Costs of my Photography Hobby !

Compuwight

Compuwight

Messages
958
Name
Steve France
Edit My Images
Yes
Over the festive holiday I was criticised by a family member over the amount I spend on my 'Hobby' photography !!!!!
Therefore I did a quick summation of spending over the last 5 years - I mostly buy used equipment !
Surprised I went back to said family member and pointed out that my spend amounted to less than a cup of coffee at Costa (other outlets are available) each day !
Of course I added that his 'Golf' hobby costs him far more - I await a begrudging apology - should I live that long :)
 
NEVER add it all up and if you do, be extremely careful not to let "management" see the list or total!
 
I don't know how much a packet of fags cost but I guess it costs as much over a year as I spent on my Nikon 500 mm f/4, plus if i decided to sell the lens tomorrow I'd still get some money back... plus I wonder what the residuals on used golf equipment is like...
 
"er indoors that must be obeyed" is always moaning on about how much I spend on my photographic equipment. Last bit of kit was a tripod ball head cost £35. took a week to finanally here no more about it. She is an amazing wife but her purse to get into, well Kort Knox would be easier, even if her purse contains my own money.
 
Last edited:
I dread to think but I'm never under pressure about it from Wifey. I don't smoke, I do like a beer (or 5) on the weekend as well as a take away for the 3 of us. Wifey has the attitude I could spend it on worse things.

If we're talking new prices, in the last ten years, I must've spent close to £15k - £20k on gear. I rarely sell my stuff on too, although I will now and again. That's where the real cost comes in for me as for example, when I sold my 7D, I lost over £1k on it, £1250 new as opposed to £200 used. That's where the costs really come in I think.

I've started buying the odd used bit of gear, I recently bought a Sigma 24-105, used but like new. It's in fabulous condition and I saved about 30% as opposed to new and it has a 1 year warranty. I could sell it today for more or less what I paid for it but it's a keeper and not going anywhere.

The initial outlay on gear can be expensive but if that's the going rate and you're happy to pay it, then I don't think it's a problem. The problem for me comes over time, with depreciation if I ever decide to sell something.
 
Last edited:
I dread to think what I've spent, way too much I suspect. I do remember Jessops telling me I paid their business rates every month..... :(
 
I’ve never added it up. My wife has the attitude that it’s my hobby and trusts me. Especially after my cancer a few years ago (now clear) our attitude is that there are no pockets in shrouds.
As for any other relative, they can go hang!
 
Never added it up really. Never get any grief about it. Also didn't add up what I've spent on the Mk1 Escort in the past 27 years including restoring it :ROFLMAO:

I like to value stuff on usage :) If I spend £1350 on a 35GM and I use it virtually every time I go out shooting and I've taken thousands of images with it, then it's fine :)
 
I don't smoke or drink and holidays have been a rarity but anyone wishing to criticise my spending on photography or cars is free to do so because I simply do not care :D what others think because as in the op people criticising me will likely be spending more on something else.
 
Having just changed over from Nikon F to Nikon Z, my spend this year has been high, although selling off all my old stuff made the net spend about five hundred quid. I’ve been paid more than that figure doing talks on my photography over the past year or two so arguably it’s not cost me anything.

Over the last 20 years I’ve only ever spent my modest annual bonus or overtime money on camera gear. I look at this as a way of rewarding myself for my hard work in the day job!
 
I don't smoke and have only the very very very occasional drink....so my disposable income (pension & savings) goes on camera gear & PC stuff, neither of which are too frequently and the all too few holidays (didn't get round to going away in 2023 :( )

I do insure the camera gear so know exactly what my total spend has been and it can look kind of scary!

I surmise SWMBO would be horrified if she knew the total :police:o_O:oops: :$
 
It’s as expensive as you want it to be. I did initially spend a huge amount of building up equipment but now the G.A.S has subdued. It’s definitely not like buying a property which appreciates but it does add value in a different way.
 
Funny Story: I used to run photography classes and after talking about lenses, I direct students to camerapricebuster to get reasonable prices for things. I also use it to demonstrate the difference between a 50mm f/1.8 & a 50mm f/1.2 and explain why it is so.

Lady in the front row who had borrowed her gear from her husband. "How much is this lens then?" (holds up the white Canon 70-200 f/2.8 mkII when it was the "latest"). In response to seeing the price, and the cost of the 5D she had (v3 I think - again when it was current) she shouted the swear word no one uses in polite company beginning with c, and vowed to kill him when she got home.

Rather than being upset at her swearing, the rest of the class I think were just grateful she was going home!
 
Last edited:
viewfromthenorth said:
Having just changed over from Nikon F to Nikon Z, my spend this year has been high, although selling off all my old stuff made the net spend about five hundred quid. I’ve been paid more than that figure doing talks on my photography over the past year or two so arguably it’s not cost me anything.

Over the last 20 years I’ve only ever spent my modest annual bonus or overtime money on camera gear. I look at this as a way of rewarding myself for my hard work in the day job!
Click to expand...

I know someone who spends over £1000 per month on PCP for a car to drive pretty much just 8 miles a day to work & back........
 
hunnymonster said:
Meh, weigh it all up against the cost of a mental health crisis and/or a divorce.
Click to expand...

I actually came out of my divorce with some equity money :) Certainly enough to get the Ford Escort restoration finished off by others :)

I have had just over 10 years of child maintenance though..... :ROFLMAO: 8 months to go.......!!
 
Looking at my gear the only lens that I have got new is the Nikon 50mm 1.8 AF-D which costed me about 50 GBP way back. My primary body D750 and secondary body Fujifilm xPro2 are both used.

All of my rest of the lenses are used, which apart from the 20mm f/1.8 and the Fujifilm 23mm are AF-D. At the start of my photography journey I hardly had any cash to spend on new camera gear and for that I am thankful because through that limitation I learned that for photography as a hobby, unless one is really hitting the limitation of the gear it does not make sense to buy stuff new.
 
LeeRatters said:
I actually came out of my divorce with some equity money :) Certainly enough to get the Ford Escort restoration finished off by others :)

I have had just over 10 years of child maintenance though..... :ROFLMAO: 8 months to go.......!!
Click to expand...
At least you got a lovely car out of it …
 
Apart from the initial outlay on my Fuji I really haven't spent anything else on it at all. I did buy a tripod and a polarising filter, but that's about it. Any lenses I might have bought would have been old manual lenses, so they wouldn't have cost me a great deal.

My real weakness is buying old cameras, and often they are not expensive, in themselves. But when you have about 70 of the bloody things I suppose it puts a different light on it.
 
Stephen L said:
At least you got a lovely car out of it …
Click to expand...

Indeed! And as super nice as it is now - or has been since 2015 should I say! - I found this photo the other day from Jan 2009.

And, I do miss those days where it wasn't as nice & I would just drive it anywhere, in any weather, however I wanted & not really care too much......

It's literally cleaned or dusted off every time it get's locked away now!

DSCF5792 - Copy.jpg
 
LeeRatters said:
Indeed! And as super nice as it is now - or has been since 2015 should I say! - I found this photo the other day from Jan 2009.

And, I do miss those days where it wasn't as nice & I would just drive it anywhere, in any weather, however I wanted & not really care too much......

It's literally cleaned or dusted off every time it get's locked away now!

View attachment 410666
Click to expand...
Always had a soft spot for the Escort. I learnt to drive in one of those.
 
After heart failure 4 years ago,I have a no pockets in a shroud attitude ,these days if I want it and can afford it i buy it , might sell on again if it doesn’t suit . The boss lady often wonders how I can do it but I don’t smoke or drink ( bar xmas) we have a 15 year old 4x4 that doubles up as a tug for our touring caravan . It’s life jim but not as you know It LOL
 
Plain Nev said:
Always had a soft spot for the Escort. I learnt to drive in one of those.
Click to expand...

I passed in a Micra in 1993. My first car was an Escort a month later. My stepdad and me went halves on the one above in about 94/95 for £100! When I smashed the other one in Sept 96, I gave my stepdad £50 for his half and it was mine :ROFLMAO:
 
My 7D is worth a fraction of what I paid when they first came out, but it has given me a lot of pleasure. I've also spent a fair bit on guitars and amplifiers, but again it not only brings pleasure to me but also to those who listen at our gigs. Does happiness have a price,. I sadly lost my wife a few months ago and things are far less important than a good relationship. Should I buy more stuff, it isn't going to take the pain and sadness away.
 
Ken

I am saddened to hear of your loss and I cannot imagine the impact it has had on you.

I can only hope that if you enjoyed your photography & music, these pastimes will still give some pleasure in the future and some respite in your grief.
 
artyman said:
My 7D is worth a fraction of what I paid when they first came out, but it has given me a lot of pleasure. I've also spent a fair bit on guitars and amplifiers, but again it not only brings pleasure to me but also to those who listen at our gigs. Does happiness have a price,. I sadly lost my wife a few months ago and things are far less important than a good relationship. Should I buy more stuff, it isn't going to take the pain and sadness away.
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear this Ken!
 
artyman said:
My 7D is worth a fraction of what I paid when they first came out, but it has given me a lot of pleasure. I've also spent a fair bit on guitars and amplifiers, but again it not only brings pleasure to me but also to those who listen at our gigs. Does happiness have a price,. I sadly lost my wife a few months ago and things are far less important than a good relationship. Should I buy more stuff, it isn't going to take the pain and sadness away.
Click to expand...

Very sorry to hear that Ken. Sort of puts all our talk of what we spend into perspective really. Nothing is as important as that.
 
Brendan Mulachy said:
i used to get my mate in the fishing tackle shop to reprice stuff, my bird has no idea of what ive spent on fishing gear over the years, if you think photography is dear dont take up fishing
Click to expand...
I do photography and fishing and if you think those are expensive do not take up Warhammer 40k lol
 
Brendan Mulachy said:
i used to get my mate in the fishing tackle shop to reprice stuff, my bird has no idea of what ive spent on fishing gear over the years, if you think photography is dear dont take up fishing
Click to expand...
No no no, we had two horses in stables. Vet bills and food and lodging, don’t go there!
 
Most hobbies can get expensive - computers, guns, booze, motorbikes, cars, photography... Women.
But not in that order.
 
4wd said:
Most hobbies can get expensive - computers, guns, booze, motorbikes, cars, photography... Women.
But not in that order.
Click to expand...
the order is probably not too far off. It is clearly sorted in the ascending direction.
 
KIPAX said:
I have my equipment insured at £30 thousand .
Click to expand...
I'm £25K and that isn't enough really. I tend to buy nearly everything second hand. With lenses I hope not to lose that much but cameras are a nightmare for losing cash on. Like you though they also earn me money and are teh tools of teh trade so not much choice in getting the kit that will do the job
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top