In your bag No: 671, Frank Lehnen
Today we have a bag from a man who believes that he has cured his GAS. Say hello to Frank and his lovely bag from Luxembourg.
Hi, my name in Frank Lehnen from Luxembourg… I guess I’m the first to show a Luxembourgish bag around here.
I recently celebrated my half-century and I have been ‘taking pictures’ since I was about 17 years old. Well, not all the time…. My first own camera was a Rollei SL35, then a SL35M that was a really beautiful SLR, but utter crap – didn’t work a single day. I exchanged it for a Canon AE-1 and a bunch of lenses until that got stolen.
Next was my beloved Nikon F I got (very) used, but it NEVER let me down. Then I did the unthinkable, I was lured into the digital world by the Canon Digital Rebel and later a Canon EOS 400D. Problem with these….. I nearly never took them with me as they were too heavy and cumbersome. So photography went into standby mode.
Then came the Fuji X100, which led me again to film cameras, I bought Canonets (19 and 17), Olympus 35 RC, SP, even an Olympus OM10 and an OM1 (my dream camera back in the beginnings…but too expensive then). I even owned a Leica CL with the ‘required 40 and 90mm lenses’.
Then came the Fuji X-E1 with a bunch of lenses, and ultimately the great insight that I was on the wrong path once again. GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) had taken hold of my brain and the multitude of cameras and lenses kept me from the most important – taking pictures.
They went, one by one, and now I’m down to the basics – 2 Film cameras I would not want to miss. Simple point-and-shoot things. Easy to use, yet powerful tools:
Olympus Trip35 in a clays red leather outfit and cheap chinese thumbgrip
Olympus XA2
To complement them I have the excellent and compact Fuji X20 in a Gariz half case and Lensmate thumbgrip.
They live in my very cheap Lowepro Event Messenger 150 Bag, together with film, batteries, chargers and assorted stuff like my Kindle and iPhone.
I have found my ideal gear and the GAS days are over……. Unless, there’s the X100s……. NO, Frank, be strong!!
Well done frank, for beating your GAS, I know how tough it can be, with all the temptations…
Sadly there are no links, so make sure you come and comment.
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Cheers
Japancamerahunter
Hi Frank,
I am wondering if G.A.S. is really so bad …. I am on my path back to B&W film photography after almost 10 years in the digital world. On ebay I see all these very nice film cameras that are almost thrown away at ridiculous prices and I find it a shame that these marvels of mechanical and optical engineering are not more appreciated. I just bought a Minolta CLE with 40mm f:2 and I am looking for a Yashica Electro 35 GSN … I can’t help it, I would buy them all if I had enough money. They are wonderful to use and I am not thinking of selling them again.
Regards,
Claudio
Moien Fränk,
dat ass eng schéi sak. Bravo!
Ernesto
Merci Ernesto, daat as ganz leif vun Dir!
Claudio, GAS is not basically evil, unless it affects your finances more than it should! It did for me…
Olympus Trip – a small beauty :) Love to take pictures with it!
Greets!