{"id":19995,"date":"2014-08-20T21:39:14","date_gmt":"2014-08-21T04:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=19995"},"modified":"2014-08-20T21:39:14","modified_gmt":"2014-08-21T04:39:14","slug":"no-camera-is-perfect-embracing-the-80-principle-in-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2014\/08\/20\/no-camera-is-perfect-embracing-the-80-principle-in-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"No Camera is Perfect : Embracing The 80% Principle in Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"San
San Diego, 2013<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We are never satisfied. Nowadays with a barrage of advertisements and commercials\u00e2\u20ac\u201c we always want the next big thing. We want something better. We want to optimize the stuff we own. We become easily dissatisfied with what we own.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t own a lot of stuff, but I like owning really high quality stuff. I like owning the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153best\u00e2\u20ac\u009d stuff.<\/p>\n

However this causes me to get suckered into wanting things that I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t really need. Key emphasis on the difference between \u00e2\u20ac\u0153wanting\u00e2\u20ac\u009d and \u00e2\u20ac\u0153needing\u00e2\u20ac\u009d something.<\/p>\n

For example, I love gadgets. I love laptops, smartphones, iPads, anything that I think will help me be more \u00e2\u20ac\u0153productive\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. I have always been a nerd with gadgets since I was young. I also have a fear of boredom, so I feel that these electronics will keep me entertained.<\/p>\n

For a while I thought that I \u00e2\u20ac\u0153needed\u00e2\u20ac\u009d an iPad. I saw how cool everyone else looked with it, and figured that I \u00e2\u20ac\u0153needed\u00e2\u20ac\u009d it for my work. After all, if I wanted to be on the cutting edge \u00e2\u20ac\u201c I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t want to be caught without an iPad. I convinced myself of how much more productive I would be, and so finally I purchased one.<\/p>\n

However after a few weeks, I started to realize that this \u00e2\u20ac\u0153need\u00e2\u20ac\u009d of mine was merely a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153want\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. At the end of the day, the iPad was like a toy\u00e2\u20ac\u201c I found my smartphone much more useful. Sure there are a lot of things the iPad is great for (looking at photos, using some cool apps) but none of these things I truly \u00e2\u20ac\u0153needed\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n

Similarly with cameras. Recently I have been wanting to shoot some medium format. I have been thinking a lot about purchasing a Mamiya\u00c2\u00a07 or Fujifilm medium-format rangefinder, and have been reading a lot of reviews and asking others for their opinion.<\/p>\n

All of this deliberation of shooting medium format was sucking precious energy away from myself to actually appreciate what I have (an amazing film Leica mp) to go out and shoot. The Leica already is pretty amazing, but I thought that having a medium format rangefinder would give me an extra \u00e2\u20ac\u0153edge\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n

All of these \u00e2\u20ac\u0153first world problems\u00e2\u20ac\u009d were stressing me out. I had choice overload, and wanted to constantly \u00e2\u20ac\u0153optimize\u00e2\u20ac\u009d my life to make it slightly better.<\/p>\n

The 80% idea<\/h2>\n

Then it came to me while taking a shower. I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve written about this in the the past before, but it applies to me more than ever: applying the \u00e2\u20ac\u015380% good enough\u00e2\u20ac\u009d principle.<\/p>\n

What is this 80% \u00e2\u20ac\u0153good enough\u00e2\u20ac\u009d principle?<\/p>\n

Well it is this: If something is 80% \u00e2\u20ac\u0153good enough\u00e2\u20ac\u009d for your needs\u00e2\u20ac\u201c just stick with it.<\/strong> (rather than trying to \u00e2\u20ac\u0153maximize\u00e2\u20ac\u009d or \u00e2\u20ac\u0153optimize\u00e2\u20ac\u009d the physical possessions you have).<\/p>\n

For example:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. If the camera you own makes you 80% satisfied, just stick with it. Don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t try to get a camera which will possibly make you 100% happy (because it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t exist). There will never be a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153perfect\u00e2\u20ac\u009d camera.<\/li>\n
  2. If you photograph 80% of your subject matter (or more) with the lens you own, just stick with it. For example, I photograph about 90% of my subjects with my 35mm lens. Therefore unless I am going to do some commercial shoot, I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need to own any other lenses.<\/li>\n
  3. If your computer, laptop, or smartphone is 80% in still working condition\u00e2\u20ac\u201c just stick to it (rather than trying to deal with the stresses of upgrading it constantly to the latest and greatest).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    I give similar advice to bloggers: just write an article you are 80% satisfied with, and publish it (rather than trying to get it perfect and never publishing it).<\/p>\n

    Oddly enough, the only part of my life where I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t follow this 80% principle is in my photography projects. I try to make my projects to make me about 90% perfect, then end up publishing them.<\/p>\n

    \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Satisficing\u00e2\u20ac\u009d vs \u00e2\u20ac\u0153maximizing\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/h2>\n

    I always strive to be happy in life. I have found that always craving for something new only leads to dissatisfaction and unhappiness.<\/p>\n

    I ultimately need to constantly remind myself of this\u00e2\u20ac\u201c to aim to be a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153satisficer<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u009d rather than a \u00e2\u20ac\u0153maximizer\u00e2\u20ac\u009d.<\/p>\n

    What is the difference?<\/p>\n