I Sold All My Cameras
If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you would probably know that I’ve been shooting with Fujifilm almost exclusively since the start. Between 2017 and 2024, I only used Fujifilm cameras and had absolutely no interest in other brands. While I briefly tried some models from Sony and Ricoh, I always asked myself, what’s the point if I already have a system I know inside out? By changing brands, I would undo years of muscle memory and knowledge of the cameras, their behaviours, and how the files edit. So any time an opportunity to get another brand came about, I ignored it. For as long as I remember, I’ve always had this mentality across the board: find something that works and don’t shop around too much. It was a practical decision and not one rooted in brand loyalty.
Fast forward to autumn of 2024, and I was very fortunate to be part of a Hasselblad campaign where I received their X2D camera to keep. This was before they were handing them out like hotcakes to everyone. Of course, I could not decline this opportunity, and soon enough, I found myself in a totally new territory, and I had a level of excitement over a camera I’ve never had before. Everything was new, different, and I loved it. Coupled with some issues I was having with the Fuji system as a whole, my reliance on Fuji colour science, and boredom with their gear, it was the push I needed to look elsewhere for the first time since picking up photography. This triggered ten months of experimentation with different brands, and whilst this was fun, it was also a big and very expensive lesson regarding my relationship with gear and photography.
There were two big itches I had to scratch, and soon enough I had a Sony A7RV and a Leica Q3 43 sitting at home. These two specific cameras I’ve been eyeing up for ages, and they would frequently be in and out of my shopping basket. So to have them on my desk was a pretty cool moment. The plan was to stay with Fuji and dabble with these brands whenever I had spare time; however, this didn’t workout. I completely fell in love with the A7RV, and it was one of the only cameras that just felt right in my hand. I didn’t need much more time to assure myself that a full switch is required.
Fast forward a few weeks and I had a full Sony kit spanning two bodies and about six to eight lenses that replaced my Fuji kit like for like. The Fuji stuff was all sold apart from my X100VI. While this was straightforward, I decided to complicate things somewhat. Rather than sticking with one system, I decided the best thing to do was to keep one camera from each brand “just in case” or for “fun”. I ended up with my A7RV, A7C, Hasselblad, X100VI, Ricoh GRIIIX, and the Leica Q3 43. Just writing this now is making me think “wtf”. My justification was that these are tools and I will pick the best one for whatever situation I was faced. Besides, who doesn’t want a dream camera “garage”?
This grand idea worked for about a week before things started to become complicated. The first and biggest roadblock was agonising over which camera to take. I would spend days on end thinking about what to take with me on a big month-long trip. I would pack my bag, then the morning of the trip, I would repack it with different camera gear. This would go on until I reached my breaking point with how ridiculous this is. I was on my way to a month-long trip; however, the night before I stayed in central London to make the airport commute easier. I had my Leica Q3 with me and very quickly realised that I wished I had the Sony. So I spent two hours going back home to swap cameras. This is truly insane.
The second lesson was that I found myself getting more wrapped up in the gear instead of photography, and as a result, my enjoyment of photography and the quality of my work both declined. When out shooting, I would be missing shots because my muscle memory would always be with the camera I used previously. When editing, I would take much longer and never get the result I want because I had to remember how each RAW edited. What works for a Fuji file won’t work the same for a Sony. Couple this with the previous point, and I was getting so sick of all these cameras.
Fast forward to today, and I sold them all. I have my Sony A7RV for work, an A7CR for backup, and a Ricoh GR for a pocket everyday carry. Everything else is gone. I feel so much lighter physically and mentally, and my bank balance feels a little healthier too. Getting rid of all these cameras is the best thing I’ve ever done for my photography; however, I have zero regret over going through this very expensive and energy-draining process. Without going through this, I wouldn’t have learned these lessons about my relationship with gear and photography. After all, we are all different and many if you reading this would love to have a choice of gear to shoot with rather than being stuck with one system. For me, the opposite was true. Why did I keep the Sony and not any of the other brands? Because for the past few months, every time I was using the Leica, X2D, or Fuji, I was always wishing I had the Sony with me instead.
What’s the moral of the story? Too much choice often does more harm than good. You ever wondered why extremely effective people only wear one type of shirt? It’s because they are removing an unnecessary decision (for them) from their day. By doing that, they can now focus their energy on things that actually matter. Unless you’re a camera enthusiast, the art of photography is what actually matters, so by removing the choice of “which one of my five cameras shall I use today”, I am ensuring that my energy goes on what actually matters, photography.
