I have all the cameras

This weekend a Canon EOS-1V showed up on Craigslist for $300. No one in their right mind would pass up the chance at Canon’s ultimate film SLR at that price, right? Right? I certainly didn’t.

It’s out of control. I now have a Nikon F6 and a Canon 1V. The F6 is technically for sale, but still. Last week it was a new-ish Leica lens for the M7 (one of 3 Leica bodies). See what I mean? So here’s a bunch (not all) of what I currently have.

That’s just ridiculous. Who needs all that? I love it, that’s not the problem. The problem, as I see it, is that I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up, photographically anyway. I just keep all my options open (All available options in the world, apparently.) I fancy myself a “film shooter” so I keep buying film cameras. I love them and I love film. That’s not going away. On the other hand, I don’t carry a film camera with me everywhere these days. Dragging the Leica around my neck everywhere I go is something I thought I’d wanted to do, but I don’t. Not really. I have a 1DmarkIII that is awesome. Why on earth should I have the 1V? Who needs 10fps with a film camera these days? I don’t.

If I’m being honest (and I think I am) I’d say that I should shoot digital for everyday snaps (with the X100) or things that need speed (1DmkIII). Shooting film should be for more considered work and for that I should stick with medium format (or larger, someday.)

What I should do is sell the lot of the 35mm film cameras (save for maybe the Leica M3 because damn) and keep the Mamiya and Hasselblad for film. The rest is easily covered digitally. That’s how I feel right now.

You see how it is?