How much have you invested in camera gear ?

**kiwi** · 15-09-2011, 7:36am

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**occifer nick** · 15-09-2011, 8:44am

Originally Posted by William

All second hand , The most expensive was the 24-105 , Oh and a new 50mm 1.8 , Cokin filters were new also , $ 400 for the 30D 4 yrs ago, Camera bodies under $1000 for sure

Any yet look at all your awards Bill, it's not the size of your lens but how you use it that counts

**chrisprendergast** · 15-09-2011, 8:54am

about 30 odd k

**Kym** · 15-09-2011, 9:17am

No surprise in these results for this poll for this community.
Most of us have been at it for many years, and the investment is spread over that time.
A better measure would be a per annum spend.

Investment ... yes! Because the return is the simple joy of it (which has great value) or the $$ if you are a 'pro' (and hopefully still have fun as well).

I tell Nel it's cheaper than a) a boat or b) golf

In fact Nel suggested I buy more camera gear for Fathers day - wonderful Lady she is!

**rellik666** · 15-09-2011, 11:26am

I would think the $$ would be proportional to length of time involved. It would also be expenentially related in that the amount spend grows expenentially with time.....maybe.....

**Xebadir** · 16-09-2011, 12:13pm

Heh...well...I have yet to see a return on my investment :P. But I don't really care...photography is one of the things that has helped me get through the toughest year in my life and it makes me happy...so the money I save on the psychologists has been turned into assets and something useful

.

Conservative valuation puts me somewhere like 15k. Only pretty much 3 more things I want though before I would say I'm done spending for a while: 70-200+1.4, a 105 and a decent tripod so i don't have anymore lens destroying accidents which consume funds. Other than that I could happily shoot without spending other than servicing my gear.

Oh and for Fun, Equipment I've broken total: 2.4k. (24-70 (tripod failure resulting in ground impact), 55-200 (snapped barrel at camera), 2x18-55 (unknown reasons))

**cfm** · 16-09-2011, 1:35pm

In 6 years, I'm on my second body (Pentax *istd, now a K7), and only just started getting some prime/speciality lenses. So maybe $5K all up for me. I'm pretty frugal with my spending too.

I agree that there is an exponential growth to the spend. You start with a body and a kit lens, then all this other lens stuff starts becoming relevant as you figure out what you like taking photos of. Then you need a tripod, an external flash, filters, a bag to carry it in...

**Mary Anne** · 16-09-2011, 2:43pm

Macro is very expensive

I added my gear up one day and was shocked to find I could have bought a brand new car
But then I don't drive anymore so what good is a car to me .. This way I am keeping a little fitter
Walking around our garden for hours of a morning looking for Insects and Bugs gives me much pleasure.
Hubby says you are a long time dead and you cant take it with you so enjoy it while you can and for once *I Agree* with him

**kiwi** · 16-09-2011, 2:46pm

Originally Posted by Mary Anne

Macro is very expensive

...

nooo. sports and birds are expensive @@ !! @@

**Mary Anne** · 16-09-2011, 2:54pm

Plenty of Birds in our Garden Darren you can have them for free..

**fabian628** · 16-09-2011, 4:08pm

Originally Posted by kiwi

nooo. sports and birds are expensive @@ !! @@

i agree, you can get top notch macro euiptment for relatively cheap, or you can also get away with using cheap reversed lenses and get the same result as the mpe65mm. If you need 400mm f/2.8, there is no way you are going to get that by taping a pvc pipe to the end of your camera

**KeeFy** · 16-09-2011, 6:40pm

Originally Posted by fabian628

i agree, you can get top notch macro euiptment for relatively cheap, or you can also get away with using cheap reversed lenses and get the same result as the mpe65mm. If you need 400mm f/2.8, there is no way you are going to get that by taping a pvc pipe to the end of your camera

I second that!

**chaosboi** · 17-09-2011, 7:35am

Just last weekend I invested $4500 on a 60d and lenses, this was an upgrade to my $1200 400d and yucky kit lenses.
I'm wanting more lenses, so I can see this figure rise raipidly over the next year.

**jjphoto** · 17-09-2011, 9:32am

'Investing' implies an expectation of appreciation of value and there fore an expectation of profit. I have never spent a cent expecting the equipment to appreciate in value.

JJ

**Redbaron** · 17-09-2011, 9:44am

"Investing" isn't necessarily defined as capital ($) growth. I see it as getting any kind of return. IE great photos. I picked up my new camera yesterday afternoon, and the photos I've already captured of my son having fun is worth way more than the $1500 odd I spent yesterday.

**Chinook** · 17-09-2011, 2:15pm

It is rather a scary thought but I for one love photography with a passion but I am hopeless. I do not plan to stay that way and like you say you have to have good glass.

If I added up all the magazines, books, computer software I am keeping very quiet about the true amount because I have lost touch with it. I try to buy secondhand when I can and look for the best prices. Great poll.

**Wayne** · 20-09-2011, 12:16pm

Well over $30K, closer to $40K, just need to find a few misplaced invoices for the total. On second thoughts, I will just leave it at what I have on my spreadsheet now...

**fabian628** · 20-09-2011, 6:32pm

Originally Posted by jjphoto

'Investing' implies an expectation of appreciation of value and there fore an expectation of profit. I have never spent a cent expecting the equipment to appreciate in value.

JJ

i just 'rented' a 300L IS for a year and a half for positive $500

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