Tag: Gear Aquisition Syndrome

Sunday Paper

I'm ready to revive this series and hope to maintain consistency.

In the past, I enjoyed sharing interesting web finds through my weekly Sunday Paper blog posts. Rather than scattering these links on social media, I would bundle them up with my pithy commentary for the Sunday Paper. My last Sunday Paper post was back in January 2020. Despite undergoing surgeries in 2018 and 2019, I kept this routine uninterrupted. However, the COVID-19 pandemic was a jolt, trapping me at home and inundating me with endless grim news updates of deaths. It's been a challenging journey, but I'm ready to revive this series and hope to maintain consistency.

Does gear matter?: Arun Venkatesan discusses the evolving significance of camera gear in his photography. He reflects on his journey through four stages of competence, from valuing gear highly to appreciating the creative potential within simpler setups.

Nearly 25,000 tech workers were laid off in the first weeks of 2024. Why is that?: In 2024, despite a rebounding economy, 25,000 tech workers were laid off, driven by a herd mentality, stock price concerns, and social contagion among tech companies. Why?

GAS

I have a bad case of GAS which I can't seem to shake. I use my two 35mm film cameras regularly, but I want to try a point-n-soot like the Olympus Trip 35 or Canonet QL17 GII. But in 2020, I fell in love with what James Tocchio wrote about the Minolta CLE and M-Rokkor 40mm F/2 lens.

I have a lot of questions swirling around my head. Should (I don't like shoulds) I ignore my budget and buy what will be a costly camera and lens? Or should I sell off all my other Minolta gear and put the cash toward the new kit? Or be happy with what I have?

The Minolta M Rokkor 40mm F2 is a very popular lens. They are selling on eBay for more than $380. It’s the only 40mm lens that Minolta has ever made, and I love the field of view of the 40mm focal length. The CLE can rarely be found on eBay for less than $700. A working body and lens combination can sell on eBay for upwards of US$1699.

I think that it’s ridiculous that an old used 35mm film camera can sell on eBay for money than a brand new top-of-the-line camera from Sony or Nikon.

But I want one.

Reading List - GAS, wheat allergies, mindfulness

Every Saturday, I share a list of inspiring or interesting articles that I read during the week. Here’s what I read this week.

GAS is gear acquisition syndrome. Many photographers often suffer from this ailment which can cause mental anguish.

What's the cure for camera agony of any sort? Just work. Shoot. Get interested in something. Take stock of what equipment you already have, and figure out what it can be used for. Go shoot. Get involved in the pictures. If your camera isn't the last word in high ISOs, then find a little more light and shoot at lower ISOs. You'll live. If your camera doesn't have the best dynamic range, then avoid high-contrast scenes (there are scenes the A900 won't handle, either). If your camera won't print really, really big, then make your prints a little smaller. It won't kill you, I promise. It ain't the camera.

The more that people get interested in the pictures they're making, the less they obsess about equipment. Try it. It's really true—it really works.Full Frame

The problem isn't the gluten. It's you.

Researchers have struggled to determine why some people, who lack the characteristic blood, tissue, or genetic markers of celiac disease, experience celiac-like GI symptoms, as well as certain extra-intestinal symptoms, such as fatigue, cognitive difficulties, or mood disturbance, after ingesting foods that contain wheat, rye, or barley. One explanation for this condition, known as non-celiac gluten or wheat sensitivity (NCWS), is that exposure to the offending grains somehow triggers acute systemic immune activation, rather than a strictly localized intestinal immune response. Because there are no biomarkers for NCWS, accurate figures for its prevalence are not available, but it is estimated to affect about 1 percent of the population, or 3 million Americans, roughly the same prevalence as celiac disease.Columbia University Medical Center

Time to stop and smell the air.

Mindfulness has become trendy around the world in recent years – but in Japan, it’s been ingrained into the culture for centuries.BBC Travel