How long, before admitting the reality

[Vick Ko]

How long do you have to own an LF kit, and NOT shoot it, before you admit that you aren't an LF photographer?

I own a wonderful kit. Sold off every lens except for three. I think it's been 2 years since I've used it. And I'm guessing that I only shot it once in the last 5 years.

I just bought another MF kit, and I'm hovering over the LF kit, thinking "sell it?"

In psychology, there is a term "cognitive dissonance". It roughly means "I'm not what I think I am ... similarly... I'm not what I want to be"

Your thoughts?

...Vick

[Darin Boville]

If it is an inexpensive kit just keep it in the closet. If $$$ then sell it and buy it again if you go back. LF stuff is certainly not going up in price...

-Darin

[BarryS]

I'm realizing the same thing about a beautiful Leica M3 kit I've had for a lot less time. Better to sell it and let someone use the equipment than have it collect dust.

[Flauvius]

Vick:

Just do it!

The more often you shot, and learn from your mistakes, the more you will enjoy what you are photographing. You will never discover your abilities unless you are willing to be consumed by your goals.

Psychological labels are nothing more than polite excuses for failure! Do not allow yourself to hold yourself back from anything in life. Just study, press on, and you will enjoy the process.

Just remember, winners do not have to make excuses for their successes.


Flauvius

[r.e.]

I'm realizing the same thing about a beautiful Leica M3 kit I've had for a lot less time. Better to sell it and let someone use the equipment than have it collect dust.

Funny, the M3 is the camera that I feel most comfortable with and use most. When Leica comes out with an M10 that has better ISO performance than the current M9, I will finally replace it. At that point, there's a pretty good chance that I'll sell my large format gear. The remaining question is whether the Mamiya 7II goes too.

Vick, I had a look at some of your prior posts. You are an engineer with a background in optics. You are a self-acknowledged camera collector. You like to tinker with them. You have a young family and limited time. Given that you have used the large format gear once in five years, here's my view. Keep one camera, the one that you actually use and feel most comfortable with, and sell the rest. In your case, this may require a 12 step programme, but it's the right decision :)

[Frank Petronio]

The best camera is money in the bank.

If I get nostalgic about a camera I'll get one of the numerous books about Leicas, or one of the neat old Linhof books. You can always get a $350 Leica IIIc and play with that ;-)

[Vaughn]

In about 1979 I finally admitted to the reality that I was trying to use my only camera -- a Rolleiflex -- like a view camera, so I have used view cameras ever since.

[Tim Meisburger]

Sell it all.

I have the opposite problem. How long do I shoot LF before I finally admit it is the only photography I enjoy, and start buying more expensive lenses and cameras, which I avoided because I worried I would get over it...

[Kimberly Anderson]

I sold a Nikkor 300 2.8 AF-S lens earlier this year and turned it into a Hassy 500/cm kit with two lenses and some other goodies. TOTALLY worth it.

Yes, I loved the 300, and used it for years, but over the past 5 years I was really only using it to shoot my daughter's softball games and that was really only 2-3 games. So, I thought I'd turn it into some gear that I'd use way more. I don't regret it at all.

[John NYC]

Bottom line is that if you feel like you don't want it anymore, sell it. You can always buy another LF kit on the used market.

I have bought and sold a bunch of stuff in the past few years and there are only two things I have seller's remorse on: my Hassy kit (actually just some parts of it) and a beautiful example of a 150mm APO Symmar, all of which went to forum members here! But if I really wanted similar items again, I could easily buy them right now in the used marketplace.

[eddie]

I'm realizing the same thing about a beautiful Leica M3 kit I've had for a lot less time. Better to sell it and let someone use the equipment than have it collect dust.

yeah but leica has been dropping in value lately. up until recently you could still get money for them.....LF has been cheap for years (big old studio type equipment that is.....brass stuff no!)


The best camera is money in the bank.


+1


Sell it all.

+1

[Robert Hughes]

My friends keep giving me old 620 rollfilm TLR's. How do I get them to stop?

[domaz]

My friends keep giving me old 620 rollfilm TLR's. How do I get them to stop?

Hmm are they giving them to you after you give them cash? Re-rolling 120 film onto 620 reels isn't that bad...

[Brian Ellis]

I don't know exactly how long "how long" is but I'm confident it's less than five years. Sell the stuff.

[ROL]

I own a wonderful kit. Sold off every lens except for three.

You have more than three lenses??? There's the problem.

[Corran]

If I don't use a piece of gear in 9 months to a year it goes away, unless there is a specific case I know I would want it for and it would be hard to replace (not often).

[Steve M Hostetter]

motivate yourself to find a use ! thats all

my thoughts are that there should be plenty of inspiration for that on this forum

[Edward (Halifax,NS)]

I will have to disagree with Brian. I took several years off from taking pictures using any format except p/s digital. I am starting to get back in the swing of things. I have shot several rolls of MF and I am waiting for new 4X5 holders to arrive in the mail. I am glad I did not sell my LF kit and I am looking forward to using my several boxes of frozen Provia 100F.

Edward

[jeroldharter]

Of course you are asking drunks how to stop drinking...

But, I would keep it myself unless I needed money for living expenses. I assume the stuff you have not sold yet is higher quality gera. Right now, LF camera gear is readily available used, at good prices meaning hugely depreciated prices. That will flip at some point as it has done with certain lenses. Some equipment will become rare.

Most everyone goes through phases when they are attracted to various formats for awhile, then move on to another one. I do 67, 4x5, and 8x10. I did give up 35 mm - it seems almost effeminate compared to large format (I'm kidding). But if you have kids buzzing around, roll film makes sense. When they and you get older, LF will make sense.

[Andrew O'Neill]

A year after I purchased the LF camera, there was a 3 year period where I only used my medium format camera and the big camera stayed in the box. It took 3 years to realize that the large format camera is where I should be and haven't looked back since.

[Daniel Stone]

(To the OP):

TBH, I've been considering the same thing. I've barely picked up my LF kit in the past 2 months since trading off some kit for a Hasselblad setup. Its so portable, light, and for my printing needs 90% of the time(I usually only go up to 10x10 or so due to lack of space to store big prints ;)), it works very well. Not to mention having just bought a Pentax 67II w/ 2 lenses to complement it with :D(Its like a BIG 35mm!).

However, give yourself a few more months. If you don't touch it, or get any inkling to get out with it at least once, I'd sell it off.

However, due to my past experiences of selling things off and then regretting it when I do find a time to use it, I'm reluctant to sell anything off ;)!

Just a suggestion though, you do what you want of course.

-Dan

[Dan Fromm]

Vick, I'm somewhat in your situation.

Somewhat because my unused treasures are for Super 8, not for LF. I doubt I'll ever use my Beaulieus again but they're lovely artifacts and won't much money. If my wife ever insists on a thorough house cleaning they might go, but not until then.

I know that prices of older photographic equipment are falling, except for the ones that aren't. Coupla years ago I sold a 60/1.4 Boyer Saphir via eBay for what I thought was a lot of money. One recently (260875303566) sold for nearly ten times as much as mine.

I do know that if I sell any of my real treasures I'll never be able to replace them. So I hang on. Not using them much doesn't seem like a pressing reason to sell. But if you have a pressing reason to sell your LF gear, sell it and don't look back.

Cheers,

Dan

[Robert Hughes]

I've got a couple nice S8's also including a Beaulieu 4008 ZM2 in rough shape. I wouldn't mind getting it refurbed, if I were ever going to use it again.

[Joseph O'Neil]

The number of shots on my Nikon DSLRs vs my 4x5 is likley a ratio of at least 1000:1, but I never stop thinking of myself as a LF kinda person.
:)

joe

[cyrus]

I have a lot of cameras I don't use, but I keep them because I also collect cameras ... or so I've convinced myself! I don't think I've ever actually used my little Rollei 35 but it is too cute!

[Robert Hughes]

I tried to use my 4x5 camera yesterday, but it was too cloudy for a decent shot. I think I'll sell it and go digital. Then I can get perfect photos every time.

[jeroldharter]

I tried to use my 4x5 camera yesterday, but it was too cloudy for a decent shot. I think I'll sell it and go digital. Then I can get perfect photos every time.

I don't think a digital camera has a button to change the weather. Try increasing development time!

[Vick Ko]

Just bought a Fuji TX-1 kit from a friend.

Took a good hard look at my LF kit, and finally settled on dipping into the RRSP instead of selling the kit.

Maybe the LF kit will go on the block, but, not now.

I can say "I'm ready for LF photography".

:-)

Vick

[Two23]

Of course you are asking drunks how to stop drinking...

.

:D :D :D


If you haven't used it in two years, then yes I would sell and buy something you will use. Otherwise, you can end up with thousands of dollars tied up and not doing you much good. Not that I've done anything like that. :D


Kent in SD

[WayneStevenson]

Best to have the equipment around for when the urge hits you........

Try loading up all of your film holders with film, and have the equipment ready to go for when that urge hits you. If it isn't such a pain in the ass to bring it out of your house, you may be more tempted to work with it, and not just shrug off the urge to use it.

[Randy]

I have 3 digital SLR bodies and some lenses,...4 120 TLR's, 3 6X9 folders, several German (Russian clones) 35mm range-finders, one decent 35mm Nikon SLR that I have had since the early 80's, numerous pinhole camera's, 1 8X10 camera, 1 5X7 camera, and a bunch of lenses.
I don't call myself a "collector" because everything I have gets used eventually, but not near as much as I would like.
For me, all this gear is a distraction. I never really "master" any of them because they get used so sporadically.
At times, I threaten to sell everything...except my TLR's, my folders, my 35mm's, my pinhole cameras, my large format, and my digital.

[rdenney]

Best to have the equipment around for when the urge hits you........

Try loading up all of your film holders with film, and have the equipment ready to go for when that urge hits you. If it isn't such a pain in the ass to bring it out of your house, you may be more tempted to work with it, and not just shrug off the urge to use it.

Yea verily.

One thing is for sure, you will never make a large-format photograph if you sell your large-format equipment.

Rick "who finds the hardest step in practicing his tuba is taking it out of the case" Denney

[Corran]

I have ... 3 6X9 folders,

Well if you decide you want to part ways with one of them I might be interested :)

[goodfood]

Using LF and other film cameras for over 30 years, my nearby friends change to digital years ago. I keep myself 100% film until Costal stop develop film and the pro lab takes one week to dev E6. Now I already half digital and half film. But I won't sell my LF collection.

[reyno bundit]

i regret buying a digi canon , its been hanging around for 4 years and i still dont have a print from it.i do use it however for firing strobes as a cheap alternative to Polaroid