrons, and 100-400? The weight is gone, still have a good viewfinder, but is it an improvement? Would it help my art or desire to shoot?

Same again with the Leica M9 or M240, except no autofocus (though I do the rangefinder thing well) and no long lenses, practically speaking.

I see a 4x5 field camera in my future however, because that *is* something different. I've only used one once, but it was exciting!

---------- Post added 05-28-20 at 09:55 PM ----------

Oh! I forgot the inevitable desire for a Fuji X100! I still might get one to replace my Olympus XA as my travel camera... and/or as a second body/lens to the Xpro.

[Rondec]

I don't know. I use most of my gear regularly and haven't bought any new lenses in the last year. I think the last one I bought was an FA 135 f2.8 about a year and a half ago. The APS-C stuff doesn't get used as often.

Part of it is that Pentax hasn't released many new cameras recently (they usually call my name pretty loudly when they come out) or focal lengths that I really want (I'll really be interested in the DFA 21). If I find I am not using gear much, I do usually sell it -- mostly in the hope that someone else will get use out of it. So if I eventually get a K-new, I'll sell my K3. It isn't worth much as it is pretty old, but it still has some photos left in it and maybe someone else will get some benefit from a relatively cheap APS-C camera.

[Wasp]

There is a Samsung NX 10mm fisheye in the classifieds. One of those cases where there is no point. I already have a Samyang 8mm fisheye in K mount. I also have a PK-NX adapter. The Samsung does AF but who needs that in a fisheye? My GAS is under control in this case.

[Wasp]

Another cause of GAS. Look at some infrared pictures. Ooh, that is so cool, I want to get into that. Now I need a body that can be hacked modified to do IR. Or an older generation camera such as a *istD - they are more sensitive to IR, apparently. And an IR filter or two. Uhoh...

[bdery]

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

I don't really follow the same process.

I'm perfectly happy with Pentax, but do worry about the future, which makes me careful before purchasing new equipment.

I have a pretty cool lineup if I say so myself.

I have the opportunity to test most Pentax lenses for Pentaxforums and that lets me see what I'd like to maybe own, and lets me assuage the desire to play with new toys.

I look at the used market and from time to time find a gem (77 a few years ago, F 1,7x AF TC one week ago) and when that happens, I let the kit grow.

[Astro-Baby]

I am all film based having baled out from digital years ago. I never intended to start collecting when I picked up a mint Pentax KX in a charity shop for £25. Problem was I needed some lenses so I had to start looking on eBay. In order to make sure I knew what the score was I had to read and that meant I started wondering whether the Canon FTb might be as sweet as some said, then a Minolta SRT, was it as good as some said, of course I had to have a Nikon F as it used to be my favourite back in the day, then I had to learn how to fix them which meant buying tools, lens sets, filters oh and a bag to go out with and so the cycle started. Then I started finding bargains, broken stuff going cheap that I could repair and make a small profit on to fund my collection, problem was after spending hours fixing stuff I couldnt bear go part with it and/or it turns out to be such a sweet thing I want to keep it, use it.........now I have a collection of 20+ cameras most of which have had one test roll through them and not used since....too busy finding stuff, fixing stuff and, in theory at least, selling stuff ( I do sell some of the accessories that often come with the junkers, lens caps, flash guns etc ).
Right now I am at a crossroads, I cant store any more cameras easily and I am mightily considering selling all but a few off so I can (hopefully) get the GAS monkey off my back and actually start taking some pictures. Would make a tidy profit on it all so maybe time to just cash myself out, use one of the minty ones and be happy.

Through the course of this the collecting bug has mutated from; just a few Pentax bits from the heyday, collecting every camera I ever owned, collecting the high points of each of the big 5, collecting all cutting edge and landmark camera from the big 5 etc to now being a kind of collect anything and everything ever made by any of the big 5 plus interesting stuff from anyone else.

I would swap conventional GAS for collecting GAS anyday. Every day I come home, look at the collection arrayed like the terracotta army and wonder if I should sell the lot but then I think, if I only had a Contax, a Topcon, a Leica the collection would be complete and I could stop.

[johnha]

My problem is feeling the need to match cameras with period lenses. Thus I need Tak, K, M, A & FA lenses for the cameras. I have very good FA zooms for film, but if using my MX, I'd have to pick an older Tamron ADii metal barrelled zoom to match. A series lenses look stunning on a Super-A and a set of M lenses with the chrome ring on the front just look fab together.

Most of my gear is recent bought used and it doesn't have any real value to me. My original gear going way back does and I'm not going to sell it - being able to use the exact same body and lens as previously has a big draw.

Oh, and then there was the day I bought a P6x7 MLU and 75/4.5 for what would be considered a bargain price today. Fantastic camera, just needed a couple more lenses to make a system...

[Wheatfield]

My cycle is see, want, buy, rinse and repeat.
No regrets, ever.

[35mmfilmfan]

Don't forget, whenever you buy an item, you are preventing it being sold to someone who may not give it the care and attention it deserves - even if all you do is to clean the contacts once a month. I do mine on the same day I charge all my batteries.

[Astro-Baby]

Don't forget, whenever you buy an item, you are preventing it being sold to someone who may not give it the care and attention it deserves - even if all you do is to clean the contacts once a month. I do mine on the same day I charge all my batteries.

Yep and thats one of the reasons a hate selling stuff I have worked on - knowing I may have put a lot of love, care and attention in only for some yahoo to mash it all.

[rogerstg]

I rarely sell, but one of my concerns is that, when I die, my wife will sell off all my stuff for what I told her I paid.

[officiousbystander]

one of my concerns is that, when I die, my wife will sell off all my stuff for what I told her I paid

One of my concerns is when I die my wife will discover how my stuff I have.

[Astro-Baby]

I rarely sell, but one of my concerns is that, when I die, my wife will sell off all my stuff for what I told her I paid.

Yep and I have seen that happen nearly. I was asked to look over some stuff for a friend and give an idea of value. Widow was going to sell cheap on eBay as husband had told her it was only ‘ a few quid ‘ ......the stuff was worth thousands.
I could have been Becky Sharpe and walked off with a huge haul of valuable stuff but I have to live with myself and sleep nights so gave a realistic valuation.

This was astronomy stuff and anyone familiar with Televue would know what a huge set of TV glass would cost and it wouldnt be ‘a few quid’ in anyones language unless you happened to be Jeff Bezos.