How many cameras do you really need?

Apart from being a passionate photographer, I have to admit I’m also a bit of a geek.

There, I’ve said it.

I know that gear doesn’t make the photographer and I’m the first to point that out to everyone I talk to about photography. Hey, I still shoot with my old Nikon D70s sometimes and love the camera. It’s only 6 megapixels and I’ve printed 13x19 photographs that look amazing. And I still sometimes use my very, very old Canon G5!

However, I do love new toys. And there just seems to be a new one to drool over every few months. I’ve been thinking of replacing my G5 with a new “take everywhere” camera but just haven’t been 100% convinced with any of the current models. The Panasonic LX3 seems like the best choice for me and I actually decided to buy one this week, but after I actually ordered it directly from Panasonic, they called me to tell me it’s been discontinued!!! (I still don’t believe it, but that’s a different story).

Anyway, all this lusting over new gear got me thinking... how many cameras do I really need? Here’s what I came up with. 

1. A good DSLR. With the current generation of cameras, pretty much anyone will produce great results. I currently use a Nikon D700 as my main body and I expect to use it for a few years (I will not be tempted by newer models, will not!). Hey, I used my D70s for about 3 years and I still use it as my backup.
2. A small street photography camera. Which unfortunately doesn’t exist... at least what I want in a street photography camera. I’d love a digital rangefinder with a decent sensor, good low light performance, manual controls, and ability to shoot RAW. The LX3 is almost that camera if it wasn’t for the lack of viewfinder and usable manual focus controls. The Leica M8 is pretty cool, but way too expensive.
3. A party Point & Shoot. A super small camera with decent quality. Main requirements for me are that it must be waterproof (so I can safely spill my beer over it), shockproof (so it survives my drunk friends dropping it), and it has to fit in my jeans pocket. There are several models that do this nicely.
4. A phone with a camera. Right now I'm loving my iPhone 3G and have probably taken more photographs with it than with any other camera. I use it all the time to document my life, note-taking, and even to do some artsy stuff. I just wish the quality was better, it really sucks in low light, can't focus at close distances, and the noise is bad.

So that’s it. Note I said “need” and not “want”, because I also want an underwater camera to take diving and actually own a couple of 35mm film SLR’s and a Holga.

However, what I really, really want is a waterproof, shockproof iPhone with a decent lens, 6 megapixels, and an integrated Flash. Come on Apple... you can do it!

UPDATE: I finally got my hands on a Panasonic LX3 and I'm loving it so far. It almost does it for my No. 2 camera above, if only it had a real viewfinder instead of the ridiculously overpriced external adaptor.

UPDATE 2: I recently upgraded my iPhone to the new 3Gs and I absolutely love the camera.

UPDATE 3: After about 10 months of using (and loving) my Panasonic LX3, I ended up selling it and getting myself a Panasonic GF1 with a 20mm f1.7 lens and external viewfinder. Now this is a cool camera and perfect for my number 2 above.

Comments

[jim]

I've been hearing a lot about the LX3 being discontinued by Panasonic in the last few days also. Do you know if this is true? Is there a new one coming out?

Good post btw... I agree that at least the first 3 cameras you mention are a minumum for any serious photographer. As yourself, I haven't found a small rangefinder-style camera that I'm happy with.