Just a bit of fun. I’ve been thinking about Gear Acquisition Syndrome and what it means to me. I thought about writing a post about it but decided instead it could be better summed up with a diagram.
My descriptions are perhaps a little facetious, but hopefully they make the point. This is of course not intended to be taken entirely seriously!
In case you are on a small screen and can’t read them:
1. Genius GAS
Experienced by the people buy a Noctilux and win prizes for their outstanding work with it.
(No one knows the photos were taken with a Noctilux)
2. Curiosity GAS
Experienced by the people who buy a Noctilux out of pure curiosity.
(They sell it after the novelty wears off as they realise it’s entirety impractical for their day to day needs)
3. Collectors GAS
Experienced by the people who buy all of the different Noctilux lenses
(They get fungus – not the lenses, they’re hermetically sealed – it’s the collectors themselves that have the fungus from lack of money to look after themselves)
4. Jewellery GAS
Experienced by the people who buy a Noctilux and take more pictures of it than with it.
(It eventually gets stolen. That’s what happens when you tell everyone you meet how expensive your stuff is)
5. Delusion GAS
Experienced by the people who buy a Noctilux thinking its going to help them win prizes for their work.
(It never does. Everyone knows which lens all their photos are taken with)
The Horseshoe
The horseshoe shape is important as it simultaneously brings the motivations of the delusional close to those of the genius, but also keeps them very separate.
How do you identify?
I can think of times I have sat in all of these (except probably “Genius GAS” unfortunately). These days I think I most closely identify with “Curiosity GAS”. Though I also think I probably have a bit of “Delusional GAS” denial.
How do you identify?
Cheers for reading
Hamish
(This post was in part inspired by Dan K’s first post about GAS on JCH – That guy needs a 12 step plan for sure!)
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Rasmus on The Gear Acquisition Syndrome Horseshoe
Comment posted: 01/01/2016
Des McSweeney on The Gear Acquisition Syndrome Horseshoe
Comment posted: 01/01/2016
Comment posted: 01/01/2016
Blinx on The Gear Acquisition Syndrome Horseshoe
Comment posted: 01/01/2016
Dan James on The Gear Acquisition Syndrome Horseshoe
Comment posted: 01/01/2016
I have little interest with the likes of a Leica or Noctilux, or feel that a very expensive camera/lens will suddenly transform my photography. But I do have something of a compulsion to buy old cameras, mostly for the pleasure of using and exploring (with) them. It's a case of so many cameras, so little time.
Though I do often wonder if I would be better off buying one camera that cost a few hundred and use it exclusively for a year, than 30 that cost £5-10 each and rarely shooting two consecutive films in one camera before moving on to another.
Comment posted: 01/01/2016
Comment posted: 01/01/2016
Comment posted: 01/01/2016
jeremy north on The Gear Acquisition Syndrome Horseshoe
Comment posted: 01/01/2016
With respect, I suggest that Genius GAS does not exist
Comment posted: 01/01/2016
ZDP-189 on The Gear Acquisition Syndrome Horseshoe
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
Likewise, although I agree each aspect of GAS that you have identified is valid, I do not agree that they are discrete and exclusive pigeon-holes. Personally I see something of myself in each one.
GENIUS: I think what you mean by "Genius GAS" is the ability for someone to pre-visualise a shot that they wish to create and select the most appropriate lens for the task. In truth, many of us qualify as geniuses and aren't aware of it. I have heard 'genius' described as the top 1% of ability among practitioners. Put a hundred people with an interest in photography in a room and you will probably not find anyone who can hold their own in a conversation about the practical differences in rendering between a Noctilux vs a Hyperprime, let alone topics like the subtle differences between a Minolta Varisoft vs Nikon DC vs a soft filter. This is independent from having a genius-level artistic ability. It's when the artistic ability and technical knowledge come together that overall mastery is achieved.
CURIOSITY: Just how are we supposed to gain this comprehensive and detailed knowledge of gear? Through hands on experience and the sharing of knowledge. I don't just read reviews and forum posts; much of this is written on spec, or is recycled garbage. I would feel dishonest writing about gear if I did not have at least a few hours of hands-on experience with it. Ideally, I purchase the item, evaluate it from a technical perspective, compare it against its peers and become intimately familiar with it over a course of months before writing. I am intensely curious about not only new gear, but old gear; not only about the legends but more modest cameras.
COLLECTION: In the course of gathering cameras for knowledge-building and in building a pool of gear to use, I have bought enough gear to qualify as a collection. Realising this, I sought out the missing items that would round out the collection. For example, owning all the 58mm 1:1.2 lenses except the Canon FL, I stumbled upon a fantastic lens that wasn't on everybody's top ten list.
JEWELLERY: Anyone who buys enough exotic gear to qualify as GAS has some item they consider jewellery. It's natural; it only seems weird to an outsider. Anything desirable that is seen in public is jewellery.
DELUSION: Do I delude myself that a new piece of kit will improve my photography? Of course! And deliberately so. But with that delusion comes a burst of enthusiasm, inspiration and joy.
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
Blinx on The Gear Acquisition Syndrome Horseshoe
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
It's a universal truth that too many photographers fuss over their equipment, splitting hairs over whether cult lens a) out-resolves cult lens b), and forgetting the bigger picture. I took a lot of photographs in the 1970s and 1980s but I also worried whether my Chinon, then my OM1, then my Nikon F, were the right tools for the job, when each did basically the same thing, and I could have spent my money on more film. When I look at photographers I admire, most were/are associated with one or two cameras.
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
jeremy north on The Gear Acquisition Syndrome Horseshoe
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
Devlin Cook on The Gear Acquisition Syndrome Horseshoe
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
Comment posted: 02/01/2016
Christos Theofilogiannakos on The Gear Acquisition Syndrome Horseshoe
Comment posted: 03/01/2016
Comment posted: 03/01/2016
Comment posted: 03/01/2016
Dan James on The Gear Acquisition Syndrome Horseshoe
Comment posted: 04/01/2016
Also, and I don't think anyone's touched on this other than Christos with his witty comment, there's a part of me that loves a bargain, and I must have bought at least a dozen or two different cameras each for 99p plus a few pounds postage on eBay, and 9/10 times they work fine. Being able to make photographs on such a tiny budget is very thrilling in its own way, regardless of the tech specs of the camera... These days you can get very little for 99p, so to have a fully functioning camera capable of potentially wonderful photographs is amazing to me.
I wonder if anyone else experiences this kind of photography cheapskate thrill?
Comment posted: 04/01/2016
Tony on The Gear Acquisition Syndrome Horseshoe
Comment posted: 04/01/2016
Does GAS only affect film camera enthusiasts? I don't read of people who feel the need to acquire old digital cameras, or maybe I just visit sites and blogs related to film.
Comment posted: 04/01/2016
Comment posted: 04/01/2016
Ken Hindle-May on The Gear Acquisition Syndrome Horseshoe
Comment posted: 05/01/2016
It'll be about £80 with shipping, which is rather a lot for a good-but-not-great compact. That amount of money's not so much of an issue (I'm rewarding myself for winning a new contract for my business) but I've also seen a rather battered, but very charming, thread mount Leica that would cost the same. Bonding with cameras you don't own yet is a dangerous game!
Comment posted: 05/01/2016
Comment posted: 05/01/2016
Comment posted: 05/01/2016
Patrick on The Gear Acquisition Syndrome Horseshoe
Comment posted: 13/01/2016
Great site by the way. First time weighing in.
It seems like some have a bit of anxiety whether they have GAS or not.
Your horseshoe diagram is somewhat accurate which makes it humorous. I am thinking there needs to be another dimension added to reflect the amount of time with "boots on the ground" making photographs. To me, this seems like a natural offset to GAS. If one actively uses all(or most) of their cameras, who cares how many you have? For example, I have been working in residential construction for the past 9 years. I have collected 6 different hammers, from a wooden mallet to a 6 lbs sledge. All have a specific purpose. Do I have "Hammer Acquisition Syndrome"? No. I have the right tool for the job. I believe it is the accumulation WITHOUT use, that gives you GAS. I see GAS is a product of "talking the talk, but not walking the walk". Hence, the Noctilux!
If you admit you are a camera collector(and not a photographer), I cannot see how you would ever get GAS? It's like stamp collecting, quantity and quality only adds to the collection.
If one is a collector and a photographer, it would be important to not have crossover. The crossover without defined boundaries on the purpose or use of a camera or lens, will give GAS.
Then again, don't beat yourself up, no one has every died from GAS. If you get hungry, you will sell your cameras...
Comment posted: 13/01/2016
Joben Penuliar on The Gear Acquisition Syndrome Horseshoe
Comment posted: 24/10/2016
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Comment posted: 24/02/2017
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Comment posted: 07/03/2017
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