Are you obsessed with the technology only?

nt....

Having less income is a good way of limiting GAS. We may also use our income on things like going workshops or travel, putting available gear to use.

Personally I still spend on gear. Over the last couple of years I have replaced almost all my lenses, going from zooms to pretty decent quality primes.

Sometimes, gear is getting better enough to motivate spending. I bought a Sony A7rIV a couple of years ago, and it is a great improvement in battery life, user interface and even the viewfinder over my A7rII. But, the A7rII works with some adapter I have where the A7rIV is to large operate. So, the A7rII still hangs on.

I've gone through a number of camera systems thinking it would always be the next purchase that would make my images "great". It wasn't.

I've learned my lesson and though I suffer from the occasional GAS, I don't purchase any new gear because I've found the focal length that I enjoy and the camera that is fun to shoot with. No upgrade could ever make my images better. I've recently started collecting old digital cameras that has been given to me from neighbors and friends who see no use in them anymore. That's been fun and I've got a little collection already. :)

I do general photography for documenting stuff around me when I go for walks, or pictures of my family. I share the ones i enjoy and do not mind if people do not like them. I also enjoy watching photographs by others and reading about new tech because it's about a hobby that I love.

Having the camera with me, be it my excellent Google Pixel 7 Pro or the X-pro 3 with the 35 mm f/1.4 is enough, but that's because I've been through a lot of lenses and cameras to end up where I am happy with my gear. I plan to shoot even more this year.

I hope you find your motivation wherever it might be. Life is a journey, just like photography, even the gear.

Dan

I think photographing mushrooms would be an excellent endeavor. I'd have to go to the farmer's market - the best I could do in the local forests would be toadstools.

I am contemplating on just that. Sony A7RIII looks like best compromise. Only thing I would love to have, is 35mm f/2-ish pancake lens, to make this setup my daily driver. I did not find such lens. Sammy F/2.8 too dark, other 35mm lenses are much longer/bigger.
I am aware of 45mm, but it is both too long focal length and physical length. Other than that, it would be sure choice.

Looking at Canon, it seems I am finally done with the brand. Their higher resolution bodies are very expensive, and their affordable prime lenses, I am not even commenting on that.
And so I am looking into other brands and even MF to be sure, but it really seems that A7R III is best compromise.

@ErikKaffehr: Indeed it might be a good limit. But it might be a bad limit too. I believe I suffer that quite a bit.

Yes, prime lenses all the way. Only exception I have is over 100mm. Over that FL, zoom is allowed.

@CarryLight: Many thanks. Indeed not always buying the best works. But I had quite success with that lately. Especially electronics. Happy with better mobile phone, happy with better laptop (with some reservations, after life long hate, the new 8Core/16Threads modern SSD does everything* standalone PC would, and doesn't break my back). High end 21" woofers do not come close to burning anymore. The technology finally works and delivers what is needed. And so I believe that for example A7RIII can do that too, in comparison with EOS M6 II. Better sensor, IBIS, zebras, pixelshift. I might enjoy/miss eye focus, but I don't shoot people much. And so, I guess I should try and find out.

@leitz: I hope so. Will go large on that. Supportive gear, light, postprocessing. Hopefully, it will result in some magic worth printing. Can turn into forest landscapes, bugs and such anytime.

Speaking of obsessed - To quote

You think you have lived to be 80 plus and know who you are, then along comes someone and blows it all to hell!
An old Marine Pilot sat down at the Starbucks, still wearing his old USMC flight jacket and ordered a cup of coffee.
As he sat sipping his coffee, a young woman sat down next to him. She turned to the pilot and asked,
Are you a real pilot?

He replied, 'Well, I've spent my whole life flying planes, first Steadman's, then the early Grumman's flew a Wildcat and Corsair in WWII, and later in the Korean conflict, Banshees and Cougars. I've taught more than 260 people to fly and given rides to hundreds, so I guess I am a pilot, and you, what are you?

She said, 'I'm a lesbian. I spend my whole day thinking about naked women. As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about naked women. When I shower, I think about naked women. When I watch TV, I think about naked women. It seems everything makes me think of naked women.'

The two sat sipping in silence.
A little while later, a young man sat down on the other side of the old pilot and asked:
"Are you a real pilot?"
He replied, 'I always thought I was, but I just found out I'm a lesbian.'

That joke is showing its age. These days, the punch line would include something about identifying as a lesbian 🤣🤣🤣

Indeed. With age, I take everything as "I thought I was doing this, but I now guess I didn't". 😂
That's okay. Part of life.

Although I am very used to Canon, now I saw size comparison with RF 35mm IS Macro, and it doesn't look compact at all (on top of other disadvantages). So I guess I am done with Canon if I decide to leave EOS M system for FF.