Pure's Mega Thread [so he can stop making threads]

[Pure]

So, many things to talk about.

Referring to:
http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...ws-reviews/147017-wow-what-luck-new-lens.html
Thanks to the fantastic moving company in Chicago where my cousin lives, they lost about 1/2 a truck of his stuff while transferring it to another truck when the first broke down. As far as he can tell, he lost his camera gear, a bose sound dock, some clothing, some lamps and lights, and a bunch of other stuff. Unfortunately only his camera gear was insured and hes going to use the money for his graduate school tuition, damn.

So now I'm SOL for that nice 24-70 he was holding for me.

HOWEVER THERE IS A PLUS SIDE!

Now I've got $1000 to spend on some gear, plus some more money that I'll be getting from a CD that has been held in my name for that past 17 years from my grandma! Gotta love the grandma.

Here were a few of my ideas?

Lenses
-I need a good wide angle to mid range lens like a 17-55mm
-Thinking about selling my mint 80-200mm and buying the 70-200mm
-Maybe a prime?
-Macro?

Tripods
-I don't have one. [This is bad.]

Monopod
-I do a lot of sports shooting, I could always use a good monopod.

Light Kits
-I really need umbrella(s), stand(s), and other bracket(s)

Triggers
-The new TTL PW's look real nice.

Flashes
-Could always use some flashes, maybe an alienbee or two or maybe some SB-600's?

Filters
-I've only got a crappy UV filter in use strictly for protecting the lens when NOT in use.
-Could use a good UV and CPOL [Although pointless without a nice wide angle?]

Teleconverters
-Could always use more length on my tele for wildlife?



Sorry if this is too much.

 

[Overread]

wowow hold your horses
I think first you really have to shorten that list down a lot and be more specific in what your after. If you try to get it all with the money you will end up with some really cheap (and generally rubbishy) kit.
So first you (yes you) have to work out what one thing from that list you really want - which item will expand your photoraphy or which item are you lacking is holding you back.

Then we can start to talk models and kit - otherwise you will just get bombarded with suggestions and not know where to start

 

[AlexColeman]

Well, if you want FF, look at the 17-35. Or the 16-85 DX, or the 24-70 FX.
The 70-200 will blow you away, it is amazing.
Maybe 55Xprob or 190Xprob, with the 222 joystick head.
Bogen/manfrooto makes a great monopod.
Check out those.

 

[JerryPH]

I see a LOT of talk, but little hard research being done. I see someone running around in 20 different directions and getting nowhere fast.

Your ultimate thread is the direction of an ultimate let-down for you.

I've been here for 1.5 years, gone through 2 camera bodies, 7 lenses, 6 light stands, 6 umbrellas, 3 triggers, 9 receivers, 3 strobes, 1 backdrop and a crap load of accessories. In that time, have you *ever* seen me start a post about "what should I do" or "what should I buy"?

No, and you never will. You see, this place is great, filled with tons of fantastic people, unfortunately NONE of them know my needs better than me and none of them will do the research that I *should* be doing for myself.

Now I've got $1000 to spend on some gear, plus some more money that I'll be getting from a CD that has been held in my name for that past 17 years from my grandma!


Lenses
-I need a good wide angle to mid range lens like a 17-55mm $600
-Thinking about selling my mint 80-200mm and buying the 70-200mm $200-500
-Maybe a prime? $600
-Macro? $600

Tripods
-I don't have one. [This is bad.] $500

Monopod
-I do a lot of sports shooting, I could always use a good monopod. $100

Light Kits
-I really need umbrella(s), stand(s), and other bracket(s) 4-light setup $1000-$2000 or more you could go Prophoto and spend $25,000 and still not have all their equipment!

Triggers
-The new TTL PW's look real nice. 4-light setup $900 on top of the fact that for Nikons, they are not due out for several months, after which any smart person will wait until they work out the bugs, another several months.

Flashes
-Could always use some flashes, maybe an alienbee or two or maybe some SB-600's? Part of 4-light setup.

Filters
-I've only got a crappy UV filter in use strictly for protecting the lens when NOT in use.
-Could use a good UV and CPOL [Although pointless without a nice wide angle?] $200-$300/lens... how many lenses do you have?

Teleconverters
-Could always use more length on my tele for wildlife?
$300-500, but bottom line is that if you are starting from a cheap lens you will get poor results AT BEST.

The $ amounts are loose approximations, some err on the higher side, some much lower. I did not calculate it, but I see a crap-load of cash being tossed out the window.

Do you want some advice? Here it is:
Take that money you got from your grandmother and learn about where to reinvest it for your future. Get serious about this now... EVERY penny of it. Next, learn how to earn a good salary at a good job and *then* research, save for, and purchase the things that you want as toys.

I will be totally honest with you and say that I personally, get no greater satisfaction than finding something that I like, researching the heck out of it to be *sure* it is the BEST in that area and is exactly what I want, then working to save for that item and buying it with money that I earned and worked hard for. Really, it is *so* rewarding! Do it this way, and you shall never feel buyer's remorse... I promise.

There are major loops in your thought process here, and you need to have someone push your shoulders and bring your feet back down to reality. Let me give you an easy example:

" -Thinking about selling my mint 80-200mm and buying the 70-200mm "
- What are *all* the differences between the 80-200 and the 70-200?
- Are these differences majorly important to you?
- How much is this "upgrade" going to cost you? Is this worth it???
- Have you thoroughly surpassed the abilities of the 80-200 so that the advantages of the 70-200 will take you further in your photography?

Not to be insulting, but I am willing to bet that your knowledge/experience/abilities are the greater limiting factors, not this lens. This is how you need to be thinking about EACH AND EVERY item, right down to the batteries you put in your speedlights!

I also sincerely feel that just becuase someone is giving you some money is no reason to go blow the whole wad like a child in a candy store stuffing themselves until they get sick. If you want adult toys... start thinking like an adult... and at this point, at the VERY least you have a sh!t-load of research and studying to do, even if you don't take any other piece of my advice.

You basically don't even have a direction... start with that! :er:

 

[LuckySo-n-So]

JerryPH

 

[kundalini]

:lmao:

...and I use to think my old man rode my a$$......

I'd love to spend your money, but you are young and Jerry is right about re-investing the money for your future. $1000 and whatever the CD is valued at (since you don't say, I'm guessing an equal portion) is a drop in the ocean. Hindsight truely is 20/20 vision.

 

[Pure]

I didn't create this thread to list everything I want to buy with the money, just IDEAS.

First of all, that $1000 was originally saved for a lens anyway, and with investment vehicles in the toilet right now, there's no point in dumping my money in an account that I cannot touch for a few years when it won't earn me that much. And saying "use a smaller term CD" is just stupid because the return is even smaller.

And while yes, investing in my future is important, I'm already placing a large portion of the CD back into a different account which has a better rate. So basically I'm looking at $1700 as a budget.

For one second ignore the fact that I'm young. I know the value of a dollar, I'm not a spoiled kid. I worked my ass off at best buy to buy all my gear.


I've got a few ideas where I want to spend the money, but I didn't really finish this thread before I posted it.

I see a LOT of talk, but little hard research being done. I see someone running around in 20 different directions and getting nowhere fast.

Your ultimate thread is the direction of an ultimate let-down for you.

I've been here for 1.5 years, gone through 2 camera bodies, 7 lenses, 6 light stands, 6 umbrellas, 3 triggers, 9 receivers, 3 strobes, 1 backdrop and a crap load of accessories. In that time, have you *ever* seen me start a post about "what should I do" or "what should I buy"?

No, and you never will. You see, this place is great, filled with tons of fantastic people, unfortunately NONE of them know my needs better than me and none of them will do the research that I *should* be doing for myself.

That's cool.

The $ amounts are loose approximations, some err on the higher side, some much lower. I did not calculate it, but I see a crap-load of cash being tossed out the window.

Do you want some advice? Here it is:
Take that money you got from your grandmother and learn about where to reinvest it for your future. Get serious about this now... EVERY penny of it. Next, learn how to earn a good salary at a good job and *then* research, save for, and purchase the things that you want as toys.

I will be totally honest with you and say that I personally, get no greater satisfaction than finding something that I like, researching the heck out of it to be *sure* it is the BEST in that area and is exactly what I want, then working to save for that item and buying it with money that I earned and worked hard for. Really, it is *so* rewarding! Do it this way, and you shall never feel buyer's remorse... I promise.

When I first purchased my first "real" camera, my D90, I spent days on the internet looking at camera bodies; during school, at home, and at work. I spent too many hours at the camera store, I held EVERY camera, too many lenses, and every other camera widget. During this whole process, I came here and asked for opinions on the gear and my decisions. Along with some 40 websites, tpf, and my local camera store, I made my decision to buy what I did. I didn't just jump in. My original thread was just under 100 posts long from a ton of people including myself.

Trust me, I'm happy with every purchase that I've made. I don't have buyer's remorse.

Sure I could invest this money, but I'd have to leave it alone for ages to even make a small amount. With the economy tanking, and rates low, it would take forever to get a reasonable return.

I'm already putting a large portion of the CD into an account my parents have had setup for years and that has a good rate on it. So it isn't like I'm dumping all my money into gear, I know how to save and spend wisely.

There are major loops in your thought process here, and you need to have someone push your shoulders and bring your feet back down to reality. Let me give you an easy example:

" -Thinking about selling my mint 80-200mm and buying the 70-200mm "
- What are *all* the differences between the 80-200 and the 70-200?
- Are these differences majorly important to you?
- How much is this "upgrade" going to cost you? Is this worth it???
- Have you thoroughly surpassed the abilities of the 80-200 so that the advantages of the 70-200 will take you further in your photography?

Not to be insulting, but I am willing to bet that your knowledge/experience/abilities are the greater limiting factors, not this lens. This is how you need to be thinking about EACH AND EVERY item, right down to the batteries you put in your speedlights!

This was just an idea I threw out there.

I also sincerely feel that just becuase someone is giving you some money is no reason to go blow the whole wad like a child in a candy store stuffing themselves until they get sick. If you want adult toys... start thinking like an adult... and at this point, at the VERY least you have a sh!t-load of research and studying to do, even if you don't take any other piece of my advice.

You basically don't even have a direction... start with that! :er:

Like I said, I'm not blowing it all on gear. The $1000 is my own money I've saved that was originally for a lens anyway. The other money is only a portion of money from my grandma, the rest is going into an account that my parents have setup already with a good rate.

Seriously, I know I'm a 17 year old kid, but my parents actually raised me right. I work hard, and I save and then spend wisely, I don't just throw money out the window.


I'm not even looking to spend the money for awhile, I just want to know what ideas are stupid and what are smart. I'm already doing research.




My top ideas right now include a tripod and panning head, and a flash stand/umbrella/bracket.


I'm not trying to be a wise ass or anything, I appreciate any comments you have but I'm not stupid. I do my research, and I do way ore than necessary, but I know what is right to do.

 

[Overread]

hmm You list a macro lens so for the tripod you want one that will got down to low heights well. My view is that I am not much of a fan of the newer manfrotto design tripods with the horizontal centre column. Not only is the column not that strong if not located right near the base of the tripod, but also you either need a rightangle adaptor or else your tripod head will always be in the portrate postion - which can be limiting for your abilty to alter angles.
The Gitzo tripods are top range, but also top prices and appear to have a better thought out centre column setup. Aside from that you could look to older manfrotto models with the removable centre column design.

Past that your looking at a panning head only? That is going to be very limiting for positioning - better would be a 3way head as then you have full 3 axis adjustments availible to you. A panning head is good with something like a ballhead or pistol grip head where you don't have the ability to move only in one axis at at time (though higher range ballheads do have this option - some even ahve built in panning heads)

 

[Pure]

hmm You list a macro lens so for the tripod you want one that will got down to low heights well. My view is that I am not much of a fan of the newer manfrotto design tripods with the horizontal centre column. Not only is the column not that strong if not located right near the base of the tripod, but also you either need a rightangle adaptor or else your tripod head will always be in the portrate postion - which can be limiting for your abilty to alter angles.
The Gitzo tripods are top range, but also top prices and appear to have a better thought out centre column setup. Aside from that you could look to older manfrotto models with the removable centre column design.

Past that your looking at a panning head only? That is going to be very limiting for positioning - better would be a 3way head as then you have full 3 axis adjustments availible to you. A panning head is good with something like a ballhead or pistol grip head where you don't have the ability to move only in one axis at at time (though higher range ballheads do have this option - some even ahve built in panning heads)

The macro was rally just a stupid idea, I just like it, but a macro lens in not in my near future.

As for the head, whoops. I meant 3 way.

 

[Overread]

still its a consideration - more than macro is done at low level heights (though its one of the most common users of such heights) and a good tripod (manfrotto or gitzo) should easily last you decades - heck it could well outlast you if treated and used correctly! So putting good longer term thought into it is a good consideration.
better a $300 one now than two $200 ones over time.

 

[Pure]

I was looking at spending a good $400-$500 on a tripod + 3 way head that could support a fair amount of weight, and won't weight a ton so I can travel with it.

 

[Overread]

weight with tripods is a tricky thing
on the one hand a good heavy tripod is far more stable, less likley to shake in wind or because of a heavy lens.
on the other hand a light tripod is much easier to transport around, but being lighter is less good at supporting heavier loads and also can be affected by wind causing shake. One can counter this by hanging thier back off the tripod for more weight and more stabilty.

 

[kundalini]

Good on you for being wise with the CD money.

Right, so you have the 80-200mm len and no primes. The 50mm lens is all the rage, but I much prefer my 35mm f/3 to the 50mm 1.8. Personal preference only. I also have the 85mm f/1.8 lens, but slightly regret for not biting the bullet on the f/1.4 Cream Machine. Just got a copy of the 105 f/2.8 VR micro and in limited use, am very impressed.

Don't have a tripod or filters. Go on... get yourself some. I have the Manfrotto 055XPROB legs and 488RC4 + 322RC2 heads. I prefer the 322 now. The CF legs would have been a bonus, but maybe next time for me. Don't forget to add in the cost for a remote shutter release (wired or wireless). For filters, get yourself a multicoated CPL. My call is B+W, but apparently Hoya has some decent ones also.