For those of you that don't know...GAS stands for 'Gear Acquisition Syndrome' and it can be fairly common amongst photographers....actually fairly common amongst many hobbies I am sure.
The reason I ask this question is yesterday afternoon I received a brand new Fuji X100S camera in the post. Now it didn't just rock up on my doorstep for no reason....I purchased it online a few weeks ago. Those that know me might think it is crazy that I have bought another camera...particularly because as I sit and type this blog I can see 8 cameras (9 including my iPhone and that doesn't include the Canon S100 in my wife's handbag!). Each camera serves its purpose and each can be used for different photography styles.
When I first started out in photography....I had GAS. I bought my first dSLR...quickly followed by a tripod, then a wider lens, then a prime, then a telephoto, then another tripod, then multiple flashes, then multiple filters....did I mention all the miscellaneous items such as batteries, cases, bags, umbrellas, light stands etc? I just bought more and more gear.
I have toned my gear purchasing down a bit. Eventually I got to a point where I was happy that I didn't need more gear and that I could capture the images that I wanted to with the gear I had. I then wanted to move into panoramic landscape photography and for that it meant I had to buy a film panoramic camera.
Lately I have been lugging around my DSLR almost everywhere I go with my wife and son if there may be a photographic opportunity. This had been fine...but I am getting a little sick of how heavy it is. We do own a Canon S100 which is a great little camera, but the functionality and image quality is just not as good as I would like. After heading away over Easter with some friends, I saw how they had purchased smaller equipment for use when not out seriously photographing. This prompted me to look into what options there were.
I'm not going to review all the options in this blog....and I must admit I didn't look all that hard into what is available. There were a few factors which made me choose the Fuji X100S:
So we'll see how this camera goes. My plan is to take it when we venture out as a family where photography opportunities may exist so I can leave the heavier gear at home, but also use it for some street or urban type work. When I plan to head out to shoot landscape photography be assured my digital SLR, panoramic film camera and a few rolls of film will be in tow!