Introduction

I’ve seen people complain about GAS, about those with GAS, with a general reference to anyone who buys “too much gear”. I’m not quite sure what too much gear is to be honest. To the spouse of a photographer, more than one body might be too much gear, maybe it’s the 7th lens, there is no formal definition of GAS. There is however a general perception that if you buy too much gear, you’re wasting your time. I’m in a slightly different space, and I tend to look at GAS from an affordability perspective. I.e. if you can afford it, why not?

Let’s be clear, I’m not saying that buying more gear makes you better photographer. It doesn’t. It just makes you a collector. On the converse, buying more gear doesn’t make you a worse photographer. Buying more gear does open the door to experimenting and that is ultimately what it’s about. The more you take photos, the more opportunity you have to learn, the more you improve.

Preface

This is not meant to be contentious article but it will probably result in the wrath of many. It’s for this reason that I would like to make the following clear:

What it is not:

• It’s not intended to be an APSC vs Full Frame argument from the perspective of trying to prove that APSC is better than Full Frame. Many may see it this as the purpose of the article, but it’s not. When looking at Medium Format vs Full Frame vs APSC, the argument of “what is better” comes down to a number of requirements including purpose and budget. In the absence of budget, one could argue that having all 3 would be the right outcome, but very few people have live in an environment where budget is not a constraint.

I just wanted to say thanks and tell you how much I hate you all. It may seem harsh, but as a member of Photographers Anonymous (PA), life isn’t easy dealing with this addiction every day…every Tuesday night we meet up, talk about our problems with photography purchases. Once in a while, a person slips up and they show up with a new body or lens, but we support them, we don’t judge, that’s what we do because we’re a family in it together.

But this isn’t about them, this is about me. This is about my problem…

I recently nearly spent a small fortune on new photography gear. This is largely as a result of the members here. Yes, I know, it’s easy to blame it on me, it’s my credit card, but it’s your fault and it’s time for you to take responsibility for your actions.