[LesDMess]

To better understand this affliction - and potential remedies, we need to find out the root cause . . .

Since the first step to recovery is admission, I'll start . . .

I had spotted a local CL ad for a Minolta Hi-Matic 9 and for some reason went out of my way to acquire it.



I was so impressed by the fact that it seemed very well built and somehow - with 1960's technology, had aperture priority mode and was still fully functional! The complete kit came with a carrying case and filters for so cheap!

Then one evening, ordered Chinese takeout food - which of course came with fortune cookies, and found this . . .



Ok well maybe this story is full of holes and may not have happened exactly in this order but the fortune in that cookie is real and captured on Kodak Gold 100 those many years ago . . .

How about you, why do you have more than the prescribed number of cameras?
How did you get on this path?
Do you want to get off it?
Do you have any advice for others that may help them - one way or the other?

[pentuxgb]

These 2 videos made me realise that I could find and resurrect my Pentax K100D and find some great old lenses for it:

The Six Megapixel Club - using a 14 year old Pentax DSLR in 2019

You Tube

You Tube

Pentax's Most Famous Lens is Also The Cheapest - Pentax M 50mm f1.7 Review

You Tube

You Tube

Youtube randomly recommended them and I've been hooked on photography and gear since.
I found myself constantly looking on Ebay and MPB, but mostly stopped that now.

I have enough stuff now (now got a new K70 and 8 or so cheap vintage lenses), I need to learn how to use them.

Although I do want a macro lens...

There was also another Youtuber "1 month 2 cameras" I think who loves vintage digital camera, that got me looking into other older CCD cameras but trying to not buy them.

[FozzFoster]

When I was completely naïve to photography, and started researching options, I was very excited that the K-mount supported legacy lenses.
And with a cheap adapter, the whole M42 catalogue is completely and easily accessible.
This fact provided many local second-hand options for a variety of focal and aperture ranges at very affordable prices.
With this knowledge, and eager to learn more, it became a slippery slope of purchases trying to chase the 'next lens' dragon.

It's still feels like Christmas Day for me when I get a new lens/camera to use.

[ffking]

Pentax Forums

[LesDMess]

These 2 videos made me realise that I could find and resurrect my Pentax K100D and find some great old lenses for it:

The Six Megapixel Club - using a 14 year old Pentax DSLR in 2019
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toOoe5qG9K0

Pentax's Most Famous Lens is Also The Cheapest - Pentax M 50mm f1.7 Review
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUcFKx4rxHU

Youtube randomly recommended them and I've been hooked on photography and gear since.
I found myself constantly looking on Ebay and MPB, but mostly stopped that now.

I have enough stuff now (now got a new K70 and 8 or so cheap vintage lenses), I need to learn how to use them.

Although I do want a macro lens...

There was also another Youtuber "1 month 2 cameras" I think who loves vintage digital camera, that got me looking into other older CCD cameras but trying to not buy them.

One of my best finds included the Pentax M 50mm f4 macro lens. It was so cheap but I was getting such sharp results that I tested it to see just how much resolving power it has.



I found out that with a properly taken image, it was not going to be the limiting factor!

[TwoUptons]

Probably when a coworker at the camera shop decided to get rid of his father's old H1a and a bunch of lenses, probably in ~1994.
I got it with the 35mm f2.0, 50mm f4 macro, and 120mm f2.8 (and skipped the 85mm and 105mm... stupid, stupid...) for something like $90?

All of the other purchases I had made before then were for a step up in capability... better lenses, bigger flashes, more modern bodies.
To me, that's not GAS, and I was shooting semi-professionally at the time (somewhere there's a picture of me with the SuperProgram on the flash bracket, with the Quantum Battery, AF-280, TTL cord, and a Zeiss 28-70 (made by Sigma) lens, with the K1000 as backup). I even had hair then

But the H1a was the first time I bought camera gear for real money just because it was really cool.

Thinking back, I still have the H1a kit, the AF-280 and TTL cord, and the K1000. The rest is long gone...

-Eric

[shyrsio]

Knowledge in short. The more I started to learn about photography and its physics, the more I wanted to have pieces of the whole range of apertures, focal lengths, bodies, special items and accessories. It really is a rabbit hole, and I'll admit I have become somewhat of a hoarder.

[gofour3]

I had a couple brochures back in 1975 when I bought my first Pentax SLR kit as a poor teenager. I could not afford most lenses/cameras in the catalogue so I had to dream......

Fast forward 30+ years and I finally had the extra finances to start collecting Pentax gear. I stopped collecting this year after getting everything I wanted plus more, as well as running short of storage space and finally retiring from work.

Now's the time to enjoy what I have collected over the years. (30+ Pentax film cameras and 100+ Pentax lenses)

Phil.

[StiffLegged]

Pictures like this:-




Yes I know it’s another manufacturer’s range, it’s the most egregious example I found, but the photos of complete systems from the 70s were if anything worse.

Common sense did intervene since then (no dear, I haven’t bought a thing, honest!).

[LesDMess]

Pictures like this:-




Yes I know it’s another manufacturer’s range, it’s the most egregious example I found, but the photos of complete systems from the 70s were if anything worse.

Common sense did intervene since then (no dear, I haven’t bought a thing, honest!).

Woah, your collection? I had a few of those bodies and lenses myself . . .

---------- Post added 11-25-22 at 02:34 PM ----------

Probably when a coworker at the camera shop decided to get rid of his father's old H1a and a bunch of lenses, probably in ~1994.
I got it with the 35mm f2.0, 50mm f4 macro, and 120mm f2.8 (and skipped the 85mm and 105mm... stupid, stupid...) for something like $90?

All of the other purchases I had made before then were for a step up in capability... better lenses, bigger flashes, more modern bodies.
To me, that's not GAS, and I was shooting semi-professionally at the time (somewhere there's a picture of me with the SuperProgram on the flash bracket, with the Quantum Battery, AF-280, TTL cord, and a Zeiss 28-70 (made by Sigma) lens, with the K1000 as backup). I even had hair then

But the H1a was the first time I bought camera gear for real money just because it was really cool.

Thinking back, I still have the H1a kit, the AF-280 and TTL cord, and the K1000. The rest is long gone...

-Eric

You definitely started long before I did and it sounds like you're under control . . .

---------- Post added 11-25-22 at 02:36 PM ----------

I had a couple brochures back in 1975 when I bought my first Pentax SLR kit as a poor teenager. I could not afford most lenses/cameras in the catalogue so I had to dream......

Fast forward 30+ years and I finally had the extra finances to start collecting Pentax gear. I stopped collecting this year after getting everything I wanted plus more, as well as running short of storage space and finally retiring from work.

Now's the time to enjoy what I have collected over the years. (30+ Pentax film cameras and 100+ Pentax lenses)

Phil.

Congratulations on making it to the finish line but I am at least a couple behind . . .

However, definitely something I look forward to and a chance to start cracking open some of these.

---------- Post added 11-25-22 at 02:38 PM ----------

Knowledge in short. The more I started to learn about photography and its physics, the more I wanted to have pieces of the whole range of apertures, focal lengths, bodies, special items and accessories. It really is a rabbit hole, and I'll admit I have become somewhat of a hoarder.

The main motivation of my acquisitions has been the appreciation of their history.

[Sir Nameless]

Ummm… pentaxforums.com

[TwoUptons]

You definitely started long before I did and it sounds like you're under control . . .

---------- Post added 11-25-22 at 02:38 PM ----------

The main motivation of my acquisitions has been the appreciation of their history.

My wife would not agree that I am under control

I will say there are a lot fewer things I'm really searching for, and I've turned down some outstanding deals on things that would be better off on someone else's shelf.

A lot of GAS/LBA/whatever is also cyclical... if an urge comes along coincident with a good deal and a fat wallet, it's harder to resist... so I buy a lot less when I'm broke...

But I agree, the history is cool, especially that we get to play with it...

-Eric

[StiffLegged]

Woah, your collection?

Not one single bit of it!

[andrewd]

My grandfather collected cameras, so the collecting side of the hobby was always lurking in the background for me. I always had a few nice cameras, but not a collection. A few years ago I moved close to an old school used camera shop. I was surprised to see how reasonably priced some of the classic cameras were with a warranty. I nearly traded my M3 and M6 but they offered me a ridiculous low-ball offer (£1k for both!) saying they weren’t worth much because they needed a service. So I got them serviced instead and started shooting film again. I realised how much more I enjoyed the process and results of film photography. After that I started buying other cameras that I was curious about in the 80’s 90’s but could never afford. I have about 40 cameras now, and am trying to resist adding too many more

[aaacb]

Trying new things and learning what kinds of photos i like to take. Then it subdued as i gained experience, i think peak gas was in the second year of retuning to photography as a hobby