Tooooo Many Lenses...

A friend of mine will forgive me for mentioning a visit to see his stash of photographic lenses this week - it has started me thinking that I can have too many lenses. I would not have thought this in my younger days - nor would I advocate it now for customers of Camera Electronic. I thought more lenses were necessary when I could not afford them, and now that they are available in abundance, it is the duty of every photographer to get more. Yet... If you are a person who has worked your way through a number of photographic eras, and a number of technological breakthroughs, you may well have accumulated a museum of lenses. If you began with one camera body you might have had a standard kit zoom - or two, if it was a twin-set. You may have gone from a wide angle to a decided tele field of view in two modest lenses. They may have been of light construction, with plastic bodies and mounts. Possibly with variable maximum apertures. Surprisingly, the optical performance of these lenses would have been fairly good. You'd have been advertised to at that point to get you to buy a prime lens - probably of a standard focal length. Then the companies would have shown you images of people on holiday in spectacular scenery and told you that you needed a prime wide-angle lens. Or a wide zoom. Then you would have been shown sports or wildlife images and soon another lens would join the gadget bag - or the hall closet. A macro? of course. A travel zoom? Why not? An ultra-speed prime? For the times when you were taking shots of celebrities in night clubs? No question... Now, had you decided to change brands, or sensor size, during this time you would have experienced the Great Lens Reset - that phenomenon when all you had before melted away in front of you, and new lenses were needed. While your credit card heated up, your first set of lenses cooled down and were put away into drawers. This change of format or brand can occur any number of times. With luck you will advance in skill and vision every time get the next best thing since sliced bread, but you'll invariably end up with the stale slices of the previous loaf stored somewhere. What to do? a. Bring the old gear into Camera Electronic and trade it in on new gear. If your old stuff is fungused over or broken you can save yourself the journey... b. Advertise it on Gumtree. You may get good sales but you may also get a lesson in electronic trade. Not everyone who expresses an interest will buy and not every buyer will treat you with respect or courtesy. Be satisfied if you are able to retain your sense of humour and good manners. c. Advertise on social media - your marketplace may be limited to people you know and they may know you... d. Ditto in eBay. Lots of rules, lots of shipping, lots of fees and lots of arguments. You can see why Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt... e. Try the second hand camera markets. It's a morning out and a chance to try for the price you want for the gear. Price your stuff well, expect the occasional gouge, and comfort yourself with the coffee and cake stall during the morning. A trolley is useful to carry the boxes. Home again, as often as not... Now, I am as guilty as my friend - I have too many lenses and cameras as well. I may resort to the list of remedies one day.