Why did I regret selling it then? It was expensive, impractical, and rarely used - all valid reasons for jettisoning it from my kit. I managed to sell the kit for about the same price I paid for it, so in the end, I just paid for the film and developing costs. In those two years I owned it, I probably shot about 200 negatives, taking it out on maybe 15 occasions.
Unless it is your specialty, you just do not pull out a medium format film camera very much, saving it for specific situations where the combination of its look and creative inspiration justify the cost of shooting with it. Furthermore, I did not shoot it that often. I was trying to consolidate my kit at the time and reduce it to essentials. I never shot medium format film for clients, and 120 film is expensive to shoot and just as expensive to develop. Why did I sell it after two years? Well, I did not see the financial benefit of it. It was impractical, but on the same token, I would never (and will never) own a top-end medium format digital camera, so this was my chance to dabble with that world. I normally ran Ilford 120 film through it, opting to shoot in black and white because the way the tonality and focus roll-off combined was just so beautiful. It had all the normal built-in metering and exposure functions, a fairly decent (for medium format film) phase detection autofocus system, and all the normal features you would expect from such a camera. The 645AFD looked and handled like a giant, well-designed SLR. The detail was jaw-dropping, the focus roll-off beautiful, and the medium format look addictive. It was my first experience with medium format, and the feeling of seeing a true 6x4.5 negative for the first time was astounding. I bought this camera in 2013 along with 35mm f/3.5, 80mm f/2.8, and 150mm f/3.5 lenses. I grew up shooting 35mm film on cheap cameras, and I always loved photography, but I never got serious about it until I grew up, which meant I never got to experience the joys of really nice equipment until then. Image by Flickr user Didjeridoo _tom, used under Creative Commons. However, I have occasionally made a mistake by selling a camera or a lens and eventually (or immediately) coming to regret the decision.
Once in a while, one finds a more permanent place in my collection. Most pass through my camera bag and are sold again on the same forum after a few months. I spend a fair amount of time on Fred Miranda's buy/sell forum, looking for interesting cameras or lenses to try out. I have come to regret selling one specific camera and lens, though. I am no different, and I have bought and sold my fair share of gear over the years. Many photographers buy and sell gear at a steady pace, always looking for some interesting new lens or body to try.
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