Photography Photography equipment

[Vas (Jack)]

We all know that photography is not a cheap hobby. But when you make a new purchase, how you looking at it?

 

[Andy Smith]

First thing I do is ask myself if i really, really need it then I look into build quality (and weather sealing if its camera or lens.)
I have talked myself out of new filter systems recently because I do not think they would improve my images over the system I already own, yes they may be easier to use (was looking at magnetic filters) but at the end of the day I couldn't justify spending money to purchase something that does the same job as what I already have.
I did buy a better star tracker system though, but that purchase was justified because it allows me to create much better images than the older system I had.
The last purchase I made was a Canon RF 100mm macro lens, justified purchase again because it is a huge improvement over the older Laowa 100mm macro I have. The new Canon lens has auto focus rather than the manual focus of the Laowa one, which is so much better for me to use.
So all in all, I spend a lot of time reviewing and asking myself if I really need a new piece of kit or if it is just an impulse "want it"

 

[lightmuncher]

I want to buy a one carry lens that allows me to zoom in and out to about 200mm. And enough to use as a landscape, city scape lens. Not sure yet what would be the best to have, but when we move I can see how much we have left in the bank. I MIGHT if enough is in there, buy a complete new kit, camera as well. We will see.

 

[TMG1961]

Photography is a hobby for me. To be honest i already have too much gear as it is. But when i do buy something it is mostly second hand and before buying i look at reviews online, video and written reviews. Also i have a look if i can afford to buy something, 99.99% of the time the answer is NO. This year i want a wide angle lens for the Sony a7rII, the nikon d7100 got all the lenses i need.

 

[Vas (Jack)]

First thing I do is ask myself if i really, really need it then I look into build quality (and weather sealing if its camera or lens.)
I have talked myself out of new filter systems recently because I do not think they would improve my images over the system I already own, yes they may be easier to use (was looking at magnetic filters) but at the end of the day I couldn't justify spending money to purchase something that does the same job as what I already have.
I did buy a better star tracker system though, but that purchase was justified because it allows me to create much better images than the older system I had.
The last purchase I made was a Canon RF 100mm macro lens, justified purchase again because it is a huge improvement over the older Laowa 100mm macro I have. The new Canon lens has auto focus rather than the manual focus of the Laowa one, which is so much better for me to use.
So all in all, I spend a lot of time reviewing and asking myself if I really need a new piece of kit or if it is just an impulse "want it"

It's probably the addiction of purchasing extra kit for photography. I want to get example 100-400 to get closer to the subject, but I do ask myself would this fit my needs. I know I can sell the lens later If I have too, but It's unlikely as it's looses value.

Thought you had Canon 100mm macro

 

[Vas (Jack)]

I want to buy a one carry lens that allows me to zoom in and out to about 200mm. And enough to use as a landscape, city scape lens. Not sure yet what would be the best to have, but when we move I can see how much we have left in the bank. I MIGHT if enough is in there, buy a complete new kit, camera as well. We will see.

Get maybe 70-300mm lens. Is just the feeling of wanting new things, especially in photography.

 

[Vas (Jack)]

Photography is a hobby for me. To be honest i already have too much gear as it is. But when i do buy something it is mostly second hand and before buying i look at reviews online, video and written reviews. Also i have a look if i can afford to buy something, 99.99% of the time the answer is NO. This year i want a wide angle lens for the Sony a7rII, the nikon d7100 got all the lenses i need.

Agree, personally I don't buy anything that I can't afford, but most of the times, I buy the camera gear in credit when possible, this way I can spread the cost for 6 or 12 months without interest on it. I won't just throw £2000 in a piece of equipment, way too much money.

 

[TMG1961]

Agree, personally I don't buy anything that I can't afford, but most of the times, I buy the camera gear in credit when possible, this way I can spread the cost for 6 or 12 months without interest on it. I won't just throw £2000 in a piece of equipment, way too much money.

I don't buy anything in credit anymore. Used to do that but i kind of lost sight a bit of what i had bought and ended up paying a lot each month. so after paying off all debts i now safe for something and then buy it. but this also means that it can take a year or so before you can buy that lens or camera you would like to have.

 

[Vas (Jack)]

I don't buy anything in credit anymore. Used to do that but i kind of lost sight a bit of what i had bought and ended up paying a lot each month. so after paying off all debts i now safe for something and then buy it. but this also means that it can take a year or so before you can buy that lens or camera you would like to have.

When taking something in credit, you need to be very careful. I do make my budget before taking something in credit.

But the way I buy, is without interest, as long as is paid on time. I can afford to pay it in cash, however I prefer to spread the cost for 6 or 12 months.

 

[Andy Smith]

It's probably the addiction of purchasing extra kit for photography. I want to get example 100-400 to get closer to the subject, but I do ask myself would this fit my needs. I know I can sell the lens later If I have too, but It's unlikely as it's looses value.

Thought you had Canon 100mm macro

I do have the Canon RF 100mm macro, which is a great lens.
I also have a 2x converter which is great for added length when I need it, I would look at this for extended reach on your 70-300mm & 70-200mm lenses rather than purchasing a new lens as it is a lot cheaper and more versatile as it can be used on all your lenses. People talk about image degradation with converters but to me it is negligible and for the most part I do not see any loss of sharpness, clarity or focus speed.

 

[TMG1961]

When taking something in credit, you need to be very careful. I do make my budget before taking something in credit.

But the way I buy, is without interest, as long as is paid on time. I can afford to pay it in cash, however I prefer to spread the cost for 6 or 12 months.

I don't do that, when i buy something i pay for it straight away.

 

[lightmuncher]

I don't buy anything in credit anymore. Used to do that but i kind of lost sight a bit of what i had bought and ended up paying a lot each month. so after paying off all debts i now safe for something and then buy it. but this also means that it can take a year or so before you can buy that lens or camera you would like to have.

We have had that philosophy when we got together, so if we can't afford it we don't have it. So much value is placed on personal credit scores these days. Not good

 

[Vas (Jack)]

I don't do that, when i buy something i pay for it straight away.

For me that is a really useful tool that I can use, even if I could purchase the item straight away.

But for everyone works different.

 

[Vas (Jack)]

We have had that philosophy when we got together, so if we can't afford it we don't have it. So much value is placed on personal credit scores these days. Not good

I really hate credit cards, never had one, and will never apply for one.

But I like the option buy now pay later without interest. But I still stick within the budget. So instead of paying today £1000 for an item, I prefer to spread the cost for 12 or 6 months, without paying any interest.

 

[panos_adgr]

Very nice topic and very interesting points of view!

That's a bit complicated for my part to answer it as there a lot of factors i do take in consideration before I make a purchase.

I always start by buying what I really need to cover my creative needs in photography. I decide to buy the piece of equipment that will serve me the most in terms of image quality then hardware quality and ergonomics. Features come to my consideration mostly to the level i need them to do my favorite genres of photography. I do not care about tech hypes or fashions such as mirrorless vs dslrs or light weight versus heavy or crop vs full frame in the sense of the silliness seen in discussions by many youtubers or techfreaks.

It would be fare though, for the people reading my words to admit my brand loyalty to Nikon as I'm loving and using nikon cameras since i was a child. (sincerely). But it has to do most with the belief of 'grap a camera that fits in to your hand the best'. And Nikon was this thing since I grabed a Nikon F801S when I was a child.

As I've lived myself though the years and I've been improved in my photography, I decides and decide to upgrade or move on to a new purchase by the below aspects.

No1 When I feel I need more from my gear in terms of image quality i move to an upgrade and after a lot of intense incestigation I choose what to buy. I usually tend to buy something that will be a lot better than what I already have and feel i need more from it.

No2 I buy what i need the most and this applies mostly to lenses. I choose to buy the lenses i need more for what I do in photography the most and then the rest.
The most importand range for me is 24-85mm then an Ultra wide zoom a 50mm and finally a tele zoom (which is plannws to be my next purchase).

No3 I prefer to wait a bit longer to adjust my financial and buy something really good or better, the best possible, than to pick a more modest gear just to cover my need.

No4 Patience patience patience.
I do a lot of study before I buy and try to find the best possible purchase value. A great example was my last purchase of the Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 g2 bought used from a store with guarantee. It was traded in by a guy who rarely used it and gave all his gear to go mirrorless on the hype. It was boxed like absolutely new with no usage trace on it. I took me 1 year patience before i buy it and it cst me 850€. It was much less than buying it new and it was in new condition.

Financing my hobby.
I always go on gredit regaldless if I do have the money to go cash.
It is a hobby and it is a strong personal belief and a rule for me not to take cash money out of my pocket and throw them to my hobbies.
I have set a money limit for my monthly gredits which is relatively low ( I try to be maximum, around 7-8% of my salary) for my hobby and new gear comes when something alrwady bought is paid off.

I avoid at any means unecessary buys by belief and by need. I go straight to what I need the most.

I'm focused to owning the best possible tools and system for my needs. I own a Nikon DSLR full frame system and I will be sticking with it and add some lenses to it because it cover my needs. I do not care if dslrs are abandoned by industry, my gear covers my needs and many times it surpasses it.

I'sorry for the miatakes in phrasing. I travel and i'm typing with my smartphone.

 

[Vas (Jack)]

I always go on gredit regaldless if I do have the money to go cash.
It is a hobby and it is a strong personal belief and a rule for me not to take cash money out of my pocket and throw them to my hobbies.
I have set a money limit for my monthly gredits which is relatively low ( I try to be maximum, around 7-8% of my salary) for my hobby and new gear comes when something alrwady bought is paid off.

I do exactly the same panos_adgr . For me is a win win, I don't spend lots of cash on an item and this works great for my credit score too. I never buy something that I won't be able to pay straight away.

I would love to get into mirrorless, but I want to get a zoom lens first before upgrading my camera body.

 

[TonyB]

It's probably the addiction of purchasing extra kit for photography. I want to get example 100-400 to get closer to the subject, but I do ask myself would this fit my needs. I know I can sell the lens later If I have too, but It's unlikely as it's looses value.

Thought you had Canon 100mm macro

It's known as GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). We photographers are very prone to its subtle temptations. However, try to put things into perspective; you could be a golf addict! Think how much that would cost in a year. You can then justify your GAS and feel a whole lot better. Hey, it's a hobby. Spend it and enjoy it (obviously within the constraints of the bank balance).

 

[Vas (Jack)]

It's known as GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). We photographers are very prone to its subtle temptations. However, try to put things into perspective; you could be a golf addict! Think how much that would cost in a year. You can then justify your GAS and feel a whole lot better. Hey, it's a hobby. Spend it and enjoy it (obviously within the constraints of the bank balance).

Photography in general is very expensive hobby. Sadly a dying hobby. Especially now, need to think twice before making a purchase. Would love to have one of them, but I need to justify the investment.

 

[Andy Smith]

Photography in general is very expensive hobby. Sadly a dying hobby. Especially now, need to think twice before making a purchase. Would love to have one of them, but I need to justify the investment.

Not sure why you call it a dying hobby Jack, it's not dying at all in fact it is going from strength to strength with more people taking up photography than ever before.
Ok, some use their phones, but they are still taking photographs when all said and done.
Photography does not have to be expensive, you get to use what you have to create the art you want to portray. I still use many lenses that I purchased 20 years ago, I don't think I need to replace them to improve my level.

 

[Vas (Jack)]

Not sure why you call it a dying hobby Jack, it's not dying at all in fact it is going from strength to strength with more people taking up photography than ever before.
Ok, some use their phones, but they are still taking photographs when all said and done.
Photography does not have to be expensive, you get to use what you have to create the art you want to portray. I still use many lenses that I purchased 20 years ago, I don't think I need to replace them to improve my level.

I should formulate differently I guess, I believe photography won’t die as a niche, is art of photography like using your camera and special techniques to achieve that stunning photo , will shrink with less and less people to be interested learning that.

People are nowadays are using their phones and spends lot of money on them with hope that they will get great images.