My goal with acquiring gear is to always stay "in the black." By that I mean, I never want to be in debt, and I never spend income from my job. If you are going into debt to buy anything other than a house or car, something is wrong, in my mind.
I do that by following these rules for photography equipment:
- Never buy new.
- Buy any cheap item that is worth 3 or more times what you are about to pay.
- Buy any expensive item that is worth double.
- Know the market for used items! Do execute the above two, unless there is an active market.
- Sell items above to buy what I want.
- For items I really want, don't pay high retail. Pay 75%-85% of the normal cost.
- Avoid cult items. Buy sleepers that have the same quality, but no one else wants.
- Search, wait, hunt, network for what I want to buy, and only buy if it's below the going rate.
- Buy kits or lots if there is one item you want, and the value of the other items is worth cumulatively more than you pay, even minus keeping the item you want.
By doing this, every lens and camera I have (8x10, wholeplate, 5x7, 4x5, Rangefinder Leicas, Canons, Digital micro 4/3) is totally paid for. If I sell any user item, any money I make is pure profit. Shelf queens I can keep too, if I like them, because I have NO MONEY IN THEM.
Unfortunately, you cannot do this chasing the newest digital wonder. You buy those like you buy a new car. It depreciates as soon as you touch it. By the way, every car and motorcycle I've owned since 16 (except one new one) I sold for what I paid, or MORE, after using them for years.
You just have to get off the consumerism, buy the newest, best, conveyor belt to debt.
