The other day I was talking to Debra about the Nikon V1. Debra likes to know, to understand, to make sense of things and one thing that she didn’t understand was why I have more than one camera. 
I attempted to explain, but she still didn’t understand. So, I am eliciting your help to give your reasons why you have more than one camera. No. You don’t have to justify it to me or her, but it is interesting to someone new to the ‘game’, I suppose.
It all started with the fact that I have an M9. She said:
If I had an expensive camera like that, I’d use it for everything, and I mean everything. I’d get the most use out of it that I could.
~Debra
She might have a point, but:
analogy: If I were a chef, I suppose that I could make most any meal with a large enough pot. I could make soups, soufflés, stir fries, pastries, whatever; however, having an assortment of pans makes the job easier. You don’t simply use one type of pan for everything, no matter how much it costs.
Currently, in the arsenal, I have:
- Leica M9 – I use this for street photography, indoor photography where I want a quiet camera (weddings, churches, wherever it is good to be really quiet), and landscape. It falls short as a camera for sports and macro, for example. I really like it because it is rather minimalist. It has manual focus, very few menu items, and it’s a rangefinder.
- Nikon D300 – I use this for street photography, landscapes, portraits, sports, macro. It falls a bit short in the quiet department. The mirror slap is noticeable, even in a noisy environment. This is probably the best all-around camera that I have, but it is big, bulky, and not all that portable. Interchangeable lenses make it so that I can be ready for any situation, practically.
- Canon S90 – I use this as my travel camera. It’s good for fitting in your pocket, which is mainly why I have it. When I want to travel light, this is the go-to camera. It can do a little bit of everything and has good image qualities.
- Mamiya 645e – Well, sometimes, I gotta shoot film. This is my medium format film camera. When I was an up and coming photographer I always wanted one of these but they were priced way out of my minimum wage earning range. Now, I have one and enjoy shooting it from time to time and developing the film. It just has a different feel, both the camera and the film results.
- iPhone – Because I always have it with me!
In conclusion, I could use any of these cameras, with limitations, to get a particular shot; however, some make that shot much easier to get. In my way of looking at things, one size does not fit all. I wouldn’t dream of only owning one pan, either … even if that pan were a wok 
(inside joke, there!)
And, finally, one more thing … because trying new cameras is cool! 
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I think cameras are like shoes. You have dress shoes (black and brown?), athletic shoes, hiking shoes, snow shoes, boots, crocs, flip-flops and slippers. You have them all for different reasons. Same for cameras – you can’t have too many.
‘Cause they’re cheaper than cars?
To continue Tom’s line of thinking….’Cause they keep coming out with new ones that are almost impossible to resist!
I believe that you guys may be on to something! Earl/Tom, are either of you going to get that Fuji X Pro 1? I’d be happy to take it and review it for you.
“Probably” not the X Pro 1, for me. But I am interested in learning more about the yet to be announced Olympus OM-D.
Interesting. I learn so much. I had an OM-2n, long ago. Here’s the rumor on Slashgear
I’ve still got my old OM-1 somewhere and it may even still work. Life’s a circle…
I tried responding earlier from work but I got blocked when I tried to submit, and of course it lost my text.
I really like the looks and the specs of the X-Pro 1 but have not yet committed to it. I’m really not comfortable being an early adopter but as much as I like the X10 I think I would really like the X-Pro 1. Plus they haven’t yet announced the price for the body and the lenses.
Like Earl I’m very interested in what Olympus has up it’s sleeve since I already have a bit of an investment in their line.
Paul, I’d be happy to work out a trade with you if I get the X-Pro 1, but based on my tendency to drop cameras I don’t think I’d be happy with the terms.
But we’ll see.
I’m currently writing up a related blog post, so stay tuned.
Yeah, you’ve told me of your tendency to, shall we say, shock test your cameras.
I’ll be waiting to read your blog. I read the specs on the X-Pro 1 and it looks pretty cool. I am curious as to how much they will charge and its availability. I’m sure that I’ll rent one to give it a try, too.
Thank you all for those great analogies. As a layperson, I thought that the science (note the faulty language) of getting the optimum (I know) shot in any condition could be contained in one camera, and the more expensive the camera, the more technology it would contain.
But photography is an art, and it seems to me now that a camera is like a paintbrush. The artist may have and use many brushes. There are favorites among them, but one brush cannot replace them all. Each has a specific purpose, yet it can be used creatively in other ways.
There is no perfect photograph, so there can be no perfect camera. Do I understand now?
I think that you’re awfully close, my dear!
Extending these thoughts to another area – I also had multiple bikes, road, cross, mountain and road (okay, that’s two road bikes, but who’s counting?) They each had their strengths and weaknesses and depending on my plan for a given day I’d choose the appropriate bike. (I’m down to two bikes now…)
It’s about having the right tool for the right job. That, or we just love playing with new things!
About the only thing I don’t have a variety of is underwear, they’re all the same, except color.
I have 2 D300′s and one G12. I lust for several others because marketing teams tempt me. I suppose you can say there really is no one camera to suit each of us, as we all have unique likes and dislikes. I also have several camera bags, each for specific situations (thought about going to meetings for that one.) I suppose if I was to shoot just one scenario such as wildlife or sports I would only need one camera (plus a backup.)
Monte: I’ve been meaning to reply to this, but I forgot. I got a laugh out this. I think you need help! Multiple cameras and multiple bags makes for a Cartesian product of choices. Too many combinations. Also, like myself, I couldn’t see you shooting just one subject! No way.
At the risk of appearing sexist (not that there is anything wrong with that), I like Debra’s answer best of all. Different brushes for different strokes. It was a tough contest, in my mind. Each answer seemed to be the best, as I read it, and every one of them made me smile. A very enjoyable post and valuable research. Someone has to do this important work. The camera world needs deep thinkers.