Most I ever spent on a digital camera is close to £500. I purchase sometimes over a decade after release, certainly mostly years after release that's how I've afforded 101 digital cameras. I am fairly close to the bread line currently which is still miles better of than billions of folk on earth.
You've done well. I've bought loads of cheap cameras, too. I'm kind of comfortable spending a couple of hundred quid on a used camera, not so much larger sums.
25 years ago I bought an Oly E10, a Nikon D100 and a Kodak 14n (over 5 years or so). All of these cameras were too expensive for me and put a ridiculous strain on my finances at the time, but I was keen/desperate and it was early adopter days.
I justified those purchases on a fairly rudimentary financial basis: it would cost me about £1 a shot for medium format Velvia film, so as long as I took enough £1-a-go shots to cover the camera purchase price, I was quids in. It was psychological game playing and I eventually realised I couldn't afford this kind of outlay to maintain a hobby. It left me flat broke without a penny to my name.
I've not fallen into that trap since, and although I have in recent years got into MF and FF, I did so with used purchases of older gear I had the money for, and I'll never pay unaffordable money for a camera again, especially silly money I don't have. Cameras are all so good now, there is no need for top end stuff for most people.
This forum still leaves me feeling a bit like I've accidentally walked into the exclusive golf country club, though, when I read people talking about spending £10k like it was peanuts. Some people here seem to have unimaginable sums of disposable income. I don't think I'll ever shed that feeling unless I win the lottery I don't play
I think the great thing about digital photography today is the very wide range of used equipment at low prices that is available. It's not like the film era, once you have your cheap used camera, there are no running costs. Looking on MPB, just about the cheapest camera you can get is the Nikon D3000. £60 for a 10MP sensor good enough for A3 prints. I find it kind of gobsmacking when you consider I originally paid £1630 for my 6MP D100. That D100 is £3000 in today's money, and you can get a superior used D3000 with 10k clicks on the shutter for £60. Kinda of mind blowing value for money. If you are really, really strapped, or a kid just getting into photography, you can get the Canon equivalent of that D100 for £24! For £90 you can get a very capable Nikon D90. If you can't make excellent photos with one of those, gear isn't your problem...
️ David.
lol for types of photography I do from 35mm dslr to aps-c m4/3 1inch 2/3 1/1.7" 1/2.5" sensor cameras I've had adapting manual lenses to dslrs, mirrorless.
for photography I do.
