Anyone reached 'Leica equilibrium' and happy with exactly the gear they have?

[plasticman]

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I'm thinking about buying a film camera again today - want to treat myself to a nice, special-edition M6 that I intend to keep for the rest of my life (yes I know I should just buy a standard M6 - but there's one edition that I really like, and I don't want to continue to hanker after it, even when I have a 'user' in my hands).

 

I've also been buying lenses recently, and realized that I'm pretty close to having all the lenses I wanted (barring a couple of strange ones - like the Hexanon 50 1,2 Limited, for instance).

 

So the question is, when I finally pick-up the last pieces of kit that I thought I needed... what then?

 

Staring hollow-eyed at the Buy&Sell, with nothing to want? Or setting myself new objects of desire?

 

Anyone who's reached Leica Nirvana, and happy with exactly what they already have?

[bill]

That's an excellent and thought-provoking question.

 

The answer for me right now is yes. I haven't changed my lens line-up in more than a year, other than acquiring a couple of nice R lenses. On the M side, no change at all in about 2 years, in fact. I have everything from 15 to 135mm that I could possibly need, in both M and LTM mount. Bodies? II, M2, M7 (currently in the Mothership for the optical DX swapout) R7, D-Lux 4, LC-1 - all performing faultlessly and delivering the goods.

 

I would like an M9, and a 50mm Summilux, but I don't feel the lack in my life, nor do I lie awake lusting. My most recent gear acquisition was in fact an Olympus E-P1, together with the necessary rings to let me use ALL of my lenses - LTM, M, R, and Oly - on the u4/3 body.

 

Yes, I am a happy camper. I'd rather spend my money on going interesting places with nice people, sampling good food and wine and seeing good things I do feel sometimes that dissatisfaction with what you have is a mental disorder; does a new camera make you a better photographer? Nope.

 

Regards,

 

Bill

[jaapv]

Yes, I reach that happy state quite regularly - each time just after UPS delivers one of these nice packets.

Actually my stable of lenses and bodies is quite unchanging now, I just look for odds and ends and some nice historica.

[andalus]

M9 coming this week. And three of the best M lenses at 24, 50 and 135 in hand. Yeah, I'm sated. And broke. That M9 better last at least 6 or 7 years, and with support from Leica, if necessary. Worst case, I guess, is that I can always go back to the MP.

[pgk]

Sort of. Very happy with my lenses (28/2 asph, 35/1.4 asph, 50/1.4 asph), and with my M8 body. But I could do with a spare body and I can't decide on M8 (or M8-2 or upgrade) or M9. So, yes I am very satisfied with what I have, but....

[plasticman]

So, yes I am very satisfied with what I have, but....

 

pgk - it's the 'but' I'm worried about.

[Marty]

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Almost there. Still want a film body to complete the experience. Lens- and accessory-wise I'm good. Although there is no telling what will come over me when a new body or lens is announced

[luigi bertolotti]

As a user I simply lack :

 

- A FF digital M (and still wait for the "click" in my mind...)

- A "modern" 50 (I have exactly 15 50s... but the newest is from 1963... )

 

After that... I'll be more than happy for my photo needs.

 

Collecting old gear... well... is another story...

[garyp]

Been using a pair of R8 bodies and an SL with 21, 28, 50, 90, 180, and 250 lenses for close to 7 years now.

Until I go to digi, the only other thing I'd really like is a 2X APO.

Of course I wouldn't mind an M of some sort with a few lenses, and a 19 R, and a 60 R, and a couple of DMRs, and an SL2, and, and, and

[Guest maddoc2003jp]

I have used lots of different M bodies and lenses ... but in the end I always realized that what I already have serves me well and sold lots of things. I now use a M4-P, M7 (back at Leica USA for the second service ...), and either the 35/1.4 pre-ASPH or 50/1.0 amongst some other lenses. I would not say no to a nicely worn BP M2 (or maybe M4) but that is nothing I really need or plan to buy anytime soon. So it looks like I am a happy camper who has reached the state of "Leica equilibrium"

[earleygallery]

I'm quite happy with what I've got, in fact I have trouble finding enough time to use it all!

 

I guess I'd like to add a 12 or 15mm Voigtlander lens - not something I need but it would be fun to use.

 

For the time being I'm avoiding camera shop windows or for sale ads and concentrating on taking some photos.

[peter_n]

I'm approaching my 7th year of using rangefinders and have bought and sold an amazing amount of equipment. Why I have to have so much Leica equipment is beyond me, but I have a settled pool of two MP bodies and 13 lenses, with several versions of 35 and 50 mm lenses. My excuse for buying so much stuff is that I need to try lenses for myself, and sometimes it's difficult to let them go... I have a rule that if I don't use something for two years I get rid of it so I'll probably sell rather than buy in the future. The one lens I'm interested in is the new Summilux 35, but I'll wait to see how it shakes out. Then there's the Exakta SLR system and the 617 panoramic and the Fuji dSLR & Nikkor lenses...

[dcoombs]

My wife has informed me that I have reached Leica equilibrium, so I guess I have.

 

Doug

[plasticman]

Thanks for all the thoughtful answers from everyone.

 

One pattern I've noticed is that it's precisely during those periods when I'm least able to use the gear I actually have that I begin to itch for something new. There's a restlessness that makes me search out the next piece of gear that will set fire to my creativity... if only I could actually get out there and take pictures with it.

 

So possibly the key is simply 'getting out more'.

 

In all seriousness though, my wish is that somehow I will reach the point where I rationally take stock of what I have and realize there's no need to seek out anything more, other than perhaps the occasional oddity, such as an old Russian Zeiss-clone lens, or something similarly cheap and harmless.

 

We'll see if I ever get there - maybe such a state of passivity would be dreadfully boring...

[luigi bertolotti]

Thanks for all the thoughtful answers from everyone.

 

One pattern I've noticed is that it's precisely during those periods when I'm least able to use the gear I actually have that I begin to itch for something new. There's a restlessness that makes me search out the next piece of gear that will set fire to my creativity... if only I could actually get out there and take pictures with it.

 

So possibly the key is simply 'getting out more'.

 

 

...

Great truth, same for me... : I suppose that if I'd take more pics I'd think less to my gear... there is a real paradox in this... it's quite illogical, but life is full of such oddities: I used to play my piano at least, say, 4-6 hours a week... now much less for many reasons... and sometimes I think it would be fine to have a new one...

[adan]

One pattern I've noticed is that it's precisely during those periods when I'm least able to use the gear I actually have that I begin to itch for something new.

 

The early spring - after a winter of relative inactivity - has always been the "dangerous time" for me in terms of getting wild hairs about equipment changes. Although that may be hard-wired into the hibernation genes of any mammal living in the seasonal latitudes.

 

(Subject for scientific research - is gear acquisition syndrome less seasonal among photographers in the tropics?)

 

At the moment, though, my Leica gear is pretty stable. I had a brief flurry of lens changing to accomodate the switch to the M9 (swapping 28 and 50 lenses for the equivalents - 35 and 75). But that just goes to show that my focal length preferences have reached equilibrium, at least for RFs.

 

I do expect to add another digital M body as backup at some point, but whether that will be M8, M9 or "M10" remains to be seen.

 

Since I am pretty close to happy with exactly the Ms I have, this year I've strayed to thoughts of an SLR (in addition). But since nothing currently made quite meets my ideal, it is an easy itch to avoid scratching. A Nikon D700(X, S, Whatever) that takes SD cards might push me over the edge.

[fursan]

I think I have got what I want. actually a little more than I want/need.. But cannot get myself

to sell the xtra gear.

 

regards.

[Overgaard]

The Leica M9 is very much the equilibrium state.

 

I could do with that and a 50mm lens - and if I didn't have the other stuff and no one was talking about anything Leica, it would be the true equilibrium state.

 

But ... that is not how it is

[Michael Hiles]

Anyone who's reached Leica Nirvana, and happy with exactly what they already have?

 

Yes, quite a while ago. I have no interest in digital cameras (in this context), and what I have produces pictures of outstanding technical quality (as long as I do my part).

 

The challenge is deciding where to point the camera, and when to press the button. The rest is chemistry and physics which (in this context) is not very interesting.

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[scc]

Very happy with my current setup. My only plans to upgrade are to get the 50 Lux ASPH to replace my pre-ASPH...