Am I buying too much camera for my need/skill?

[BrownieVet]

Why ask? It is your money. Yours to spend . . . as long as your wife does not object.

Hi guys, over the past 8 years I have bought a Nikon D90, Olympus E-PL2, Fuji X-E1, RX100 mk1, Canon G7 X, Panasonic GX7 and a couple of primes for each DSLR/mirrorless system.

Very recently I bought an A7R II and FE 16-35 f/4.0 ZA and is shopping for 24-70 GM when something strikes me when looking at 24-70 GM's sample photos on Amazon: These people are pros or at least much more active than me and they took photos I would never take yet I am spending thousands buying the same gears.

My original plan was to get A7R II + 16-35, 24-70 GM, 70-200 f/4.0 and sell/give away all other camera/lenses save for G7 X because I have lusted after FF since D700. Yet thinking about it, except a couple of vacations and a few more family/friends outings a year, I don't take my big cameras outside and just use iPhone + 1" sensor compact.

I still feel a strong need to document everything in as much detail as possible but such good gears feel like a waste on doing something so mundane. Buying used E-M5 II + Pro lenses is cheaper but that's still pro gears and I'd be losing a lot of single-shot details. I don't know what to think.

 

[BrownieVet]

No idea what your skill level is, and you didn't really explain what your needs are. I

Skill level? His needs? - - - nonsense. If it makes him happy, buy buy buy buy!

'm happy at the D7000/E-M1 level of performance. FF has enough downsides (weight, annoyed girlfriend when you bring the serious camera) that it's not worth it for me. You should know exactly what, if anything, is holding you back. If there's just a general sense that FF and the highest-end lenses are what you need, then you definitely don't need it. You'd know if you did. There are a bunch of FF shots of my dog, now deceased, that I regret didn't have MORE depth of field. I can count on one hand the shots that I maybe lost because I had a MFT camera, and none of those shots were really that important.

 

[jotjotzzz]

Sounds like you have G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)! Sadly you're in a forum where most people here has this problem (so you're welcome here, ha).

It doesn't matter what your skill-sets are -- you can make do with 1 or 2 camera bodies (3 max). I would cut it down to two or three. (Here are my reasons: one camera for family gatherings events, one for travel (should be light and flexible), one for pro work -- in some cases one or two cameras could play this part and you don't need more than 1 or 2. In most cases, your smartphone/iPhone can play your travel camera and you don't need one more!!)

Unless you're a pro or enthusiast that make money from your photography then you can rationalize having more than one camera. Otherwise, I'm just going to assume you have GAS and you're seeking help. (And you're rich and able to afford the gear).

I would list the cameras you have and sell the ones you do not use often right away! Donate the ones you cannot sell.

Then the ones remaining, based on where you see your photography going. Are you aiming for street photography, or doing portraits, etc.? Then this will dictate the camera you may want to keep.

Note also, being limited in your equipment will force you to become pretty creative and also force you to learn how to use the equipment you have. You do not need so many cameras, the only thing that matters is the photographs you create with the equipment you have.

 

[ttran88]

To be fair most expensive or fast sports cars are sold to non circuit or track racers. There's nothing wrong with it either. Now if you bought the car and never drive it than yeah it's a waste of money.

 

[RedFox88]

Hi guys, over the past 8 years I have bought a Nikon D90, Olympus E-PL2, Fuji X-E1, RX100 mk1, Canon G7 X, Panasonic GX7 and a couple of primes for each DSLR/mirrorless system.

Something tells me whatever you buy, you'll buy something different soon after that with your long list of cameras.

Very recently I bought an A7R II and FE 16-35 f/4.0 ZA and is shopping for 24-70 GM when something strikes me when looking at 24-70 GM's sample photos on Amazon: These people are pros or at least much more active than me and they took photos I would never take yet I am spending thousands buying the same gears.

My original plan was to get A7R II + 16-35, 24-70 GM, 70-200 f/4.0 and sell/give away all other camera/lenses save for G7 X because I have lusted after FF since D700. Yet thinking about it, except a couple of vacations and a few more family/friends outings a year, I don't take my big cameras outside and just use iPhone + 1" sensor compact.

I still feel a strong need to document everything in as much detail as possible but such good gears feel like a waste on doing something so mundane. Buying used E-M5 II + Pro lenses is cheaper but that's still pro gears and I'd be losing a lot of single-shot details. I don't know what to think.

 

[TerrificShot Photography]

What do you purchase so many different dslr or point and shoot camera?

For those who are into photography, we started our hobby by purchasing all type of lenses.

for instance, I started with Canon 5dm3 body and 24-70 / 85mn (for portrait), 16-35mn (for landscape/architecture), 100mn (macro), 70-200mn + x2 extender (portrait, sport & wildlife)...

...and I purchased the Sony A7r2 to improve my landscape photos...and also because Sony body is light and not bulky as Canon. Fortunately I could use a adapter (metabone) for my Canon lenses.

Do gears matter? if you do landscape photography, it does it you plan to sell prints. But now I realize I could use one body and one lens such as Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM Lens

 

[fedway]

Are you enjoying life? Are you in a financially good situation? Are you generally happy?

Then buy whatever you want, and don't care so much what total strangers in the Internet think you ought to be doing rationally.

 

[nopix]

Are you buying too much camera for your skill? Don't know, don't know what your skill is.

Are you buying too much camera for your need? Sound like it.

But, there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying a camera or anything else just because you want it. If, you can afford it.

 

[GeraldW]

Has anybody noticed that the OP has not responded to any of our suggestions. Have we been had, or is he simply impolite?

 

[AlbertTheLazy]

Has anybody noticed that the OP has not responded to any of our suggestions. Have we been had, or is he simply impolite?

He's been far too busy posting in other forums to bother with following this thread.

Kill file time.

 

[FrancoD]

Sounds to me you are bored and buy cameras just to relieve some of that.

Why don't you take up a hobby ?

Photography could be a good one.

 

[TeddyBigFoot]

I don't believe there is such a thing.

If the camera has more than your need then all that happens is you just don't use what you don;t need -- but it's there when you want to experiment or start using the features.

If you know how to take a photo then you know how to use any camera - after a little familiarisation with the new controls and menus system.

Even some weird scintific camera - it's all just getting used to the controls and knowing where certain things are.

"Too much of a camera" is a term started by the elitists to answer questions and problems/complaints from others.

 

[sportyaccordy]

"Too much of a camera" is a term started by the elitists to answer questions and problems/complaints from others.

Or by people who feel the need to justify their gear choices.

I particularly love when folks say "such and such professional uses format X just like me, therefore nobody needs any more".... as if there aren't professionals using everything down to a cellphone :-D

 

[Steve Moore NYC]

So true No one here will judge!

 

[David Pavlich]

If you're happy with it and it's in the budget, you're good to go.

David

 

[MinAZ]

Too much camera is only too much if you can't afford it. You can't take money with you, so enjoy while you can. If you can pay the bills, take care of your family, and donate to charity, and have enough leftover, spend it all on camera equipment if you like. It only helps the economy, and creates further incentives to drive camera research.