How many of you have sold off your whole kit and downgraded?

Cagey75

Cagey75

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Just curious here, though it's been playing on my mind for a long time now. Over the past couple of years I've not been as active photography-wise, because of various issues [inc a stressful house move, illnesses in the family, depression and personal illness etc ...] and well, just plain old loss of 'mojo'.

I don't have a huge kit or anything, I have sold on most of my old 'pro' lenses. But I do have a D800E, with a couple of lenses, flashes and extras. I figure I could still get a decent amount for the cam alone, it's only got 26K clicks, and buy a cheaper model and some fun cheap primes. I'd have extra money to buy other things I need [like a new laptop and phone] plus pay a few bills, and still have solid enough photo gear. I have actually been looking at some of the cheaper Canon range, like the 80D. Just looks a fun camera, and fun is what I need!

Who's braved such a move? did you later regret it? or do you really feel it's not about the gear, but how much fun you're having using it?

When i bought the cam I promised myself I would never sell it. It's about the biggest single purchase I have ever made. It has paid me back over time, both in monetary and enjoyment terms. But sometimes i honestly feel it's a bit .... 'serious' for my needs.

Just looking for general opinion and/or your own personal experience with downgrading maybe
 
Didn't sell off my whole kit but after upgrading to a D800 a few years back, I realised that I wasn't using it as much as I was still using the D700 so I chopped the D800 body in against a Fuji X-Pro1 kit. I the first month of having the X-Pro1, I used it more than I had the D800 in the 12 months I'd had it. The D800 is undeniably a better camera but the X-Pro1 gets used! As does the X-T1 that joined it a while later. Have since also bought a D750 which gets some use - more than the D800 got, anyway!
 
A bit like Nod but from a canon background.
I had a Canon 5Dmk2 plus L lenses along with light equipment that I used for doing portraits/baby shoots etc.

I sold the lot off and bought a Fuji XT1 and 18-55mm lens. It is all I have but is all I love.
It may not have the same oomph as the bigger full frame cameras but it gets used a heck of a lot more than the 5D used too.
 
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Whats the D800E worth now, £800-£1000, would that even be enough to buy the 80D and some lenses?

Due to disabilities, I dropped from the D7xxx range of Nikons to Fuji, really enjoyed using them but started to take an interest in wildlife photography and was struggling with long manual focus lenses and as Fuji just kept delaying their super zoom, I changed back to Nikon for the D750 and longer AF lenses, but have since bought the D810.

I have recently tried a M4/3 camera but it wasn't for me and I had the opportunity to change back to the Fuji XT2 last week, but to get a similar package to my current set-up wasn't within my financial reach at present, so will stay with the D810 for the time being.

In summary, I enjoyed my Fuji cameras, XE-1, Xpro-1 and XT1 and found them fun to use and so easy to lug around, if I had Nod's money;) I would have both systems.
 
Swanseajack said:
Whats the D800E worth now, £800-£1000, would that even be enough to buy the 80D and some lenses?

Due to disabilities, I dropped from the D7xxx range of Nikons to Fuji, really enjoyed using them but started to take an interest in wildlife photography and was struggling with long manual focus lenses and as Fuji just kept delaying their super zoom, I changed back to Nikon for the D750 and longer AF lenses, but have since bought the D810.

I have recently tried a M4/3 camera but it wasn't for me and I had the opportunity to change back to the Fuji XT2 last week, but to get a similar package to my current set-up wasn't within my financial reach at present, so will stay with the D810 for the time being.

In summary, I enjoyed my Fuji cameras, XE-1, Xpro-1 and XT1 and found them fun to use and so easy to lug around, if I had Nod's money;) I would have both systems.
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Whatever a buyer is willing to pay I guess, I've seen them go for €1400 with higher click count than mine. I'd also be throwing in a bunch of extras into the package , like an sb900, and a sigma 150mm macro lens. If I did get the Canon, I'd be happy enough with a kit lens and a cheap prime to get me going. That's just one idea, there's also sticking with Nikon and get something like a used 7200, sell the lens and just get some simple primes. I have a few options, and other stuff to sell too ;)

A lot of love for Fuji! I must look more into their range. Have any of you ever shot a wedding with fuji kit? just curious on that, I do the odd wedding for family and friends, many of whom are clueless when it comes to photography and seem to love when I use the "Big huge camera" :D end results are what matters of course! But the non photo-enthusiast never sees it like that
 
Cagey75 said:
Whatever a buyer is willing to pay I guess, I've seen them go for €1400 with higher click count than mine. I'd also be throwing in a bunch of extras into the package , like an sb900, and a sigma 150mm macro lens. If I did get the Canon, I'd be happy enough with a kit lens and a cheap prime to get me going. That's just one idea, there's also sticking with Nikon and get something like a used 7200, sell the lens and just get some simple primes. I have a few options, and other stuff to sell too ;)

A lot of love for Fuji! I must look more into their range. Have any of you ever shot a wedding with fuji kit? just curious on that, I do the odd wedding for family and friends, many of whom are clueless when it comes to photography and seem to love when I use the "Big huge camera" :D end results are what matters of course! But the non photo-enthusiast never sees it like that
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If you go through the XT1 thread, there's members using the XT1 professionally. I think the older Fuji's maybe a tad slow for weddings, but I maybe wrong. I suppose get to a local shop and try them out if possible.
 
I found a D800E for sale in a shop in ireland for 1399: http://berminghamcameras.ie/nikon-d800e-body.html

It's got almost triple the click count of mine. Mine is also in excellent condition, with box and all original paperwork. there is hope! :D With the extras I can throw in could be worth my while before the prices drop more. I don't imagine it would be a quick sell in any way, I'd be relying on some pros to scour the local for sale ads, but I'm not in any hurry.

The XT1 looks nice alright, does that take any fuji lenses? or very specific ones? I think that's one big issue I have with other systems like Fuji or Sony, I can never find any good used deals on lenses like I know I could with canon/Nikon
 
Years ago I was unsatisfied with the tiny proportion of keepers I was getting, but I had no idea whether I needed a better camera, a better lens, or perhaps even several hours working my way carefully through the camera manual with camera in hand to try it all out. I've never had a digital camera yet that after a year or two of ownership I'd get suddenly surprised by the excellent usefulness of a feature I'd never explored and forgotten about.

I decided to keep a log of the photos I missed and why. To my surprise the two major reasons were having the wrong lens on the camera for an unexpected opportunity, and a suitably lensed camera not being accessible quickly enough because I'd need to extract the camera from the bag. While I was deciding whether I could be bothered getting it out the opportunity would fade. I therefore bought a new camera strap which allowed both safer and easier long term carry and rapid deployment, and a lens changing bag which made changing lens in awkward conditions much easier. The strap was a great success. Even with studying videos of specially rapid lens changing tricks the lens changing bag didn't up the speed and convenience of lens changing enough.

I finally realised what the problem was -- lens snobbery. I had much better more expensive lenses than my old original general purpose 18-250mm. So it sat dustily on a shelf while I proudly walked around with superior zoom lenses of shorter range or even my latest delicious prime. I realised that with few exceptions the only times the superior IQ of the better lenses mattered was when I had plenty of time to consider and compose my shots, which meant of course I had time to change lenses. So now I'm getting more keepers, and enjoying going around with the camera more, simply by having bought a better camera strap and dropping my lens snobbery. Much cheaper than the new camera or lens I had been considering!
 
Well I didn't sell off any kit yet but a little while ago I bought a Canon 40D and find I'm beginning to use that more than my 1Ds MkII.

At 10MP and a 1.6 crop allied with some good lenses (50mm, 70-300L and 24-105 L) it was a great buy, in fact a real bargain at the price I paid.

Here's my latest shots with it:

https://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/harold-the-spider.637407/

And the lower pixel count means less noise and smaller files to process.
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I went from compact cameras, RF's and small film SLR's to larger DSLR's and now I'm back with smaller cameras. I changed from DSLR's to CSC's because I thought that the DSLR kit was too big and attention grabbing and I wasn't using it enough and when I was I often didn't enjoy it. Switching to smaller kit has lead to me taking it out more and enjoying photography again.

One thing that helped me switch was thinking about the image quality I wanted. I've long since accepted that I don't need 6ft wide gallery quality prints that the public are going to look at with a magnifying glass, I mostly look at pictures on screen and share them 2,000 pixels wide and only rarely print to A3 (none this year) and the hard fact is that just about anything from a 1 inch sensor (or possibly smaller) through MFT and APS-C up to FF is good enough for me, if I'm being honest. So a CSC is fine for me :D

Actually I think that the size v image quality argument is much less relevant these days as MFT is (arguably, probably, possibly) as good as the older generation FF cameras and since the Sony A7 came out you can have a very compact FF body and lens combination (there are compact 28, 35 and 50mm lenses) that'll give you quality that can beat or at least rival any FF camera.

I think that maybe for most people smaller cameras provide enough image quality these days so the questions now should be about handling, responsiveness and the ability to do the job and get the shot you want.

I haven't even for a second regretted moving away from DSLR's as I can use the gear I have now pretty much like the film cameras I used to have but the modern gear gives much better image quality.
 
Cagey75 said:
I found a D800E for sale in a shop in ireland for 1399: http://berminghamcameras.ie/nikon-d800e-body.html

It's got almost triple the click count of mine. Mine is also in excellent condition, with box and all original paperwork. there is hope! :D With the extras I can throw in could be worth my while before the prices drop more. I don't imagine it would be a quick sell in any way, I'd be relying on some pros to scour the local for sale ads, but I'm not in any hurry.

The XT1 looks nice alright, does that take any fuji lenses? or very specific ones? I think that's one big issue I have with other systems like Fuji or Sony, I can never find any good used deals on lenses like I know I could with canon/Nikon
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Yes the XT1 and all Fujis are compatible with all their lenses, theres also some lenses, usually wide from Samyang. As the XT1 has focus peaking you can also use a whole load of old manual lenses on the body via an adapter, I used to use mostly M42 or Canon FD lenses to save having too many adapters.

You can get a XT1 body for around £500 from a dealer and the 18-55mm f2.8-4 lens for about £200 to start you off, which is a nice combo.
 
stupar said:
A bit like Nod but from a canon background.
I had a Canon 5Dmk2 plus L lenses along with light equipment that I used for doing portraits/baby shoots etc.

I sold the lot off and bought a Fuji XT1 and 18-55mm lens. It is all I have but is all I love.
It may not have the same oomph as the bigger full frame cameras but it gets used a heck of a lot more than the 5D used too.
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More or less the same here. Mine was a 5D3 but went to Fuji. No regrets.
 
Cagey75 said:
The XT1 looks nice alright, does that take any fuji lenses? or very specific ones? I think that's one big issue I have with other systems like Fuji or Sony, I can never find any good used deals on lenses like I know I could with canon/Nikon
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If you want good deals I think that MFT is worth a look as you can get a nice used prime (14, 25, 45mm) in the £100-150 range. Actually there are a few new bargains too like the Panny 25mm f1.7 at about £150. Mount that lens on one of the small RF bodies and take it everywhere :D
 
Very similar as above. As hobbyist, size and taking the camera out is more important than focus tracking.

So I dropped 5D mark 2 system and replaced with Fuji X-E2 with lenses, couldn't be happier. But the downsizing began a year earlier when I purchased the X100 and 5D2 never been used since.
 
chris malcolm said:
I finally realised what the problem was -- lens snobbery. I had much better more expensive lenses than my old original general purpose 18-250mm. So it sat dustily on a shelf while I proudly walked around with superior zoom lenses of shorter range or even my latest delicious prime. I realised that with few exceptions the only times the superior IQ of the better lenses mattered was when I had plenty of time to consider and compose my shots, which meant of course I had time to change lenses. So now I'm getting more keepers, and enjoying going around with the camera more, simply by having bought a better camera strap and dropping my lens snobbery. Much cheaper than the new camera or lens I had been considering!
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I hear ya, I have a solid strap that i've been using a few years now. A Black rapid sport. I have a duffed back, so could never get on with neck straps. this one's great as the cam hangs on your hip and the weight is distributed between there and your shoulder. I don't get any neck or back pains using it, even when I've had a 300mm attached to the already heavy-ish body.

I don't do snobbery though, I never write anything off. When I look back at the times I had most fun shooting, it was with my old D90 which i bought used, and a Tamron 17-50 2.8 that I picked up for €200. I do like good glass though, but my favourite lenses to date have been on the cheaper side of that. The Nikon 85mm 1.8g is possibly the best lens i've ever owned, regret selling that one! If I do decide to stay with the D800E, or even step down to a D7200, I will be buying that lens again.


woof woof said:
One thing that helped me switch was thinking about the image quality I wanted. I've long since accepted that I don't need 6ft wide gallery quality prints that the public are going to look at with a magnifying glass, I mostly look at pictures on screen and share them 2,000 pixels wide and only rarely print to A3

I think that maybe for most people smaller cameras provide enough image quality these days so the questions now should be about handling, responsiveness and the ability to do the job and get the shot you want.
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I agree, I think most of my images come to life in PP, and I have often wondered how much difference this big 36mp sensor makes - besides the ability to crop heavily while maintaining top quality [which i know is a desperate habit] - What I would miss is the ergonomics, it's a beautiful camera to hold and use, also the instant start up, rarely miss a shot with the hip strap and that instant on, ready to fire combo. other things like the weather sealing and button layout too. But i can re-learn a different layout :)
 
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Cagey75 said:
I agree, I think most of my images come to life in PP, and I have often wondered how much difference this big 36mp sensor makes - besides the ability to crop heavily while maintaining top quality [which i know is a desperate habit] - What I would miss is the ergonomics, it's a beautiful camera to hold and use, also the instant start up, rarely miss a shot with the hip strap and that instant on, ready to fire combo. other things like the weather sealing and button layout too. But i can re-learn a different layout :)
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I can't at the moment think of a CSC negative for me. I hated the larger form factor and weight of the DSLR+lens package and for me a return to pretty much the size of a 35mm film camera is very welcome and indeed if CSC's hadn't come along at all I'd almost certainly have ditched the DSLR kit if only for a digital compact or a smartphone.

The use and placement of buttons issues are very personal but I personally haven't found any issues at all with my CSC's. Instant start up and other performance issues will vary from make to make and camera to camera so you have to look at specifics but some general performance issues for me include...

Plus for CSC's...
- Very accurate and in some cases very fast focus.
- Consistent focus, much less shot to shot variation and no MA faffing.
- The ability to see what can't be seen through a DSLR OVF.
- The ability to use different lenses albeit sometimes with some performance issues.
- Arguably better video, but that doesn't bother me.
- And if you see it as a performance issue, in view focus and exposure aids including real time WYSIWYG. One thing that swung me away from my 5D and towards MFT and then the Sony A7 was that even though my MFT G1 had a dynamic range disadvantage compared to the 5D in reality in difficult lighting conditions it was often easier to get a useable shot first time with the G1 because of WYSIWYG. With the 5D I often had to guesstimate settings and chimp and reshoot as required, CSC's can give you a much higher first time hit rate if you are the sort of person who would benefit from the exposure and focus advantages that CSC's can offer.

Plus for DSLR's...
- Arguably better focus tracking.
- And depending upon where you stand on this, the whole OVF v EVF debate.

Good luck choosing :D

PS.
This is a FF camera with an excellent 35mm f2.8 lens in a bag that measures 15cm (h) 12cm (w) and 10cm (d).



This is a digital camera that arguably gives better IQ than my 5D and yet the body is the size of an old Kodak instamatic. The lens adds to the bulk but not by much.



:D
 
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I recently sold off my D90 + about 3 lenses. Bought an OMD E-M10 with 14-42 pancake lens.

1/ I was not using the D90 to its full potential and thought it worth selling on whilst it had some decent value left in it.
2/ My arthritis has been playing up more recently, so a downgrade has also helped that.

I am liking the OMD and will probably at some point get a prime and longer lens for it
 
Stephen L said:
I don't get this "downgrading " term. You simply change equipment to suit your desires and circumstances. Forget the whole vanity thing. What suits yourself is what's important.
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There's nothing to get - it is downgrading, as in, price, maybe overall build quality, ergonomics, all the stuff I have mentioned in this thread. To me there will be downgrades in some form no matter what route I go, as the D800E is the pinnacle of what I will own any year soon! ;) Maybe just a change to some, but I know I would miss certain aspects - doesn't mean I'll be really sad, I might be much happier!but it will certainly be "downgrading" in my eyes.
 
I sold £10,000 worth of photography gear and 'downgraded' to a Leica Q

I did have
Canon 5Dm3, 200mm f2, 85mm 1.2, zeiss 21mm 2.8, 40mm pancake
A7S, 35mm 1.4 distagon
Plus sold a bunch of flash and filter equipment.

That was almost a year ago..

I've been very happy with it for Street/Travel and some portrait/wedding work - but now I'm looking to get something to complement it, interested in the Hasselblad X1D - but we will see.
 
Glenn Surtees said:
I 'downgraded' from an £850 Olympus OM-D EM-1 to a £1250 (now £1500) Sony RX10 iii and have never looked back.
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I've been a bit tempted by something like this but I have a possibly irrational fear about getting dust bunnies on an expensive camera and not being able to clean it.... I appreciate that bunnies are far less likely on a camera like this but I still can't get the idea out of my head.
 
Not sure why people hate the term "downgraded" :D I just happened to use that term, i could have as easily used "lighten the load" or "fancy a change" - don't get too hung up on it.

I am going to sell some bits of gear on the side first, or at least put them up for sale. The Body would be the last thing to go as I'm still undecided. But I do like the idea of a change. I do think it would reignite my desire to get out and shoot. Or at the very least, help a lot to get me out of this 'rut' - now, there's a term I hate!
 
Cagey75 said:
I am going to sell some bits of gear on the side first, or at least put them up for sale. The Body would be the last thing to go as I'm still undecided. But I do like the idea of a change. I do think it would reignite my desire to get out and shoot. Or at the very least, help a lot to get me out of this 'rut' - now, there's a term I hate!
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Yup, that's how I did it. The last I sold was my 5D body and Sigma 50mm f1.4.
 
Stephen L said:
I don't get this "downgrading " term. You simply change equipment to suit your desires and circumstances. Forget the whole vanity thing. What suits yourself is what's important.
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:agree: My thoughts exactly Stephen.(y)

George.
 
G.K.Jnr. said:
:agree: My thoughts exactly Stephen.(y)

George.
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Just explained why this is a non-thing.

woof woof said:
Yup, that's how I did it. The last I sold was my 5D body and Sigma 50mm f1.4.
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Best way i think, in case of late change of heart. if I put it all up as a package it's harder pull back out of. I could care less about all the extras, easily replaced, it'll be the camera body itself that will be a hard sell.
 
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Almost three years ago I bought a Sony RX10 as a travel camera - ideal for when there's no time to change lenses. A year later, I hadn't used my D7100 and associated lenses as the RX10 was doing everything I needed so I am now Nikon-less.
 
I'm glad to know that there are others out there with the same thoughts. My SLR has seen much less use of late, with most use being taking it on holiday but even then it's difficult with kids in tow. So, I've been contemplating selling my SLR for some time but not quite been brave enough. This changed when I tested the omd-m1 earlier in the year. Now that the omd-m1 mk2 has been announced, I'm finally making the jump.
 
I ve sold my Nikon D800 and all my Nikon pro lenses and went down the Fuji route. Loved the xt1 and now the xt2.
 
chris malcolm said:
If you want a lighter camera then switching from heavier to lighter is upgrading.
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Lighter is not my main objective though. I purposely left out that in the OP, didn't want it to be a "save my poor back" thing :D

More so ... different, alternative, newer [tome!, could be a cam from 1980 I never used, that would be 'new'] ... seems to be others hung up on that term, not I. I just see it as a change is as good as a rest. I think any camera I could afford WILL be a downgrade in some way, no matter what way anyone swings it. I can't think of a better camera than the D800E for stills, in it's [used] price-range.

So even though I said it loosely to begin with, it's the right phrase in the most important sense, end image quality. I see some getting all worked up [earlier] over a phrase as if it was an elitist thing to say ... nonsense. I used a busted 3rd hand D90 and the one cheap, alos used, tamron lens for about 2 years before I got the D800. Nobody moaned at me then when I called move a "Huge upgrade" ;)
 
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Rereading this thread I can see what your getting at (and many of us have been where you are now) but I do think you're fighting a little internal battle knowing which side your sentiments are with and ideally you'd like reinforcement that you should keep the Nikon and I think your comments on the Nikon being the pinnacle and everything else being a downgrade demonstrate this. If that's the case there's nothing wrong with that :D

I could drone on about just about any modern kit being good enough (and some would say better for this or that reason) and that you'll have to push the envelope of what the kit can do and look close and hard to see any real differences these days but I think your mind is probably already made up and you'd regret selling the Nikon so I think you'd probably be better off keeping it and looking at other ways to get your mojo back. How you get it back I don't know, we're all different and different things work for each of us.

When I battled with my own depression, stress and other issues I decided to look at my life as I would a faulty computer (I used to fix them.) I analysed the various problems and thought about ways to fix them and I came up with a plan and made changes... and it worked for me and I've never been happier :D Not everyone is a geeky little android like me so that approach may not work for everyone but then again it might just help... So I recommend hanging on to the kit for a while as you do seem to basically like it and I think you'd almost certainly regret selling it and instead I think that you could maybe try and think of the wider issues and how they've affected you and anything you can do to turn things around and get your mojo back, and not just your photography mojo.

Sorry if I've got it all wrong but maybe it's better to have a good think about the big picture and not rush into selling your kit as that could lead to a whole new set of issues to affect you and push your mojo even further out of reach. Good luck with it but I think maybe keeping you kit and thinking about turning things around in other ways might be best :D
 
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woof woof said:
Rereading this thread I can see what your getting at (and many of us have been where you are now) but I do think you're fighting a little internal battle knowing which side your sentiments are with and ideally you'd like reinforcement that you should keep the Nikon and I think your comments on the Nikon being the pinnacle and everything else being a downgrade demonstrate this. If that's the case there's nothing wrong with that :D

I could drone on about just about any modern kit being good enough (and some would say better for this or that reason) and that you'll have to push the envelope of what the kit can do and look close and hard to see any real differences these days but I think your mind is probably already made up and you'd regret selling the Nikon so I think you'd probably be better off keeping it and looking at other ways to get your mojo back. How you get it back I don't know, we're all different and different things work for each of us.

When I battled with my own depression, stress and other issues I decided to look at my life as I would a faulty computer (I used to fix them.) I analysed the various problems and thought about ways to fix them and I came up with a plan and made changes... and it worked for me and I've never been happier :D Not everyone is a geeky little android like me so that approach may not work for everyone but then again it might just help... So I recommend hanging on to the kit for a while as you do seem to basically like it and I think you'd almost certainly regret selling it and instead I think that you could maybe try and think of the wider issues and how they've affected you and anything you can do to turn things around and get your mojo back, and not just your photography mojo.

Sorry if I've got it all wrong but maybe it's better to have a good think about the big picture and not rush into selling your kit as that could lead to a whole new set of issues to affect you and push your mojo even further out of reach. Good luck with it but I think maybe keeping you kit and thinking about turning things around in other ways might be best :D
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Y'know, I think you might be right. I think sub consciously I've been looking for ways NOT to sell - the fact I put some side gear up for sale, testing the waters first, should tell me this to start I guess. The camera is amazing, if anything I sometimes feel it's too much for a casual like me :D and maybe I have been feeling a bit on the low end recently, and the confidence has dipped a bit.

Maybe what i really need is a side system, more aimed at fun photography, light-weight, and good for video purposes. I have tried this in the past, a few times in fact. I've had a fair few decent compacts, like the original Rx100, the Fuji X10 and some lower end bridge cams. nothing wrong with them! I started out on a fuji bridge, learned the basics of manual controls on it, then started yearning for a dslr :) I went from that to a Sony A200 and found it tricky to get good used lenses locally. Sold that plus the few old minolta lenses I managed to seek out and got a Nikon D200 and a kit lens. Been Nikon since, and I do feel privileged to have the gear I own right now. There's definitely a lack of mojo going on though, maybe I just need to get back to shooting how I used to, when it was just for fun, when i wasn't afraid to try and be artsy and creative, when i wasn't worried about anyone's critique or nit-picking, especially my own! That's why my mind is saying - change gear, get something lighter, more fun, less 'serious' - that's what i really meant by "downgrade" - wrong term, downsize would have been better.

I'm going to sell all the extra baggage I rarely use, like that 2nd speed light, that overly heavy tripod, the 150mm macro that's also very hefty ... and maybe buy me a nifty 50 and that 85mm 1.8G I never should have sold! When i had that twin combo of lenses, and only them, I know I was happy.

Just sold the Sigma 35mm 1.4 btw, a beauty, but i honestly feel a little light weight 50 is more fun to shoot with, and I can't remember the last time I shot anything at 1.4
 
chris malcolm said:
If you want a lighter camera then switching from heavier to lighter is upgrading.
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LOL. I 'upgraded' from a Mamiya 7 with two lenses to a Ricoh GR compact. Reasons: I was always worrying about it being dropped/stolen, I enjoyed using my previous OM system far more, I couldn't decide what to replace it with!
I regretted it, the images were nowhere near as good, one camera with a single fixed lens is far too limiting, and I ended up using my wife's cheapish SLR with massive zoom lens for a few years. She eventually got sick of my borrowing and occasional indecisive moaning and bought me a medium quality Nikon as a surprise birthday present.

It was OK but a chunky 'downgrade', and the electrics went, so I upgraded to a smaller lighter Sony system. No regrets on that one as yet.
 
I'm currently going through the exact same process.

Earlier in the year I bought an Olympus OMD-EM10 ii and a trinity of primes. It was not a cheap kit but it satisfied my need for a smaller camera that I wouldn't notice I had.
It turns out that it has pretty much become my main camera. I use it for a lot of my photography to the point where I am seriously considering selling most if not all of my Canon gear.

It's a strange place to be, I've had a Canon DSLR system for a long time...
 
Cagey75 said:
Maybe what i really need is a side system...
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You could try something... different to shake things up a bit whilst keeping your Nikon kit for when you want quality and have the opportunity to enjoy it :D

One thing popular today is smartphone photography, you could give that a go. I started out with very simple cameras and I still have a soft spot for them so I can see the appeal of a smartphone. I don't tend to use my phone much but I have a very simple Medion compact, fixed lens, fixed focus and great fun and just like the Kodak Instamatic I got when I was 10 and used for something like 15 years! I've had great fun with that Medion.

Or you could go for something a little bit more complex like a cheap used MFT body and a cheap kit lens and just one fast prime. I've often thought that I'd be perfectly happy with just a standard range f3.5-5.6 kit zoom and either a 35 or 50mm equivalent f1.8. You could get a set up like that for about £200 or maybe just get the body and one AF lens either zoom or prime and supplement it with old manual lenses. I have great fun with old cheap manual lenses. 50mm f1.8's and 28mm f2.8's are easy to find under £30 and an adapter costs under £10. A camera for £60, an adapter for £10 and a lens for £20 gives a lot of fun for under £100, if you'd get fun out of something like that :D

Basically though and again apologies if I've got this wrong I think that the lack of mojo is maybe a result not only of a bit of photography woe but also of other things. Maybe a bit more fun with photography might help but I think that just like me you perhaps need to take a wider view and I do hope that you can get the magic back.
 
The phone-tography thing does interest me. Like you state, it brings me back to when i was a kid, I always had some cheap old unloved camera that was laying around the house. i would buy rolls of film for it and just go and shoot, I was excited by it. The wait for those prints to come back to the shop [used to take 3-4 days] was painful, like mini Christmases. And that free roll!!! :D

I recently got a really nice phone which had a very good camera, the Samsung S6 ... had it 2 months, went on hol's - was in the pool one morn for about 10 min's before realising the bloody phone was in my short's pocket :/ bricked it. Not covered by warranty because of water damage. I actually managed to sell that dead phone to a guy who is willing to try mend it up. I'm looking at phones now too, fancy the Vodafone smart platinum 7 maybe, I can get it cheap-ish on anytime upgrade. Might soften the blow on that Samsung a bit.

I have been going through a crappy time last 2 years, a constant run of bad luck and bad news it seemed. but I feel I'm on the brighter side of it hopefully, gotten over some sticky hurdles that i remember really dreading and getting anxious over. It could be my mojo just reawakening, this urge for change in gear, just to look forward to something new. That new phone, and maybe a new lens might satisfy a chunk of that :)
 
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I am guessing a lot of people have changed systems over the years, maybe not downgraded but sideways. Technology does move on in cameras but not necessarily lenses. For me it's all about using the camera system you have. Recently the key time me is having the camera accessible rather than stuck in a bag where I was reluctant to get it out. I like belt pouches and have recently invested in a Peak Design CapturePro.
 
What about the lumix phone with the 1" sensor. Not the best phone performer but ...
 
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