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Gear Acquisition Syndrome

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Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

#141

Post by onewheeltom »

jerlam wrote: post #50

I think of myself as resistant to the pull of advertising and gear acquisition, but I've developed a related problem. When I find something that I like, I want to buy multiples of it, even if there is a very low chance that I'll wear the item out or lose it, and it may become unusable in that time. I've had many objects in my life that I thought were great, and then they become unavailable and I spend an inordinate a…

See if there is a Repair Cafe in your area and maybe they can fix it for free. If in NC go to http://repaircafenc.org

Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

#142

Post by omnimus »

dheera wrote: post #129
ffsm8 wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really? Photography changed a lot from 1950 to 2000. I'd be very surprised if anyone would've preferred the 1950 grayscale and gigantic photography equipment over the 90s-2000 variants

There were a lot of amazing advancements from 1950 to 1980. After 1990 and autofocus the build quality of lenses started going downhill. The plastic focusing mechanisms negated a lot of the otherwise good optics. The affordable category of lenses today also don't gave good optics. While there are good modern optics used in higher-end lenses, it's easier to get better used old optics that outperforms shitty modern opt…

So counter opinion. Current lenses just seem to be a way batter optically than in the past. Sony are super expensive lenses but even if you go Sigma, Laowa, Samyang… it is not cool but some of the lenses are just better and you wont pay that much more.

I used to have Canon DSLR woth some of the better lenses for that system. Recently i got Sony and to my surprise there is pretty noticeable difference. Like i have some manual focus LAOWA and it just destroys comparable (much more expensive) canon lens from 15 years ago in terms of image quality and sharpness.

Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

#143

Post by [deleted] »

javier123454321 wrote: post #41
drblastoff wrote: post #22

I’ve fallen victim to this, though perhaps fortunately with digital synth plugins that take up no physical space. This is related to another problem of mine: ignoring things I’m naturally good at, and fixating on things I’m naturally bad at. In this case, I have no real musical talent, can’t play instruments in rhythm, can’t arrange a song, and I’ve nevertheless been pursuing this in my spare time for a decade with n…

I'm skeptical of the claim for musical talent. Especially the case that you lack any 'real' one. Rhythm, interval recognition, composing are all skills that require practice and dedication. The lack of results point to a bad method, not lack of talent. Have you considered getting instruction?

[deleted]

Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

#144

Post by dheera »

omnimus wrote: post #142
dheera wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There were a lot of amazing advancements from 1950 to 1980. After 1990 and autofocus the build quality of lenses started going downhill. The plastic focusing mechanisms negated a lot of the otherwise good optics. The affordable category of lenses today also don't gave good optics. While there are good modern optics used in higher-end lenses, it's easier to get better used old optics that outperforms shitty modern opt…

So counter opinion. Current lenses just seem to be a way batter optically than in the past. Sony are super expensive lenses but even if you go Sigma, Laowa, Samyang… it is not cool but some of the lenses are just better and you wont pay that much more. I used to have Canon DSLR woth some of the better lenses for that system. Recently i got Sony and to my surprise there is pretty noticeable difference. Like i have som…

Yeah Laowa makes some good stuff. 7Artisans and TTArtisans is very hit or miss, good build quality but mediocre optics. Samyang I've found to be mostly on par with top of the line Nikkor manual lenses.

Voigtlander has some /really/ good optics for modern lenses, especially their Apochromatic lenses and the Aspheric Noktons. They are also a couple hundred years old so they know a thing or two about making quality lenses.

Zeiss has always had a lot of good stuff and a lot of it inherits from their history of manual lenses, but they seem to be quitting the industry.

OEM modern lenses almost all suck. Either shitty build quality OR too expensive.

Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

#145

Post by rqtwteye »

porphyra wrote: post #14
rqtwteye wrote: post #2

It's a big problem for photographers too. Especially with the rapid progress of mirrorless cameras there is always the next camera or lens you need to get. I have bought lenses and never used them. I have also spent more time on looking for accessories for my 3D printer than actually using it. Not sure how to combat GAS. I feel for people with a full time job it somehow compensates for the lack of time working on one…

Yeah lmao I spent tens of thousands of dollars on my medium format Fujifilm GFX system. It just needs a couple more lenses then it will be perfected and I won't have to buy another piece of gear ever again!

I think a Hasselblad would enrich your life

Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

#146

Post by p3rls »

solid_fuel wrote: post #106

From another angle, I think it's understandable that people like to have premium "signifiers" of their skill. A carpenter with a full set of well maintained chisels seems on first glance more likely to be a good carpenter than one who carves uses with a box cutter. So there may be a natural drive to collect and display things that indicate skill in our chosen areas of interest. Now, to twist this around a bit: is thi…

I know a tradesman who works out of a bucket with a ripped up tool organizer inside that's held together with duct tape and zip ties. His tools are all falling apart and often doesn't have the correct tool and is one of the types you'll see using a wrench as a hammer non-recreationally.

But still he's one of the cleverest there is, has seen every issue in the field 10,000 times and knows exactly how to handle it... but the immediate lack of respect he gets when he walks into a building is stunning. It adds so much friction to encounter.

Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

#147

Post by darkteflon »

jerlam wrote: post #50

I think of myself as resistant to the pull of advertising and gear acquisition, but I've developed a related problem. When I find something that I like, I want to buy multiples of it, even if there is a very low chance that I'll wear the item out or lose it, and it may become unusable in that time. I've had many objects in my life that I thought were great, and then they become unavailable and I spend an inordinate a…

Hi fellow traveller - I do that, too. Can’t say I agree that I think of it as a problem, though: it’s mostly paid off for me.

We’re surrounded by so much complexity - anything that helps to defray the cost of learning how to use a new bit of kit is appreciated. Most recently, I’ve been unable to resist the siren call of N100 mini PCs for a Proxmox cluster, but another example would be my teles: having 3 tvs all running the same OS (now long-unplugged from the internet) is just a massive timesaver. One practically needs a PhD and a lifelong Digital Foundry subscription to get the darn things set up just right - why spread that across two different brands or models.

Same philosophy with cars - although clearly that’s an area where most of us don’t own more than one. In my case, I chose the car with the best-established record of long-term reliability, and plan to never sell it. Read the docs, spelunk the forums, learn its quirks, then just live with it.

Buy one good thing - along with a few identical backups, if possible - then use it for ages. Then go outside and touch grass.

Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

#148

Post by pseudosaid »

jerlam wrote: post #50

I think of myself as resistant to the pull of advertising and gear acquisition, but I've developed a related problem. When I find something that I like, I want to buy multiples of it, even if there is a very low chance that I'll wear the item out or lose it, and it may become unusable in that time. I've had many objects in my life that I thought were great, and then they become unavailable and I spend an inordinate a…

I do this too. I buy two of anything I like and save it in a “timecapsule” for the next decade when it is not available. It also lets me treat my possessions for use and not inconvenient preservation. if i really beat on it, i get a third so i have a replacement available.

Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

#149

Post by AceyMan »

efsavage wrote: post #122
loloquwowndueo wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Next time don’t store the old shoes - rotate wearing them so at the end of (shoe_lifetime * number_of_pairs) years you’ll have a number of pairs of evenly-worn shoes :)

I actually did this not too long ago and observed an interesting phenomenon that I had kind of noticed over the years, but never really tested. I found a pair of shoes that I liked, but they wore out quickly with daily use (3-4 months). I bought 3 more pairs and rotated them and those three lasted for like 2 years. As silly as it sounds, I wonder if there is something about giving shoes a "rest" that makes them last…

Yes. This has been well known in the running community for decades.

The foam midsole gets beaten down in a days wear, so resting gives it time to spring back. Additionally, the uppers get to dry out which inhibits bacteria & such and stops moisture from attacking the adhesives and stitching.

Re: Gear Acquisition Syndrome

#150

Post by atoav »

WWLink wrote: post #136
atoav wrote: post #43

I am a musician. Among most musicians I know know I am also one of those with the least obsession with gear. Gear is just that. Gear. Much of the sound in musical gear doesn't correlate with price. Sure when it comes to recording gear and studio equipment price tends to correlate with reliability, but we are living in truly magical times. I gifted my brother a 160 Euro Harley Benton (Thomann's budget brand for guitar…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnvYSKshvwc There's at least a few guitar youtubers who played that "which electric guitar am I playing?" game. I think you can pretty easily make almost any sound from any electric guitar lol.

Yeah, especially if you don't take the strings and pickups/electronics as they are.
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