Been quiet the last few days; not in the mood for writing or taking photos for some reason; thyroid misbehaving perhaps.
This afternoon I headed into town to purchase a portable hard drive for she who must be obeyed, something to do with needing to carry her work stuff home, I wasn’t really listening. On the way through the mall I made my inevitable stop at a camera shop to mock their DSLRs and ogle their Micro Four Thirds collection. I have already promised myself that, once my toy kitty is sufficiently replenished, I will be “investing” in an Olympus OM-D. I sure as hell don’t need it, but I do desperately want it and have justified the purchase to myself based on my own warped set of criteria. In medical terms this is known as GAS, or Gear Acquisition Syndrome, and it is an affliction I have suffered from most of my adult life.
Anyway, I was just looking, no harm in that. Oh, and they had what I planned to buy in stock, fancy that. Oh, and they would offer a rather appealing discount for cash, how tempting. Such a shame it will be next month before I have sufficient funds. Just walk away Spike.
It wasn’t until I arrived home and inspected my purchases that I realised I had forgotten all about my wife’s hard drive. Still, can’t afford to buy it now.
*My new toy, with Leica Summilux attached and Barton 1972 strap. *
Comments 🔗
2013-01-21| Wolfgang Lonien saysLOL… priorities, hm?
2013-01-21| Mike saysI implore you not to give in to GAS. You see, I too have GAS, a GX1, and a similar desire to own the Olympus. While I am getting good results and very happy with the GX1, your images are even better. It is your blog and images that reinforces my anti-GAS mantra “The GX1 is a good camera, I am taking great pictures. I don’t need an OMD.” However, if you get an OMD, and I continue reading your blog, I will be constantly reminded that I do not have an OMD and my collection of Konica Hexanon, and odd manual focus lenses remain unstabilized (technique and/or tripod be dammed!). So again I implore you enjoy your GX1, resist the OMD, and save both of us some money.
2013-01-21| Spike saysObviously my post was not clear enough. That it is a photo of my new OM-D….
You are doomed!
2013-01-21| Mike saysI must have been distracted by the camera porn accompanying the post. Nostalgia for my old Pentax http://www.flickr.com/photos/stjeanm/8353664231/in/photostream also has me considering the retro Olympus. I am doomed, indeed.
2013-01-21| Larry saysGreat camera, I know you will enjoy it.
2013-01-21| Grant saysDoomed, doomed, we’re all doomed…! Spike you’re like some kind of strange reverse preacher, leading us into doomnation instead away from it, and you’ve beaten me to it, but I don’t mind, not even a little bit, because you’re going to tell me how good it is when I get there, like those friends who lost their virginity first did… You should come with a Govt wallet health warning and a GAS mask!
2013-01-21| muaddib saysLike @mike above, I’m a bit disappointed, Spike. I was drawn to your site partly because you are a fellow GX1 user and was happy to see good photos were possible. I can’t justify the cost of the E-M5 since this is a minor hobby for me. Like (mostly) everyone else on the web using MFT, I fear this site is now also going to become an exclusive E-M5 homage site. Almost makes me wish I’d bought it too…
PS-avid reader of your blog, first post - thanks for the great read.
2013-01-21| muaddib saysForgot to ask = how much did you get it for?
2013-01-21| Dude saysI also own a GX1 and read your blog to keep inspired. It’s always nice to see what this camera with the right lens (not that i own a whole lot of glas) can do! I’d sure love to have the 5 Axis IBIS, the nice sensor and the weather-sealed body but I really wouldn’t want to trade the brilliant GX1 control-layout for the OMDs button-layout. (I couldn’t afford an OMD and need to convince myself that I don’t want one…) Overall I really like this blog a lot and GAS is much MUCH worse at Steve Huff’s blog. He’s literally going through thousand of $$ in cameras and lenses… (RX1, FujiFilm X-E1 & glas, Leica… …Leica….) Please use your GX1 once in a while… do it for us - the photo-zombieeeees.
2013-01-21| Kevin Moore saysLooks far better than a hard drive to me, I’m sure she’ll understand. Failing that you could tell her that you were just looking at it but due to language difficulties the sales person sold you the wrong item. This puts you in a position where you can say to SWMBO had she taken the time to buy her own hard drive or, be present when it was going to be purchased then this situation would not have arisen therefor it is her fault and not yours. I’ll be in Pattaya on the 1st of Feb and will promise to visit yo in hospital should you try to use this excuse. Nice camera by the way.
2013-01-22| Winter Cactus saysWow .. What a fantastic news! Can’t wait to see your photos from this new toy. ;)
2013-01-22| John Griggs saysHa ha! It got you did it? Mine went on my credit card also. I bought it from Adorama here in the states where I could return it no-questions-asked if I didn’t like it… it didn’t go back!
Hope you enjoy yours as much as I’m enjoying mine. John
2013-01-22| Spike saysI will try to keep the OM-D fanboy noises to a minimum. As for cost, not even my wife has enquired so I would prefer not to discuss; such a vulgar subject. Let’s just say that World Camera gives a good discount if you pay cash.
2013-01-22| Spike saysI will. Unless I sell it.
2013-01-22| Spike saysI assume the first twenty four hours are the worst; it’s a bitch to set up.
2013-01-26| Elemmaciltur saysCongratulations on an excellent purchase!
2013-01-26| Grant saysMust be female…
2013-01-26| Grant says…or Kathoey…
2013-01-26| Spike saysShush Grant
2013-01-26| Grant saysOh! Obviously Kathoey then…
2014-11-09| subroto mukerji saysTo chime in with my two-pice bit, I got an Olympus E-PL5 before I got my GX1 (GX1 kits were, and are, being practically thrown away nowadays, globally – how fickle can humans be?). All my misgivings were confirmed when I saw my images on-screen: not bad, but certainly not OMD-sensor material, as per said E-PL5. Blast ! (uttered with as much emotion as a diehard Terry Thomas fan can muster). Hope revived when I saw your photos – web or no, they simply blew me away. There seemed to be hope for me and my GX1 yet. But hopes were dashed when I saw the list of lenses you used: 7-14, 45mm, 75mm, 60mm f2.8 macro. I’d better be content with my two kit lenses and three primes - 14, 20 and 45. But you know something, Spike? We’re probably around the same age (I’m now in my mid-sixties), but I daresay your adventures, well showcased by your delicious narrative style and seasoned with your very British (and hence well loved – me Tonto, me anglophile) :) sense of humour, and the gut-busting references to SWMBO, will make a man of me yet ! All the very best with the EM5, and the future EM1…and thanks for what is BY FAR the most hilariously entertaining, instructive, comprehensively mind-blowing and visually enriching experience I’ve ever encountered on the Internet. I am steadily ploughing through all the episodes…how do I subscribe to your blog?
2014-11-09| Spike saysThank you for the most effusive praise this site has ever received; cheque is in the mail. Nothing wrong with the 20mm or the 45mm, never used the 14mm.
This post is rather old, I have been an E-M1 owner for some time and love it dearly.
I need to set-up a subscribe button; but haven’t… You can follow via Twitter or Facebook (links on the top left of the front page); every post is linked from there.
2014-11-10| subroto mukerji says“Cheque is in the mail” – haw haw haw ! Spike, I’m indeed extremely sorry for putting my foot in it (an esoteric art form I’ve refined over the years) by implying that your superb images are solely due to your lenses; I hereby bite my tongue (lightly). No, your skill, daring and imagination have created the ravishing images one sees on your blog, nothing more. Yes, the 20 and the 45 are indeed great lenses (with the 14 not so far behind), I just have to use them well. BTW, took a series of shots last evening (during the ‘golden hour’) of a feral cat on my terrace, with my E-PL5 and Panasonic 45-150mm; couldn’t believe my eyes, the sharpness, grainlessness and rich colours even at ISO 3200. I guess all modern lenses are good, so it’s up to the photographer to get the images. For me, the E-PL5 and GX1 are just what I need…and BTW, Tennyson is my favourite poet.
Sm, Delhi, India