All the gear - no idea?

[jeangenie]

You never know where that money came from either.

My gear was paid for because I was left money when my hubby died.....then my dad.

Do you really think I would not throw all my camera gear in the bin if I could have them back?

Sure, be jealous if you like but behind your jealousy lies a lot of heartache on my part. Care to trade those emotions?

I hope all those who criticise people who go out and buy top-end kit will read Ali's post and perhaps just think - and be careful what they wish for.

Jean

 

[Flash In The Pan]

I do expect the reaction, and it just proves how small minded and idiotic some people really are. I might have a flash car, does not mean I should be called names. The car was bought for one reason only, it is a LOT of fun.

Gary.

Wouldn't a BLACK or BLUE one have been just as much fun?

 

[EdinburghGary]

Wouldn't a BLACK or BLUE one have been just as much fun?

Not even nearly as much fun, no. The orange is immense. It's everything I want in a car, loud, brash and aggressive. And its all for MY benefit, and NOT that of others. Most people think its a manky colour.

The colour is NOT a reason for knobs to take aim and **** all over me. I love it, I adore the way it looks, and I bought for the sole reason that the minute I seen it in the showroom, I told myself, it would be the one, IF I bought one.

Gary.

 

[Flash In The Pan]

And its all for MY benefit, and NOT that of others.

Isn't that the same argument that lassies who go out on the town wearing nothing but a smile use when they end up getting molested by some drunk?



It still sends out the "look at ME" signal, so even if just subconsciously, you must crave the attention, after all when driving the car you can't see what colour it is......

 

[EdinburghGary]

Isn't that the same argument that lassies who go out on the town wearing nothing but a smile use when they end up getting molested by some drunk?



It still sends out the "look at ME" signal, so even if just subconsciously, you must crave the attention, after all when driving the car you can't see what colour it is......

Are you suggesting it's ok to sexually assault a girl dressed in a certain way?!

And again, the car was bought for my enjoyment alone. Why should I choose a colour other than my preference, just because small minded individuals mistake the colour as an attention seeking ploy?

Gary.

 

[Gonetae]

Buy the gear and whatever 'toys' you fancy if you can afford it imo. As long as you gain enjoyment from it that's the main thing. It's not hurting anyone and I'm at the absolute other end of the spectrum and almost my entire kit is 'budget' stuff or 2nd hand but to those who have the good stuff. All the best to ya.

Tommy.

 

[Loopy]

What a thread!

Fun to read yet very humbling.

Maybe the answer is to get a an official law passed where you are not allowed to own any sort of digital camera without first producing a portfolio of 35mm self processed monochrome, colour prints and slides using manual focus, AV, TV and manual settings only.

And, you have to have owned a car where you can strip and clean the points at the roadside, know how to change a tyre and fix the fan belt with a pair of nylons.

I'm in agreement with most of the previous posters. Live and let live. I've worked damn hard most of my adult life and if I want to blow my money on a camera before I've learnt how to use RAW, I will do. Who knows what's round the next corner. Get what you can at the time you buy. It might be 10 years before you can afford to upgrade. (car or camera)

Life's too short to drink cheap wine!

 

[Bruce120]

oh dear its still going on

 

[Flash In The Pan]

Are you suggesting it's ok to sexually assault a girl dressed in a certain way?!

And again, the car was bought for my enjoyment alone. Why should I choose a colour other than my preference, just because small minded individuals mistake the colour as an attention seeking ploy?

Gary.

No, I certainly am not saying that, but what I am saying is that if you're going to flash your "assets", you'll always find people who don't read the signals you are giving out the same way you do.....

"O would some power the giftie gie us to see ourselves as others see us" ~Robert Burns


EDIT: and yes, I do see the irony in me posting this

 

[mrgas]

I don't care how much money others have and what they spend it on , I'm only bothered about whats in my wallet and camera bag

If you've got the money and want to spend it on a camera then why not ?

 

[DiddyDave]

Oh my - what a silly argumentative thread

Sorry I've missed out on the fun

My 2p then...

If you can buy the best, of whatever you're into (even if it's orange ) then that takes the gear out of the equation - thereafter anything good/bad is down to the user

Britain is full of insanely jealous sados that want far more than they ever stand the chance of getting, usually because they are too damn lazy to try :shake:

DD

 

[Bruce120]

Are we heading on to a discussion of what I need and what I want?

Charles Dickens knew all about materialism, and he gave us the character of Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol to illustrate the problems with materialism. As a youth, Scrooge was treated very poorly by his family, which led him to look to money as a form of security, something that he could trust. His love for money leads him to lose the woman he loves, and after that he leads a lonely, bitter existence as his life becomes simply a quest for more and more material wealth.

Not my words full article here....www.livinglifefully.com/materialism.htm

People spend money on certain things because they want to be percieved in a certain way, we all know this....Lets not pretend that some purchases are made for our (ahem) ego

 

[Trappe]

..... still, i guess its the culture we live in, where people like this, presume that its the camera that takes great photos, and nothing else...

rant over...

Does the camera get up at 05;00 on a freezing winters morning and walk up the side of a mountain to get a sunrise?...does it spend hours on a welsh hillside being bored to tears?....NO.

I have yet to see legs as part of my Canon's custom function!!

 

[Voyager]

Advertising sells people things they don't need at a price they cannot afford in order to impress other people who don't care

I paraphrase Victor Papanek somewhat, there but there is a belief, encouraged and perpetrated by advertising, that owing the right stuff somehow rubs off and makes you the right sort of person.

Pricing plays a massively important role in this. Segmenting products (be they cameras, cars or software) with some inconsequential differences allows the manufacturer and retailer to maximise profits by marketing and appealing to every level of buyer. But price is the defining measure of the value of a product - whether or not it is meaningful in any way is up to the person paying for it.

But it is worth remembering the price of a camera is not the defining measure of the quality of the photograph.

 

[hyakuhei]

Does the camera get up at 05;00 on a freezing winters morning and walk up the side of a mountain to get a sunrise?...does it spend hours on a welsh hillside being bored to tears?....NO.

I have yet to see legs as part of my Canon's custom function!!

You should have bought a Nikon Custom func *w2

 

[Uneducated_Rick]

I have yet to see legs as part of my Canon's custom function!!

It rumoured to be coming on the 60D - Canon were going to add it to the 500D but changed their minds

 

[Merovingian]

Read my second post on the matter,

I already had. It's irrelevant, my comment remains the same.

Oh my - what a silly argumentative thread

Much like many on here it seems

 

[whiteflyer]

I think you should always buy the best you can afford, it's nearly always cheaper in the long run.

It' looks like there are a few on here to believe you should buy a P & S , then as you get better a G10, after that you'll be wanting a 1000D until you need the functions on a 450D, but wait a while before you get that 40D. What you do sports and need a high frame rate, then now go and buy a 1D mkIII.

Now that route will cost a fortune, if you have the spare cash why not just get the 1D mkIII in the first place.


I like a large number of us had no idea before we got our first dSLR, are we saying we should not have got a dSLR because we did not know how to use it. No we buy stuff THEN learn.

 

[Smithy11]

good response on both sides. I only have a D80 and one nkon lens and wont be buying anything else until I know how to use this. so for people with lots of cash and experience, this place helps us "minions" no end. for that - thanks - for those who dont like helping - dont be nasty

 

[HoppyUK]

"Advertising sells people things they don't need at a price they cannot afford in order to impress other people who don't care"

I paraphrase Victor Papanek somewhat, there but there is a belief, encouraged and perpetrated by advertising, that owing the right stuff somehow rubs off and makes you the right sort of person...

Pricing plays a massively important role in this. Segmenting products (be they cameras, cars or software) with some inconsequential differences allows the manufacturer and retailer to maximise profits by marketing and appealing to every level of buyer. But price is the defining measure of the value of a product - whether or not it is meaningful in any way is up to the person paying for it.

But it is worth remembering the price of a camera is not the defining measure of the quality of the photograph.

That's a great quote Voyager We see it happening all around us all the time, but many people deny it.

Some people actually believe that L lenses will always take much better photographs than anything else. They must do, because they're big, white, weather proofed, full of exotic glass, gratifyingly weighty, and professionals use them. Oh, and did I mention that they are also the most expensive you can buy?

Conveniently, they are also in-your-face obvious and tell everybody that you really know what you're doing and can afford the best. It goes with the nice car and the posh watch. You're a top bloke, you are!

PS I am not immune to these emotions myself

 

[mastertrinity]

I think you should always buy the best you can afford, it's nearly always cheaper in the long run.

It' looks like there are a few on here to believe you should buy a P & S , then as you get better a G10, after that you'll be wanting a 1000D until you need the functions on a 450D, but wait a while before you get that 40D. What you do sports and need a high frame rate, then now go and buy a 1D mkIII.

Now that route will cost a fortune, if you have the spare cash why not just get the 1D mkIII in the first place.


I like a large number of us had no idea before we got our first dSLR, are we saying we should not have got a dSLR because we did not know how to use it. No we buy stuff THEN learn.

i strongly agree, i had two p&s and always kept them on auto.its not that i didnt know what a shutter or aperture was i just didnt know how to use the golden relationship between (you know, faster shutter = wider aperture) but know i do since i bought my DSLR

 

[welly]

No, I certainly am not saying that, but what I am saying is that if you're going to flash your "assets", you'll always find people who don't read the signals you are giving out the same way you do.....

"O would some power the giftie gie us to see ourselves as others see us" ~Robert Burns


EDIT: and yes, I do see the irony in me posting this

Were you ever a miner?

 

[48thEagle]

I originally bought a 400D twin lens kit (18-55mm + 55-200mm) last year, with aviation being the reason for taking up photography as a hobby, last summer, I bought from Canon's ebay page a refurb 40D and 17-85mm IS lens for £640, and just after x***, I bought a 100-400mm lens.

There are people with less expensive equipment who take better pictures than I do, when all is said and done, I went out, I earned the money, therefore I earned the right to buy anything I like without expectation of judgement.

If people are jealous of others, it is their problem to deal with, yes, if funds allowed I would go out and get a 1Ds mk3 and a EF 400mm f2.8L IS lens, but if someone stood beside me with that combo, I wouldn't think "you flash sod" but "one day I will"

My choice.

And AliB

 

[mid_gen]

Basically what this thread boils down to is :

If someone asks a newbie question about how to use their camera, that's OK as long as their kit isn't better than yours?

 

[Naboo32]

OK, payback time !

I'm probably another one of those who is despized (and envied ) by the OP, although we've never crossed paths on TP before.

Let me tell you, I actually find it really annoying when people display the kind of jealousy-lead snobbery, which permeates this and other threads . It is just soooo ugly and immature :baby:, that I'm surprised that the Mods don't delete such trolling posts and snide comments (as they would on some of the other, non-photographic, non-UK based fourms that I use).

Also, the assumption (usually made) that "anyone who can afford to spend 2k on their first DSLR must be totally minted", is utter rubbish in many cases! The only reason that I have any money to spend on this hobby, is that 6 years ago I gave up driving and have ridden a bicycle ever since! Any one of you who owns a car (unless it's a very old, low value one) could, in theory, sell it and buy yourself a top of the range Canon/Nikon/whatever - it's just a case of priorities :shrug:!

As for getting annoyed with people who ask "stupid questions", how about this for a solution: Ignore their posts and go and read something else instead .

There, I've had my say now .

 

[HoppyUK]

Basically what this thread boils down to is :

If someone asks a newbie question about how to use their camera, that's OK as long as their kit isn't better than yours?

^^^ Pretty much

 

[mrgas]

As for getting annoyed with people who ask "stupid questions", how about this for a solution: Ignore their posts and go and read something else instead .

There, I've had my say now .

 

[mastertrinity]

OK, payback time !

I'm probably another one of those who is despized (and envied ) by the OP, although we've never crossed paths on TP before.

Let me tell you, I actually find it really annoying when people display the kind of jealousy-lead snobbery, which permeates this and other threads . It is just soooo ugly and immature :baby:, that I'm surprised that the Mods don't delete such trolling posts and snide comments (as they would on some of the other, non-photographic, non-UK based fourms that I use).

Also, the assumption (usually made) that "anyone who can afford to spend 2k on their first DSLR must be totally minted", is utter rubbish in many cases! The only reason that I have any money to spend on this hobby, is that 6 years ago I gave up driving and have ridden a bicycle ever since! Any one of you who owns a car (unless it's a very old, low value one) could, in theory, sell it and buy yourself a top of the range Canon/Nikon/whatever - it's just a case of priorities :shrug:!

As for getting annoyed with people who ask "stupid questions", how about this for a solution: Ignore their posts and go and read something else instead .

There, I've had my say now .

thats true, anyone can afford the gear they just have to sacrifice things in their life to get it. i got £550 at christmas but instead of me buying an LCD tv and playstation etc. i bought into my hobby and got an a300. like you said you sacrificed one thing other people wouldnt.. a car but i bet you feel good knowing youve helped you hobby, saving the planet, and getting excercise. photography helps you in daily life imagine you smoke and are a photographer all the money you spend on fags you could of spent on photographic gear which encourages you to stop.

 

[TheWombat]

Forgive me I have not read the whole of this thread and have stumbled across it today.
Frankly I have no interest in what kit other people can afford.Their ability to use it or not is solely their prob.
Ask yourself this-----Did people like Kappa,Bresson and Adams take fantastic pics with inferior equipment to mine ?
If I could afford it I would indulge myself---------------Will it make me a better Tog-------------I doubt it. Dont worry about it envy does none of us any good.
Pete.

 

[Graham00]

I read somewhere some police forces use (at the tax payer's expense) the very best for their incident & forensic work, a D90 or a 450d should be sufficient enough instead of a D3 :shrug:

 

[whiteflyer]

Basically what this thread boils down to is :

If someone asks a newbie question about how to use their camera, that's OK as long as their kit isn't better than yours?

You got it spot on

 

[KayJay]

I read somewhere some police forces use (at the tax payer's expense) the very best for their incident & forensic work, a D90 or a 450d should be sufficient enough instead of a D3 :shrug:

They're probably in a better position to decide that than you or I, I would imagine.

 

[Flash In The Pan]

I think you should always buy the best you can afford, it's nearly always cheaper in the long run.

It' looks like there are a few on here to believe you should buy a P & S , then as you get better a G10, after that you'll be wanting a 1000D until you need the functions on a 450D, but wait a while before you get that 40D. What you do sports and need a high frame rate, then now go and buy a 1D mkIII.

Now that route will cost a fortune, if you have the spare cash why not just get the 1D mkIII in the first place.

A lot of people with money do exactly that and then realise they haven't got a clue how to operate the camera, because it doesn't have all those little modes that do the thinking for you and give up photography altogether.

Were you ever a miner?

Funnily enough, yes, at the same time you were a lump of coal

 

[TrevDR]

I read somewhere some police forces use (at the tax payer's expense) the very best for their incident & forensic work, a D90 or a 450d should be sufficient enough instead of a D3 :shrug:

Try Fuji S3 in some areas !!!

 

[Richard King]

reality check

Spent today decorating form 6.00m to 9.00pm

tommoow @ 6 I will get up and start work on a template. At 8 the daughter wil arive, I will hold her hand as she sells some gear at a carboot till 1.00. At 2.00 i will start work again. At 6.00 i will grab the camera ANY CAMERA that has a charged battery or film in it, and walk the dog and shoot a landscape for pleasure.. at 8.00 - wil pop another hours work in on a customers website

DO I GIVE A FRIGGIN MONKIES WHAT CAMERA IT IS - NO. I WOULD HAPPILY TAKE ANYTHING FROM A FIELD CAMERA TO A BLAD WITH A DIGITAL BACK

 

[fracster]

This thread is depressing the hell outta me.What does it matter what other people have? Be happy with what you have and if your not,save harder,work harder and buy something better.It don`t matter jackcrap what other people have or have not................

 

[AliB]

reality check

DO I GIVE A FRIGGIN MONKIES WHAT CAMERA IT IS - NO. I WOULD HAPPILY TAKE ANYTHING FROM A FIELD CAMERA TO A BLAD WITH A DIGITAL BACK

Oh how I sympathise Richard. When I don't have time to go off indulging myself I have a compact that can come just about everywhere with me.

I have days where I'm just about happy to shoot a cheese sarnie!

 

[fracster]

Do you prefer Branston pickle or Colemans mustard on your cheese sandwich? Now that is a serious question.......................

 

[Dangermouse]

seems like a bit of jealousy creeping in......if you can afford it get it is what people say here normally...disguised as get what you can afford and upgrade as and when.................................whats the difference,


Like telling someone no and meaning no

 

[fracster]

seems like a bit of jealousy creeping in......if you can afford it get it is what people say here normally...disguised as get what you can afford and upgrade as and when.................................whats the difference,


Like telling someone no and meaning no

With regards to myself, then I`m afraid you are wrong DM, I honestly don`t give a damn what anybody else has or has not got.



:shrug: