Please help me choose.

As I approached a significent milestone in my life I realised it would be unfair to leave my wife to sort out my possessions after my death. A year of ridding myself of books, fishing rods, model railways, tools followed. Then it was the turn of photographic gear. I decided to give away and sell in three steps, giving myself time to consider carefully what goes. In that way 90 cameras and many lenses were reduced to 17 cameras and lenses. Now is the time to make a final cull down to 10 cameras. On the film side the keepers are 3 Leicas, M2, M5, M6, a Rolleiflex 3.5 Planar and a couple of SLRs. This is the bit where I need your help. I have 2 Canon F1 and 2 Nikon F cameras. For both systems I have an almost identical set of top primes. I've had enough of equipment sat on shelves and mean to use those that remain and I do not need both systems. I have been thinking about this a lot and cannot decide. Can you help? Thank you in advance, Charles.

Keep the SLR system with infinity at the same side as Leica M.

(You seem wiser than me. I don't own FD or F- mount stuff. - Pentax would have to go here, according to my thesis and it will mostlikely stay till it falls apart.)

Do you have something digital to utilize your manual primes and does that have a preference?

Even if a small collection, I personally prefer variety over quantity. You could keep both the Nikon and Canon systems, but sell one each of the duplicate bodies, and perhaps trim the lens selection down a bit more or use one or two good zooms for each instead. Edited August 8, 2020 by m42dave

I take my hat off to you for reducing the clutter in your life.. A step that is hitting me hard now. I clearly see the dilema... Being a sentimental type... (that's why I haven'T sold much of anything) .. I would stick to the one I|ve owned the longest.

Keep the SLR system with infinity at the same side as Leica M.

(You seem wiser than me. I don't own FD or F- mount stuff. - Pentax would have to go here, according to my thesis and it will mostlikely stay till it falls apart.)

Do you have something digital to utilize your manual primes and does that have a preference?

Thank you Jochen for a post with an interesting take. Your point about sharing lenses with digital is well made, however my last digitals will be a couple of Leicas, an old M8 and an X113, and my Nikon Z50 with two lenses, 14-30 and the 50. So I don't really need to use the old lenses. The decision to limit digital cameras means giving up my D4, a choice that is hard to make. I am determined to get down to 10 cameras, even this is too much but I might stagger on for a bit longer so would like some gear to play with, Charles.

Even if a small collection, I personally prefer variety over quantity. You could keep both the Nikon and Canon systems, but sell one each of the duplicate bodies, and perhaps trim the lens selection down a bit more or use one or two good zooms for each instead.

That is a very sensible line to take m42dave. There is a bit of me which likes the idea of back up cameras even if the reality is they will not be needed. You have given me something to think about, Charles.

I take my hat off to you for reducing the clutter in your life.. A step that is hitting me hard now. I clearly see the dilema... Being a sentimental type... (that's why I haven'T sold much of anything) .. I would stick to the one I|ve owned the longest.

Chuck, you are on my wavelength. Sentiment and a sense of history are important to me. The Canon F1 is the better camera to use. The FD lenses seem sharper than the old non ai Nikons which do have a lot of character, so it should be an easy choice, however I was using a pair of Nikon Fs back in the late sixties, early seventies, tearing around London thinking I was a great photographer. Then there is all the war photographer stuff, with all those tough guys with a Leica and an F strapped on. A real sense of history there, Charles.

Like you I continue to agonize as I cull the herd. Emotion overrides sensibility but I’m getting used to it. My advice is to not rush to decision given you have already made major progress.

Like you I continue to agonize as I cull the herd. Emotion overrides sensibility but I’m getting used to it. My advice is to not rush to decision given you have already made major progress.

Thank you SCL, good advice. I cut back in three phases. In the past I have sold stuff and quickly regretted it. The number of cameras I had came as a shock when I added it up and it is a relief to make the total manageable. I chose to settle at 10 because this means I can use each one for several weeks in a year. Before there were cameras I hadn't used in five years. Most were sold to an excellent Hampshire dealer but it gave particular pleasure to give away kit to the few youngsters who expressed an interest, digital being easier to give away than film although a young Londoner is coming next week to collect my darkroom gear after advertising in the free ads section of Gumtree.My collection, for that is what it was, grew over nearly sixty years of photography often at very low prices. Someone might be interested in which cameras caused some later pangs of regret, it is a funny list, Canon EF, Nex 7, Contax 111A, Leica 11F, Bronica ETRS. All the best, Charles.

...but it gave particular pleasure to give away kit to the few youngsters who expressed an interest,...

Atta' boy Charles, keep those new film buyers coming!

I've hopefully have a few more decades but the lesson is not lost on me. My wife was an only child. Her mother loved to buy things and hated to get rid of anything. After her mother died, it fell to my wife to deal with all the possessions. It was a difficult, difficult undertaking. Every nook and cranny in that big old house was filled with stuff. Some of it never used.

 

After awhile my wife didn't care what it was or what sentimental value it might have had. The quickest way to dispose of it was the route she took. Now she regrets not holding on to a few things but at the time it was just overwhelming.

 

So when may camera collection started ballooning, I too decided it was time to cull the herd. So I'm keeping a DSLR, a nice compact digital, and an underwater digital. For film cameras, one medium format range finder, an SLR, and a waterproof 35mm. The DSLR will likely get replaced with a micro 4/3 system at some point.

 

The SLR kind of picked itself. I've probably owned 5 or 6 Olympus OM-1 cameras. Every time I sell one, I miss it and get another. So while a more modern SLR would be nice, I guess I just like the simplicity of the OM-1 and can live without the others.

 

Aside from figuring out that the OM-1 was the SLR I most wanted to hold onto, I also learned that most cameras are replaceable. So if I were you I'd find a new home for your spare F1s and Fs. If an F or F1 that you keep breaks and you really want another, there is nothing stopping you from getting one.

 

My camera buying habit has not been cured. It's just that when I buy one, another has got to go.

 

One camera I'm having difficulty parting with is my Nikonos. I rarely dive but it is such a cool camera, especially the lenses and the depth of field pincers that move when the aperture setting is changed. But I don't use it so it's going to be on eBay in the next couple of weeks.

 

If I really, really miss it, I can always get another.

Edited August 10, 2020 by tomspielman

I have also simplified things quite a bit by making use of T4 interchangeable mount lenses (which are quite good) rather than have a dedicated set of lenses for just one body or for less-common mounts. As a user-collector, I also find having a "one-in, one-out" policy is a good practice to help re-evaluate pieces from time to time.

I agree about variety over duplication. I only have things that I have had a direct connections with over the years - cameras and lenses I have used since I started in photography and a few I lusted after, but never had, or friends had so I knew about them. I try not to duplicate lens sets, although it has been impossible to avoid having many 50mm lenses, and of course cameras always need a 50mm to look like a real camera don't they?

I would leave list of suggested prices for the cameras that you keep. I have a friend who bought a Hasselblad at a yard sale for $5.00. The lady selling it "didn't know if they still made film for that old camera".

I would leave list of suggested prices for the cameras that you keep. I have a friend who bought a Hasselblad at a yard sale for $5.00. The lady selling it "didn't know if they still made film for that old camera".

 

That is a good idea. Even better would be decide ahead of time what you would like done with them. If there are people you know would enjoy having certain cameras, you should record that somewhere.

 

If there's a dealer that will give your wife a fair price for the rest, that would help her too.

 

She probably doesn't want to sell them individually but having a good idea of what they're worth is valuable information.

 

A friend of mine's mother put little tags under all her knick knacks indicating who should get them when she's gone. She did that a good 15 years before she died. Unless finances are tight, it often feels better for someone who is grieving to give a precious belonging away to someone who will appreciate it.

 

But sometimes the things that are precious to us may not have any intrinsic value to those we leave behind. I think in my case, my wife or kids would get better use out of the money my camera equipment could bring in. As much as I like my OM-1, I don't know of anyone else personally that would want it. But I'm sure it could be sold for $150 or so.

 

I think I got the latest one from Goodwill. And it more than likely ended up there because the owner died and the family donated it.

 

So my last recommendation would be to get rid of anything that's not working. That way your family knows that what's left will have value to someone.

Edited August 11, 2020 by tomspielman

That is a good idea. Even better would be decide ahead of time what you would like done with them. If there are people you know would enjoy having certain cameras, you should record that somewhere.

 

If there's a dealer that will give your wife a fair price for the rest, that would help her too.

 

She probably doesn't want to sell them individually but having a good idea of what they're worth is valuable information.

 

A friend of mine's mother put little tags under all her knick knacks indicating who should get them when she's gone. She did that a good 15 years before she died. Unless finances are tight, it often feels better for someone who is grieving to give a precious belonging away to someone who will appreciate it.

 

But sometimes the things that are precious to us may not have any intrinsic value to those we leave behind. I think in my case, my wife or kids would get better use out of the money my camera equipment could bring in. As much as I like my OM-1, I don't know of anyone else personally that would want it. But I'm sure it could be sold for $150 or so.

 

I think I got the latest one from Goodwill. And it more than likely ended up there because the owner died and the family donated it.

 

So my last recommendation would be to get rid of anything that's not working. That way your family knows that what's left will have value to someone.

 

Very well put Tom. Good information for all of us... especially us Old Duffers!