[KevinG]

Insurance cash i lost a great number of lenses, replaced with a small number of better lenses

LBA far from cured but temporarily in remission - it's like cancer that way but more deadly if my wife figures out what some things cost

But honey, I saved 30%, so I bought 3 to get one free!

[eddie1960]

Just found this article, superb !!! maybe these 3 exercises will help a little (it's not about zebra ) :
Review: The Perfect Zebra Photo in 3 Easy Steps. - A Story | PentaxForums.com Reviews

that is an excellent tutorial. When I started all I had was a not even so fast 50 on a praktica film body. Probably shot 100 rolls before I managed a teleconverter on my pocket money, another 75 rolls and i got a 135 3.5 (not so fast either but sharp and lond with the 1.4TC I shot Football. that was it for several years until I got a Wide angle - Landscapes use the 50 (or even the 135. Portraits - 50 with 1.4 tc
poor student no cash except for film
For a while I had a fair number of AF zooms in varying lengths and i mastered them (I think) then I started collecting and shooting the old primes I shot as a kid. My technique improved dramatically because I would stop and think while I focused and exposed
Want to really learn walk around with an old manual focus film camera and a fast 50 and just shoot in B&W. Take notes on your exposures and experience, because otherwise you will nev er know what made certain exposures work.
eventually you will just start to see the framing (lots of times I will just see something and regret not having my camera along - cropping an iPhone shot just doesn't cut it
Remember for almost his entire career Cartier Bresson just shot with a fast 50 and B& W film regardless of subject. I wish I had a tenth of that talent

[redcat]

When I started all I had was a not even so fast 50 on a praktica film body. Probably shot 100 rolls before I managed a teleconverter on my pocket money, another 75 rolls and i got a 135 3.5 (not so fast either but sharp and lond with the 1.4TC I shot Football. that was it for several years until I got a Wide angle - Landscapes use the 50 (or even the 135. Portraits - 50 with 1.4 tc poor student no cash except for film For a while I had a fair number of AF zooms in varying lengths and i mastered them (I think) then I started collecting and shooting the old primes I shot as a kid. My technique improved dramatically because I would stop and think while I focused and exposed Want to really learn walk around with an old manual focus film camera and a fast 50 and just shoot in B&W. Take notes on your exposures and experience, because otherwise you will nev er know what made certain exposures work.

Quite a story, thanks for sharing with us I'm taking my 50 with me for now ^^ We'll see in one month if I can "see the Matrix"

[drypenn]

...more deadly if my wife figures out what some things cost

There will be a long and winding argument for sure.

Countless years of studies by renowned scholars and academicians have shown that when married couples argue, one party will always be correct, and the other party will always be known as: the husband.

[Gooj]

It's just currency flying here and there.
At least we trade mostly with digits (of) coins or paper. What if we had to carry timber and huge boulders to the post office? Then the LBA syndrome would be a menace.

[redcat]

when married couples argue, one party will always be correct, and the other party will always be known as: the husband.

abosolutely =)) and if the fight is about lens or camera, it'd be over in 5 minutes max

[micromacro]

I really enjoyed my LBA for a while, but not anymore. I overdone it, ending with too many lenses and with very little skills. Not like I'm complaining, but I'd like some quality instead of quantity (not lens, but image quality). It was fun until it started holding me back in exploration: not testing lenses, but knowing what I'd like to get from them.
I lost that crazy urge to chase lenses, and it feels good

[redcat]

I really enjoyed my LBA for a while, but not anymore. I overdone it, ending with too many lenses and with very little skills. Not like I'm complaining, but I'd like some quality instead of quantity (not lens, but image quality). It was fun until it started holding me back in exploration: not testing lenses, but knowing what I'd like to get from them. I lost that crazy urge to chase lenses, and it feels good

I'm still chasing lens but as someone advised, once you use the best lens like FA77 or FA31, your LBA will be cured so saving right now for the FA limited ^^ but still, each time I see a Zeiss or Leica appears on Evil-bay my heart stops a beat !

[micromacro]

but still, each time I see a Zeiss or Leica appears on Evil-bay my heart stops a beat !

I'm glad I don't have money for it.

[eddie1960]

I'm still chasing lens but as someone advised, once you use the best lens like FA77 or FA31, your LBA will be cured so saving right now for the FA limited ^^ but still, each time I see a Zeiss or Leica appears on Evil-bay my heart stops a beat !

ha no you will just want more expensive lenses
if you have the trio (31/43/77) what about wider (FA*24 say) or longer (da*200) or the other lenszes of very high quality out there (Zeiss for instance) get a Fuji XT1 (the digital LX) and it opens up almost every top lens ever made to use as long as it has an aperture dial (and for some that don't there are even fancy adaptors that let you adjust) then you can get on the wait list for the ever elusive sells for more used than new Leica Noctilux f 0.95 for oh say 11 grand or so

Or you's want a medium format with all the amazing glass for them (regardless of brand)

[redcat]

I'm glad I don't have money for it.

the problem is, they are not that expensive, they are so charming and could be bought at 200-300€ used (bidding skill is needed )

---------- Post added 11-20-14 at 04:20 PM ----------

it opens up almost every top lens ever made to use as long as it has an aperture dial

it's the devil right there, and I'm attracted by legendary lens like zeiss or leica, as a curious guy, I really want to find out what those lens deliver... luckily (or unluckily) Pentax body doesn't accept those lens without expensive adaptor or mount-modification, my urge for legend is still under control

[nomadkng]

The best cure for LBA is to develop a shooting style, fall in love with a single subject and master that subject.

Example 1 - Lover of manual lenses for waterfalls and broad landscapes. A/A*/DA*/FA lenses from 15-40mm or the Zeiss depending on budget. Only issue is zoom or prime.
Example 2 - Wildlife shooter - 300mm+ AF lenses only with maybe a 24/28-70 zoom for scenic shots while waiting around for critters.

I can come up with at least 3 or 4 other classifications of shooters, and what lenses those shooters should or would have.

I started with a 10-20, 17-70 and 50-200. After about a year I started to get a feel for my area of interest and shooting style. From there it was budget that dictated purchases.
A couple years ago, I did get "sucked in" by the clamoring masses that "Only primes will do" and spent about 3 months carrying around a dozen little lenses.
The constant lens changes and logistics drove me nuts. Try changing lenses from 20 to 35 to 40 to 50 while perched on a small rocks and sharing space with your tripod in the middle of a 10 foot deep, fast running stream. NOT happening! I don't care how small the lenses are, I don't have that many pockets!. Once I figured out I needed zooms for my shooting style and subjects, I quickly sold most of my primes.

My LBA has pretty much gone away once I figured out what area of expertise I wanted to focus on. I'll occasionally "swap" lenses but there's really no more "must-have" lenses out there for me. (Except for the $5000 Sigma 500mm, but that's so beyond my budget it's not LBA material)

My kit has been pretty stable for almost 2 years now, except for the odd lens in an attempt to fill gaps. I've actually SOLD more lenses this year than I have purchased.

[redcat]

My kit has been pretty stable for almost 2 years now

I guess you are a wildlife shooter ? what zoom lens you find most useful for your style ?

[nomadkng]

I guess you are a wildlife shooter ? what zoom lens you find most useful for your style ?

LOL. I am a landscape shooter first, I' ve only recently become a wildlife shooter second because GF is a wildlife shooter.

My go to landscape lenses are the Tamron 17-50 and Sigma 20-40. The Sigma has a special look to it that conveys a diff mood than the Tamron and its better at 20-25mm (distortion wise), but it is horrible in direct sunlight (sunsets/sunrises) so I need both. My GF carries/uses my back-up landscape kit which is a Sigma 10-20, an FA 20-35 and DA 40. Occasionally I'll "borrow" my 10-20 when I want the unique vantage point that 10mm will give you.

We both have a couple macros for flowers that we only use 1-2x a year, but it gives us another reason to go shooting. I also have a Sigma 50-150 because I can't stand having a gap in my kit because "You never know.." when you might need 60mm or 85mm or 77mm etc. I think I've used it once since I purchased it, but I feel better having it.

For wildlife I have a Sigma 100-300 f4 and GF has a Sigma 150-500.

That's what we take everywhere we go. Our entire lens collection fits in 2 backpacks and goes on every hike, every trip. No deciding which lenses to take or leave home, no worries we might miss a shot. Plus we are redundant should something catastrophic happen to a lens out in the field.

[emalvick]

I just went through a bout of extreme LBA that saw me end up with the full suite of FA limited lenses and a few of the newer limited lens. On the bright side, there are basically no other lens that I want. I think my LBA was cured. With the K3, I no longer feel a huge need to spend money on a long telephoto type lens. I rarely have a need for more than 200 mm.

I'm going to even reverse things a bit and pare my lens collection down. I have multiple zoom lenses that overlap, especially in the 17-50 mm range. I've learned over time that I'm not big on lens character, and I only really need one zoom lens to cover my basis. As a result, I actually think my Tamron 17-50 will go and my 18-135 will stay as with a prime kit, the 18-135 is only needed for its weather resistance and as an all around. The 17-50 can be replaced by the primes as needed. It's a bit sad, but realistically what I'll need to do.

In other words, getting the best lenses will solve your LBA because there is nothing better you can get.