How to save up for equipment?

usayit · Apr 13, 2012

Best Buy is putting themselves out of business.. much more so than Amazon.

Mach0 · Apr 13, 2012

usayit said:
Best Buy is putting themselves out of business.. much more so than Amazon.

Oh well. I don't shop there anyway lol

480sparky · Apr 13, 2012

Sad state of affairs when 99% of the population will spend their money based solely on the price of the products offered as opposed to spending their money where they are treated well. Welcome to WalMarting!

Railphotog · Apr 13, 2012

Since I am a retired hobby photographer, this isn't currently relevant for me. But we all needed to start somewhere. Bought my first decent film camera before I was married, thank goodness. Being married with two children fairly soon didn't really allow much money for new gear from my salary. I was fortunate to be able to make money from my photos early on, taking and selling photos at area drag race tracks, later at a stock car track. Combined my interest in motorsports with photography. So with the bit of cash I made selling photos over the years I upgraded many times, trading in my cameras like you could at the time, to buy newer ones.

I started doing part time wedding photography, and some of the funds from this paid for more gear. I later got back into a previous hobby and submitted photos and articles to hobby magazines, and I was quite successful. Payments from these again helped me buy newer gear that I wanted.

All of my most recent purchases for digital (other than the cameras) have been from the used market, items I bought used I would not have been able to buy new. We have online market place Kijiji here in Canada, something similar to Craigslist (it's owned by eBay), and I've found some great deals in the past few years, and have also been able to sell off my older stuff.

So I think it's a matter of finding ways to make extra money to pay for one's toys if your salary cannot afford much beyond what it is needed to maintain a household and raise a family. I know I've made more on photography than I've spent, so I'm pleased!

Mach0 · Apr 13, 2012

480sparky said:
Sad state of affairs when 99% of the population will spend their money based solely on the price of the products offered as opposed to spending their money where they are treated well. Welcome to WalMarting!

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKv6RcXa2UI

I use amazon for a couple of things that I'm in no rush for but I only deal with three stores aside from that. Why? Because service is good. Same thing with my tailor. They are 30 minutes away from me and I will only go to them. I've been going to them for 12 years. Why? They take care of me. Certain things are worth the few extra bucks. You are correct. It's sad.

RedVixen81 · Apr 13, 2012

2WheelPhoto said:
RedVixen81 said:

i know that my equipment was not as expensive as others, and yes i may have got it thru best buy, but that in no way makes me a pro.. i only got it from there because the company i work for has a rewards program where we can choose a gift card from up to 200 merchants.. and i had about $435 that i earned and that helped cover most of the expense...

Click to expand...

Some of us rib bestbuy because of some of the "instant pro's" that walk out of the store with a new DSLR, not because bestbuy doesn't sell good stuff =)

i know what you mean and i can attest that i am NOT one of those "instant pro's", but i do know some people that are like that.

480sparky · Apr 13, 2012

Mach0 said:
I use amazon for a couple of things that I'm in no rush for but I only deal with three stores aside from that. Why? Because service is good. Same thing with my tailor. They are 30 minutes away from me and I will only go to them. I've been going to them for 12 years. Why? They take care of me. Certain things are worth the few extra bucks. You are correct. It's sad.

A few months back, I went I was in my local camera store to get a sensor cleaning kit. The salesperson went to the shelf, and said, "Let's see,.... you've got Nikon crop sensors, don't you? They're both DX, correct?" Turns out, they had cleaning kits, but different SKUs to clean different sized sensors.... the actual cleaning pads are sized to a specific sensor. No way in he11 would BestBuy ever remember the camera I bought 4 years ago, or the one I purchased last spring!

Two weeks ago, I was back in, ordering an enlargement and shooting the breeze. I commented about how I'm in the market for a macro lens. We went over to their used Nikon gear case, and he pulled out a 105mm f/2.8 AF-D Micro Nikkor. Mint condition, mechanics felt fine, optics looked clean. So I went home, did some innernets research, then went back that afternoon to buy it.

While in the store with my camera trying it out, they asked me if I'd like to take it home for a 'test drive'. I was floored. They just wrote up an invoice with the lens, serial #, my name & phone number and asked me to sign it. I then walked out with the lens....... without spending a dime. After some bench-testing, I went back and paid for it a few days later.

The 'big-box' stores would never never never never do that.

kundalini · Apr 13, 2012

My local camera shop, well.... the better of the three, will price match Adorama and B&H.

2WheelPhoto · Apr 13, 2012

kundalini said:
My local camera shop, well.... the better of the three, will price match Adorama and B&H.

I wish mine would 100%, the TAXES and lack of student discounts kill me at my local store but i still throw them some business occasionally.

Mach0 · Apr 13, 2012

I wish my local had more inventory. They aren't that big. They carry a lot of Promaster stuff. I would like a little more variety.

rexbobcat · Apr 13, 2012

My local store doesn't carry anything. And their prices are fairly high compared to what you can buy online

jwbryson1 · Apr 13, 2012

ItsssRyne said:
Haha cool. Anything short of whoring yourself out to 1000 fat chicks for 50 bucks helps.

Looking to make a lot of friends in this forum?

IByte · Apr 13, 2012

I'm in one of those situations where I have three hobbies to maintain. I have computer equipment to upgrade and maintain. I buy gym equipment so I no longer have to pay for a gym membership which saving me 4-500 yearly. Lastly is photography, which isn't too bad since I have a good body and a couple of good lenses. I save by gift cards X-mas, birthdays, father's day. I also sell old equipment to save up for new. I buy what's practical, I still don't own a tablet.

IByte · Apr 13, 2012

usayit said:
Best Buy is putting themselves out of business.. much more so than Amazon.

I bought my 70-300 mm lens from Best Buy, and in all honestly it was very little difference 586 on B&H having to wait a few days, or Best Buy 589 and picked it up the sameday. BestBuy has its place, and I think if people do research before they shop there it would better experience.

analog.universe · Apr 13, 2012

IByte said:
usayit said:

Best Buy is putting themselves out of business.. much more so than Amazon.

Click to expand...

I bought my 70-300 mm lens from Best Buy, and in all honestly it was very little difference 586 on B&H having to wait a few days, or Best Buy 589 and picked it up the sameday. BestBuy has its place, and I think if people do research before they shop there it would better experience.

The difference is that when you ask questions at B&H they actually know what a 70-300 is. Hey, the person you speak to might even own a camera and have shot a few pictures. Best Buy's business model and payroll structure makes it essentially impossible for them to hire skilled employees.