How to deal with expensive lenses you only use a handful of times throughout the year

[nerwin]

I bought a P7800 and use that a lot.
It was much more useful than my Nikon d7000 which just sat around doing nothing as I use the D600.
So I sold the D7000.
It all depends upon what you need something for, how you use it, and if it accomplishes your requirements.

How do you decide when to use the P7800 and D600? If I was to buy an advanced compact, I'd probably end up using that more than my D610 just because its so much smaller, lighter and easier to carry so I'd bring it with me heck a lot more than my DSLR.

 

[astroNikon]

I bought a P7800 and use that a lot.
It was much more useful than my Nikon d7000 which just sat around doing nothing as I use the D600.
So I sold the D7000.
It all depends upon what you need something for, how you use it, and if it accomplishes your requirements.

How do you decide when to use the P7800 and D600? If I was to buy an advanced compact, I'd probably end up using that more than my D610 just because its so much smaller, lighter and easier to carry so I'd bring it with me heck a lot more than my DSLR.

Simple

D600 - sports, aircraft/bird, car shows, portraits, etc

P7800 ... always in my car / pocket. Quick morning sunrises, landscapes, quick images of misc things. Kids around the house, outside etc.

More of a "convenience" use camera rather than a specific use camera.
Of course my cell phone can also come into play but I cannot control Aperture / Shutter/ ISO on it.

Once I started using it it became very evident on the "boundaries". Of course, it uses the Nikon CLS and I can attach the same flashses to it to expand it's boundaries a bit.

But I now have the extremes for DOF. a Small sensor for large DOF and the FF for small DOF. Sometimes I need large DOF for general things and a great little camere for quick video stuff and my kids to use.

 

[Vtec44]

I have way too many lenses I don't use, 10.5 2.8 fisheye, 105 2.8 VR macro, 35mm 1.4G, 85mm f1.4G, 16-28 f2.8. They're all sitting there stored away. I don't need money now, so it doesn't bother me having them just sitting there. Once in a while if I have the time then I'll use a few of them. If not, no biggie.

 

[Derrel]

I think you need to start trying to think about this issue as an older person would. If you truly want to have a capability that a specialty tool offers, then you need to either own that tool, borrow it, or rent it, otherwise you'll need to skip or miss opportunities. You're looking at the lens as money spent, not as opportunities is allows you to capture properly. It's a lot like many other tools: if you drink wine in corked bottles a few times a year, you need a corkscrew, even though you do not use one every single day, or even every week. Same thing with a pizza stone...you probably do not use one every day. Same with a tire jack...you probably will only have one flat tire per year--but your likely carry the jack and spare tire in the car 24/7. Why not get rid of both the spare tire and the jack?

I guess what I'm saying is this: you need a mental re-set to get rid of the worries you're having. But then again, you stated that you're not even sure you want a Nikon anyhow, so...obviously you've got cognitive issues troubling you as to what your idealized photo outfit consists of...maybe you would be happier with something else, like the Fuji, for smaller camera size, more portability, and a different "look" to your camera, something more sporty, less camera-nut-like?

I've seen this type of worry among many younger people, the tendency to look at an expensive lens as "money sitting around", instead of "capability just waiting to be exploited". It's a mindset. The better way to look at lenses is as sunk costs....buy it once, KEEP IT for your lifetime. Or, if it's something you will use occasionally, buy a USED one, so you're not always having a form of buyer's remorse on a $700 lens purchase. Or, buy a much less-expensive choice, like say a used Tokina 100/2.8 AT-X macro, so you have a lot,lot less cash invested in having that capability. SOmehow, you need to either reconcile the competing thoughts of money sitting around and capability just waiting to be exploited. Or, perhaps you really don't even want or need a macro lens or the capability to do macro work, and you really want something else.

 

[goodguy]

I'll be honest here...lately..I've been thinking about selling my camera and lenses and doing something completely different, like maybe getting the Fuji X-Pro 2 and a few nice Fuji lenses. But I don't know if it would be a smart decision or not.

Those are nice cameras and Fuji lenses are excellent.
You will loose more then a full stop in low light performance though moving from FF to APS-C.

You can do what I did, get a small DX camera, my D3300 is small and with the 50mm 1.8 which is always on it is a nice little package.
Low light performance and IQ should be very close to the Fuji, it is also much much cheaper then the X-Pro II but one thing I must admit the Fuji is VERY sexy looking!!!

 

[nerwin]

I think you need to start trying to think about this issue as an older person would. If you truly want to have a capability that a specialty tool offers, then you need to either own that tool, borrow it, or rent it, otherwise you'll need to skip or miss opportunities. You're looking at the lens as money spent, not as opportunities is allows you to capture properly. It's a lot like many other tools: if you drink wine in corked bottles a few times a year, you need a corkscrew, even though you do not use one every single day, or even every week. Same thing with a pizza stone...you probably do not use one every day. Same with a tire jack...you probably will only have one flat tire per year--but your likely carry the jack and spare tire in the car 24/7. Why not get rid of both the spare tire and the jack?

I guess what I'm saying is this: you need a mental re-set to get rid of the worries you're having. But then again, you stated that you're not even sure you want a Nikon anyhow, so...obviously you've got cognitive issues troubling you as to what your idealized photo outfit consists of...maybe you would be happier with something else, like the Fuji, for smaller camera size, more portability, and a different "look" to your camera, something more sporty, less camera-nut-like?

I've seen this type of worry among many younger people, the tendency to look at an expensive lens as "money sitting around", instead of "capability just waiting to be exploited". It's a mindset. The better way to look at lenses is as sunk costs....buy it once, KEEP IT for your lifetime. Or, if it's something you will use occasionally, buy a USED one, so you're not always having a form of buyer's remorse on a $700 lens purchase. Or, buy a much less-expensive choice, like say a used Tokina 100/2.8 AT-X macro, so you have a lot,lot less cash invested in having that capability. SOmehow, you need to either reconcile the competing thoughts of money sitting around and capability just waiting to be exploited. Or, perhaps you really don't even want or need a macro lens or the capability to do macro work, and you really want something else.

I love your wisdom Derrel.

I definitely need a mental reset. I'm almost thinking it might be in my best interest to perhaps sell the 105 because I can't stop thinking about it and use the money to buy a decent compact camera in which I would be more inclined to bring with me rather than completely change systems because I know, I'll shoot myself in the foot if I was to part with my full frame dslr. I don't know.

 

[astroNikon]

 

[nerwin]

I clicked on it, but didn't do anything.

 

[astroNikon]

This photo I took while out on a walk as I had the P7800 in my pocket. Would I have ran back home and grabbed my DLSR .. NO

20151121_test-1 by Steve Sklar, on Flickr

... or this one of my daughter on the iPad. It wasn't at my house ... no access to my DSLR but the P7800 was in my jacket pocket in another room.
20151124_Test1-1 by Steve Sklar, on Flickr

The "convenience" of my little P7800 trumps the DSLR for convenience shots. The P7800 has full manual controls which let's me set the exposure. I tried this first with my cell phone and it was junk.

The IQ of this thing isn't the greatest by comparison but I found the APS-C compact cameras DOF lacking (needed more) and this little camera fit the functions well for what I was looking for.

 

[nerwin]

This photo I took while out on a walk as I had the P7800 in my pocket. Would I have ran back home and grabbed my DLSR .. NO

20151121_test-1 by Steve Sklar, on Flickr

... or this one of my daughter on the iPad. It wasn't at my house ... no access to my DSLR but the P7800 was in my jacket pocket in another room.
20151124_Test1-1 by Steve Sklar, on Flickr

The "convenience" of my little P7800 trumps the DSLR for convenience shots. The P7800 has full manual controls which let's me set the exposure. I tried this first with my cell phone and it was junk.

Exactly why I've been thinking selling the 105 and picking up a decent compact camera and even perhaps getting a used 60 2.8G and selling the 50 1.8 and then picking up the 35 f/2 again. Hahaha.

 

[astroNikon]

I clicked on it, but didn't do anything.

Use your head to hit the screen.
Sooner or later you'll reset ...

 

[jcdeboever]

I agree with Derrel. Additionally, here is what I do, each camera has a specific use for me...

Film: K1000 is for specialty B & W vintage shoots, 28mm and 50mm primes. Airesflex TLR medium format for vintage B & W tractor and car shows. Canon T70 is for Macro, and color work with vintage appeal. 28mm, 50mm, 100mm w/1:1 tube. Nikon N75 28-105mm B & W architectural and B & W family gatherings. Holga's are for goofing around while on any shoot. Canon Sure Shot Supreme (color) and Rollei Prego 140 (B & W) point & shoots are for high crime area street shooting like Detroit as an example. Another example, if I go to a tractor show, now I am going to grab my K1000, Airesflex, Holga, and throw in the Prego for a total B & W shoot. I bag (which I got to get).

Digital: Nikon Coolpix P7100 is my travel / vacation / in the vehicle camera. Nikon D3300 is for portrait, birding, sports, and family gatherings. I use a 35mm & 85 primes for candid /portraits / landscape, 17-50mm 2.8 walk-around, 55-300mm (outdoor sports games), and a 150-600mm for birding & air shows.

 

[nerwin]

Are those coolpix P7xxx cameras really that good?

 

[vintagesnaps]

Usually I'd ask what is it that you can't do with what you have? or what is it that you want to do and can't with what you have? But this sounds more like you have a lens you realize you hardly use, so is it worth keeping it?

I do too JC, use different cameras for different things. I think a compact can be limiting but can be an option to take along at times. I have a mirrorless digital so it is fairly compact with a shorter lens and I use that more than a p&s because the quality is sometimes so-so and options are more limiting compared to an SLR.

It just depends on where I'm going and how I'll be using it what camera I take along. If I'm doing Polaroids I have a different look or purpose in mind than when I want a nice sharp lens and an SLR or rangefinder - and it even depends which of those I'd use depending on what I'm going to photograph.

Looking at your Flickr page I'd say keep doing what you're doing, and it doesn't really matter what camera you use. (And this is OT but while many of your photos are nice but not necessarily out of the ordinary, I saw some gems in there; I'd suggest if you haven't yet to be thinking about a portfolio, how to protect your work, etc.)

 

[jcdeboever]

Are those coolpix P7xxx cameras really that good?

I love mine, excellent IQ full manual capable. Astro has the next model up and @oldhippie uses the newer Coolpix for some cool work. Fixed lens though.

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