- Location
- Seattle
- Name
- Andrew
This is just a thought experiment, and I'm sure it is a question that has been posed in threads here before now, in some form. But I'm specifically interested in the here and now: if you, knowing all you currently know of the camera market, with your camera collection as it currently stands, absolutely had to downsize to only one camera, what would that camera be? And what lenses would you choose for it?
I suppose I should create a rule around the idea of further spending to acquire that one camera, if that's the route you choose to go (the grass is always greener, after all). I'm not suggesting you should mortgage the house to acquire a "be all, end all" camera. But let's also say that you're not necessarily downsizing out of a desperate financial need: you could use the money from your other camera sales, or add in a little, if you really wanted to. However, let's further say that times are a bit tight, and you could hypothetically benefit from not having as much money sunk into the hobby as you do now. If that sounds rather... personal, it isn't, really. But I do play this scenario through in my head sometimes. I wonder if a lot of us do? Possibly the reasoning behind that is that photography is the most expensive hobby I have (maybe second to travel, not that we travel that often), and I think I feel a small twinge of guilt now and then, or at least need to reason through why I allow myself to spend money on the hobby. If you've never thought once about the cost of photography, then just skip that line of reasoning: tell us what extravagant purchase would really do it for you.
And, to make the idea of parting with your cameras a little more palatable, let's say this isn't forever, but rather a good 3-5 years or so, at the end of which, you'll still be hale and hearty, and free to pick up other cameras. Could this be an opportunity just to eliminate noise and focus on becoming a master at one particular camera or style of shooting? Or do you want the most flexible option out there?
I haven't necessarily made up my own mind in answer to this question, so you'll have to wait for my thoughts.
I suppose I should create a rule around the idea of further spending to acquire that one camera, if that's the route you choose to go (the grass is always greener, after all). I'm not suggesting you should mortgage the house to acquire a "be all, end all" camera. But let's also say that you're not necessarily downsizing out of a desperate financial need: you could use the money from your other camera sales, or add in a little, if you really wanted to. However, let's further say that times are a bit tight, and you could hypothetically benefit from not having as much money sunk into the hobby as you do now. If that sounds rather... personal, it isn't, really. But I do play this scenario through in my head sometimes. I wonder if a lot of us do? Possibly the reasoning behind that is that photography is the most expensive hobby I have (maybe second to travel, not that we travel that often), and I think I feel a small twinge of guilt now and then, or at least need to reason through why I allow myself to spend money on the hobby. If you've never thought once about the cost of photography, then just skip that line of reasoning: tell us what extravagant purchase would really do it for you.
And, to make the idea of parting with your cameras a little more palatable, let's say this isn't forever, but rather a good 3-5 years or so, at the end of which, you'll still be hale and hearty, and free to pick up other cameras. Could this be an opportunity just to eliminate noise and focus on becoming a master at one particular camera or style of shooting? Or do you want the most flexible option out there?
I haven't necessarily made up my own mind in answer to this question, so you'll have to wait for my thoughts.
