Collecting Lenses - the why?

maldaye · Joined: 19 Jun 2013 Posts: 316

I am curious about something. I realize that we all have our own favorite lenses. If we are here on this forum, it is because we like to use old manual lenses. I am certain there is no one right answer to this question. However, I am sitting here grabbling with it. The photographer in me would like to have the best / right tool for the job regardless of the lens age or make. The collector in me loves to collect old lenses and try them out. Obviously, they will not get as much use as the top gear. Given enough money I'd buy every lens ever made. The question I am asking myself is why? I've experienced the emotional joy of holding a rare piece or uncommon piece of glass, attaching it to my camera, and shooting. Sooner or late this emotion will go away and the lens will sit and collect dust for months on end. I can end up easy with a hundred or more lenses.

I know they are a piece of glass and metal and are a tool like any other. Yet, I find myself emotionally attached to them. It is irrational!

I'd like to ask others who have been bitten by the same bug. What is your logic as a photographer for keeping such a wide collection? Is this normal for photographers and I just didn't realize it till it happened to me? Do I resist the urge or should I just indulge and collect to my heart's content Wink

vanylapep · Joined: 03 Jan 2014 Posts: 312

Well, I like to possess rare stuffs, so that's why I buy old lens even if I don't even use them all. I have about 10, but I feel like this year I'm gonna get another 10. There's 5 on my to-buy list at the moment.

Photography is personal, so your gear becomes a personal affair.

maldaye · Joined: 19 Jun 2013 Posts: 316

philslizzy · Joined: 07 Aug 2012 Posts: 4744 Location: Cheshire, England

I have nothing rare or very valuable. I collect what pleases me. My principal collection is 1957 cameras I am very happy with any new one I get, I clean it, repair the case and put a film through it, or in some instances 2 films!. Then the next one comes and I have a new favourite. Lenses wise I have several but I am clearing out any I havent used in a year or so. You can only use so many.

Its perfectly normal what you are doing - its a 'man thing' women have their own 'things' (shoes handbags etc...)

I use my lenses like an investment I buy cheap, clean and repair, use then sell on at a profit.

norland · Joined: 10 Aug 2013 Posts: 165

Some of mine were mainly bought for curiosity, but others were bought with the intention
of them being complimentary to auto-focus lenses for the Sony....
Tair 300A, Tamron 300mm (54b), Tamron 35-70mm (17a) and Access 400mm
are the most often used, while a Helios 44-2 is to hand as a small standby.

Tamron 54b seemed to be a failure till I tried the cheaper of the two Adaptall to M42 adapters from China.
Had not been sharp enough using Tamron's own Pentax and Praktica adapters, or the dearer Chinese model,
no matter which M42 to Sony AF adapter was added. But now it's fine (beats me why, it just is).

Oldhand · Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 8:17 pm Post subject:

Why do people collect?
The thrill of the hunt,
the "satisfaction" of acquiring an item for less than what others value it at,
the association that some items have with joyful parts of our lives and our wish to re-connect with that time,
the primeval urge to gather against want,
the desire to add order to things - a collection can be arranged, classified, grouped etc,
the approval of others (look what I have got!),
recognition from others that our choices were good,
in the case of lenses - the satisfaction of a suitable image that the lens produces..............

There must be dozens of other reasons as well. It is a human thing to collect.
OH

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Collecting is an illness.
Its like alcoholism.

I have always suffered from it.
I have in the past or still, collect stamps, coins, books, toy soldiers, and model airplanes.
Old cameras and lenses are similar things.
All I can say is that its more interesting, independently of just owning things, than many of my other collecting obsessions, as they can actually be used.

danfromm · Joined: 04 Sep 2011 Posts: 585

On the other hand, why not?

vanylapep · Joined: 03 Jan 2014 Posts: 312

So what do you have in your collection?

danfromm · Joined: 04 Sep 2011 Posts: 585

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Dan is modest. His collection is formidable and full of rare and exotic items.

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

This is not a function of being a photographer, it's more of a personal interest. I think collecting is one thing, but hoarding is another. I think there are many hoarders on this list. I could easily be a hoarder, and have straddled the line, but have reached a point in life where I can convince myself of reasonable levels. Today I buy very few lenses. They must be something long on my list or clearly have something to offer not satisfied with what I have today. I am not a collector or investor of lenses. One thing that I think eliminates me from collector status is that I don't care what my lenses look like as long as they deliver the images.

I think it is perfectly alright to be a lens collector or hoarder if that is what makes you happy. I am also a classic car enthusiast (used to be a collector) and know some people that enjoy having the cars, but not driving them. For me, they had to be driven because that is from where I derived joy. I love what some lenses do for me, others I can do without. I like to think I'm a photographer first and my photography is paramount to the equipment.

danfromm · Joined: 04 Sep 2011 Posts: 585

calvin83 · Joined: 12 Apr 2009 Posts: 7555 Location: Hong Kong

zanxion72 · Joined: 11 Dec 2012 Posts: 145 Location: Athens, Greece

It has all started me with that Helios thing. I have bought one, a 44-2, then found another one similar, but not same, and it has all gone through anything one can imagine. Smile

ZoneV · Expire: 2011-12-02

LucisPictor · Expire: 2013-12-03

Hmmm... although I used to have more than 200 lenses, I would not call myself a "collector".
A collector normally has a "red line", an orientation, a basic idea or structure to organize his collection, e.g. "all Leica screwmount lenses" or "only lenses from the 1950s" and so on.

I had lenses from all over the place and built in any decade of the 20th century. Wink

And I used them all! Those that did not see any usage, were sold again (or just given away).

What did I start with? A Pentax-M 1.7/50 and a Pentax-M 2.8/28 which I bought for charity reasons (and for a good price). Then I realized that I could use them on my then EOS 350D. And that has started everything. Russian M42-lenses followed, the first Nikkors, the first Zuikos, then the first Leicas, C-mount lenses, rangefinder lenses for th M8 etc. etc. (Too many variations to list them.)

Meanwhile I have sold the majority of my "collection" again and have only kept the ones that I really like (because they are outstanding performers or are connected to a very special occasion).

BTW, I still "have" my first two MF lenses, well kind of. The Pentax-M 1.7/50 enjoys a new life on the Fuji X-E1 with a LensTurbo and the M 2.8/28 (which I had sold and bought again) is in my dad's bag for his Pentax K100D. Wink

BurstMox · Expire: 2016-08-02

I never collected things before...but I was already passionated by history of soviet union.
So, when 2 years ago, I found my father's Zenit with Helios 44 on it. I was glad to find this peace of soviet history in my basement. At this time, I had 0 knowledges in photo, I just had a P&S that I liked to use. So, I bought a film and used it on my Zenit E. I was pleased by result, but I wanted to train more, so I bought a 350D in order to adapt my 44. Then I received a 44-2 as gift from Russia, and I discovered all this universe of soviet lenses. So much to learn, about factories, serial numbers, soviet logic, but so many peace of history to get.

I'm owning now only a bit more than 50 soviet lenses, but I like everyone of them, sometime for its quality, sometime for its rarity, sometime for the misteries around it.

So why I collecting only soviet lens? Because it's more than a lens. Give me the best japaneese lens, I won't pay attention to it at all.

woodrim · Joined: 14 Jan 2010 Posts: 4060 Location: Charleston

BurstMox · Expire: 2016-08-02

luisalegria · Expire: 2018-01-18

Investment in lenses (and cameras) is not something to dismiss.
If you buy wisely and are able to fix minor problems, you can get very good returns.

Drack · Joined: 27 Feb 2011 Posts: 735 Location: Lithuania

My first collection was my coin collection that I`ve started when I was 15 years old. I did that for almost 3 years and one day I exchanged a few coins for a nice Fed-5B. Several of my classmates were shooting old Zenit`s, Minoltas and now I had a camera that I could shoot. After going through my first roll of film I got a few more cameras (Fed-3 and Zenit-E ). I really liked the images, the whole thrill and everything else about both film photography and film cameras. However I found out that all 3 of my cameras were defective, so I sold them with a nice profit. Later I started looking for new cameras, lenses and everything else related to Soviet camera/video equipment. Cameras, lenses, books, lightmeters, enlargers and so on and so on. Next thing you know, almost 1 year later from my first roll of film I have bought ~ 50 cameras, several lenses and tons of various other items. However, since I was a student, money was ( and still is ) a rather scarce thing so I did buy and re-sell a LOT of gear. This way I was not only able to expand my collection, but to gain some pocket money for food, fuel and fun. Now it has been almost 4 years since I `ve started collecting cameras and I own almost 200 cameras ( with lenses ), + at leats 50 lenses and ~ 200 other pieces of equipment. I shoot both film and digital. I use MF lenses on my Samsung NX-20 and I love it !

The way I see my addiction and the logic behind it is very simple:

- first of all it is my way of getting away from reality. It it my own world where I am in harmony. I relax by cleaning/ repairing/ collecting info/ reading about cameras. Everyone has his own way of doing so, mine is - collecting cameras.
- secondly the love for the item itself. I love cameras, their design, thei functionality and above all - the fact that they can be used. I also like coins, i loved collectign them, however unlike cameras I can not use an old coin to create something nice.
- third - respect for the items. Let me explain this one. In Lithuania, and many other counties, people do not value post-soviet stuff. Quite opposite, they try to get rid off it by destroying them. I, on the other hand, do not approve of this, so if I can save a camera, and keep it or find another owner for ir - i will do that.
- fourth - as an investment. As many of you, I too buy cameras at 1/3 or even 1/10`th of their value so indoing so I have not only collected many cameras but saved and earned a lot of money that I hope me or my children will use someday.
- fifth - for the trill of finging rare and unusual items. Searching, meting new people, traveling to new places hearing storie...I love it.
- sixth - it gives me braging rights Very Happy

It`s always fun to see when a person inspects a room filled with cameras.
- and lats but not least - because I use my collection. I do not use everything I have, but some stuff I have/will use and thats why I keep it.

Drack · Joined: 27 Feb 2011 Posts: 735 Location: Lithuania

Plus I do love learning how to repair lenses and cameras. It keeps the logic wheels turning Smile

SV700 · Joined: 09 Jan 2014 Posts: 7 Location: Fair Oaks, CA

maldaye · Joined: 19 Jun 2013 Posts: 316