On Tue, 25 Jul 2000, Keith Berry wrote:
> Thomas Heide Clausen wrote:
> >...Even though I have been thinking really really hard,
> I have been unable to come up with anything OM-related that has to be "the
> next thing I cannot live without". Somehow, it seems that I have the
> OM-bodies and the lenses which are sufficient to satisfy my photographic
> needs...
>
> Two years ago I felt like that, but then I joined this List, since when I've
> added two more OM bodies, another flashgun, two more Zuikos and two 'other'
> lenses. This week I feel that my outfit is now complete again - but I don't
> expect
> the feeling to last!
>
I am not saying, that I will never need to buy gear again. But for now,
i.e. for what my current photographic needs are, I have in plenty. Maybe
some day I will start to be serious about macro-photo or astro-photo
or something (now I know that a list-member has a mini-hubble for
sale) and thus need other, specialized gear.
The latest addition - the 24/2.0 - had been on the wish-list for a while,
realizing that "a good wide-angle is the only thing I really need now". So
the "it's complete" feeling was planned well in advance.
Having 6 OM bodies (+ some medium format gear), the only need for buying
such would be in the unlucky event of one of them going beyond repair. In
that case there is no doubt that the OM3Ti would be the replacement -
considering that I never use anything but manual exposure yet also prefers
spot-capabilities. (Of course, save for the defect being in the medium
format stuff, in which case it will be replaced correspondingly with
another manual medium format).
Glass-wise, I am covered from 21mm (with a Sigma zoom) and a set of
Zuiko's covering from 24mm to 400mm in steps convenient to me. I see
myself rarely using anything beyond 200mm, though, so the mini-hubble
will have to wait a bit. And any new purchases will be only to replace if
one should break (or if I see like a mint 90/2 macro for sale at 1£).
Likewise goes for flashes etc.
I have set up my gear in 3 "sets" configured to match the different kinds
of photography I do. When doing so, I found 3 lenses and 2 bodies being
"in excess", indicating that no new purchases are required before I take
up a different area of photography.
The two "excess" bodies, though, were immediately shipped off to Olympus
Denmark for CLA - the thought being that they might as well spend time in
their competent hands rather than being idle. When they return, they will
either be put on active backup-duty or be - encouraged by many a list
member (notably Giles, who showed me some of his very good results) -
equiped with slide-films such that I can start experimenting in that
field. Slides will be a new thing for me. I've taken a total of ONE slide
film in my life. It was in medium format and the film was one that came
for free.)
Earlier this year I even sold off some third-party lenses (zooms and
others), flashes etc. because I found that I really never used it.
Sure, there are still small things to buy. E.g. I need a pol-filter and
some read & yellow filters (for b/w usage) with 55mm and 72mm thread
etc. And films, photographic paper, chemicals etc.....
So however heretic it may sound, I do not need "everything" to feel good,
let alone to take pictures. My mostly used set now consists of 2 OM2s/p's
with winders and respectively the 85/2.0 and 24/2.0 mounted. Were I forced
to part with any gear, this set would be what I would hold on to most
passionately.
Now, I need to pack and get off to Pittsburgh - will probably stop over in
New York for a few days visiting an old friend of mine and seeing the
city. And I will definitely take a lot of pictures while there....even
though I am a lot of pieces short a full set of OM-gear.....
Best regards
--thomas
(ps: My mailbox is BIG, and I read email, although not all the time, while
travelling)
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