Camera collectors are nice people. Well, at least they are no worse than anybody else—except when it comes to camera gear. I’ve come to realize that camera collectors have no sense of proportion. They never ask, “How many do I really need?” You see, a regular person who owns a particular camera will use it and be happy with the experience. When that happy person sees another copy of the same model, they ignore it. A camera collector who owns two copies of the same camera model will see a third copy and devise a good reason for owning it. That reason could be something as simple as this third copy has a black shutter speed dial. The fact that all three work the same does not matter. As I said, no sense of proportion.
Now when you, a normal person, look closely at these three cameras, they will look identical. Should you find yourself in this situation, walk away—quickly. The worst possible thing you could do is ask how the cameras differ. If you are foolish enough to ask, you will get a complete answer that will make you marvel at the erudition of the collector. What you don’t realize is that your mind has been subtly altered, and the next time you see a copy of that camera model, you will briefly wonder which variant it is. That’s how it starts.
There is still hope for you at this point as long as you avoid collectors from then on. Of course, that’s unlikely to happen since you now have arcane knowledge. Eventually, you will share this knowledge with someone who did not ask, and they will be slightly impressed. This is when you will begin to lose your sense of proportion.
After buying more cameras than you need (which is three, generally speaking–trust me), a creeping feeling of owning too many will set in. You will ignore this feeling and buy more. Before long, you will have assembled a borderline indecent number of cameras and begin to feel guilty about it. You will start to wonder whether it’s okay to have three slightly different models of the same camera. Then you will remind yourself that one has a black shutter speed dial and others are silver, and that concern will pass–it shouldn’t have.
Later when you have five copies of the same model, you will feel the need to have a sixth copy of the same model, but the sixth has to be a copy sold only in Japan. Copies two through five will have never been used to take a photograph. Sometime later, a friend (or at least someone a little concerned about your well-being) will inquire in a roundabout way why you have six copies of the same camera model. They will ask because they have never seen you take a picture—of anything. Acknowledging their concern, you ask another collector that ill-fated question: Do you think I have too many cameras???
After considerable thought, the collector will not say yes or no—doing so would make them reflect on their own behavior. Instead, they will say something along the lines of, “Well, I have (insert a number here equal to five times the number you have or 120—whichever is lower). Hearing this ridiculous number, your natural reaction will be, “Good! I don’t have too many!” From this time forward, there are only two paths: 1) spend more time with normal people who will invariably ask what you do with so many cameras and lenses OR 2) spend more time with collectors, one of whom will invariably tell you—face lined with concern—one of your cherished items was made in Thailand, not Japan.
Once this deep in, collecting is an endless loop because there is always something you don’t have. And getting that thing, whatever it might be, will incite envy in the rest of the have-nots and an approving pat on the back from those that do. So, you bask in both envy and approval and create more storage capacity.
If, after reading this warning post, you are again worrying about owning too many cameras—sorry, I can’t help you. I have more than you do. But, since you’re here, want to hear about the Type C-II model from 1967? It’s black…
It is an autistic trait to dump data on people out of an arcane interest. Just saying.
LOL! It happens to me all the time, and I’m guilty of doing so occasionally…
Well, that about sums up my situation.
If it helps, you are in good company.