Affording gear

I bought my first lot of DSLR kit when I broke up with the wife back in 2007. We'd saved our bonus money from the previous year as that's what she decided we should do with it so when she ended the relationship going out and spending MY bonus money on something so frivolous was great therapy :LOL:

3 and a bit years down the line life's completely different for me, I'm happier than I've ever been and photography is my main hobby (as it's pretty much been since 2007) and I was starting to reach the limits of my gear.

I have some savings left that I accumulated living with my parents for 18 months which would have easily bought my 7D and Canon 15-85 lens but instead I got myself an interest free credit card. As I live on my own with a mortgage I'd rather keep my money in the bank "just in case" and use someone else's if it's free to do so.

I think as others have said, it's probably a case of wanting to afford new gear and making it happen one way or another :LOL:
 
I work for my dad doing heating and plumbing so according to everyone i earn £60k a week so buying camera is easy.................................:shrug:

In the real world i sell stuff i dont need save up all cash money i get for working weekends.

The only draw back is my wife keeps checking my camera bag so when something new turns up that also costs me. i have to buy her something.

Also apart from my camera body most stuff i buy is 2nd hand. Off here its normally cheaper than ebay
 
No kids, no other half, and I still live at home. The only true expenditure I have is my car, I do nearly all the work on that myself so that saves a reasonable amount.

Not to say I'd happily blow £1.5k on a lens tomorrow, I wouldn't even consider it. I put a few hundred in an instant access ISA every month. I know the interest rate is crap these days, but it's better than in my current account or under my mattress.
 
I expect to be able to spend loads on new gear now that I've stopped spending over £200 a month on cigs. There was a real silver lining to the flu I had over Xmas.
 
joker2006 said:
The only draw back is my wife keeps checking my camera bag so when something new turns up that also costs me. i have to buy her something
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Anything I buy I just get posted to my works address :naughty: that way it can stay in the car for a while then put in the camera bag without the husband see it for awhile :LOL:
 
started with a 350D about 3 years ago (bought thru the business).. added a couple of cheap(ish) lenses. Sold the 350D.. bought a 2nd hand 5D, then it was just a case of buying 2nd hand lenses... keeping for a while and upgrading... always 2nd hand though. Every lens i've bought 2nd hand i've got the same money back for it later down the line.

i smoke, i drink (a bit), have nice things, nice house - but work my nads off for it. About 12 years ago i blew £18k on a load of Bang & Olufsen kit streamed through the house - still makes me shudder to think about that ... but it still all looks the business and produces stunning sound quality (that's what i keep telling myself :bang:)
 
Di Stone said:
Anything I buy I just get posted to my works address :naughty: that way it can stay in the car for a while then put in the camera bag without the husband see it for awhile :LOL:
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ill try that one cause im sure half her clothes she says she has had for a while arent that old :D:D
 
I just save what I can when I can, and like others I don't buy rubbish.

I do alot of overtime in December and January (doing tax returns) often work 60-70 hours in a week. It suits me fine as there is not alot else to do at that time of year. This comes in very useful to help me save.
I don't have a large mortgage, have 3 children and a wonderful wife who understands and appreciates that I have a hobby.
I was eyeing up a new body (1dMk2) earlier and she did say - where does this stop - oops, does it stop?
We are really trying to save for a bigger house, which is a priority, so she does have a good point. LOL!
 
Clever purchasing. I bought most of my kit second hand when prices were lower, or managed to pick up bargains. I also came runner up in a national competition so spent the winnings on camera gear.
 
Photography can be a financially ruinous hobby (as can almost all hobbies) but you don't need to mortgage the future to pursue it. In fact, I think digital photography has actually moved the hobby into the more affordable category.

You actually only need a:
Body
Lens
Computer
Software

and a small budget to print the few photos you'll want to "hang on the wall."

You also need common sense...to set a budget and stick to it. There are fantastic photos posted on this site every day that were taken with five-ten year old cameras and lenses. You don't need to upgrade every time something new comes out. You also don't need every lens for every situation. And finally, you can make do very nicely, thank you, with a Sigma or Tamron, rather than the Nikon or Canon lens.
 
Second hand second hand second hand........The only new item of DSLR gear I've ever bought is a new Canon nifty fifty for 65 quid cos' 2nd hand ones usually go for errrm....65 quid.

You need to be bold and pounce quickly though, real bargains don't hang around, just don't be thick about it, if it sounds too good etc etc.......
 
I don't smoke, I don't drink very often, I make sure I can afford my mortgage and my bills and that I can put some money away each month to save for house-based purchases in the future. After that, any money left over is mine to spend on my hobbies. Unfortunately for photography kit, my other pass-times of climbing, caving, skiing, mountain biking and mountaineering don't pay for themselves and they take the priority!

If there's something that I want then I'll either buy it on credit card and then pay that off over a period of time (usually end of the month), or I'll save up for it. I don't like having any debt so I generally just save.
 
Well don't smoke drink and don't spend to much on clothes unless I have to so any money spent on my hobby is well spent
 
I started with a D50 and a s/h sigma 70-200, I uprgraded over the next couple of years (still mainly s/h) took advantage of what 0% credit cards I could - in fact I still do.
Last year I moved in with the girlfriend (getting married next year) and had a fair sum left over from my house sale. It was either get a new car or spend it on camera gear, no contest for me. I love and enjoy my photography I dont particully enjoy driving.:D

KIPAX said:
I have 7 kids... the company car is my comapny.. a battered vauxhall astra worth less than any camera I own :)
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That the way it should be Kipax mines an old Renault Megane Coupe, touch wood it just keeps going
 
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yamahatdm900 said:
That the way it should be Kipax mines an old Renault Megane Coupe, touch wood it just keeps going
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And mines an 11 year old Ford transit Pikey chariot, spot o tarmac anybody?? :cool: (Oh yeah and me Triumph Sprint RS but that doesn't count as it only comes out 6 months o the year :crying:)
 
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I find photography really cheap- it's diving, skiing, golfing and mountaineering all over the world that cripples me:LOL:

I afford them by having a meagre existence outwith but I have no issues with this. In general, I find those who complain know little of sacrifice/hard work or perspective.
 
its one of my more expensive hobbies, but saying that i play ice hockey and a set of pads can cost a grand,,, i do what i do in hockey, sell something to buy something else usually, failing that its save save save
 
Its up their with my expensive treats - im only discovering the true expense just now whilst shopping around for upgrades here and there!

Can easily have little to no change out of a few grand!

I guess it just depends how mad you want to go and to what extent you want to get involved.

Otherwise, I plan to keep a savvy eye out for bargains, happy to pick up used bits and bobs in good condition....generally build up my kit over time rather.
 
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