Living in this time 2016, is a great time to be a live with all these great advances in technology and all the latest iPhones and other shit that comes out every 6 to 12 months. We always get caught up in wanting the latest and greatest things in life and never appreciate what we already have. What really doesn't help is everything being made today isn't made to last very long, everything is meant to have a "planed obsolescence " which basically means things are made to be come obsolete and become unfashionable and useless. This "planed obsolescence" then creates a "shorting replacement cycle "....examples: new iPhone every September and new camera mode update usually ever 2 to 3 years.
How Does This Relate to Photography?
G.A.S (Gear Acquisition Syndrom), we always want the latest camera or lens that comes out with the newest megapixel count or film simulation. Some of us think that getting a new camera will make our photography better. People start noticing that there work is suffering and think that a new camera will make their work some how better yet they don't realize that their technical skills have leveled off. People often for get the camera is merrily just a tool that helps you achieve that image. Now obviously you need a camera to take/make a picture but you have to under stand that it is " you making the picture and the camera taking the picture". People for get it's a tool and that they forget there is someone behind that tool making the pictures. The biggest annoyance being a photographer and showing your pictures to people that aren't creatives or photographers and when they see a picture that is great they assume it's the camera making this amazing picture not the photographer.
G.A.S Isn't Always Bad..
Now don't get me wrong I love cameras of all shapes and colors sizes and where they came from, and I love collecting and buying cameras. Yes, I get that I just contradicted myself from what i wrote above but there are some cameras that just have something about them that makes me want to buy them. Some cameras I have bought have some sort of cult following or they are just something I wanted to buy and try out. I think over the last four years of collecting I have only bought two cameras thinking they would help my work. Every camera is different and has a different purposes intended for them. A camera is almost a gateway in to trying something in photography. I have bought countless point and shoots because I thought they would fit better in my shooting and they did for a while and I got bored and went on to medium format and so on. Now I like cameras a lot, and I love trying new ones and it's almost like the story of "Goldilocks" and trying to find the "right one". I think that is the right mentality in beating or controlling G.A.S, is searching for the camera for you.
Over the last six months I started a new job and I have had the luck on trying a lot of different cameras and combinations and I have shot one combination consistently for the last six months. Going though all these cameras including mine I started noticing a trend on what I enjoyed and it had to be something with a 28mm focal length and manual controls. For the last six months the Leica R7 with 28mm Elmarit has been my go to and I haven't really put it down. (review coming soon)
Find What You Like and Stick With It
I think the "Goldilocks" method is the best way to find your camera that you can't put down. Its like finding the perfect pair of pants or shoes, find what you like and love the shit out of it. Obsess over it and learn the insides and out of the camera find its weaknesses and find its strengths. When you stick with one camera and one lens you "K.I.S.S" ( keep it simple stupid) and you learn the limitations of that camera and lens and you know how to use it to its fullest potential and with that you will have no limitations.
You will Never Be Satisfied
No camera is perfect, in fact nothing in this world including yourself. Everything will have faults and things will fail or disappoint you but its your job has a photographer to overcome those obstacles. You will always lust over the newest camera because it has a feature your current camera doesn't have and you must get it. You have to think is it really worth it? Do you really need that feature? It's like "fomo" (fear of missing out) you think that if you don't have it you will be screwed. You have to learn when something works it works and stick will it.
Conclusion
This seems like its all over the place, at points I'm against G.A.S and some points I am for G.A.S. Don't get me wrong we all love are toys and it's nice getting something new and having the latest and greatest but it's when we become solely obsessed with just gear we loose sight of taking pictures. It is nice to geek out with others and some times flexing with a camera but at the end of the day they all take pictures and we have to remember the camera is just a tool that helps create our artistic vision.