An expensive hobby

[Jack Dumbbell]

I've started to think my small amount of investment in my Oly OM-D E-M5 is going to be it for me and photography. I've been looking at upgrading but a decent upgrade it going to be $1,500 to $2,000. I've looked at buying used, older models and they are less, but the tech is not as up to date and their prices are not that much lower.

I'll keep my Oly and use it, but I'm not going to pursue photography. I think there are less expensive activities to get into, but that is just me.

I gave up film photography because it was costing too much. Now with digital I'm spending about the same amount of money per year as I used to spend on film. The big difference is that I'm spending most of my money on things which last, like lenses, taking a lot more photographs, learning a lot more, and having a lot more fun.

 

[Androole]

Hard to imagine that switching to a DSLR that is noticeably better than his E-M5 could possibly save him money.

The least expensive path is to simply stick with what you've got. And there's nothing wrong with what he's got.

 

[Bandman45]

Like any hobby photography can be addictive. I've been at it over 50 years and I still enjoy it immensely. I've also figured out that I'm never going to get that perfect Rocky Mountain National Park image but I keep trying. But, I also bought Erik Stensland's coffee table book because he has figured it out. Win Win. I will keep hiking and trying to get that perfect image, Win Win. I am done buying the newest and best equipment, like I used to tell our kids, be happy with what you have.

 

[D Cox]

Phwooarr!

The notorious Zenit. You could get one with a 55mm for twentyfive bucks, but the screw mount meant you could pick up some bargains in 'old' primes. In fact as it was a pure machine it functioned as well as a top of the line Nikon, maybe a bit heavier, and only 1/500 top shutter speed, but if you had one you could easily get the copy for Surfer, Wheels, People, Nature. and Garden.

It had a shiny floor under the mirror, which reflected light from the sky up onto the film, giving nasty flare. If you fixed that, you could get some quite good pictures.

The Zenith shutter button was very stiff, so camera shake was a problem.

When you adjust the aperture on that Industar lens, the focus tends to shift as well, as the whole front part of the lens rotates.

The Practicas were much better cameras.

If you were my uncle you could even have done some glamor spreads for Australian Playboy with one

--
Painting with light

 

[Mark_A]

I have bought a couple of cameras, five lenses, a reasonable tripod, a monopod, an upgraded computer and some software, but that is over 17 years.

The cost per year is actually quite small.

Mark_A

Thread for Sunrise & Sunset pictures (part 2!)

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/58832936

 

[BrownieVet]

Can you suggest some less expensive hobbies ?

Loading…

www.dpreview.com

 

[Smaug01]

That has been the weakness of Olympus; very little aftermarket support, so Olympus feels like they can really gouge us. (esp. on lenses)

Just consider that your micro 4/3 sensor is a decent size, so the glass doesn't have to be quite as fast to get great images.

I just sold my full frame Nikon system. I had decently fast glass, and the image quality was superb. Spent my whole bonus on it last year, and my wife just about killed me. I got lots of flak for it here too, questioning my marital wisdom. The thing is, I was just not taking it with me, ever. Nothing was ever a "serious" enough event to warrant carrying it, especially when I didn't know exactly which lens I'd need.

Now, I'm down to just 1" sensor cameras, and no regrets.

You're 1 step better than that. If what you have does what you need it to, then no regrets, right?

 

[FrancoD]

Can you suggest some less expensive hobbies ?

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/59263588

I already mentioned that most hobbies can be cheap or expensive depending on your taste.

The OP has an Olympus OM-D E-M5, not exactly an entry level camera and is not happy with that.

To compare it with reading it would be something like wanting to read first issue books because the ones at the library don't do it for you.

See the point now ?

 

[Ron Poelman]

Can you suggest some less expensive hobbies ?

Persevere with the beginning of this to fully understand the details.
The astonishing thing here is,
in spite of the insane environment for decades,
the Gent exhibits a skill with a paintbrush as well,
that could easily have earned him a good living.
Some people just drip talent,
that their daily lives should be so affected almost seems par for the course.
It begs the question (especially here),
when does "Hobby" end ?

 

[FrancoD]

I can see why he is a bit hunched up...

Amazing stuff.

Only a couple of weeks ago there was a local fair with model train enthusiasts showing off their designs , very nice, but nothing like that.

 

[stevezissou]

Nope. I was out buying myself a hover board.

 

[PhotOliver]

... Maybe they should just spend a few bucks on a good photography course or book....

Even that would not help much, I'm afraid.

The most difficult thing in photography is finding the content of a photograph that somebody other than the photographer would be prepared to spend his or her precious time to look at.

No ""up-to-date-tech" and no photographic skill learned form a course or a book will help with this quest.

 

[khunpapa]

... Maybe they should just spend a few bucks on a good photography course or book....

Even that would not help much, I'm afraid.

The most difficult thing in photography is finding the content of a photograph that somebody other than the photographer would be prepared to spend his or her precious time to look at.

No ""up-to-date-tech" and no photographic skill learned form a course or a book will help with this quest.

Education helps. Whether direct (class) or indirect (reading book).

In any hobby (or job), there're three steep learning curve.

First is learning the tools & the how-to operate them properly.
For photography, that's the camera, lens, angle of view, ISO, speed, aperture.

Second is learning the rules & the how-to apply the tools to finish the task according to the rules.

For photography, that's the composition rules, exposure rules, exposure compensation, effects of shutter speed value & aperture value to the image, artistic viewpoints, etc.

.

Third is how to perform the task not according to the rules.

.

.

The first two can be taught and learned by ourselves. Teachers, instructors, books and internet discussing boards reduce time spending, frustrations, wrong path travelings, useless trials, urban hypes .. dramaticly.

The third, which you call "skill" can not be taught, of course.

Not just photography but every tasks/jobs/hobbies.

For hobby, if skill can be taught, it wouldn't be hobby anymore.

 

[Chris Wolfgram]

Photography has never been cheap. And frankly, if you think of it as just another activity, interchangeable with golf or stamp collecting, then yes, it probably isn't worth it. It only when the act of making images grabs you by the eyes and the brain and the gut that it makes any sense at all. And even then, it's not much sense.

I see people talking all the time about spending $1500 on a lens or at least a couple thousand on a new body... and if you look at their galleries it often seems that all they're getting for their money is flower and duck and waterfall photos. Maybe they should just spend a few bucks on a good photography course or book.

Photography doesn't need to be all that expensive - I probably haven't spent $2K total on what I have now, having sold off earlier bodies, unused lenses etc. that I didn't need.

And thank GOD I don't have to pursue this hobby with film and processing like the old days, when it really WAS an expensive pursuit.

I think this depends. If you typically shoot easy subjects, in bright light, you might not see much difference between a cheap camera / lens combo, or a much more expensive one.

On the other hand, if you shoot the extremes of low light, long exposures, and maybe long distance, or moving subjects, then the gear can make a much bigger difference.

I used to try, but pretty much fail miserably at low light, long exposure stuff with my 7D, then when i got my 6D, it made all the difference in the world.

 

[Chris Wolfgram]

I've started to think my small amount of investment in my Oly OM-D E-M5 is going to be it for me and photography. I've been looking at upgrading but a decent upgrade it going to be $1,500 to $2,000. I've looked at buying used, older models and they are less, but the tech is not as up to date and their prices are not that much lower.

I'll keep my Oly and use it, but I'm not going to pursue photography. I think there are less expensive activities to get into, but that is just me.

I knew a guy that spent $1500 on a pool stick ! I mean come on, it doesn't even have moving parts ! But to him, it was worth every penny. Not to mention, the guy had won individual games worth $1500 or more..... So maybe that's different.

Just saying, i never knew their were pool sticks that cost $1500 before i met that guy...

The point being, you could probably spend more than most would ever imagine, on nearly every hobby ever pursued, if you were willing to take it that far.

In the end, i say, if it makes you happy, just do it.

 

[Mark_A]

I've started to think my small amount of investment in my Oly OM-D E-M5 is going to be it for me and photography. I've been looking at upgrading but a decent upgrade it going to be $1,500 to $2,000. I've looked at buying used, older models and they are less, but the tech is not as up to date and their prices are not that much lower.

I'll keep my Oly and use it, but I'm not going to pursue photography. I think there are less expensive activities to get into, but that is just me.

Steve, are you falling into the trap of feeling you have to upgrade regularly because if you are then I think you are making it more expensive than it needs to be.

Like the person that buys a new car every 2 years, each time they take the first owners depreciation.

I look at it differently, if my camera still takes the pictures I want to take, I stick with it.

Mark_A

Thread for Sunrise & Sunset pictures (part 2!)

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/58832936

 

[dw2001]

I think the camera business is pricing themselves out of business. Prices on new gear now is ridiculous.

 

[stevezissou]

Well, I've had the Oly for 4 years now. I'm going to follow the advice of Thoreau and simplify. I have begun to look for a used Sony Cyber Shot DSC-RX 100x, or used Lumix DMC-LX100.

The easier the camera is to carry and use the more likely I am to take it with me and use it.

 

[Chikubi]

Well, I've had the Oly for 4 years now. I'm going to follow the advice of Thoreau and simplify. I have begun to look for a used Sony Cyber Shot DSC-RX 100x, or used Lumix DMC-LX100.

The easier the camera is to carry and use the more likely I am to take it with me and use it.

So in other words, it's not an expensive hobby, just one that you're not as captivated by or as enthusiastic about as you originally anticipated.

Cool, do what works best for you and move in the direction you're happiest with. No shame in that.

 

[Smaug01]

Well, I've had the Oly for 4 years now. I'm going to follow the advice of Thoreau and simplify. I have begun to look for a used Sony Cyber Shot DSC-RX 100x, or used Lumix DMC-LX100.

The easier the camera is to carry and use the more likely I am to take it with me and use it.

Yep, that's how it works for me. I'm ashamed at how many fun (and low quality) snapshots I have on my iPhone but NOT on my compact camera.

One of those Panasonics has problems with inhaling dust through the telescopic lens barrels. I don't recall if it's the LX100 or LX10. Might wanna look into that.