What should i tell my wife?

[Vic_izoita]

I've saved up about $600 for a 70-200 f4 L by selling my unneeded stuff on Ebay and now it dawned on me.. what am i gonna tell my woman when the thing comes to the door? One evening i was aducating her about the lenses and i told her that the white lens means business and that the red ring means big bucks. Since photography for me is just a hobby at this point i know for sure that she would be against this purchase and she would find many excuses why i shouldn't buy the lens. So in my case its a must lie situation..

Please write your experiense If you were is a similar situation or if you have any suggestions on what i should do.

Thanks

[IndyJeff]

Have it sent to your work and keep it in the trunk of your car. Then sometime when you know you will be home and she will be gone tell her you won a photo contest and the prize is a Canon lens and it should be here any day now.

She may not believe it but it is more believeable than, "Hey honey, look what I found at the Goodwill Store!!!"

[burkdog]

Tell her she is not the boss of you, and that you bought a 600 dollar lense.

If you insist on trying to make her feel better, tell her how high the resale value on these lenses are (it's true). Explain that you could use the lens for a year or two, and probably sell it for 400 dollars. That way you only spent 200 bucks on it, overall, which is only $8.33 a month. That breaks down to just over a quarter a day.

When you think of it that way, it's not expensive at all.

Also tell her that you have aspirations of becoming a semi-professional photographer in your spare time, and that you HAVE to have a lens of that quality to make that a possibility.

And if you are willing to go that far, get a DBA, and write off the equipment as a startup expense. Makes it even cheaper.

Hope this helps... :shock:

[SoCal69]

When I bought mine, I told my wife that it was an incredible deal that I just couldn't pass up (it actually was... I got in on the Dell 70-200 f/2.8 deal). So the end result is she accepted the fact and got used to seeing a big white lens with me all the time. Then I bought the 100-400. As far as she knows, I still have a big white lens. As long as I don't have them both with me at the same time, no problem. I wonder what other big white lenses I can buy???? :twisted:

[PekkaM]

I've saved up about $600 for a 70-200 f4 L by selling my unneeded stuff on Ebay and now it dawned on me..

Seriously? You sold your stuff, you saved your money and now you are going to buy yourself a lens that is a relative bargain. What's the problem?

I don't see what's wrong ;)

[Blues67]

Tell her your gay and the lense makes you feel warm and fuzzy. Just kidding...........Tell her it was your stuff that went to buy the lense, can it or you'll Ebay her shoes and buy a 1Ds

[msvadi]

*you can paint the lens black and scratch off the red stripe
*open the B&H page with 70-200 2.8 IS and say that you've saved $1000
*you can store the lens in my house. your won't have to tell anything to your wife. of course, I'll get in trouble with my wife.

[Belmondo]

Be truthful. :wink:

Show her an ad for a 70-200mm f/2.8L IS and explain to her that even though the lens you're getting is less than half the price, it's an f/4.0 which has better depth of field at its largest aperture setting, plus it weighs less.

All true.

How could she resist seeing you get a lens with better depth-of-field? :lol:

[sp00g3]

Be truthful. :wink:

Show her an ad for a 70-200mm f/2.8L IS and explain to her that even though the lens you're getting is less than half the price, it's an f/4.0 which has better depth of field at its largest aperture setting, plus it weighs less.

All true.

How could she resist seeing you get a lens with better depth-of-field? :lol:

Tell her it will make more beautiful in the pictures you take of her. And zoomed in at 200mm, a shallow DOF will give her an angelic look.

[msvadi]

or you can take her to a jewelry store on the day the lens is supposed to arrive. buy her a big dimond ring ;)

[dtrayers]

Those who live in Minnesota may be familiar with a radio show called "Garage Logic". I direct you to two phrases from the show, that of the "48 Hour Rule" and the "Three Price Syndrome".

The 48-Hour Rule or “You Had Your Chance"

This rule was established on March 5, 2002 and is as follows: As a reward for a fellow sneaking new and (in)expensive cylinders (or lenses) into the Crisis Center and also escaping any female wrath that might accrue from said purchase, the fellow may make up any story he wishes after 48 hours regarding the acquisition. In other words, she gets 48 hours to notice the purchase and complain. If she misses her window, you are home free.

Three Prices You Pay Syndrome
1 - The price you paid for the item.
2 - The price you tell her you paid for the item.
3 - The price you pay when she finds out the price you paid.

http://www.garagelogic.com/lexicon.htm

[Cadwell]

I suggest an expensive gift. Anything with a hallmark is generally acceptable.

[hmhm]

Tell her you intend to buy the 70-200/2.8. Defend that decision vigorously. If she persists in her protestation, negotiate down to a 70-200/4 as a compromise. If necessary, sneak into her purse while she sleeps and temporarily retrieve your boy parts to help prop up your resolve.
-harry

[cmM]

It's so much fun to watch you people discuss your issues marriage brings into your life as a photographer :P

I'm not married :p
I guess I should look at this thread as advice: "don't get married until you have the entire L collection" :twisted:

[Sammy]

Well we (both hubby and I) need someone to control our spending LOL!

Be grateful ONE of you has some sense of self control!

As well as camera equipment, we (um, mainly *I*) spend WAY to much on dogs.. nearly 2k for my last one.. plus I have a dog equipment fetish..

Think yourself lucky, you only have the one vice!

[Blues67]

Take out a large insurance policy on her and hope for the worst, oh, I mean the best.......................you'll have enough money to keep you in L lenses for years. Watch CSI, and every other show to see what to hide.

[tpinchback]

Take out a large insurance policy on her and hope for the worst, oh, I mean the best.......................you'll have enough money to keep you in L lenses for years. Watch CSI, and every other show to see what to hide.

You need some help man!

[Conk]

This line gets them thinking. "I can make money with it". Or, you can just take what's comming to you. Sooner or later it'll blow over. You just have to deal with the look of death for a while, sleep on the couch, pallet what's on your dinner plate, and put up with all the guilt trip women can lay on us but just think of the fun you can have playing with the new L-glass? Man, if you ask me it's all worth a couple weeks in the dog house for unlimited fun.

This is what I did when I bought my mountain bike. I came home and the first thing I said was "don't even ask. If you wan't to find out how much it cost I'll tell you when it paid off. But until then, I don't want to hear it. I wanted it and it was one of those just gotta have things".
By the time it was paid off she didn't even want to know anymore.

[WebErika]

Well we (both hubby and I) need someone to control our spending LOL!

Be grateful ONE of you has some sense of self control!

As well as camera equipment, we (um, mainly *I*) spend WAY to much on dogs.. nearly 2k for my last one.. plus I have a dog equipment fetish..

Think yourself lucky, you only have the one vice!

Wow! For a second I thought I was reading my own post, but then I knew I hadn't posted here yet! :lol: What's really funny is my hubby is from the UK!

I have more self control than he does ... but man, we'd be too excited about a purchased toy to hide it from each other! :lol:

I say just show her. If she wants to divorce ya because of a lens ... well ...

[Vic_izoita]

I've got some great news... My wife is graduating in few weeks with a Bachelor's Degree and last night we were talking and making plans for that day when she asked me if i would take my 10d with me. I replied" sure, but my 24-85mm doesn't have enough zoom power and i wont be able to take any closeups". So she said "well.. how much do you think a better zoom would cost? In my head i knew that i had her, so i said "its not cheap.. at least $800 but if i go on ebay i could pick one up for $500".
Buttom line she agreed to get it ... I love being married! LOL.!

The reason i've being kind of sneaky about this purchase is because in past three or four months i've spend about $2200 on all my new Canon grear and a new p4 Dell laptop $1300. after all that spending she begged me to promise her that i will take a brake for at least 6 months.

[G3]

That IS great news. It all worked out for you.....gotta love it when a plan comes together.

I've found through experience two things (for future reference):

1. It's better not to lie. Just take your lumps and move on with it. She would forgive you eventually for buying the lens. If she finds out you lied, that will stay with her forever.

2. It's easier to get forgiveness than permission.

[Vic_izoita]

GS Wrote:
1. It's better not to lie. Just take your lumps and move on with it. She would forgive you eventually for buying the lens. If she finds out you lied, that will stay with her forever.

2. It's easier to get forgiveness than permission.


you're absolutly right .... im so glad that it all worked out. I know that if she would of lied to me i would be pretty ticked off, not because she spend alot of money but because she lied.

[Volatile]

Similar to the garage logic, I live by the 10% Rule. When she makes a large purchase, I'm allowed to take 10% of that expenditure and buy something for myself.

I've bought well over $2000 worth of gear since Dec, so you can imagine what kind of year she's having....

[chris.bailey]

I think lying is perhaps too strong a word for the financial untruths in a marriage. I often find my wife in a pair of shoes I have not seen before and many of you will be familiar with the "Oh those....I bought them ages ago". Oh yeah. For me the odd L is the male version of a pair of shoes. More expensive I grant you but will be in fashion for a lot longer.

[Blues67]

ONe thing I have found that works is, ask, when she says no, go into a snit that makes her life really suck. Be cold, short, and a pain in the ass. They give in quick. After a few times of that, the no's become far and fewer. You could withhold sex, but your married- whats the point.

[Belmondo]

ONe thing I have found that works is, ask, when she says no, go into a snit that makes her life really suck. Be cold, short, and a pain in the ass. They give in quick. After a few times of that, the no's become far and fewer. You could withhold sex, but your married- whats the point.

Hey, dude---
I don't know how many people have read your last post, but I'll bet that 90% of them suddenly feel very sorry for your wife. I'm surprised you didn't suggest an occasional beating for good measure. :?

Or is this an example of 'tough love'? :?:

Just remember. The pendulum can swing both ways. :wink:

[Blues67]

Sorry to my wife. and by the way, beatings are too hard to get by with these days. It's drive bys.

[msvadi]

I've got some great news...

Don't forget to share with us your first impressions from the L glass :)

[Belmondo]

Sorry to my wife. and by the way, beatings are too hard to get by with these days. It's drive bys.

What a relief! Your solution sounds much neater.

[NILOLIGIST]

If you tell her the truth, you won't have to hide the fact that you are lying. You did sell your other gear and you did save up. If you tell her the truth you will be including her and it will make both your lives easier. Or, you could start lying about this little thing and then the next time you will have to do the same thing. You have one bad habit...Leave it at that.

Tell the truth, it makes life easier and it shows that you respect her and yourself.

Good luck!!

NiL,

[KartGirlsMom]

Dtayers--My husband is a fellow GLer. Last winter I kept thinking, isn't the yellow snowmobile a Polaris? How come the one in the front yard is a Ski-Doo? When I went to get my bike out this spring, I discovered that "we" now have two yellow snowmobiles--a Polaris and a Ski-Doo in the shed--His response--)"Oh, I've had that thing forever"...men...
But hey, I want a digital camera--he would never be able to tell the Elan 7 from a D10 would he?[/i] That would be a reason to spend the extra $$ on a black digital vs a grey one like the Rebel, right? :D

[pradeep1]

I have found the best policy with my wife is plain and simple honesty. 8)