Sticker shock, photography hobby is expensive, $20,000 lens??

[Thunder_o_b]

gee, have none of you guys clicked onto the link I provided? Your really missing out on a good laugh. Not to mention the reason we all spend so much money on a lens.

Go back up to the top of the page and click on the link, if you want the answer to all your photogaphy needs. It truly is hilarious stuff. It's just a link to amazon, if your a little scared of going to links. No harm, no virus, just the answers to your $20,000.00 lens.

I clicked on it right after you posted it.. Got a smile out of it

 

[jriepe]

I just bought my first new lens. As I was browsing the lenses, I cannot believe lenses for $15-$20,000. Do any of you own these? If so, you must be a professional photographer for NFL football, haha!!

The most money I've spent for a lens if I remember correctly is around $700 for the Nikon 18-200, my Tamron 70-300 was somewhere around $450 and I have a few other lenses. I'm happy with the lenses I have and am not lusting for a six to ten thousand lens. Some fishermen want a $30,000 bass boat while others are content to sit on the river bank. The reason I don't have expensive lenses is by choice and not because I don't have the means to purchase them. I could also own an FX camera instead of a DX but I choose not to. So what I'm saying to you is if you are throughly enjoying your hobby with the equipment you have then be happy with that and don't feel bad that you can't afford a lens that sells for an astronomical price. It's human nature for people to lust after things that are just out of reach but fortunately I am not one of those people. I'm enjoying my D7000 and my mediocre lenses and don't feel a need at the moment for anything else. I shoot a lot of macro and even my old D80 handles that well. Before I purchased my first DSLR I was getting some nice images from my 5mp Sony DSC-H1. Take care and happy shooting.

Jerry

 

[kundalini]

.....Oh gosh, even if you took all blurry photos, much better than the drug habit

 

[2WheelPhoto]

If you even think this hobby is expensive, give motorcycle racing/track days a try.

 

[RichardsTPF]

When people enjoy spending energy, time and $(sometimes $$$$$) on a non-profitable subject, we call it a hobby. My own poor English definition on hobby.
$ or $$$$$, it all depend on what we want to shoot and what goal to achieve. As long as we don't need to sell our kids or waste our future for it, HAVE FUN.

 

[rexbobcat]

If you even think this hobby is expensive, give motorcycle racing/track days a try.

No kidding. I have a friend who races as a hobby in Australia. Apparently it's almost ungodly expensive over there.

 

[Vtec44]

If you even think this hobby is expensive, give motorcycle racing/track days a try.

I did for 8 years until I ran out of money. So now I'm back to photography.

 

[Netskimmer]

I can't believe no one has mentioned the Cannon "cinema" lenses yet. These aren't some rare antique collectable lenses, Canon has a whole line of them comming out.

Canon CN-E 14.5-60mm T2.6 L S Cinema Zoom Lens 6141B002 B&H

 

[BlairWright]

"Expensive" is relative, 20 grand isn't that much money to some people but it's a year's salary to others. Just depends on your circumstances.

 

[jriepe]

"Expensive" is relative, 20 grand isn't that much money to some people but it's a year's salary to others. Just depends on your circumstances.

Absolutely true. There are many multi-millionaires in this country where $20,000 would be pocket change. I'm not one of those who can afford all the luxuries of life but I've learned to accept and appreciate what I can afford and I'm not going to deny my daughter a college education because I felt I needed every new toy that came out. Not a day goes by that I'm not thankful for the life I have and it is FAR from luxurious. But also better than the life of those who are less fortunate.

I've always wondered if I won say sixty million dollars in a lottery that would afford me to buy the best of anything I wanted if I would appreciate those material things as much as someone who had to pinch pennies and sacrifice for the material things they want. Guess I'll never find out since I don't purchase lottery tickets. If I knew the world was REALLY going to end Dec. 20th of this year I would place an order for the D4.

Jerry

 

[Infinite_Day]

"Expensive" is relative, 20 grand isn't that much money to some people but it's a year's salary to others. Just depends on your circumstances.

Absolutely true. There are many multi-millionaires in this country where $20,000 would be pocket change. I'm not one of those who can afford all the luxuries of life but I've learned to accept and appreciate what I can afford and I'm not going to deny my daughter a college education because I felt I needed every new toy that came out. Not a day goes by that I'm not thankful for the life I have and it is FAR from luxurious. But also better than the life of those who are less fortunate.

I've always wondered if I won say sixty million dollars in a lottery that would afford me to buy the best of anything I wanted if I would appreciate those material things as much as someone who had to pinch pennies and sacrifice for the material things they want. Guess I'll never find out since I don't purchase lottery tickets. If I knew the world was REALLY going to end Dec. 20th of this year I would place an order for the D4.

Jerry

Very well said. I've always had a list of charities, etc. I would donate a lot of money to if I ever won the lottery. I don't buy tickets either, however, so that's not ever going to actually happen! I buy a scratch-oof lottery ticket about twice a year and never win anything. I figure, with my luck, I'm better off saving the money because I'll get more use out of it that way. My life is also far from luxurious but we save and skrimp all year so that we can take one really nice vacation for two weeks. Makes all the sacrifices worth it. I'll never be the guy who can shell out $20K on equipment and think it's pocket change.

 

[Dao]

I thought photography hobby was expensive. Well, it all changed after my daughter was born.

 

[usayit]

I thought photography hobby was expensive. Well, it all changed after my daughter was born.

No Kidding!!! Glad I bought all the expensive stuff I wanted prior to my son's birth.


Guys... Don't forget there are people who can spend $20k on something but not be wealthy and still need to save. I had a friend who criticized me on my camera equipment... being that I have a tough time walking away from a debate, I proceeded to list out his purchases I see. Starting with his car (3x cost of mine), house (2x mine), cloths (2x mine), etc.. In the end, I proved to him that he is actually more frivolous with his earnings. Once again, I proved the 1 rule I try to stick to when it comes to expenses:

Buy Many Cheap things.

Buy a Few Expensive things.

NEVER buy Many Expensive things.


Its easy to focus on the one expensive item that a person chooses to purchase and loose sight of the whole picture.

 

[luvmyfamily]

.....Oh gosh, even if you took all blurry photos, much better than the drug habit

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:lmao:

 

[jriepe]

I thought photography hobby was expensive. Well, it all changed after my daughter was born.

No Kidding!!! Glad I bought all the expensive stuff I wanted prior to my son's birth.


Guys... Don't forget there are people who can spend $20k on something but not be wealthy and still need to save. I had a friend who criticized me on my camera equipment... being that I have a tough time walking away from a debate, I proceeded to list out his purchases I see. Starting with his car (3x cost of mine), house (2x mine), cloths (2x mine), etc.. In the end, I proved to him that he is actually more frivolous with his earnings. Once again, I proved the 1 rule I try to stick to when it comes to expenses:

Buy Many Cheap things.

Buy a Few Expensive things.

NEVER buy Many Expensive things.




Its easy to focus on the one expensive item that a person chooses to purchase and loose sight of the whole picture.

That is so true. I may have three to four thousand dollars of photo equipment which isn't much to real photographers but may seem exorbitant to non photographers but on a yearly basis I spend zero dollars on tobacco, zero dollars on alcohol and very few dollars on eating out. I sometimes wonder about people who think nothing of running into Starbucks on a daily basis spending $5.00 or more for coffee when I can buy a can of coffee from the local grocery store for $12.00 that lasts me an entire month. For some reason spending $12.00 per month for coffee seems more reasonable than spending $150. Even if I were a drinker I would have to think twice before purchasing a bottle of beer at a major league baseball game for $7.50. Ouch! So as you said people need to look at the whole picture.

Jerry