Should I or shouldn't I?

Hamish Gill

Hamish Gill

Tech Support (and Marketing)
I'm mulling over slimming down my camera collection ...
I don't need and I don't use 70 odd cameras
I would use the 50mm blad lens and blad/nikon tilt shift adapter I'm currently hankering for!

The problem is, I like my camera collection!
I would have to be a bit brutal if I did it and let go of a lot of cameras fairly indiscriminately!

What are people's thoughts?
 
Well, if it's for a purpose i.e, selling and investing in further equipment for what your clearly displaying more passion for using (the Blad) then, I can't see a problem.
However, I don't own 70 odd cameras and a presumable great level of sentimentally that you have with your collection, so I don't think I'm much help, but on the other hand........ bagsy first digs on your OM!!! Hahahaha!!!!
 
If I sold enough of them it would have a reasonable impact of say!
How I would choose...
Well, I guess sell the ones I like least, keep the unusual or more collectible ones
I could probably find 10-15 worth £10-£30 that would probably get me a 50mm! :)
 
Are you sure a 50 is what you want though? Either give the Mamiya 45 a go or let me lend you a 50 at the beginning of March (I'll be back in Potsdam for a month then and you can borrow the 50 I have in the UK if it helps).

I'm going to put the Nikkor 45 T/S in my bag in the morning so I don't forget to bring it back with me on Thursday!! Again!!!
 
I think so, unless there is good reason not to... I like what shots I have seen taken with it...
It's the fov on the vertical the intrigues me of that makes sense?
Giving the mamiya a go is a bloody good idea, I'm not sure why I didn't think of it!!

Very excited to give the PCE a go I have to say!

I've had the bald on the tripod a bit recently, it's funny, I have enjoyed the very measured approach a lot! I'm thinking I will get a lot out of tinkering with the PCE because of that!

Thinking a bit more on the mamiya front, maybe I will get more out of it if I take the tripod out with it!!
I have to send the blad to sprockets this week (got hold of him, nice guy!) so whilst it's away I shall endeavour to give the mamiya with wide lens a crack!
 
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i would say keep them ,is it relevant whether you'll use them or not? the only reason i can think of to get rid is if you needed the room for something more important
 
Collectors of anything—even state art galleries—"de-acquisition" in order to improve their collection.

As a collection matures, it tends to become a bit more specialized, and culling the ones that really don't fit, makes room for those that do. Simply part of maturing as a collector. As a beginner, it is reasonable to buy one of everything you can afford. However, as taste grows and one matures, one becomes more discerning with ones acquisitions, and deleting the least interesting is part of it.

A camera collection can be anything. It could be 19th century wood and brass cameras, the rarest of Leicas, an eclectic collection that best reflects your taste—or on the other hand—the schlockiest and most garish kiddy plastic cameras you can find.

I have little interest in cameras themselves, but very much an interest in what they can do. As my working life began winding down, I sold some but then realized that they in a way symbolized the essence of my way of working. Each was chosen with great care to empower me in some way, or to solve a defined photographic problem. I have little inclination to add to the collection, since these were all working cameras that I used personally. However, I have none of my first digital cameras, but will probably keep those I presently have as part of this group.
 
It's double edged sword really isn't it, yes to improve part of your collection, no to keep alive what you have, open the box or take the money, sorry Hamish you probably won't even know the TV prog from way back then but the essence is that the choice is yours, I know what I would decide, but then I don't have a BLAD to feed......:D
 
Do you have an OM in the collection of your Hamish?
 
I don't Dan!

I you make some interesting points Larry!
I think I need to spend some time going through the collection and work out what means somthing to me and what doesn't!

I was up there the other day and spotted a Kodak retinette 1b ... I didn't even know I had one!
That can go! I have doubles of 3 cameras! So that's 4 gone!

I think it's just a case of being a bit more collection conscious!
The doubles I bought knowing they were doubles, all at silly cheap prises with it in mind to sell them, I forgot I had them until yesterday!!

I also have a couple of broken cameras ... They can go, they are no use to me really (at least that's what I need to tell my self)

I will get a list of what's going up over the next few days with good prices for people here to look at before I get them on eBay!
 
What!?!? No OM?! lol
I thought that/they'd be lurking in your collection somewhere.... never mind hey :( lol
 
The broken ones I have I have tried to fix or are to broken (ie snapped bit etc)
I will be organising into piles a bit better to work out what's what though so will know more then!
Are you volunteering to fix them Paul ;)
 
****! walked into that didn't I.

Seriously though I don't mind trying to help with a couple if they are simple enough problems. I suppose it depends on how much they need stripping down to fix the problem and whether it can be done without having to replace parts.

Without a service manual even simple cameras can be mind boggling to put back together.
 
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