Mine are pretty damn happy with me at the moment - "Hey, he took us to Italy this month - ALRIGHT!!!" I'm afraid next month is gonna be a serious letdown and they'll start talking smack about me again though....
-Ray
My G12 says.. "See.. you did use me again!" Because it knew that after Australia I was looking to sell it.. it just didn't happen. And yet it feels that cold shiver even as it gloats knowing that it's time could be short. My GR is saying.. "How can you even conceive of getting rid of me you haven't pressed every button and tried every setting and damn don't I do it all.. what do you see in that Fuji anyway??" And it is quite possible that the Fuji won't do it for me either and I am wondering if I should hang it up for a while, sell the majority of it, keep the few I treasure and give it a break. I think we have all been there.
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Wt
Cameras are tools, if they can't perform the function you need then they are simply the wrong tool. Having several of them that do nearly the same thing means it isn't the camera at that point, it's the photographer. Sue gave some great links on contemplative photography which I've also heard called Miksang among other things. I shoot a lot like that. I shoot a lot of macro. Sometimes simplistic, sometimes bursting with pattern, sometimes abstract explosions of color. That comprises most of my photography though I do explore other things.
Starting a project was a good idea, narrowing the camera selection could be a good idea but make sure you have your bases covered as far as what you like to shoot. Film is even a good idea as you don't need to think about anything but getting your shot and then send it off to a lab. If you begin to enjoy it.. then you can start developing. Gas is dangerous to more than the wallet, when you run out of it you deflate and it gets ugly. I was really happy with my little XSi.. and then I saw all the other stuff out there. To be honest.. not one thing I've bought has made me as elated, perhaps because it was my first dslr, my first real digital other than a 2mb powershot.
And yeah I'm thinking, hell I could have gotten both the zeiss lenses I like instead of this Fuji.. so who knows. maybe it won't make it out of the box. I hope you get over your funk, try some different things, but maybe like me you just need to take a few steps backwards rather than reaching for the newest. Go back to the beginning and then get on a more satisfying path. A dslr and a lightweight camera to compliment sound perfect.