What is with all these beginners with $1000+ cameras?

[CanAm]

I'd like to know why all these beginners have super expensive DSLRs.

I've always wondered, what exactly warrants going out and spending 1000 or more dollars on a new camera when you're a beginner?

Not criticizing, just curious... (and a bit jealous )

EDIT- By "1000 dollar camera", I mean just the body, not including lenses and other accessories.

 

[Battou]

I'd like to know why all these beginners have super expensive DSLRs.

I've always wondered, what exactly warrants going out and spending 1000 or more dollars on a new camera when you're a beginner?

Not criticizing, just curious... (and a bit jealous )

Marketers who don't always know what their doing or have little experiance in photography filling the heads of todays beginners that this multi-million dollar setup is what they absolutely have to have to create professional results.

 

[CanAm]

Marketers who don't always know what their doing or have little experiance in photography filling the heads of todays beginners that this multi-million dollar setup is what they absolutely have to have to create professional results.

I hear you on that. I went to a photography store with a buddy that was looking at a 40D (hint: he doesn't need it whatsoever. He'd just be overpaying for what he needs.) and it shocked me when the salesman actually talked him out of the 40D and a Canon L-series lens.

Still though, any other reasons?

 

[Battou]

None that I can think of, well....except Maybe online buying.

To expand on the previous post a little. Ever walk into Wal Mart and peruse their selection of cameras.......well to put it bluntly any P-Shooter you want is likely there however for SLRs be they digital or film all you have to choose from is the most resent of whatever manufacturer.

Walk into Wal-Mart and pick up the Rebel XT on display and ask the clerk "so what are the specks on this baby?" and you will likely get one of three responses: I dunno, handed Rebel XTi "this one has higher MGP", a word for word reading of the brosure.

The specialized staff like you have are a rare breed among a rare group. Few and far between are specialized photography shops, places like B&H are bringing an end to the era so to speak with the convenience of the internet. B&H is one of the best you can find, and it is easy to buy from the internet, so many are taking that route and local shops have a difficult time competing. Even then the number of honest photo shops are dwindling in an effort to stay alive by pushing the more expensive gear (enter the other head fillers).

With buying on line the chances of being talked out of one thing or another is down right low. All you have to work with are reviews and testimonials from users. There is little way for some beginners to find what they really need as opposed to what they think they need.

 

[passerby]

I'd like to know why all these beginners have super expensive DSLRs.

I've always wondered, what exactly warrants going out and spending 1000 or more dollars on a new camera when you're a beginner?

Not criticizing, just curious... (and a bit jealous )

I was looking for a quality snap shooter on the market, and they were 3 that attracted me. They were sony T200, canon G9 and coolpix 5100. Their prices were roughly above $600 all the way to $800. While searching for more info I came across nikon D40 review, very interesting review. Than I read more reviews from different site with the same views. Than I read more reviews of other DSLRs. The D40 was $600 on ebay and $700 at the local shop.

Because that I came into conclusion that for the snapper I need only the cheapest one, and I spend the rest for the D40 some 2 weeks later.

The snpshooter is in my work bag all the time, just like my previous cameras which were stolen by somebody.

 

[TCimages]

or the other side of this is maybe beginers are more informed than you think. The internet is a great resource to learn and understand the different cameras and the flexibility that many models offer. If you can afford it, Why not buy something you can grow into instead having to buy again in a year. I personally don't understand why the cost would have anything to do with the buyers ability. We buy lots of things we don't know how to use in the begining...and we learn it.

 

[Battou]

or the other side of this is maybe begginers are more informed than you guys are giving credit for. The internet is a great resource to learn and understand the different cameras and the flexibility that an many models offer. If you can afford it, Why not buy something you can grow into instead having to buy again in a year.

I understand what you are saying but, there is the element of "too much information" with this. Curiosity did not kill the cat because it was investigating the wrong thing, it got killed because it acted on an investigation that put it in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Not every beginner is out to become a photographer, your standard issue happysnapper does not need top of the line equipment to save the memory of the birthday parties. That's seven or eight hundred dollars that will get used once or twice a year.

For the beginners who are out to become photographers, often still fall victim to having to buy again after a short period of time when/if they enlist in classes as many require analog for atleast the first year. All that flexibility gets shelved and spending starts over again.

It's for this reason I firmly believe that when getting started the perspective photographer absolutely needs to evaluate what they want to do with the camera and how far they want to go right from the start. Simply because one can not learn what they want to accomplish on the internet. They can learn what they need to accomplish it yes but as you well know what you need to accomplish your goals is different from what I need to accomplish mine, this applies to everyone. Yes things and goals may change over time but what doesn't. If one does not know what they want, they don't know what they are looking for and then by default they go with what ever looks the best wether they really need it or not.

 

[CanAm]

Because that I came into conclusion that for the snapper I need only the cheapest one, and I spend the rest for the D40 some 2 weeks later.

There you go though. You bought a camera that has all the features you need and you didn't overspend. That is ideal.

My point is that some newbie with a Canon 40D/Nikon D80 won't take nearly as good of pictures as an experienced photographer with a Canon 20D/Nikon D50. If the cheaper camera has all the features you want, why spend more on the next tier?

I got a 10D because it has a more professional feel than the Rebel XT/XTi. I had the cash for something higher up, by why spend the extra money if I wont be utilizing the extras on the next tier cameras?

The average newbie will not need to shoot 12MP pictures. The average newbie will not take any better pictures with a 1200 dollar lens. The average newbie will not snap better shots with a higher tier camera period.

Will I "outgrow" my 10D? Probably. It could be a year from now, or six. By then, anything I would have bought now that is higher tier will be just as outdated. Anything higher tier is effectively wasted and depreciated money if you don't have the applicable skill level to make a difference.

Moral of the story- save your pennies kids. Buy used if it's acceptable. That extra $1000 you dump on your camera could buy you an L lens when you actually can tell the difference later on.

 

[SBlanca]

i think that most of the time DSLR's are expensive as it is...where i live they're all around the equivalent of $1000, and it is impossible to find second hand stuff or order online without paying the same price as in shops

 

[CanAm]

i think that most of the time DSLR's are expensive as it is...where i live they're all around the equivalent of $1000, and it is impossible to find second hand stuff or order online without paying the same price as in shops

Au contraire- I got my 10D for less than 300. It has a couple scuffs, but otherwise it's in perfect condition.

I should have been a bit more specific in making my original post. I used money as a user-experience marker rather than actual models.

To put it in the words of a San Jose Photo tech- "Do you need to take 12 photos in a second? No? Then you don't need the 40D. Save your cash."

 

[Battou]

i think that most of the time DSLR's are expensive as it is...where i live they're all around the equivalent of $1000, and it is impossible to find second hand stuff or order online without paying the same price as in shops

yes they are expencive, but question remains, why buy a 1D mark III when a 350D will suit your needs far more effectively, Especially when online shopping comes into play, Ebay regulary has them, B&H have them, I saw one earlier for under 500 USD. Shoping around is easy enough online.


Ok so the 1D is blowing it a little out of proportion but...

 

[Monz]

$1000.00 is where you are going to find a good SLR that you can grow into. I wanted something more than a point and shoot.

 

[JerryPH]

I'd like to know why all these beginners have super expensive DSLRs.

I've always wondered, what exactly warrants going out and spending 1000 or more dollars on a new camera when you're a beginner?

What like me spending several thousand dollars on a D200, 6 lenses, tripods, filters, backpack, books, courses and on and on and on?

- First, I am a grown man. That means that I am a big boy and can make my own decisions... lol.

- Second, I did my homework. That means I researched and knew what I wanted at every step BEFORE I paid my hard earned money.

- Third, I bought what I could comfortably afford (yes a prosumer dSLR and prosumer level HD video camera and all the gear does push me over the $6000 mark, but I am ok with it).

Am I a beginner? Yes, last June, when I first held my D200, I can with all honesty say that I was not just a newb, but a super-newbie... lol.

I am no longer a beginner and am happy to say that because of the time and dedication I put into this hobby, I would place myself into a nice intermediate level. Within a year from now, I will be an advanced amateur if I keep going at this rate. Within 2 years I will have attained the experience and quality of consistancy of a seasoned professional... though I have NO desire to make this my full time job.

Why do I do this? Becuase I love it. Photography is an amazing hobby that gives me a lot of pleasure, and is never stagnant. I have a lot of passion for it, and I hope to attain a consistantly higher level of quality that I am pleased with in time.

Would I be your average beginner? Not from what I have seen here or elsewhere, no... but then again, I've always worked hard and played hard in everything I did in my life. Why would photography be any different?

But, why are you more concerned about what someone else has or can afford? Why not put that time into something more constructive like concentrating on YOUR needs, goals and desires?

I personally could not care less what other people have, I am just here for the great comradery, tons of info... and of course, always waiting to get a nice chuckle from the humorous comments of some VERY knowledgeable people here like Big Mike, Garbz, JIP, BATTOU, LAFOTO, SOCRATES, IRON FLATLINE and a slew of others.

 

[kundalini]

Another question to ask is "Why do newbies want to get a dSLR on the cheap?"

If the proper amount of homework and research was taken, the realization of how expensive this hobby (dSLR) can get onto your pocket would hit home. Why not choose a good P&S until the finances are in order. It is tiring to read all these threads where the OP wants to produce photos like Galen Rowell but spend less than $500 on the entire kit.

I'm in a similar boat as JerryPH. I had my eyes wide open, I am an adult and the costs were not an issue. I wanted more camera than I needed so that as my skills improved, my gear would not leave me hanging.

 

[mstephens]

i think alot of the college/post college are preparing for the future but alot of the highschool hobbyists are over-using mommy and daddys credit card. and im not assuming everyone in highschool or even younger are this way.