Suggestions? No lens, no money.

[Chiuy]

What would you do if you're a high school student with no money and couldn't afford any lenses beside the cheap basic 75-300mm, 18-55mm, and the 50mm?

I really like photography and wish to take it to the next level by using more expensive lenses to do more stuff, such as macro lenses and wide angle lenses. I'm also the best photography in my school. Only problem is, I'm just a kid and I can't get a job cause I'm taking 5 AP Classes which kills a lot of my time. (I don't sleep till 1:30am)


So, if you were in my position, what would you do? And no, my parents will not buy me the lenses.
Is there any contests to win any lenses, camera, etc?
I'm using a Canon XSi Rebel.
(No, I don't want to use those cheap adapter to make my standard lenses into a 0.45x wide angle lens, they really do suck in my opinion)

Or... wait 6+ years later till I get a real job then I can start affording the lenses? haha

 

[KmH]

I would open a savings account, and put the money I spend on soda pop, fast food, movies, and any other non-essential items in the bank.

While that was going on and I was accumulating $$$'s, I would be studying the used lens market. As the price of new lenses goes up, so does the price of used lenses.

You could look for distressed camea gear sales. Sometimes people don't know the real value of what they are selling and have it under-priced. When you find gear priced that way you can buy it - and flip it for a profit. Buy low-sell high. Instead of making 1 big jump to better glass, take smaller steps by incrementally upgrading your lenses.

 

[kric2schaam626]

I would open a savings account, and put the money I spend on soda pop, fast food, movies, and any other non-essential items in the bank.

I agree 100%. This is how I saved for my D80 two years ago. Basically decide how much it's worth it to you and put away every penny you can; especially take away the "meaningless spending" (just temporary!) and put it toward that wonderful piece of equipment.

 

[manaheim]

Get a job?

 

[pbelarge]

We live in a "today" world, everyone wants it today. There are many people who go through their adult life without getting what they want. There are others who sacrifice to get what they want. And there are others who work for what they want.
But...so many see what others want and covet it.

Simple advice -
You say your parents won't pay
You are sixteen

Learn to sacrifice and do without until you can afford to purchase what you want. Which means you may need to wait those 6 years. You will be 22 by then. That may seem a long time to you, as you are young and may not yet realize what all of this is about. By the time you are 22 your values will be different then they are now. There will be a day when you look back on all of this and chuckle at your impatience. It will take a life time for that to happen though.

 

[NikonNewbie]

Get a job?

SAY WHAT???? oh that would be the obvious thing right?...
he/she is in school.........classes......doesnt sleep till 130am...what do you expect them do? Phone sex? dorm porn?
OH ...ideas for you lol (I'm totally kidding! don't do what I said!)

 

[o hey tyler]

Quit school/pursue photography full time/get a job/buy lenses/etc.

 

[Jcampbelll]

Sell other things that don't use anymore, ask parents if you can get some money for doing extra chores, do chores for neighbors for money, mow lawns for neighbors, lemonade stand. There is a lot of things you can do to get money. Just if you will sacrifice any free time for it.

 

[IgsEMT]

What would you do if you're a high school student with no money and couldn't afford any lenses beside the cheap basic 75-300mm, 18-55mm, and the 50mm?

There's MORE to photography then 5k body, 2k gladd, 500 flash and another 3grand vs lighting gear. Learn with what you have now and improve your basic skill - exposure and composition. The rest...

 

[Blake.Oney]

Let your parents pay for your lunch and stuff by taking it to school and eventually they will have bought it for you anyway.

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Make a pin hole lens with your body cap. Now go out and be creative with it.

 

[Chiuy]

I can't get a job because I spend 6+ hours every night doing homework after school.
I don't get lunch money because due to my family's income being so low, I was able to apply for the free lunch program. And sadly, I don't get allowance.
And no, I'm not sixteen, I'm actually a senior, and the reason why I said 6+ years it's because I want to major in the biomedical engineering area with all the complexity of chemicals, math, science and computers. =)

I just like photography as a really cool hobby and I want to learn more about it.

I guess I'll have to start saving every little penny I see and look on eBay and to see if I can get some under priced lens and resell them for some profit.

Edit: I'm not asking for a $5000 camera or a $2000 lens, I just want to experiment the different lenses, such as wide angle and macro. Or more importantly, a standard lens with a f/2.8. Then I'll be satisfy with that lens for a long time. And I'm only using a $30 flash which works just as well as a $500 flash in my opinion, but buggy.

 

[Chiuy]

Make a pin hole lens with your body cap. Now go out and be creative with it.

Hey, that's really not a bad idea. Thanks

 

[Derrel]

Shop for lenses on the used market. NOT at the Big Five web sites, where the retail prices are as high as the market will bear, but in podunk shops all up and down the west coast. Two weeks ago, I saw a used Nikkor 200mm f/2 VR, asking price $3,500; that lens new is much,much more expensive. When something really,really "new and awesome" hits the market, many,many amateurs trade in their older lenses in order to raise cash for the next best hot new thing. When the Nikon D100 was the "hot new thing", I picked up eight or nine mint-condition Nikon lenses over about a 18 month period, at absolutely ridiculous, bargain-basement prices, bought on CONSIGNMENT sale from a walk-in shop. One key is consignment sales--the store makes money selling even below the seller's asking price, with ZERO cash outlay...

Do not try and buy from those big-name web sites...look for stores in Portland, Seattle, Kenmore, San Fran, Oakland, San Jose, and San Diego. As well as Craigslist, and your local advertiser-type newspapers like The Nickle Ads.

 

[enzodm]

...
I really like photography and wish to take it to the next level by using more expensive lenses to do more stuff, such as macro lenses and wide angle lenses.
...
So, if you were in my position, what would you do?

If you are 16, your next level is not make a living from photography but learning to be a good photographer. For that, "more expensive lenses" do not help much. Your lens set is more than adequate to learn (and much more than what I had at 24, as poor university student... Zenit + 50mm + 2x teleconverter ) and I think is difficult you already overcome your lens capabilities, unless you take pictures since 3-4 years.
Consider that Cartier-Bresson shot most of his pictures with one fixed lens. If you do not know who he is, one step to next level could be that of looking at the work of Masters of photography.

Anyway, although not perfect, you indeed have a wide angle (18mm) with which you can experiment; a good picture taken with your zoom will not be worst than a bad picture taken with a more expensive lens. By the way, I bet most of people here does not have anything shorter.
Regarding macro, cheapest way is to reverse the lens or, better, use macro rings, just some dollar if bought in China (with some limitation, e.g. no transmission of data, but you may afford some old-style shooting technique). Quality is more than using optical addons, although also optical add-ons let you learn the basics.

This is while you save in usual student style, cutting from other costs.

EDIT: I see you are not 16. What I wrote remains valid, except the note on time spent in photography, of course. What I can add is that if you just want to experiment, a cheap way is also to buy old manual prime lenses and an adapter. A 135/2.8, a 200/3.5, a 28/2.8 with M42 mount can be bought for few dollars, although quality is not always good but sufficient to experiment with fast lenses (manual focus, manual diaphragm...).