Hm, tough question. I have little emotional attachment to my D40 - the first DSLR I used - but I still have it for backup and taking pictures of the D7000. =P I'm not sure about the D7000. I don't think I've had it long enough to know. My little 35 1.8 is pretty special to me, because it's fun to use and does everything I need it to.

That said, I'm still very new to photography, so maybe 10 or 20 years from now my answer will be different. =)

Really interesting to see people's comments here, BTW.

The Woman, who has an interest in photography, took a keen liking to my 105mm f/2.8 VRII micro.

She decided she wanted one of her own.

'Oh no,' says I. 'We shouldn't have two of the same lens "in the family", ergo I shall purchase a 200mm f/4 Micro instead.'

And thus completed was the deal with the devil.

And thus the 200mm Micro went on order.

And now I find myself already kicking myself for giving up my 105mm, as I am apparently quite emotionally attached to it.

I think I am emotional > practical most of the time...

NSXType-R said:
Sorry about that, wasn't aware of how much care one should take of military gear. I assumed wrong.

No worries. Some guys in WWII had to pay for the jeeps they lost. I know of some rather interesting 'loses' that folks paid for at $5 a month.

I don't rightly remember my starting pay, but in was much over $150 a month, if that much.

My best,

Mike

I just sell my gear so far...not enough attachment to justify keeping it if I can get money. I almost got what I paid for my P&S when I sold it to get my Nikon so I didn't feel too bad. Now that I have spent $$$ on lenses it might be a different story...that and I should be able to use them for years to come.

Mike Gunter said:
Hi,

Where on God's earth did you get that idea? You are "technically", "morally", and "ficsally" responsiable for it, unless there's a darn good reason to show cause you shouldn't have to pay for it.

Things do get banged around, but taking care of things as best you can is important.

Your rifle is your equipment, too. Most guys/gals take care it, too - for a good reason. ;-)

My best,

Mike

Sorry about that, wasn't aware of how much care one should take of military gear. I assumed wrong.

NSXType-R said:
"Then technically you didn't need to take care of your gear, you could always request for a new camera, no?"

Hi,

Where on God's earth did you get that idea? You are "technically", "morally", and "ficsally" responsiable for it, unless there's a darn good reason to show cause you shouldn't have to pay for it.

Things do get banged around, but taking care of things as best you can is important.

Your rifle is your equipment, too. Most guys/gals take care it, too - for a good reason. ;-)

My best,

Mike

Mike Gunter said:
Hi,

It's curious thread that makes some sense. After all, aren't we in the 'bid-ness' of capturing those moments that hung and often cherished?

Odd ain't it?

My best,

Mike

You used to shoot for the military correct? Then technically you didn't need to take care of your gear, you could always request for a new camera, no?

Wow! i guess we're all similar. I too have sold off many cameras over the years (all nikon) Ftn(3),F2 ,F3(3), fm-2(2), fe-2(2),N8008,N90 as well as a few lenses etc. Most I did'nt regret, some I did! I have kept my Favorite a F3T (champagne) I dont think I will ever let it go. I also have my Grandfathers kodak brownie from the '20's(he took it around the world). Now I have a d200,my 1st digital. I'm hoping its a stepping stone to a future d400 or d800.

Hi,

It's curious thread that makes some sense. After all, aren't we in the 'bid-ness' of capturing those moments that hung and often cherished?

Odd ain't it?

My best,

Mike

Thats a great comment willis.
Im surprised by the number of comments on this subject but I guess I shouldn't be=)

I agree with some of you as far as I am attached to the "moment" that was captured or the time I remember because of the piece of equipment...but to me its the memory that I cherish not necessarily the camera.

I will always remember photos taken of my daughter when she was first born with my little d80. The camera is a reminder to me not the source of happiness=) Thanks for all the responses though. Its always neat to see the different views from everyone.
~Cheers

I tend to form emotional attachments to the gear I DON'T have yet :)

i have no emotional attachments to my tools - just mechanical tools, yeah I get pissed if they're dropped/broken/scratched, but in the end, I'll be selling it and getting a new one anyways. . .

I don't have every camera I ever owned... my first two are gone (an Argus C-3 and a Fujicarex). However, I've kept every camera I've owned since then... A Nikon FTn, F2, F3, Minolta Dimage 7, Nikon D80. It's easy to be sentimental about cameras... so long as that sentiment is adequately camouflaged by a gossamer-thin veil of reason. Each time I got a new camera, there was a clear (and what I thought to be rational) justification for keeping the previous one. When I got the F2, I kept the FTn because I thought it would be smart to have a second body for color film. When I got the F3, I figured I should keep the F2 because it worked without batteries (and the FTn stayed because by then the sentimental attachment was too great). When I moved to digital, I kept the film gear because... well, just because. The Dimage 7 was not my favorite... it was a major step down in functionality but I wanted to get into digital in the worst way so I dealt with it as best I could. In light of that love-hate relationship, one would think that when I got the D80 I'd be delighted to part with the Dimage, but instead I kept it, thinking that my daughter could use it. Now I have a D7000, and when I got it the plan was to sell the D80 immediately to help bankroll a lens purchase... but it hasn't happened ... I've still got the D80 and in the back of my mind is the Voice whispering "You need a backup body." 40 years now with a perfect record... I have yet to sell a camera.

After reading more posts on this topic I can honestly say I feel the same way as many others on here. Its easy to become a photography pack rat I think as the years pass by...

I guess I'm fairly emotionally attached to my cameras. I still have all the cameras I've ever owned, except for a Nikon F that I never used (all my gear was Minolta at the time). Still have the first camera I ever took a photo with, and still have the photo - which I printed myself.

I've fallen into this trap. I wont ever sell my minolta x-700 or D90 as some of the best times I've had were when I was holding one of those 2 cameras... To me its like that pinewood derby car or Lionel locomotive you could never give up so you put it on your mantle and reminisce over it... They just has a place in my heart and while you could go out and buy another D90, mine wears the scars that tell me that this is my DSLR.

Other cameras I own (like any of my canons) I could care less about (Im not that weird). They are just cameras or workhorses, all they do is make pictures...

I have and keep some older gear but I wouldn't say I have much of an emotional attachment to it. I have some of my older film cameras only because selling them for $10-20 doesn't seem advantageous and their quality is still great. Some of my older lenses are still just as good as the newer versions so I don't upgrade. I think some people have more of a emotional attachment to brand names rather than the gear it's self.

Just thinking about my earlier comments, and reading the others, I think the reason why I don't feel an emotional attachment to my cameras is that they can be replaced. I can go out and buy the exact same thing again. When I think of the items I have that I would hate to loose (things that my children made for me for fathers day when they were kids, a hand written letter from my brother who passed away many years ago), Its because they're irreplaceable that gives them the value to me.

I recently put all the emotions behind me and sold off every older camera and lens I had that I said I'd never get rid of. You just gotta do it. My outlook is if I am not using a certain camera/lens, it has to go.

My gosh, I can't even remember what my first photograph was. I've shot my family's point and shoot film camera many times.

I do remember the first shots from my D40, however, and that was of a car my family still owns. It has seen better days, so I'm happy I took those photos.

I become terribly attached to things- I'm annoyed if I lose pens and pencils. My old Nikon point and shoot has been with me everywhere- it's the slowest POS ever, even if the lens says it's a 2.8 lens. However, it's been with me to Hong Kong, the Caribbean and Canada.

As long as the batteries hold up, I'll shoot with it whenever my D40 can't come with me. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Well as a Leica user and member on the Leica forum as well as Nikon, I can say there are plenty of nuts on that forum who are really overly fond of their gear. Sadly it seems because of the price tags attached to the products and some seem to buy them as investments even.

However, I have grown quite fond of my nikon gear. Lots of experiences traveling and working with the gear so you have to become attached emotionally to your gear I think. For example, I'll never forget being on a dodgy 6 hour train ride in Asia where each trains sleeping quarters was shared by 10 people so I slept with my gear under my arms^^

You are very fortunate to have your first photography seven. I wish I had mine. All my "older" prints were destroyed by a ex. I wish I had some of those old photos=(

I still have my first Camera a Kodak Brownie 127 but have not used it for over 50 years
I sadly sold my first Leica, a 1f, but it is the camera I would most like back
I still have my Weston mark 111 and a very battered Rollie
but my most treasured possession, my first photograph

Photographs are very sentimental, they capture a moment in time never to be repeated. If the photo can cause this attachment why not the equipment that took it? I personally don't feel this way towards my cameras, they are just business tools, I do care for them though as the financial aspect of replacing them, and disruption to business if they let me down necessitates it, but I certainly have other physical possessions that cost less, that I would be very upset about loosing. Doesn't everybody?

I love my F5 and never plan on not using it. I use it a lot less now then I used to and even when I'm going out for fun I sometimes think about the film and the processing and the printing and decide to leave it behind. I don't think that I'll never find better then my F5, heck I like all my digital photos better, but I love shooting my F5 and have never had a better time shooting images then with that camera. I think everyone has that one camera or lens that they will keep and bring out every once and a while because the way it makes them feel when they shoot or the images they can make with it.