The Fallacy of Too Much Gear — STREET SILHOUETTES

On my previous post, I said that the most exciting development in photography last year was the 52mm lens on the iPhone 12. Obviously, that really isn’t the case. I’m sure Android users would take offense. That said, what is abundantly clear is that I do most of my photo taking with my iPhone. And if the old adage is correct, the best camera you have is the one with you. And rather frankly, my iPhone 12 is always within hand’s reach for the decisive moment - that is - after waking it up and turning it to the camera screen.

I guess that rules out my Leica SL and 50mm f/1.4 Summilux-SL (which I no longer have). Carrying that beastly combination around - as satisfying as it felt in making me feel more like a bonafide photographer - wasn’t the most practical longterm setup for casual everyday photography. Nor was carrying around multiple cameras and lenses like a seasoned war zone photojournalist. And now that I think back to my more exuberant days on the hunt for photos, I realize just how very misguided I was in wanting to look the part.

Fear of missing out - it is the justification we make in wanting more than we need. Who knows when fate will shine upon us with an opportunity requiring a telephoto lens for reach, a fast lens for subject isolation, or even a wide angle lens for coverage? Who knows when we will need more resolution for capturing fine details or higher ISO for shooting in low light? The only way to resolve this problem is to bring out everything, including the kitchen sink. Otherwise, we’d be caught with our pants down when opportunity knocks.

As photographers, we place too much emphasis on preparedness. We all better have a range of gear that will enable us to deal with photographing portraits, your kid’s piano recital from twenty rows back in a dimly lit auditorium, or your family vacation in Europe with all the proof-of-pilgrimage-monuments in the background. For that reason, we all invest in a requisite super-telephoto lens, a standard 70-200mm telephoto zoom, a fast normal lens, a wide angle lens, and a super-wide angle lens - just in case opportunity knocks.

And to justify the splurge in investment, one must invariably find a way to bring the bundle from home to the real world, where photos are taken. I mean, what good are cameras and lenses if left idle in storage. Thus, the exhaustive process of deciding which favorite children to bring along to capture all eventualities then comes into play. In a perfect world, you’d bring them all. But given the limitations of your camera bag - as cavernous as it really is - you’re forced to settle on just three lenses and a camera, hoping that it would do.

Of course, having three lenses and a camera never seems quite enough. What self respecting photographer would think a measly triumvirate of glass will take every photo situation into account? Be that as it may, there is a fundamental flaw in the logic of needing three lenses at all. Thing is this, we only have two hands and one optical pathway to take one photo at a time. Because of that, we can only handle one camera and one lens at a time. This means that the other two lenses are usually left bench warming inside your bag.

As much as hope springs eternal for the prepared, photo opportunities wait for no one - not even for those of us equipped with an accoutrement of gear in tow - given that the decisive moment is too fleeting to wait for our fumbling inside our bags for that perfect lens. But, what if one were to have each lens on its own camera? And, what if all three cameras and lenses were liberated from the bag and strapped around one’s neck? Then, wouldn’t one be prepared for all eventualities… like a professional? Dare I say, like a photojournalist!

Yes, having one camera per lens would make us respond more optimally to photo opportunities. But, at what cost? In addition to the three lenses and one camera, you’re now adding two more cameras. The weight just keeps on piling up. And for what? So that one can take a more perfect photo when opportunity knocks? From the point of view of taking the perfect photo, lugging three cameras and three lenses like a pack mule is a no-brainer. If that is what it takes to capture the perfect photo, then tonnage is the best path to success.

But there is a price to pay for all that tonnage. It contributes to degenerative changes in the spine. Over time, our once misguided youthful exuberance in overloading too much gear onto our backs will injure us. And the resulting pain - living with it - is all consuming without relief. It’s not something many think about when taking photos. But, it will when time catches up, bringing pain. I mean, forget about how much all this extra gear will cost you. Think about the palliative care you’ll need and the accompanying cost in medical intervention.

So, you leave your gear at home to relieve yourself of the weight you never use. Over time, you will notice that much of your gear never leaves home anymore. That’s when you realize the fallacy of too much gear. But what of hope springing eternal? If hope increasingly opts to leave your gear at home, then what is the point of more gear? Two hands and one optical pathway to shoot one camera and one lens at a time. That is the limitation of our physiology. Anything more we overload onto our backs for preparedness is just dead weight.

Of course, this does not mean one cannot be indulgent and get a telephoto lens or a super-wide angle lens. I mean, there is always that possibility of documenting that piano recital from twenty rows away or that dream vacation in Europe filled with monumental backgrounds. However, jobs like that are far and few between. As such, I seldom ever deviate beyond the standard 28mm to 50mm focal range. And at that, I rarely carry more than one camera and one lens. Essentially, what more does one need to take a good photograph?

Still, I understand the compulsion for wanting and accumulating more gear. It’s just fashion. Mind you, there is nothing wrong with becoming a so-called slave to fashion. After all, am I not one of the worst offender, if there were ever a slave to fashion in the world of photography? That said, I have refocused my attention firmly away from gear accumulation towards the time honored practice of photography itself. Until we free ourselves from this constant hunger for more, we distract ourselves from why we love photography in the first place.

For that reason, the iPhone 12 must be the best camera. Period. Coming from me, that must sound like utter heresy - as if the high priest of analog photography has betrayed the teachings of the prophets from atop his online pulpit. That said, I wouldn’t characterize my ascetic stance as betrayal. In fact, what I am really doing is evangelizing the wisdom of action as oppose to the folly of intent. Taking photo is action. Accumulating gear is intent. Unfortunately, intent often falls short of any real action, which is the consequence of this fallacy.

In that case, isn’t it better to settle for one simple camera and lens, if you actually get that photo? And even if that photo isn’t taken at the optimal focal length - that is to say the lens is not wide or tight enough to frame the subject perfectly - isn’t getting that photo better than missing it completely because of a compulsive need to fumble through one’s bag to swap for the perfect lens? When the decisive moment is fleeting, we must make do with what we have, as imperfect as it is, to do our best to capture that photo opportunity.

Indeed, the fallacy of too much gear is undeniable, given the expense, the bodily harm, and the inaction that results from it. To remedy this fixation of gear, all one needs to do is find solace in simplicity - one camera and one lens. With the complication of deciding between which of all your favorite children to accompany you out of the way, the business of taking photos can finally flourish free from the uncertainty of second guessing and the dead weight of over-preparedness holding you back from your full potential. It really is such a relief!

As a photographer, is there any better sensation than feeling free from all the weight of nonsense? Just one camera, one lens, and a blank canvas of possibilities within your frame lines. So please, stop worrying about the gear you have and the gear that you don’t have. Frankly, whatever you have is likely more than enough.

One camera and one lens… plus one small flash unit… and two rolls of film. That’s all I needed to conduct this photowalk. It’s not much. And that’s the point.

Special thanks to Melissa for filling in. I would have liked to add Melissa as a longterm contributor to this dog and pony show. Unfortunately, she has since left Hong Kong, having accompanied me only a handful of times.

Disclaimer

Jan 12 The Fallacy of Too Much Gear

Disclaimer

Jan 12 The Fallacy of Too Much Gear

Feb 7 Dear Wetzlar, Leica Customers Really Don't Want the New Noctilux, M10 Reporter Edition, etc

Jan 1 Dog And Pony Show Revisited