There has been some chatter on the PhotoClub mail list about Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS). My comments have been that you should be out taking pictures instead of lusting over the latest hardware. (TMP as an antidote for GAS). This blog entry is a defense of hardware acquisition. There is a concurrent thread on the Leica Users Group (LUG) titled "What do you do with last year's camera?". Posters have weighed in with their plans for keeping or disposing of older model cameras. Even Leica owners upgrade from time to time.
All of the above got me thinking about why someone holds onto old cameras while buying new ones. I think there are more reasons to have and enjoy a camera than just using it to make images. There is the same sort of pleasure one gets from having a nice car, or golf clubs or firearms or woodworking tools. I call it "tool pleasure". It is the satisfaction of holding and operating a precision instrument. Noticing the craftsmanship, fit and finish. Dryfiring a handgun is only a step down from actually firing the weapon.
If you have a camera that is well-designed, that feels comfortable in the hand and in which the controls operate smoothly and positively, you get pleasure from owning it and handling it. Even looking at it. You may want to put it on a shelf where you can see it often even if you never take pictures with it. And the only acceptable excuse for selling it is to get funds to acquire a newer model.
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