You have $3000, what would you buy?

You have $3000, what would you buy?

  • Total voters
    173
  • Poll closed .
Hi,

I'm amazed at what people have projected on to my statement that I was shocked; just because I expected more film choices based on experience and thinking about things like prices, reality etc.

FWIW, I don't regard film as a major expense, compared to (say) a good digital camera, a back-up and the inevitable loss when the digital body dies on me and the lenses then become worthless. Then you have to spend a lot of money for an even weirder camera and learn the contents of a 150 page manual (without an index).

Most of the counter arguments to that statement will be based on hindsight but I've never had hindsight before the event, especially with digital cameras, which makes my life difficult.

Worse still, digital cameras don't seem to last long enough for hindsight to work. By the time we know what works and behaves itself the makers will have moved on; neither new cameras nor parts will be available and so on...

Regards, David

PS (A later edit) and add to that the cost of a dedicated flash gun and the fact that they usually don't work with other digital cameras and so on.
 
David Hughes said:
Hi,

I'm amazed at what people have projected on to my statement that I was shocked; just because I expected more film choices based on experience and thinking about things like prices, reality etc.

FWIW, I don't regard film as a major expense, compared to (say) a good digital camera, a back-up and the inevitable loss when the digital body dies on me and the lenses then become worthless. Then you have to spend a lot of money for an even weirder camera and learn the contents of a 150 page manual (without an index).

Most of the counter arguments to that statement will be based on hindsight but I've never had hindsight before the event, especially with digital cameras, which makes my life difficult.

Worse still, digital cameras don't seem to last long enough for hindsight to work. By the time we know what works and behaves itself the makers will have moved on; neither new cameras nor parts will be available and so on...

Regards, David

PS (A later edit) and add to that the cost of a dedicated flash gun and the fact that they usually don't work with other digital cameras and so on.
Click to expand...
Lenses don´t become worthless when a body dies. Even not if the body is a digital one.
For none of my cameras, digital or film, I´ve looked to a manual even longer than some seconds. I would instant refuse a device, not only a camera, that demands this.

Digital Cameras can last as long as every other device. If not, the Internet surely has a spare one for less money after short time.
My oldest digital cams are 15 years old now and working fine.
There is no problem to get a spare battery on instant delivery for less than ten dollars today. And a good functional whole device will show up in at most a few days if I should need to replace one.

Dedicated Flash guns and their compatibility and availability are no invention of the digital market, David!
A choice of a system brings dependencies. Nothing new here either since decades ;)

Regards, Axel
 
Hi,

The crucial word in m y post was "hindsight" as my post is based on bitter experience.

I chose the system as three major makers had backed it with bodies and lenses and then the alternative makers backed it. Now I have three superb to excellent lenses that cost thousands but the bodies for them with the right mount are no longer made. So I have a problem.

Hindsight also tells me that there is limit to how long you can replace digital stuff; I had a very nice small compact digital camera with a very good zoom lens on it; it failed and I replaced it with a secondhand one from a dealer with a year's guarantee.

A short while after the guarantee expired the camera expired. I have replaced it with another one, also secondhand (obviously), but the model that came next and looked similar. Alas, when they replaced it they "improved" it; the result is that I am baffled at times and have to look in the index-less manual.

As for flashes, mine dates from the 80's and works with all my film bodies. It didn't cost hundreds...

There's a sub text to this thread "would you scrap your M2 if I gave you 3 000?" and the answer here is "no" as I'm happy with it.

A more interesting thread would be "if all your cameras were destroyed with the house contents and you had no insurance how little need you spend to start photography again?" Now that would get some interesting answers.

Regards, David

PS And when I'm in your country I still say "Grüß Gott" instead of "Hi" so I guess there's no hope for me...
 
David Hughes said:
Worse still, digital cameras don't seem to last long enough for hindsight to work. By the time we know what works and behaves itself the makers will have moved on; neither new cameras nor parts will be available and so on...
Click to expand...

What is long enough? A lifetime? Plenty of old working digital cameras out there...
 
I reject the conclusion that digital cameras are inherently fragile and short-lived.

A case can be made battery availability is the most likely cause of end-of-life. A decent Li-ion battery has about 1000 charge cycles. Eventually batteries must be replaced. At some point its will be hard to find batteries for old cameras.

So, a well-cared for film camera will out last a well-cared for digital camera – perhaps by decades.

The total cost of digital camera ownership is eroded by advances in imaging technology. I never replaced a digital camera because of electronic or mechanical failure. I replaced them because I could work more efficiently. Also, the cost to me was reduced by tax deductions and by clients.

Now that I'm not using cameras for work, I don't even think about upgrading.

Capital depreciation is only a cost when you liquidate an asset.
 
Bitter experience, continued...

Bitter experience, continued...

jsrockit said:
What is long enough? A lifetime? Plenty of old working digital cameras out there...
Click to expand...

Hi,

And plenty of duds that look as good on the outside. The problem is there's no way of telling, apart from hindsight. And I have my doubts about getting them checked and repaired.

And I prefer to work with cameras who's wicked little ways I know/understand. One of the differences between my old and my newer replacement camera is that the menu system is totally different and far more convoluted. I still intend to set it up the way I want it but have wasted a lot of time and swearing in the process. I've 30/31 years experience of digital cameras but it doesn't help me much...

Regards, David

PS And throw into the mix what happened to my lovely printer and software when Windows 8 and 10 came along...
 
Bitter experience is no way limited or connected to the use of digital equipment.
I also have some - who will not?

Come on David! :)

Just came into my house from a longer walk in the ice-cold wind through the landscape I love to live in actually (by the way - there is a small couple of folks in the south that uses "Grüß Gott" I remember - we use to say "Moin!" here in the north ;)).

A bit frustrated from the small range of usability of batteries when things turn colder than the living room is. First camera (the big one hanging on the strap on my shoulder) took about half an hour until the "low battery" warning appeared. The small one living in its
bag on my hip survived one hour in the cold...

But - what hindsights are following from such events?
Take the fully manual mechanic cam with film next time?
Not really.

Regards from the north of Germany,

Axel
 
David Hughes said:
Hi,

And plenty of duds that look as good on the outside. The problem is there's no way of telling, apart from hindsight. And I have my doubts about getting them checked and repaired.

And I prefer to work with cameras who's wicked little ways I know/understand. One of the differences between my old and my newer replacement camera is that the menu system is totally different and far more convoluted. I still intend to set it up the way I want it but have wasted a lot of time and swearing in the process. I've 30/31 years experience of digital cameras but it doesn't help me much...

Regards, David

PS And throw into the mix what happened to my lovely printer and software when Windows 8 and 10 came along...
Click to expand...

I understand... I just haven't had the same experience. Its only been 20 years for me, but they've been relatively easy to figure out. BUT we don't all photograph the same things the same way.
 
Not to change the subject, but back to spending that $3000 USD.....

I've always been enamored by panoramic photos (and hence panoramic cameras).

I'm not able to spend $$ on an Xpan, even though I'd like one; but what neat cameras. Or one of those 6x17 jobs (Fuji?). Widelux intrigue me. I guess in the age of digital there's an easy option for panoramics, but is it as fun?

I suspect I'll someday come across a Horizon/Horizont and give it a whirl. But I'm not actively seeking any photo gear these days (with exception of a Viso III so I can use some stuff I've inherited)
 
3000, so more like 4000 AUD haha. I would spend 500 on a used CLA'd Olympus Om1, and a cheap set of lenses like the 50 1.4 and 28 3.5. A roll or two of bulk film, and most importantly.... use the remaining 3500 to take a month long, cheap as chips holiday through somewhere in asia, haha.
 
Invest your 3000 clams. If the primary reason needs to be for the purchase of a camera, tell yourself that you're saving for a new Konost digital rangefinder camera. I predict that you will be both a happy and wealthy man in the future...perhaps cameraless though...
 
Your question is timely. Somebody on my local Craigslist is offering a DS Leica M3 with 50mm DR Summicron, a 21/4 Super-Angulon with “eyes,” a 135/4 Elmar, a collapsible 90/4 Elmar, and all sorts of filters and finders for $2,500.00. Tempting as hell, but something I don’t need (even though the 21/4 would be interesting). Trying mightily to resist the call of GAS…..

Jim B.
 
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