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Gear Acquisition Syndrome

How to overcome camera gear addiction

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From curated Instagram accounts to the digital aisles of online stores, the temptation of shiny new tech is everpresent. There’s always something new and improved that I ‘need’ to be a better photographer. A filter for this, an adapter for that, an extra few megapixels here, a pinch of dynamic range there… and don’t get me started on lenses, tripods, and backpacks.

Truth be told, practice — not purchase — makes perfect. Yvon Chouinard, the founder of Patagonia, said it best: The more you know, the less you need.

Is “Does gear matter?” the most pointless argument in photography?

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The question “Does gear matter?” probably ever since photography became more widely available. Some swear that it does, some that it doesn’t, we’ve heard it all before. But photographer Robert Hall takes a different approach to the topic. In his latest video, he discusses the argument itself, wondering if it’s the most pointless argument photographers keep having.

Stop constantly upgrading your gear, it’s making you miserable

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There are times when your gear absolutely needs an upgrade. But there are those other times when you think upgrading will make you a better photographer or a happier person – but it won’t. In this video, Rafael Ludwig discusses why we should “get off the hedonic treadmill” and stop upgrading our gear all the time, and how new gear won’t make us any happier or any better at photography.

New photographers, here are five things you should never buy

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Ah, buying new camera gear. The most exciting moment in every photographer’s life. When you’re just starting, you sure need a bunch of stuff – but don’t rush! There are some things that you should never buy, no matter how tempting they seem, and in this video, Miguel Quiles gives you five of them. Let’s see if you agree.

Stop buying stuff! Having the latest gear won’t make you a better photographer

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We can argue forever if gear matters or not, and we won’t get anywhere. Sure, in some cases it does, but you don’t need the latest gear to take some epic photos. If you’re feeling frustrated because you can’t afford to upgrade, this video from Taylor Jackson could boost your confidence and inspire you to go out and shoot regardless of the gear that you have.

Take a peek inside a wedding photojournalist camera bag

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Hello! My name is Ben Kelmer and I am a wedding photojournalist. I’m based in Tel Aviv (well, Givatayim actually, which no one can ever find), and I love to travel (but only for short trips if it’s without my wife and kids).

I’ve been a photographer from a very young age. I started photographing when I was 14 after being accepted to our local art school’s film department.

Professionally, however, I started almost 10 years ago as a photojournalist for major Israeli news outlets. When I was 14, the first camera I got was a Ricoh. I later moved on to Nikon and have been with them ever since.

Photographer regrets buying this gear; what are your regrets?

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Even if you don’t suffer from the so-called Gear Acquisition Syndrome, I’m sure that you’ve bought some gear that turned out to be a bad investment. Evan Ranft sure has. In this fun video, he lists all the gear that was a totally bad choice and that he now regrets buying. Are any of these items on your list as well?

Three reasons why minimalistic approach to camera gear is good for your photography

Some people see minimal gear as a limitation, while others rather see it as a challenge and possibility. Buying less gear will save you lots of cash, that’s for sure. But Joris Hermans believes that a minimalistic approach to gear is also good for your photography and creativity. Let’s see how it improves them.

You may own too many lenses: when is it time to start selling them?

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Is there even such thing as too many lenses? Well, I’m afraid so. If you suffer from the so-called Gear Acquisition Syndrome, at some point some of your many lenses will serve for nothing but collecting dust. But how do you know the time to sell them has definitely come? How can you be sure you’re never gonna use them? Let Michael The Maven help you to answer these questions. In this video, he discusses how many lenses is too many to bring to a photo shoot, but also how many is too many to own and when you should definitely start getting rid of them.

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