2024 - A "No Gear" Year

[QuickHitRecord]

I have been spending too much money on equipment in recent years, and WAY too much time researching it. I really don't need anything else in terms of kit. What I do need is to replace my wardrobe and make some repairs to my home and my vehicle. Also, I'd like to spend more time producing passion projects.

So, I'm making a commitment that I will not buy any new gear between November 30th, 2023 and November 29th, 2024 (got to give myself the option to take advantage of Black Friday deals). If I need a specialty piece of gear, I will rent it.

The exceptions are expendables and direct replacements, should anything I'm using break down.

I've never done this before and I'm posting this to help keep myself accountable.

[Doug Jensen]

You'll never do it. You should give yourself a little breathing room and say you won't spend more than $500 or $1000 or something like. There's always going to be a few little things you need to get to make life better or faster or whatever. No need to go cold turkey. After all, for people like us who make their living doing video and are used to spending tens of thousands on just a camera, limiting ourselves to a $1000 budget is basically the same thing as not spending anything, but you won't feel like you missed your goal when you do spend a few bucks.

[Run&Gun]

I never say anything like that. I've gone as long as seven years between camera purchases to as short as mere months. Because you just never know when an opportunity may present itself and I also try to look long-term with purchases, as well. Meaning I plan on using the gear for a long time and it may not become something heavily used in the immediate term, but will probably become a staple in the near future.

I do wish I had a little more restraint sometimes, but like Doug said, I'll look at things and evaluate if it's going to make my life easier, allow me to do something better, faster, more efficiently and/or otherwise help set me apart from the crowd and give me a slight advantage. These things don't always have a 1:1 financial equation.

[Doug Jensen]

I do wish I had a little more restraint sometimes, but like Doug said, I'll look at things and evaluate if it's going to make my life easier, allow me to do something better, faster, more efficiently and/or otherwise help set me apart from the crowd and give me a slight advantage. These things don't always have a 1:1 financial equation.

This is a little off topic, but your comments made me think about my own purchses. One of the very best things I ever bought was a $1500 portable prompter that I could setup and run in about 10 minutes. If I consider the times I was able to bill directly for bringing it on a shoot because the client requested it; the times I pulled it out at no charge just to speed up the shoot and get home faster; and the many times it played a factor getting jobs that I wouldn't have had if I didn't have a "free" prompter, I'll bet that thing easily added $50K to my bottom line. Best investment ever.

You gotta spend money to make money, and saying you're not going to buy anyhting for a year sounds good on paper, but maybe not so good in practice.

[CharlesPapert]

I radically curtailed spending this past year or so since work slowed down for me, had to make some last minute grabs last December for the taxes but this year has been so dreadful that I didn't need the writeoffs (in fact I'm scheming how to add more to my income side so I can make full use of the writeoffs I do have--the opposite of the usual problem--which will be selling off gear). It has been a little weird having so few packages arrive on a regular basis, but guess what--once I got used to it, kinda didn't hurt a bit.

[QuickHitRecord]

Part of my process when I get home from a shoot is that I go through my gear, charge all batteries, make a list of anything that needs some maintenance or replacement, and I go over the shoot in my head. If there is something that would have made the shoot a lot easier or better and costs less than $150, I usually order it so that I'll have it for the next shoot. I don't think that there is anything inherently wasteful about that (so maybe Doug's suggestion for a $1000 limit is a good one). My problem is when I'm researching that one thing, which leads me to another, and another, and so on. I think the research and troubleshooting aspect is addictive and it becomes an obsession for me. I'm looking this stuff up morning, afternoon and night. And I'm checking eBay every 30 minutes. I already feel like my kit is dialed in to an OCD level so hitting 'pause' might actually be a good thing. I think I'd actually be a lot happier if I spent that time and money on other things, including extracurricular creative pursuits.

[ahalpert]

Part of my process when I get home from a shoot is that I go through my gear, charge all batteries, make a list of anything that needs some maintenance or replacement, and I go over the shoot in my head. If there is something that would have made the shoot a lot easier or better and costs less than $150, I usually order it so that I'll have it for the next shoot. I don't think that there is anything inherently wasteful about that (so maybe Doug's suggestion for a $1000 limit is a good one). My problem is when I'm researching that one thing, which leads me to another, and another, and so on. I think the research and troubleshooting aspect is addictive and it becomes an obsession for me. I'm looking this stuff up morning, afternoon and night. And I'm checking eBay every 30 minutes. I already feel like my kit is dialed in to an OCD level so hitting 'pause' might actually be a good thing. I think I'd actually be a lot happier if I spent that time and money on other things, including extracurricular creative pursuits.

Kinda sounds like you have OCD. It spleens me to see kit lying around that I don't use. In the past couple years, I've tried to buy gear that I would use on shoots I've already done rather than gear I think might be useful eventually or might help me get a different gig. That has helped me narrow my shopping. But even more so, now that I've started saving for retirement it gives me another outlet for that OCD energy. With a solo 401k, I should be able to put something north of $30k away this year in a tax-deferred investment account. And then I have to ask myself if I'd rather buy a lens or earn compound interest that my spawn will hopefully inherit. I've been a very good boy this year. The camera and lens I expected Sony to release have not materialized and so far I've resisted the urge to buy something I don't need instead.

[rob norton]

I've had an evolving list of "gear to buy" for years. It's currently pretty small but in the past there would have been some embarrassing items which never got purchased, then removed after coming to my senses. It seems like there's an entirely separate category for equipment you need for specific jobs, which wasn't even on the radar before the project came up. In these scenarios, I usually wait until a shoot officially gets over the line, then will order ASAP if possible.

Here are my current examples of these lists, where I'm happy to consider but only if the work happens:

sound
- SONY dual wireless system

camera
- hand grips
- more bebob batteries
- matte box

Even if a shoot could benefit from the above equipment, I'd still weigh up whether it's worth it. While monitoring sound for one person while shooting is often expected, two people is usually seen as a bonus. So the dual wireless system would only mean less hardware on camera and no more battery changes because the newer SONY rx can be powered via USB. For the camera accessories, even if narrative work came my way, it'd still have to be a decent sized project to justify buying. A single day wouldn't make it worth it but many days then I wouldn't think twice.

Another example was going halves on an inspire 2 drone package. One project almost paid for everything (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9w59dYL3w8&t=1s). Overall though, the drone work was just too hard (turned down too many jobs due to locations not allowing flying, no one appreciated extensive pre production planning etc etc.). I doubt I'd do it again but we made it out unscathed.

Where as this list below isn't really project dependent, even though I may wait until a big enough project before buying:

vehicle
van

small gimbal

grip
- 6x wheels for combos (https://modernstudio.com/products/ez...e05c728a&_ss=r)
- better tripod

[morgan_moore]

When does it stop?

I buy gear that will 'change my offer' if I have to

I hate buying gear but

I decided that my 2011 gopro was hoding me back as with no screen no ND and dodgy batteries it was not being used.
I bought the 0smo3 and it is good (i bought osmo 3 two days after launch of osmo 4)

CP.. this is as good as I was with the pilot and ex1 !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4tdCXHh1tE

In general im very happy with my canon r6 as a tool that can produce good images and is very small

But now I want some sound device that i can pocket.. im looking to BUY a zoom h1n - I just want people to hold it while I chat to them?
(a mic and recorder is too big, a wire to a mirrorless too annoying, a lav too intrusive and slow?)

Really this is all about speed and miniturisation. Working from the bus or my bicycle.

For a corporate shoot im 1000% happy with my C200 dana dolly and ap 600 light and sanken mic (which i bought a boom pole for to look pro - I used to mic interviews with a 5/8 rod on a cstand!)

My little short at this housing disaster is 'radical'.. shot with osmo, canon r6 24-70f4, 3 stop nd and rode mic. All fits in my bike pannier .. another expense.

but this kit has really helped my 'doco' work gain fluidity.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnbHssAfDfo

Im looking to BUY all the wires so I can charge my camrea, phone and osmo from a small vlock in my cycle pannier. (not while rolling) - vlock to USB for the win, throw away the chargers to miniturise.

My recent hobby trip to sweden painless with osmo, r6, 24-105 and useb chargers.. even got my coat into my carry on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5xBk_a9Uys

[CharlesPapert]

CP.. this is as good as I was with the pilot and ex1 !
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4tdCXHh1tE

Ha well, that looks better than ANYONE was with the Pilot! You got up to some pretty good speed in that industrial yard at the beginning, too...glad to see the legs are still working! Actually reminded me of this old chestnut...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XReeuhBeiIA

Really quite impressive looking camera on that wee thing. I like the tonality.

[Run&Gun]

Ha well, that looks better than ANYONE was with the Pilot! You got up to some pretty good speed in that industrial yard at the beginning, too...glad to see the legs are still working! Actually reminded me of this old chestnut...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XReeuhBeiIA

Really quite impressive looking camera on that wee thing. I like the tonality.

Some of that old 70’s stuff is so awesome, looking back on it now.

[firehawk]

.... I'll look at things and evaluate if it's going to make my life easier, allow me to do something better, faster, more efficiently and/or otherwise help set me apart from the crowd and give me a slight advantage...

That was my reasoning on so many purchases. So many purchases. And while much of it has, some has been wishful thinking. One of my goals as soon as possible is to sell off as much as I can that I no longer use or didn't work out as hoped.

[DustinSchmidt]

I have been spending too much money on equipment in recent years, and WAY too much time researching it. I really don't need anything else in terms of kit. .

This feels like a personal attack. ;)

[DustinSchmidt]

Admittedly, I have been looking at every new Black Friday sale since Monday morning, trying to ask myself, "Is this something I truly need in order to make more money? Or is this just something I want, that will make me NO measurable, additional profit?"

So far I'm holding strong.

[ahalpert]

So far I'm holding strong.

x1080.jpeg

I'm not going to look until Friday. But I feel like I already know what I want. When you buy something at a discount that you would have bought at full price, you win. When they sell you something you didn't need to buy, they win.

The image is from Master and Commander. It's sinful that they never made a sequel