Hin's LBA/CBA challenge - April 15-July 15 - who's playing?

[rose_duclos]

I'm hearing pessimism this early in the game? Come on gang - it's day one... we've got 3 months ahead of us. And, I'm routing for you all.

 

We'll have a weekly check in - and, make it open for who-ever needs to vent about temptations - to help them not succumb. If I can do this - anyone can!

 

So, do what it takes. Don't look at ebay for a while, don't check out craigslist, and ... avoid the sale ads on pentaxforum (@mis...)

 

After we know the list is finalized (I'm expecting we may have stragglers signing on for the next few days) - we'll work out how to get through this little shopping hiatus. Perhaps we'll have each person take a day with a lens, or camera - and post the positives they've discovered from the experience. This won't be to tempt others to shop- mind you! - it's to realize how good our equipment is, and what it can do - without the need to shop constantly for more and more and more.

 

As well - we may consider the idea of the buddy system. Each of us, taking on a buddy to pull each other away from the urge to HAVE the latest doo-hicky. In essence, similar to AA - we'll set up a 12 step program. And we'll strive to kick this addiction of ours - one day at a time.

[personalphotos]

Tell ya what Rose, If I slip I'll Paypal you $20.00 (+ $1.00 for the fees) that you can send to Lance Armstrong's charity. You up to collecting? Of course it requires the honour system. But if you wanna keep tabs on my Ebay account (check the fb) I'll email you the profile name.

[rose_duclos]

Peter, I could collect - but I think it more important that you take ownership for yourself - meaning - and this is what I'm doing - Put the money where it counts - what do you normally spend on these cameras monthly? ... have any of us really thought of this? For me - it's between $300 to $700 every 2 months. Yes, that's right - I am owning up to it - here - and so should the rest of you. Think about it - how much do you spend on cameras? lenses? either on a weekly, monthly? bi-monthly? basis. Be honest about this.

 

Now - take that money - and in the next three months - put it to the side - as if you were buying those lenses, or cameras...

 

If - you can make it to the 3 month period - it's yours - free, clear, - AND YES - you earned it. Won't it make you feel good, knowing you controlled your addiction for that long, and the money you would have spent on the 'small' purchases - could go toward one big one, that lens or camera you've always wanted, and never 'saved' enough for?

 

What lens would it be, if you were saving up for it - slow and steady - and you don't have to tell us this response, unless you really want to.

 

And finally - if you fail - it's not about sending off money to charity - although that would be a good cause to support... it's about not havin will power, and buying way to many lenses and equipment than we can 'really' use and appreciate.

 

Yes. I admit it - I have a problem. I have 10 cameras now. yes. that's right - 10. I use 3 of them regularly. I bought a camera 2 weeks ago, that I haven't taken out yet - and am getting another one in the mail, a kind gift from a dear friend and fellow LBA addict. :)

 

I have a problem with lenses too. I recently bought an ugly Albinar zoom - without having any idea that it was a sucky lens - just because I thought I was getting a deal. It's a peice of junk - and in the same breath as that, I'd spent 3 weekends in a row - wasting time watching ebay for other lens bargains... labelling about 12 of them as "I must have one of those"... I didn't bid, realizing that I can't afford all the lenses that I'd thought of as 'must haves'.

 

None of them are worth spit compared to the 31mm or the 77mm... so why was I looking?

 

I have a problem of wasting money - thinking that I could be getting a great bargain, and forgetting the bigger picture...

 

The big picture is really a great camera with just enough good focal length lenses to make it take the pictures as I want. A road map shows that I have a good collection of these lenses now. Yes, I'm missing the extremely wide end, and the telephoto - but, I have enough to learn on. Hell - I have multiple lenses for at least half of the cameras that I own... How I'll ever use all of them, goodness knows... but I have them...

 

And, now - I'm interested in M42 and lenses for the Praktica. I HAVE a problem.

 

Now you can all fess up - and admit to this too... your problem may not be as big as mine - or - it may be worse... but the only way to fix a problem is to step away, and think about what you're doing wrong... and stop doing it. FIX the PROBLEM.

[rose_duclos]

@Hin - Day one - and I already feel smarter... :D

[hinman]

Admitting the problem takes the initial big step to fixing it, thank you Rose and I am proud of you. I hope to stay with you all till the finish line. The only way that I see getting through the period is to stay focused with a plan. You've got to have goal settings in the 3 months. My prior week is to sort out all of my unused gear and started using it and plan to trim it down. What if Pentax has a $200 dicsount, what do we do? I don't have the answer for you, they can screw us all with a $400 rebate on K20 or a $200 rebate on the DA 35 Macro, but do we need them? I know what you are thinking.

 

We are all tempted with the possibilities of yet another gear. We are all human and we want many things in life not needed. Appreciate our gear and have a plan to use all of our old buddies in our drawer not touched for months and years. You can reference my planning for my our gear in my blog page in which I sort out the likeness on each gear and pursue to have a to-sell-donate-gift list so that I am in control of my gear in my passion, not the other way. There are times when I open up my drawer, I ask where does one of my lens go, there are way too many and their cap look the same and I realize I have way too many. It is a scary thought to have unused gear, any gear not used is an expensive one.

[rose_duclos]

Hin, we'll approach that hurdle when we get to it. If we get to it. I'd waited for months for another rebate, and havent even cashed my rebate check yet, hoping for it - but, It's not the end of the world. These rebates, when they happen, run for a while. It's not that they admit one, and then only run for a month... the last rebate ran for 3 months. And the next will probably have similar timing.

 

I am considering my lenses now - the roadmap idea you'd mentioned so many times, is a good one. What exactly are we doing with our photography? Do we tend to take the same type of pictures all the time? Is there a specific interest we have, that hasn't been approached because of a lack of appropriate glass? What other equipment have we put off buying because of our attraction to lenses?

 

lights? reflectors? flash? extention tubes? remote controls? tripod? monopod? Would any of these items improve the pictures we take now? Or not?

 

Have we skimped on the basics, because of an addiction to collecting glass?

 

I too have too many of everything, and two drawers of equipment that is so cluttered it's beyond words. In the next week, I will make a list of what I have, and try to organize them better. I too may end up doing a donation of a few of my cameras. It seems as good a place to start as any other...

[brad_n]

Count me out. As soon as the new 300/f4 shows up I'm buying it. I'm hoping the new 1.4TC will come out at the same time. Don't be too hard on me though, I just got started and I am entitled to a couple decent lenses.

[rose_duclos]

Brad, just because we're addicts doesn't mean that you are. good luck with the new lens. :) I hope you'll post some pictures so we can see what it can do.

[hinman]

My Johnson baby

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[hinman]

Wrong thread, my friend!

[thanh_ho1]

I'm out, just picked up:

 

K1000 with pentax a 28-80mm 3.5-4.5, vivitar 2800 flash, release cable and bag. $100CDN

 

Thanh

[ray_pulley]

I do not visit here that often, but I dearly need to join the LBA/CBA 12 step program...

 

I am upping the ante, however, as I am currently SELLING a K10D, just sold a F50mm f1.7, sold the DA 50-200 recently along with the Sigma 18-50 f2.8, and GASP!, loaned the 16-45 out to a potential buyer.

 

Next up is one of my MZ-S bodies, the last *istds I own (I gave the other one to a nephew), and my 24-90 that I just do not use.

 

The ZX-L will go on the block soon as well, and I am seriously thinking about selling the K100D now that I have the K20D to cover high ISO work.

 

There is more, but y'all should seriously think about letting go of some stuff as part of your therapy.

 

Ray

[shots worth sharing]

Well, my strategy seems to have worked: I picked up one of the lenses on my roadmap at a reasonable price (eBay) and a TC (retail) and have now exhausted the account.

 

I could be tempted by a 135mm AF but it would have to be a *very, very* good deal: I really do like the MF I've got at that range and I need to save money for one of the new telephoto zooms which are expected later this year.

 

Bottom line: I'm on the wagon for the time being.

[personalphotos]

Dave, Forget the FA 135mm f2.8. I've owned 2 (one I had for awhile, bought new. Another in a "lot deal" on Ebay. Better on film than digital. I tested the lens against my Sigma 70-200 f2.8 @135mm. The tests were at various apertures, including wide open. The Sigma is a touch sharper and the Pentax has some CA issues on a digital body. Didn't see this on film and it might just be the digital coatings on the newer lenses. Picture quality is fine but not worth keeping the lens with the Sigma in the bag and it's just as fast.

 

The 135's have since been sold.

[rose_duclos]

Dave, I'm not going to put you on the LBA/CBA list unless you are committing to the 3 month hiatus. You'd be setting yourself up for failure if you're still looking at glass, and just waiting for funds to feed your addiction.

[rose_duclos]

This is the list as it stands, currently -

 

if I've missed anyone - please let me know so I can remedy it.

 

1. Hin Man

 

2. Rose Duclos

 

3. Maurycy Mielko

 

4. Javier Gutierrez

 

5. Peter Zack

 

6. Abe Hollander

 

7. Miserere Mei

 

8. John-Paul Treen

 

9. Nick Siebers

 

10. Abe Hollander

 

11. David Mantilla

 

12. Ira Crummey

 

13. Ray Pulley

[abe_hollander]

Dang! I'm listed twice! Does that make my challenge date October 31? If so, what do I win????

[rose_duclos]

OopS! good you realized that... I'll take out the second one for you. Unless you'd like to play 2 games... but, I have a feeling that most of us will have only so much will-power and won't be able to compete much past the July date...

[miserere_mei]

Hey, why am I on the list!? Did I unknowingly sign up in my sleep? Did you "volunteer" me, Rose...?

 

In any case, I fell off the wagon 2 days ago :-(

 

Up to that point I was on a 38 day dry spell. That's my record, and I'm proud of it.

[abe_hollander]

Back to the winning part...

 

I think there should be some prize for the person(s) who make it all the way. Like, maybe not getting their posting privileges revoked?

 

I might be able to go to Oct. 31. I am the MASTER OF MY DOMAIN!{imagine more exclamation points, 'cause p-net recommends against them}

 

Be proud, mis. I'm proud of you.

[personalphotos]

Well that's not bad. There are about 100 zillion members on Ebay and our list has 11 so far. Ebay prices should drop about $0.87 at the closing bell.

 

Actually it is good to just work with what's in the bag. Another lens ain't gonna make me any better.

[rose_duclos]

Mis - maybe I misread your comment?

 

" I fully support your cause, guys. And remember, *I'm* the one who hasn't bought any lenses in ~40 days :-)"

 

I took this statement to mean you were in for the long haul.

 

- wow - it's crazy - just getting people to sign up - and it seems such a simple thing - but with people posting on the "sign up list" to say they're not signing up ... it's bound to be confusing... when they never actually say it with the words "IM NOT SIGNING UP."

 

Anyway - now we're down to 11. 3 days in - 117 days to go.

 

Tomorrow - we will divide ourselves up into pairs - to motivate each other on, and go over the '12' rules to help us through this monumental task - of which I will need to figure out what the rules will be... (I was never a member of AA... .o0O)

[shots worth sharing]

Good luck, folks! Based on another thread, it looks like I'm almost certainly out. Let me get a clarification, though: this only applies to *buying*--right? So, like, if someone *stole* a lens or, maybe was *given* one, that wouldn't count--right?

[rose_duclos]

Dave, you're right... you can steal or be gifted one. Just as long as 'no' money leaves your pocket for it - you'd be ok

[miserere_mei]

Rose, I'm sorry if I confused you! I had mentioned my eBay watching and a lens auction I had my eye on (which still hasn't ended, by the way) so I didn't think it sounded like I was signing up. Just because I don't sign up doesn't mean I don't support your cause; I do. I think all you people with problems really need to look inside and find lensic nirvana, while those of us with no lensic abuse problems (I can stop whenever I want) look on and applaud. While saving 87 cents on each eBay lens (if I buy 100 lenses in the next 3 months I'll save $87, just like a rebate!).

 

Dave, do you need help mapping out the locations and opening hours of the Ritz Camera stores in Baltimore? ;-p

 

I wish I were a sociology major, I could write an A+ paper on these two threads :-)