Thread: A 10 step guide to curing GAS

Originally Posted by Armanius

I guess you meant that you do NOT need a cure.

Why fight the dark side? I never quite understood why Luke just didn't give in. Zapping people with electricity is a much nicer power to have than Jedi mind tricks. Unless you use the mind trick to trick the other person into zapping himself ...

you are right, duly corrected

Originally Posted by Landshark

I am with you, I do not need a cure, treatment or doctor, my gas is fine

These threads always remind me of the classic old Keith Richards quote - when asked about his "drug problem" by one moralizing scold or another, he said, "I don't have a problem with drugs - I have a problem with COPS". I don't equate GAS with drugs (although there are similarities - both make you feel good and have a cost!), but I think his attitude was just about right and is the approach I try to take. Except I don't have a problem with cops either!

-Ray

Originally Posted by Julien

The X100 mostly cured my GAS. Oh, and the lack of funds

The latter, for me. To the point that I am on the brink of selling things, because I need other things more (that is, essentials, not more camera gear)

However...

Hello, My name is Sue and its 6 months since my last GAS attack.

Audiophile GAS is a LOT worse.

It's only GAS if you have a problem with it. Not experiencing any strife over it? No problem! No problem? You don't need a cure.

And..

Originally Posted by Armanius

Small tangent ... did anyone read the some of the comments following the article? Just when I thought getting flamed at DPreview or in SteveHuff's site was bad enough (speaking from experience), some of those comments following Erick Kim's article were on a league of their own!

..Eric has his own special brand of trolls that is for sure.

Originally Posted by Isoterica

It's only GAS if you have a problem with it. Not experiencing any strife over it? No problem! No problem? You don't need a cure.

Well, GAS is merely an acronym for Gear Acquisition Syndrome. I have it, but its not a problem for me and I don't need a cure. So, no negative connotations associated with it for ME, but its still GAS!

-Ray

Some of us call it collecting ;)

Originally Posted by Isoterica

Some of us call it collecting ;)

Heh heh... I'd call it that too, but I sell 'em as fast as I buy 'em, so I tend to just think of it as ongoing rental payments as I take a slight loss on most of the cameras I sell. Occasionally a big loss, but only on the ones I keep a good while and REALLY get my money's worth out of...

I'm gonna have to have a huge fire sale soon after the damage I've been doing lately!

-Ray

Originally Posted by Ray

Heh heh... I'd call it that too, but I sell 'em as fast as I buy 'em, so I tend to just think of it as ongoing rental payments as I take a slight loss on most of the cameras I sell. Occasionally a big loss, but only on the ones I keep a good while and REALLY get my money's worth out of...

Maybe that is the price you pay to try things out. Seems fair actually as long as you aren't giving things away. Have to snicker, Eric's GAS avoidance didn't last too long! LINK

I have a friend (all declarations misdirecting blame start out like this, ha!) who has a Canon 7D and a 5D M2, with a host of lenses, mostly L lenses (about 10 of them), multiple tripods with fancy ball heads, reflectors of every kind, at least 2 TTL flash guns, yesterday he picked up the 85mm 1.8, multiple camera bags weighing in way past the carry on limit on planes! He has been shooting for the last 2 years, and is mostly a hobbyist/ weekend shooter and every once in a while, he will shoot a wedding for friends. And he does take beautiful wedding pictures.

Well, I sent him this article.

As a follow-up (and to basically ruin his day today), we talked about how many actuations he'd made since he bought his cameras. After a rough calculation we arrived at a figure of about 5000 shots, given that he's a occasional weekend shooter. Of which he accounted for maybe 400-500 keepers, say 10% of his shots (these are his estimates, not mine). So it works out at roughly around 35$ per picture till date (his gear cost him an estimated 17,500$). This was an immensely sobering thought for both of us.

After a prolonged silence at the other end of the phone, we both decided to take more bloody pictures! If only to bring the average price per pic down to less ridiculous limits!

Obviously we weren't being serious about putting a monetary value to a hobby, and if he can afford it, why the heck not? My irrational purchase of the year involved a lot more money and a BMW (luxury cars in India cost exactly twice the money compared to other parts of the world, due to a ridiculous duty structure, same goes for cameras and all electronic equipment). So to even things out (and ruin my day as well) we calculated how much my car is costing me per mile traveled, and it's an astounding 20$ per mile given the amount I've driven! &%@&%@&@%!

And then I pointed out the fact that my car's cost/mile is still less than his cost/picture. * grin *

So in conclusion, we'll both be driving like maniacs, in my car, to all parts of India, with a boot full of cameras, to help even the averages of our respective GAS attacks!