A question for the hobbyists....

Jaffster

Jaffster

Suspended / Banned
Messages
1,071
Name
Danny
Edit My Images
No
Well, I'm lusting a full frame camera at the minute but the pennies are limited. I don't know how other hobbyists afford it?

What do you all do for a living? I work in IT and the pay isn't exactly great, I'd fall under the "under £20,000 a year" bracket. Looking at new camera's at £2,000 is over 10% of my annual wage!

Before I get the complimentary bandwagon of "too personal for a forum" group, I'm not interested how much you earn. Rather, how on earth you afford good equipment and glass on crap wages :thumbs:
 
i got all my good stuff while a hobbyist and it was good deals... trading in with a bit of money to get higher.. took about 7 years of saving and dealing.... and your on more money than i was..
 
Much of my gear has been bought when deals have been good or buying used equipment.

I bought my 400D and 17-85 new. The rest of my lenses have been used, but in mint condition, bought either here or from retailers. AJPurdy used to be my main port of call before they ceased trading.
 
I steal most of mine at TP meets when nobody is looking. There is usually tons of stuff lying around.



























Only kidding Mr Mod.
 
tiler65 said:
I steal most of mine at TP meets when nobody is looking. There is usually tons of stuff lying around.



























Only kidding Mr Mod.
Click to expand...

It's alright when everyone else is using the same camera make as yourself.

I'm shooting on a Sony, the day two Sony cameras meet outside of the shop, I hear that the world will end. So, it's a good job that it will never happen!
 
Jaffster said:
It's alright when everyone else is using the same camera make as yourself.

I'm shooting on a Sony, the day two Sony cameras meet outside of the shop, I hear that the world will end. So, it's a good job that it will never happen!
Click to expand...

rather amazingly, I managed to witness the only two Sony users in th eplace, actually accidently bump into each other at Focus on Sunday, it was quite an event :naughty:


seriously though, it is normally a case of trading up, heavily hit credit cards and very understanding spouses :help:
 
Credit :p Can't survive without it lol
 
buy good second hand gear, thats what most of us do i think.
Nothing wrong with second hand gear if it is all as it says it is.

spike
 
I suspect some folk just abuse their credit cards. Others will just have the patience of a saint and be really good at saving. I could afford a 1d/5d or the Nikon equivalent in less than a year if i wanted to, but it'd mean doing absolutely hee-haw for the whole year, and that's not my style. I'd rather drop less on material possessions (or get fantastic deals like the two old primes I got out of a charity shop for a few notes) so I have more cash to travel, see the other half, my family etc.
 
Did the overtime, and only brought thing's i actually needed, both my current bodies are second hand, although both lenses where from new. I wasnt going to spend over a £1K for a body, the 1dmk2 may be old, but it'll still beat most things out there for motorsports, and more then good enough for me.
 
Buying new is for mugs:thumbsdown: I paid £1125 for a d300 less than a year ago. Dirty robbin sods:bang::bang:
 
Although I have two camera bodies that were bought new, not one of my current lenses have been... All of 'em are secondhand.

I've been lucky to have had a few weddings that have paid for most of my kit as well and long may that arrangement continue! :D

Si
 
Probably because I am only a hoobyist is why I've never stepped upto a DSLR. My Panasonics are much cheaper so no expensive outlay. Plus my latest Panasonic , the FZ38, was a 30 years service gift I picked out from work.
 
Want a cheap way into FF? Got a bit of patience? Got FF compatible lenses already?

Get a 35mm film body. A dynax 5 will be about £70 and a Dynax 7 will be around £150, both prices based on a recent Mifsuds ad, complete with 3 months' warranty.

How to afford an expensive purchase? Either keep your eyes peeled on ads for 2nd hand kit or save. If you smoke, stop! Stick your fag money in a jar and watch the level rise. Rather than go out two or three times a week to the pub, stick that cash in a jar.
 
I have been sitting here for the last few days pondering how i can afford a Leica M9!! At £5k each plus lens it's going to be impossible! Time to start doing the lottery i guess :D

I am saving up for a Leica X1 at £1300 to replace my Panasonic TZ6, dunno how I'm going to do it but..........
 
Rob_W said:
If you want something badly enough, you find a way, it may take time thats all.....



.
Click to expand...

Thats what I got told many years ago when talkign to a guy with about 20k of equipment and me with my 10d and siggy... I said i would never have what he has.... He said exactly what you just posted and damm him if he wasnt right :)
 
If it's any consolation I have a full frame camera with some expensive lenses and think some my best photos were taken with my old Minolta 7D with a Sigma 24-70 2.8. If you can afford expensive toys or if you're a pro taking 1000's of shots a week then that is fine.

I would say learn to enjoy your hobby with the kit that you've got. Credit is, more often then not, completely the worst thing to use, particularly with rapidly depreciating bodies.

Off camera flash is a great way to get fantastic results for not a huge amount of extra money. After all, when you are shooting at F8, most lenses are sharp and who needs the HIgh ISO performance of full frame??
 
Well the first time was funded with the savings from a trip to Iraq, the second with the sale of a motorbike prior to another trip to iraq, and my latest with again the savings from a trip to Iraq.

So thanks to all you tax payers for funding my camera habit!!

Oh and thanks to the wife for not being too demanding on the savings!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top