New Toy!

I'm sorry that my camera purchase boggles you. I'm sorry that it also seems to slightly offend you.

Put it this way. You live in Cumbria, where there's a non-existent commercial photography sector. I live in London where there's millions of pounds of business done every month. The monthly upkeep of my studio alone costs more than your camera. More than twice as much, in fact.

That's not a boast, I want to put in perspective what we see as a lot of money. I have to spend thousands a year just on premises, and I have to do enough business to justify that outlay. Luckily for me, I do enough business ot also justify the outlay for an expensive camera. Which is lucky, because I target a sector that demands that I use this technology.

I bought it to save myself the £500 a day rental that it costs to hire.

It's called an investment.
 
London Headshots said:
I'm sorry that my camera purchase boggles you. I'm sorry that it also seems to slightly offend you.

Put it this way. You live in Cumbria, where there's a non-existent commercial photography sector. I live in London where there's millions of pounds of business done every month. The monthly upkeep of my studio alone costs more than your camera. More than twice as much, in fact.

That's not a boast, I want to put in perspective what we see as a lot of money. I have to spend thousands a year just on premises, and I have to do enough business to justify that outlay. Luckily for me, I do enough business ot also justify the outlay for an expensive camera. Which is lucky, because I target a sector that demands that I use this technology.

I bought it to save myself the £500 a day rental that it costs to hire.

It's called an investment.
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Go for it John, your business, your money, your choice.

Can i shag it please. :love:
 
higgeh said:
im awaiting a picture now....
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Me too. I really want to be see how sharp those ducks are. ;)
Seriously though, I hope it pays for itself and that you enjoy using it.
 
London Headshots said:
I'm sorry that my camera purchase boggles you. I'm sorry that it also seems to slightly offend you.

Put it this way. You live in Cumbria, where there's a non-existent commercial photography sector. I live in London where there's millions of pounds of business done every month. The monthly upkeep of my studio alone costs more than your camera. More than twice as much, in fact.

That's not a boast, I want to put in perspective what we see as a lot of money. I have to spend thousands a year just on premises, and I have to do enough business to justify that outlay. Luckily for me, I do enough business ot also justify the outlay for an expensive camera. Which is lucky, because I target a sector that demands that I use this technology.

I bought it to save myself the £500 a day rental that it costs to hire.

It's called an investment.
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My questions were not meant to offend, but to understand. Sorry if it came across like that.
To us northerners its a lot of money and I wondered if there were specifics that your new camera does that pro 35mm's don't.
I wondered if it was an expected: industry standard or just oneupmanship and you can be frowned upon if you don't have the latest and greatest equipment.

Mmmm now I don't know how that's come across either, but it ain't meant to offend
 
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...err is there a THIRD PARTY grip available from China yet? ...;)

seriously! good on you mate. its good that you strive for the very best on offer!... look forward to seeing some of your work with the beast :clap::clap: ... its even started one of the best threads i've read on here in ages as well' ..
envy
jealousy
respect ...

and there was nearly even a fight :LOL:
 
Gr8Shot said:
My questions were not meant to offend, but to understand. Sorry if it came across like that.
To us northerners its a lot of money and I wondered if there were specifics that your new camera does that pro 35mm's don't.
I wondered if it was an expected: industry standard or just oneupmanship and you can be friend upon if you don't have the latest and greatest equipment.

Mmmm now I don't know how that's come across either, but it ain't meant to offend
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Well the first part could offend your fellow Northerners, were not all flat cap wearing benefit scroungers you know, some of us even have cars and a disposable income, whatever next, i did hear of a bloke in the next town who owns his own house
 
I understand that "oop North" there are towns where the cost of LH's new camera will buy not a house but a street full of 'em! (I'm a soft Sotherner but from Sheffield stock.)
 
Gr8Shot said:
My questions were not meant to offend, but to understand. Sorry if it came across like that.
To us northerners its a lot of money and I wondered if there were specifics that your new camera does that pro 35mm's don't.
I wondered if it was an expected: industry standard or just oneupmanship and you can be friend upon if you don't have the latest and greatest equipment.

Mmmm now I don't know how that's come across either, but it ain't meant to offend
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us Northerners!!!!!!! :thinking: are we going to get the famous "four yorkshiremen sketch" now http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo
 
Gary Coyle said:
Well the first part could offend your fellow Northerners, were not all flat cap wearing benefit scroungers you know, some of us even have cars and a disposable income, whatever next, i did hear of a bloke in the next town who owns his own house
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That's just a ridiculous and unsubstantiated rumour!!
 
just to clarify! .. i'm Northern as well (and own my own house) :)
 
Gr8Shot said:
My questions were not meant to offend, but to understand. Sorry if it came across like that.
To us northerners its a lot of money and I wondered if there were specifics that your new camera does that pro 35mm's don't.
I wondered if it was an expected: industry standard or just oneupmanship and you can be friend upon if you don't have the latest and greatest equipment.

Mmmm now I don't know how that's come across either, but it ain't meant to offend
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OK, no drama. It sounded a bit spikey before, but if you say otherwise, I have no reason to doubt you.

Don't get me wrong, to me as a southerner, this camera was ludicrously expensive. It was a purchase I spent six months considering. There are far better things I could spend my money on, not least clearing a chunk of mortgage.

The camera itself, since you asked, doesn't really do anything a 35mm doesn't. It does exactly the same, but a bit, or a lot better. Unless you're shooting sports. or anything that moves fast, or anything in low light. Then it does things a lot worse!

It's industry standard as far as the industry I'm in goes. I'm not at the level where this camera is a job requirement yet, the work I currently get can be done with a 35mm, but there's an echelon above me that awaits, and it requires this camera, or any medium format system.

It's a big thing to buy into, but you don't buy into this unless you're serious about recouping your money. Which I am, as I'm now skint.
 
wow im completely baffled by this thread, we spend 1000's on glass and bodies to take random pics of ducks and kids and this chap has spent less than the cost of a ford fiesta with metalic paint on a massive tool for his business.

shame on some folk i say.

enjoy that camera and earn some dosh and play with the camera porn, win win in my book :D
 
Mr Bump said:
wow im completely baffled by this thread, we spend 1000's on glass and bodies to take random pics of ducks and kids and this chap has spent less than the cost of a ford fiesta with metalic paint on a massive tool for his business.

shame on some folk i say.

enjoy that camera and earn some dosh and play with the camera porn, win win in my book :D
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Totally agree.
 
Big green eyed monster here. I'd love to try one out.

Out of interest, how many or what kind of percentage of jobs a year would require or insist on this technology for someone in your business?
 
Mr Bump said:
wow im completely baffled by this thread, we spend 1000's on glass and bodies to take random pics of ducks and kids and this chap has spent less than the cost of a ford fiesta with metalic paint on a massive tool for his business.

shame on some folk i say.

enjoy that camera and earn some dosh and play with the camera porn, win win in my book :D
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Hey thanks man. I think a lot of people do overlook how much they spend on their own gear. Aside from this camera, I own a single body and two lenses, so before this camera, I probably owned a lot less gear than most keen amateurs.
 
AlfyB said:
Big green eyed monster here. I'd love to try one out.

Out of interest, how many or what kind of percentage of jobs a year would require or insist on this technology for someone in your business?
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Well, before I had the camera, only a few. Now I have the camera, I would say all will insist.

Before this, I couldn't reliably bid for work or approach agencies at the higher levels without having a medium format system. That's most high end magazines, almost all billboard-bound ad work, and all semi-serious product work (serious product work requires a view camera).

Really, if I try to justify this purchase on my current jobs, I will fail. It's the potential this camera gives me to produce the level of work I'm aiming for that ultimately makes the purchase worth it.

If you were to force a number out of me, I'd say 6 jobs a year at the moment that require this camera. Those are jobs that pay a reasonably large amount of money. My goal is to be shooting 50+ of those jobs a year though.
 
That looks beautiful and I'd imagine that despite it being a work tool there'll still be a little thrill and a little enjoyment to be had from using it if only for work :D

Good luck with it :D
 
Nice - in fact very nice! We have these and phase 1's in our rental inventory, but they won't let me play with them (can't say I blame them either). The output from them is in another class imo. I'm sure all your clients will insist on you using it too - even the ducks ;)

Good luck and enjoy.
 
Congratulations John. An amazing piece of kit and I think you're right, the quality of the image (especially colour) is far improved over what most of us are used to (not that I've used one, just going by images I've seen).

Just one thing though, does it have a direct print button?
 
PaulButler said:
Nice - in fact very nice! We have these and phase 1's in our rental inventory, but they won't let me play with them (can't say I blame them either). The output from them is in another class imo. I'm sure all your clients will insist on you using it too - even the ducks ;)

Good luck and enjoy.
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Paul, I think plugging your company would be against the rules (which I'm sure is why you have no links to it on here) but I'm sure that I'm not the only person who is curious as to the rental costs (on a weekly basis) for a "standard" MF body/lens kit Like London Headshots has just bought himself. Maybe you could give us all a hint?
 
I know the H3DII50 costs £295 a day to rent locally in Belfast, or a digital back for a Mamiya costs £100 a day but the Belfast outlet I priced doesn't carry those as standard rental stock.

Great purchase and by the sounds of your work and goals entirely justified IMO.
 
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London Headshots said:
Well, before I had the camera, only a few. Now I have the camera, I would say all will insist.

Before this, I couldn't reliably bid for work or approach agencies at the higher levels without having a medium format system. That's most high end magazines, almost all billboard-bound ad work, and all semi-serious product work (serious product work requires a view camera).

Really, if I try to justify this purchase on my current jobs, I will fail. It's the potential this camera gives me to produce the level of work I'm aiming for that ultimately makes the purchase worth it.

If you were to force a number out of me, I'd say 6 jobs a year at the moment that require this camera. Those are jobs that pay a reasonably large amount of money. My goal is to be shooting 50+ of those jobs a year though.
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This purchase is a good business decision. In time it will no doubt be seen as a sound investment as you now have the opportunity to open the doors of more potential clients.

In essence, it gets you a ticket in to a bigger game with more players. You have to be in it to win it (y)
 
Nod said:
Paul, I think plugging your company would be against the rules (which I'm sure is why you have no links to it on here) but I'm sure that I'm not the only person who is curious as to the rental costs (on a weekly basis) for a "standard" MF body/lens kit Like London Headshots has just bought himself. Maybe you could give us all a hint?
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With body, digital back and lenses typically around £375 - £450 per day depending on mix. Longer term rentals are less per day. The digital backs are where the costs are - I don't work on the rental desk so don't have all the details.

The amount of range the images have is very impressive, by eye I'd say perhaps up to 2 stops perhaps more DR than a FF DSLR.
 
Cheers for that Paul, puts the price of the purchase into more perspective - roughing it to £400/day, it's 55 days' rental costs, let's say a quarter's working days. Almost makes the purchase a bargain!!!
 
Being new to photography most of this is way over my head, however it does look like a serious bit of kit, are rather cool too.
 
ryanyboy said:
Congratulations John. An amazing piece of kit and I think you're right, the quality of the image (especially colour) is far improved over what most of us are used to (not that I've used one, just going by images I've seen).

Just one thing though, does it have a direct print button?
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haha, no it doesn't, but funnily enough, the new model does now shoot print ready jpegs!
 
nigpd said:
This purchase is a good business decision. In time it will no doubt be seen as a sound investment as you now have the opportunity to open the doors of more potential clients.

In essence, it gets you a ticket in to a bigger game with more players. You have to be in it to win it (y)
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This is exactly it. In two or three years, this purchase will (hopefully) be a distant memory for my wallet, and I'll just have a medium format camera for all of my shoots.

Of course if it doesn't work out, Hasselblad resale prices barely depreciate, so I'll only lose a couple of thou at the most.

Of course, I've seemed relatively confident in this thread I assume, I don't want to give the impression that I wasn't, and don't continue to crap myself at this purchase. I haven't even held the camera in one hand yet, because I'm so scared of dropping it. I'm cradling it tighter than I did my newborn.
 
London Headshots said:
This is exactly it. In two or three years, this purchase will (hopefully) be a distant memory for my wallet, and I'll just have a medium format camera for all of my shoots.

Of course if it doesn't work out, Hasselblad resale prices barely depreciate, so I'll only lose a couple of thou at the most.

Of course, I've seemed relatively confident in this thread I assume, I don't want to give the impression that I wasn't, and don't continue to crap myself at this purchase. I haven't even held the camera in one hand yet, because I'm so scared of dropping it. I'm cradling it tighter than I did my newborn.
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H6D is coming out soon ;) and you may want some more glass

JonathanRyan said:
Did you find the pop up flash yet?
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you just set in on auto, right? :D
 
JonathanRyan said:
Did you find the pop up flash yet?
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Yes! I couldn't believe it. I thought it was the viewfinder release and then up popped what looks like the most ridiculously underpowered flash in history. I assume it completely kills the already terrible battery?
 
daugirdas said:
H6D is coming out soon ;) and you may want some more glass
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H6D probably won't be out for another 5 or so years, but the lens thing is actually what enticed me about this. Procentre lens hire prices are really cheap. They'll even bike a lens to you for 9 quid, and as long as the client is covering costs, you never need to worry.

Beats the hell out of paying thousands for glass and then taking an age to recoup. The lenses for this camera are ludicrously expensive.

I'll probably plump for the 120mm macro at some point, though, and maybe the tilt shift adaptor. But those right there are another £8000, so these are purchases a couple of years away I assume.

God, it's daunting now that I think about it.
 
JonathanRyan said:
Dunno ;)

Plus, shoot tethered. Firewire gives you all the power you need.

BTW Phocus sucks but Lightroom raw decode is a little sluggish.
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Yeah, tethering seems to be the key to making this thing last longer than 10 minutes. The H5D is supposed to be designed for people who want to shoot freestyle, but I still don't buy that the battery is any beter than the H3 or H4.

I don't personally mind Phocus, but I know a lot of people are getting irritated with it constantly crashing. It hasn't done so for me yet, but we're talking about one shoot here. Lightroom I like, but like you say, it took an age to render the files.
 
Being an newbie I was curious to see what the fuss was all about. I headed to your website and was gobsmacked, if you were shooting that kind of stuff with a non pro camera I can only imagine what will come out of your new toy.

best of luck hope you recoup your investment in no time.
 
London Headshots said:
Yeah, tethering seems to be the key to making this thing last longer than 10 minutes. The H5D is supposed to be designed for people who want to shoot freestyle, but I still don't buy that the battery is any beter than the H3 or H4.
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Actually I don't find the battery on the H3 too bad. I have 2 batteries and if I'm not tethered I put one on charge while shooting with the other. Swap and repeat. Not been caught out so far.

Hotwire digital used to make a cool battery that clipped on your belt and kept the camera fed via a firewire cable but it seems to have disappeared from their shop.

I think the more pixels the more power it sucks though.
 
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