Do You Suffer From Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS)?

Admit it or not, we all like new gear or the next best thing. We try not to think about it, but that thought just sticks and goes round and round in your head like a cyclone until you either realize you don't need it or you give in and using your hard-earned savings to purchase it, only to find that you didn't need it after all and that it hasn't made your photographic practice any better.

I'm not talking about upgrading your gear or purchasing the new lens that you need for your creative pursuits. You know your practice and you know what gear best suits the genre you mainly shoot, whether that's the holy trinity of lenses that everyone speaks about or the latest and greatest model of camera that has come out. Sure, for me, I'd love to have the Fujifilm GFX 100S along with a couple of choice lenses, but that's not going to make my photography any better. The higher resolution and glass will more than likely show more of the mistakes I make and ultimately lead me to a crash in confidence and a rise in self-doubt. Only through practice can I get better, not through a new camera.

Downward Spiral

The path we all take in photography gear is a rocky one, fraught with ever-declining bank balances, some purchases justified, others not. It's the latter that took hold of me, the GAS.

Hi, my name is Gary and I have Gear Acquisition Syndrome.

Well, I used to have and it took me years to control. Every now and again, though, I do fall off the wagon, splash out, and treat myself to something I ultimately find I didn't really need after all and then for a brief time, console myself, thinking: "okay it's a blip, you're over it." I say this while at the same time watching the bank balance go down because of Gear Acquisition Syndrome. I don't even want to consider the money I've spent on stuff. To be honest, I don't think it will be a massive amount, but on the other hand, I'm apprehensive to calculate the amount, as it could be a new lens for the system I currently use or even better, a photographic trip to a new destination. Okay, scrap that last statement. Yes, I do think it will be a substantial amount over the years, but I'd hazard a guess that I'm not the worst culprit. Even when writing this, denial, is indeed a downward spiral. Have a look in your gear bag, your camera shelf or storage area, your drawers. I bet you have done the same over time. What could you do without?

Is It Need or Want?

Hopefully, you'll understand that this article has lighthearted overtones, coupled with an undercurrent of a slightly more concerning nature, namely gear addiction. Now, there is nothing wrong with that at all, and I'm in no way being judgemental, as that's not my place. I love new gear as much as the next person. This is merely a reflection of my own experience with my addiction and that dopamine rush that we all get when experiencing something rewarding. It's a fantastic feeling. and that feeling is one we crave. The dopamine rush you get from buying new gear or accessories you think you'll need or do really need is a fun and rewarding one, but is often short-lived once you have said new gear. The new gear quickly becomes habitual, and so, the need for the rush begins again — slowly at first, growing and growing, enhanced with either subtle or full-on, in-your-face adverts from every social media platform on earth, simply because you did one search. One search. It's similar to when you consider changing your motor vehicle and all of a sudden you begin to notice the same make and model of the vehicle you are seeking everywhere. They've always been there, but now, once when you've planted the seed in your head, you notice them all the time. 

The whole process is remembered fondly and connected to the entire dopamine experience when you think back to when you first decided you needed something new. I need/want a new? Seed planted. Look at all the articles and reviews. Seed growing. Check bank balance. Seed pauses while you try to justify it to yourself, but then pushes upwards. It's now a sapling. Adverts appear everywhere. Sapling creating strong roots. Check bank balance again. Yep, it's still the same, but oh my, the justification is stronger now. Every spare moment is spent searching for said need/want. It's a strong, young tree now, just waiting to be nurtured. Pause, only briefly, as the justification takes hold, and your bank balance yields to the overwhelming urge for said need/want, It's a fully grown tree, and you press buy.

We've all been there, and as I mentioned previously, this is not aimed at the camera and lenses that you need to capture the images. I'm mainly aiming this at the accessories and peripherals. Backpacks, for example: how many of them have you gone through to find the right one for your needs?

Reflection

When writing this, I thought it would be a good idea to go back through my Amazon save for later list, just to see the amount of CRAP (Can't Really Afford, Postpone) I had accumulated there, and yes, it was just ludicrous the amount of crap that I'm glad I didn't buy. Modifiers, light stands, studio lighting kits. I can nearly touch the walls of this room with my arms outstretched, never mind set up a studio in it. Accent RGB lights, mini tripods, pistol grip tripods, I shoot mainly landscapes and don't like pistol grips for that, although they are great in the studio. But I don't need it; I just wanted it at the time. The scrolling went on for quite some time, and I actually laughed at some of the so-called need/want accessories that ultimately, I didn't need. Had I indeed bought all of these, my bank balance would be groaning even further. Remember the small room I mentioned? Well, I would've needed to buy another shed to store all of these in.

Some Make a Difference to the Photographic Experience

Don't get me wrong, some accessories do make a massive difference in the photographic experience. I have and still use the original Peak Design Capture Clip which is in its third incarnation now. It is invaluable on hikes on which your camera is at hand, instead of the kerfuffle of taking off your camera bag, unzipping the bag getting your camera out, and losing the scene because the light has changed. The f-stop Navin Pouch is great for just slinging your camera around your neck on shorter walks when all your gear isn't required, plus it's waterproof, and here in Scotland, you need that peace of mind. Multitools, yes, there are plenty to choose from and some are more useful than others, but they reduce the need to carry and lose many of the smaller tools. Carabiners, for me, are honestly so useful for many thing things, but especially so when hiking with my two dogs, as I can attach their leads to the camera backpack if I need them close by while I'm photographing. A Wacom tablet and two Benq monitors, the latter of which I could've had sooner had I not wasted money on other things I didn't need but just wanted.

That's just my list, and it's quite a short one. This is the stuff that makes a difference to your whole photographic practice, the stuff you would really miss if it wasn't there.

Control your GAS

Well, my friend, that is easier said than done. There are many different ways you could try, but only some will work for you. If you have GAS, you'll probably always suffer from it, so here are a few of the questions I ask myself when that new seed is planted.

1. Do I need it? Why do I need it? What will be the result and will it ultimately change my photography for the better?
2. Will this require me to upgrade any of my current gear, including the computer, to make it work?
3. Is it need or want? More often than not, it's want, for me anyway.
4. Could I use the money for a photographic experience with my current gear? Experiences last so much longer than gear.
5. Is this going to make my full photographic experience much better?
6. Do I need a dopamine rush? Why? I get enough of them when out taking photographs.
7. Am I scared of failure?

Now that last point is connected to GAS, believe it or not. As photographers, we put our work on display, allowing for public feedback, good or bad. If it's good, dopamine rush, if it's constructive, dopamine rush, if it's bad, our bodies respond by releasing a stress hormone, and it's these stress hormones that decrease our ability to inhibit impulsive behaviors — in this instance, Gear Acquisition Syndrome. The connection I'm generalizing here is that new gear or accessories equal better images. As you know, yes, they can improve the quality of the image, but as Ansel Adams once put it, there is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept. So, would you say new gear will improve the image, or would practice?

Cathartic Experience

One thing that I found really helpful was to put all the gear I had out on display and pack what I truly needed or couldn't do without into my camera bag. If it fit into my camera bag, in my case, the f-stop Anja, it stayed. I'm not talking monitors or Wacom tablets here, just the camera equipment and accessories I need to enjoy my passion. This is the stuff I truly need.

As I write, the other accessories are currently being packaged up and sold, as the quote I received helps me on my way to the lens I need, not want, the Nikon Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR. If you are wondering why this one and not the f/2.8 instead, it's a weight issue, as I do long hikes.

This, for me, was a cathartic experience and really helped me assess what I truly need for my passion, plus my bank balance thanked me. As mentioned, I'm now on my way to a new lens and currently undergoing a new dopamine rush for it.

Conclusion

I am dramatizing all this slightly, as what you actually need for your passion comes with experience. What one needs and what one just wants comes down to the individual, and it's totally up to them what they want to buy. You fine-tune what you actually need through time, and that's the fun of it. I'd love shelves of camera gear so that I can pick and choose from them, but that's want.

Did I enjoy buying all the stuff I think I've needed? At the time, yes, on reflection, no. Yes, only because of the rush and because it's a process I had to go through to get to what I truly need. No, because it's hit my bank balance, and if I had just gone with my gut instinct after assessing everything instead of wanting, I would have had the accessories I truly need sooner. Granted, some of the accessories have been filters to help find the best system that works for me, and I've yet to try the Kase system, which I will do in time, but for now, I'll work with what I have.

Do you have GAS? If so, I'd love to hear what you have purchased only to find you didn't need it after all.

Hi, my name is Gary and I'm a recovering GAS addict.

Lead image and article images courtesy of  Alexander Drummer, Andrew Neel, Nathan Crowley, cottonbro, Cristian Padure, Sam Forson, and C Cagnin via Pexels, used under Creative Commons.