$8,000 to spend? What would you get?

unpopular · Oct 30, 2012

I maintain that if you don't know what you're upgrading from, then you don't know what you're upgrading to. With such an open-ended question, I'd say you're just in the mood to spend money.

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...ts/289645-if-you-dont-know-what-lens-buy.html

sactown024 · Oct 30, 2012

Sw1tchFX said:
I'd start a retirement fund while you're still young enough to think that selling your car and blowing the money on camera gear is a good idea.

I have had a 401k for 4 years now, I am a 28 year old medical engineer, don't think I need your advice on retirement

unpopular · Oct 30, 2012

While I agree that this reply is a bit rude, you asked specifically about camera equipment, not retirement - there's no reason to get all snarky about things.

fjrabon · Oct 30, 2012

Yeah, I'd agree that such an open ended question means its likely that you should probably hold off. I could understand asking things like "what are your experiences with these specific three lenses" but just asking for a from scratch setup means you have no idea what you really want, which means most likely you'll waste a lot of money.

And I'm not saying the above to call you out, or make fun of you. I did the same early in the hobby/profession. In a lot d ways, buying gear you don't really need that wastes a lot of money is something if a rite of passage. We've all done it if we've put very much into photography.

You can heed our advice and do this more patiently and incrementally as you better grasp what you need, or you can just jump in feet first and make your own mistakes and eventually figure out what suits you best. We're all advising you to do the former, mostly because most of us, to varying degrees did the later and regret it.

JAC526 · Oct 30, 2012

Unless you are a full time professional making money there is absolutely no NEED to spend $8,000 on photography equipment.

However, if you WANT to spend 8k on photography equipment more power to you.

MLeeK · Oct 30, 2012

Sell the body you have. Add a little more cash to the pot.
You want to do weddings and portraits so here's my shopping cart for you:
Canon 6D $2099
Used Canon 7D $1099
Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM II $2099
Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 VC $1299
Canon 600EX RT flash $569
Flashpoint 320M Two light portable kit with power packs $569
4 lens pens (you can never have enough of them) $7.99Each
Black rapid double strap $129.95

TOTAL $7886.91
Only the lens pens have shipping charges on them.
Out of NY State=no sales tax.
Sell the current body and buy yourself CS6.

ronlane · Oct 30, 2012

sactown024 said:
the car has $8k equity, not using any of that for another car although I may bank $4k for my son/house and spend $4k on equipment.

i think its a much better idea than going in debt with a credit card. I guess i should also ad this is a second car. We just bought a new toyota venza.

maybe i should re-word the thread, if someone gave you $4k gift card to Adorama.com, what would YOU buy?

Agreed that it is his money but after 8 responses, he changed the question to this. Just give him what You personally would buy and let him sort it out. If it doesn't work for him then maybe he puts it up for sale here and you can pick it up at a good rate.

Besides, it's always fun to spend someone elses money.

JAC526 · Oct 30, 2012

You are missing the whole point. I could tell him what I'd buy but that isn't probably what's best for him. Unless the two of us are in the exact same situation.

Derrel · Oct 30, 2012

Buy the best gear you can, used. So, that would be a great-performing camera body. Nikon D600 and Nikon D7000. A 70-200/2.8 VR-II, 24-70/2.8 AF-S, SB 910 flash, 85mm 1.8-G, the Flashpoint two-light monolight kits referenced above. Not sure of the exact prices, but those are the KEY pieces.

sactown024 · Oct 30, 2012

MLeeK said:
Sell the body you have. Add a little more cash to the pot.
You want to do weddings and portraits so here's my shopping cart for you:
Canon 6D $2099
Used Canon 7D $1099
Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS USM II $2099
Tamron 24-70 f/2.8 VC $1299
Canon 600EX RT flash $569
Flashpoint 320M Two light portable kit with power packs $569
4 lens pens (you can never have enough of them) $7.99Each
Black rapid double strap $129.95

TOTAL $7886.91
Only the lens pens have shipping charges on them.
Out of NY State=no sales tax.
Sell the current body and buy yourself CS6.

Thanks Leek, your shopping carts have always helped me out.

Its not that I am uncertain of what I want to do, its I have not expressed it in this thread. I do want to stick with portraits for now, people photography is a must. I am dabbling in weddings, i think i like but I am not certain. I have a armature modeling shoot coming up so well see how that goes, all of these may need different equipment but I do want people in my photos thats for sure.

That being said, I dont want to spend money just to spend money but yes I would like some nice gear after shooting with a good lens this weekend i quickly became attached. I also want to get into off camera flash, what better time to learn than now? yeah some people say learn NL first, thats your opinion I want to learn both at same time.

sactown024 · Oct 30, 2012

ronlane said:
sactown024 said:

the car has $8k equity, not using any of that for another car although I may bank $4k for my son/house and spend $4k on equipment.

i think its a much better idea than going in debt with a credit card. I guess i should also ad this is a second car. We just bought a new toyota venza.

maybe i should re-word the thread, if someone gave you $4k gift card to Adorama.com, what would YOU buy?

Click to expand...

Agreed that it is his money but after 8 responses, he changed the question to this. Just give him what You personally would buy and let him sort it out. If it doesn't work for him then maybe he puts it up for sale here and you can pick it up at a good rate.

Besides, it's always fun to spend someone elses money.

thank you sir! this is the mind set I have....

greybeard · Oct 30, 2012

If you have to ask, then you are not ready.

sactown024 · Oct 30, 2012

I see a lot of Nikkon fans here, is there something wrong with Canon I dont know about, Love the way it feels in my hand and the controls seem great, I cant imagine that one company has a huge technology difference over the other in this day and age.