Obsessed with camera comparisons

I am curious as to why there are so many threads dedicated to comparing specifications of different camera makes & models when they are basically just different.
Personally, if I decide to purchase a camera, I think about what type of photography I like to do & will base my decision on which camera best suits my needs rather than how many bells & whistles are available.
For example,If I shot mainy landscapes, I wouldn't be too concerned about how many fps the camera was capable of. Also, if I shot mostly in bright conditions, having a high ISO capability wouldn't be of concern. I would also just ignore all comparisons to Nikon cameras as my existing lenses are all from Canon (even if there was a better camera available from Nikon).
I don't believe that the "perfect" camera exists, regardless of manufacturer, that would fulfill "everyones" needs & don't believe that it will exist anytime soon, but my current camera for the most part does what I want it to do.
I believe that the photographers skill level is far more important than what gadgetry is included in the camera.

Curiosity, Trust and Research. Anything else?

Elitism.

I think, from reading between the lines, a lot of people feel guilty about spending so much money and want to be able to think they could sell their gear for a decent amount. Any misstep the camera maker makes leaves them worrying about being stuck with orphaned gear.

To that I say: buy all you need as soon as you can, no more than you need, and use it to destruction.

Too many people here have some multiyear plan for "building a system", and pretty soon the execution of that plan takes over from actual photographic growth. They would have been better off (I almost wrote "happier", but it might not be true) just picking some area of photography they like and getting good gear to do that.

You could get stuck with some orphaned gear, but it'll be nice orphaned gear and it will still do the job, if not for you for someone else.

I shot for years with orphaned Olympus OM film equipment. It was not nice to hear that Olympus had ceased all support for it here in Australia, but it did not actually affect my photography.

It is a discussion forum and a lot of people really enjoy the "gear" aspect of photography (sometimes more than the actual photography). Because of that, there are bound to be countless discussions concerning gear and comparing it down to the smallest measurable differences possible.

Miki G wrote in post #15013193
I don't believe that the "perfect" camera exists, regardless of manufacturer, that would fulfill "everyones" needs & don't believe that it will exist anytime soon, but my current camera for the most part does what I want it to do.

i agree with this, and it's why I shoot both Nikon and Canon.

maybe it's product differentiation? manufacturers offer up those bells and whistles hoping it's the one feature that will get someone to bite. sometimes it works.

Sirrith wrote in post #15013241
Elitism.

I'm inclined to agree with this. The photography world is packed to the gills with gear snobs, and it's something that increasingly puts me off online communities. Thankfully this site seems to do a fairly decent job of keeping the tedious gear wankery in its own dedicated forums, but occasionally it spills out elsewhere.

While the technical side of photography does obviously require some research and understanding of the tools available, and therefore investigative discussions about certain cameras or lenses are to be expected, this is quite different to the gear obsession displayed by so many people on photography website, where people end up verbally brawling over which camera is better than which, or pixel-wanking over comparison photos. It's so tedious. They say it's a bad workman who blames his tools, but equally I'd say it's a bad workman who thinks that the tools are the alpha and omega of his craft.

And to be perfectly frank, I've noticed that the more people seem to be obsessed with the gear, and the more time they spend arguing over which brand/lens/body is better than x, the more boring or even crap their photos tend to be. Same with people who rag others for using cheap cameras or mobile phone cameras - the ones who do this the loudest often tend to be shooting crap photos with their own expensive gear.

I also can't really understand why people list all their gear in their signatures. Is it to brag? Or to provide info when they post photos? I don't really get it.

Sirrith wrote in post #15013241
Elitism.

onona wrote in post #15013561
I'm inclined to agree with this. The photography world is packed to the gills with gear snobs, ... it's a bad workman who blames his tools, but equally I'd say it's a bad workman who thinks that the tools are the alpha and omega of his craft...the more people seem to be obsessed with the gear, and the more time they spend arguing over which brand/lens/body is better than x, the more boring or even crap their photos tend to be....I also can't really understand why people list all their gear in their signatures. Is it to brag? Or to provide info when they post photos? I don't really get it.

Every hobby and/or activity that attracts enthusiasts of various stripes has a "gear head" component to it. Heck, even baseball UMPIRES (!) argue about who makes the best mask! This is not "elitism", it is merely enthusiasts talking about their area of enthusiasm. One could argue, in fact, that the excerpts of onona's post I quoted represent an anti-gear elitism.

RTPVid wrote in post #15013609
an anti-gear elitism.

What does that even mean?

onona wrote in post #15013651
What does that even mean?

I think you know.

Actually I have no idea. I don't see how being against elitism is a form of elitism - that really makes no sense.

Unless you're talking about the fact that I said that people who are completely obsessed with the gear often tend to have boring photos? That's not elitism, that's an opinion. And indeed it's so often the case, because when you're so focused on the technical side, there's a tendency to ignore the creative side. As I said in my post, if people believe that the gear is the alpha and omega of photography, then they're missing out on the rest of the craft.

This is on purpose to get you to own multiple bodies ( lenses too ). a 7D for sports for reach, a 5d2 for landscapes a GX for travel and a 6D to complain about :-} etc.

It's not unusual to spend time comparing expensive purchases. Some people pick their fruits too.

onona wrote in post #15013690
...Unless you're talking about the fact that I said that people who are completely obsessed with the gear often tend to have boring photos? That's not elitism, that's an opinion....

Bingo! See, I knew you knew (despite your rationalization that your brand of elitism is merely an opinion).

onona wrote in post #15013690
Unless you're talking about the fact that I said that people who are completely obsessed with the gear often tend to have boring photos? That's not elitism, that's an opinion.

RTPVid wrote in post #15013804
Bingo! See, I knew you knew (despite your rationalization that your brand of elitism is merely an opinion).

Of course it's an opinion. Everything subjective is an opinion.

Faith that certain brands are better than others is a religion/mythology; it's a religion if you happen to share that specific belief, and a mythology if you don't.

But regardless of what anybody thinks about a particular brand/model, the very best camera is the one you happen to have in your hand when a photo opportunity presents itself.

All those not yet purchased, back home on a shelf, in the trunk of your car, or otherwise not present are worthless!