Have you ever thought about this.......
The money we spend on photographic equipment is sometimes quite crazy. Especially when some people buy expensive equipment and shoot mindlessly and they believe they are enjoying photography. Its crazy when I come across... posts like "I just got my D2h/1Dmk2! Images attached" and I'm baffled when attached, is a snapshot of a skyline or a kid running around in a garden. And of course, I dont deny having some rather expensive gear. A d100 might sound cheap to a professional, but to a off the street person, its still a crazy sum of money for a camera.
Have our sense of money been warped by this obsession over equipment/photography ? Just because the price of a 70-200 has dropped by $500 ( If and only if... ) doesnt make it cheap ! It'll still be well over 2 grand, and that will buy us TWO 30" Television sets that will last over a decade.
Is the money spent, justifiable ?
Does the money spend gives us the greatest pleasure/utility ?
I'm not sure.
Look here.
For the price of a Sb800 flash gun, I could buy a decent 4mp digital camera. And the SB800 just flashes. Or I can buy a Kayak for my girlfriend who would love to have one but decided against it because she thinks its not worth the money.
For the price of a 85mmf1.4, I could buy a 24-85mmAFS, 50mmf1.8, 85mmf1.8, 35mmf2. All very good lenses and probably more fun. Or I could feed myself for half a yr eating out everyday (kopi tiam). Or... I could buy a set of 17" wheels for my car which would give me more satisfaction (my preference).
FOr the price of a 70-200 IS/VR , I could buy a very good mountain bike OR buy a Go Kart, buy a Piano, buy a D70 with a used 80-200f2.8 . All of which I believe, gives more utility.
FOr the price of a 1Dmk2, I could almost buy a Honda 400cc motorbike with some spare change to buy a 20d.
And some amateurs who shoot skylines, people, random stuff that are very very sharp and very very accurate in colour but compositionally quite a failure can actually have a 1dmk2 with 3 trinity lenses. Have you come acrosss....... "I think I might be interested in a 400mmf2.8 because my son just got into his high school football team and I might want to take some pictures of him" kind of threads ?
SO WHAT if a 24-70L is marginally sharper than a 28-75mm Tamron ? How often do you print big ? Do u even submit your pictures for competitions (sharpness does count, but the tamron will be hell sharp enough) ? Do you post 3000x2000 images on the web for poeple to see ? Do you even show your family and friends full size version ? Or issit because...... of your personal enjoyment when you inspect every single pixel at 200% at the comfort of your airconditioned room ? I suspect the joy from having a tremendously sharp image is often derived from posting a 200 by 200 pix 100% crop of an image with other forumers going GAGA over it. (note once again, I'm pointing my finger at some photographers, not all).
Just some thoughts. This is not directed to professionals, or anyone at all. Just to jolt the minds of people who has acquired an equipment disease and cannot get out of it.
Hmm.... I'm holding back buying more equipment. Do I need it ? Will the money be better spent else where ?
OF COURSE, if you are rich (in response to knightrider), go buy a 1DsMk2 with a 400mmf2.8 and bring it to the zoo and take a Zebra sleeping..... I think there will be some joy in that. But for those who are selling an arm and a leg just to reach a professional lens or equipment... please think again. Not once, but a million times. What are you forgoing ? Will there be something else that would give you more joy at that price ?
FOr me, I have quite a bit of interest. I like Mountain Biking, I live Radio COntrolled Gas Cars, I like Cars, I like Karting, I even like Aquarium Landscaping. So for the price of a f2.8 zoom, I can buy any of the above and get great joy, with only 1 lens short in my arsenal.
I mean if Photography is your life, and it runs in your blood, and you have no other interest but photography.... then I suppose there is no better way to spend your money, but its quite sad isnt it ?
shrugs. Have you thought about this ?
The money we spend on photographic equipment is sometimes quite crazy. Especially when some people buy expensive equipment and shoot mindlessly and they believe they are enjoying photography. Its crazy when I come across... posts like "I just got my D2h/1Dmk2! Images attached" and I'm baffled when attached, is a snapshot of a skyline or a kid running around in a garden. And of course, I dont deny having some rather expensive gear. A d100 might sound cheap to a professional, but to a off the street person, its still a crazy sum of money for a camera.
Have our sense of money been warped by this obsession over equipment/photography ? Just because the price of a 70-200 has dropped by $500 ( If and only if... ) doesnt make it cheap ! It'll still be well over 2 grand, and that will buy us TWO 30" Television sets that will last over a decade.
Is the money spent, justifiable ?
Does the money spend gives us the greatest pleasure/utility ?
I'm not sure.
Look here.
For the price of a Sb800 flash gun, I could buy a decent 4mp digital camera. And the SB800 just flashes. Or I can buy a Kayak for my girlfriend who would love to have one but decided against it because she thinks its not worth the money.
For the price of a 85mmf1.4, I could buy a 24-85mmAFS, 50mmf1.8, 85mmf1.8, 35mmf2. All very good lenses and probably more fun. Or I could feed myself for half a yr eating out everyday (kopi tiam). Or... I could buy a set of 17" wheels for my car which would give me more satisfaction (my preference).
FOr the price of a 70-200 IS/VR , I could buy a very good mountain bike OR buy a Go Kart, buy a Piano, buy a D70 with a used 80-200f2.8 . All of which I believe, gives more utility.
FOr the price of a 1Dmk2, I could almost buy a Honda 400cc motorbike with some spare change to buy a 20d.
And some amateurs who shoot skylines, people, random stuff that are very very sharp and very very accurate in colour but compositionally quite a failure can actually have a 1dmk2 with 3 trinity lenses. Have you come acrosss....... "I think I might be interested in a 400mmf2.8 because my son just got into his high school football team and I might want to take some pictures of him" kind of threads ?
SO WHAT if a 24-70L is marginally sharper than a 28-75mm Tamron ? How often do you print big ? Do u even submit your pictures for competitions (sharpness does count, but the tamron will be hell sharp enough) ? Do you post 3000x2000 images on the web for poeple to see ? Do you even show your family and friends full size version ? Or issit because...... of your personal enjoyment when you inspect every single pixel at 200% at the comfort of your airconditioned room ? I suspect the joy from having a tremendously sharp image is often derived from posting a 200 by 200 pix 100% crop of an image with other forumers going GAGA over it. (note once again, I'm pointing my finger at some photographers, not all).
Just some thoughts. This is not directed to professionals, or anyone at all. Just to jolt the minds of people who has acquired an equipment disease and cannot get out of it.
Hmm.... I'm holding back buying more equipment. Do I need it ? Will the money be better spent else where ?
OF COURSE, if you are rich (in response to knightrider), go buy a 1DsMk2 with a 400mmf2.8 and bring it to the zoo and take a Zebra sleeping..... I think there will be some joy in that. But for those who are selling an arm and a leg just to reach a professional lens or equipment... please think again. Not once, but a million times. What are you forgoing ? Will there be something else that would give you more joy at that price ?
FOr me, I have quite a bit of interest. I like Mountain Biking, I live Radio COntrolled Gas Cars, I like Cars, I like Karting, I even like Aquarium Landscaping. So for the price of a f2.8 zoom, I can buy any of the above and get great joy, with only 1 lens short in my arsenal.
I mean if Photography is your life, and it runs in your blood, and you have no other interest but photography.... then I suppose there is no better way to spend your money, but its quite sad isnt it ?
shrugs. Have you thought about this ?