The Hierarchy of Spending

[bewaretheblur]

I'd love to see everyone's opinion on the Great Order of Wallet Depletion. Where do your priorities lie as far as purchases go, and why?

Please post the order in which you think camera products should be purchased

I'll start. I see it as this:

Lenses > Lighting > Tripod > Body > Bag > Misc. Accessories

Why? Because...

Good lenses will get your photos noticed...
Good lighting will get your photos looking pro...
A good tripod will get you more balanced and versatile...
A good body will get you more efficiency...
A good bag will protect those investments...
Good accessories (cards, diffusers, filters, etc.) will give you longevity...

EDIT: Obviously, we're talking upgrades here... It doesn't do you a whole lot of good to buy a lens before a body. Assume that someone has the basic needs of a dSLR: a beginner body, lens, and memory card.

[blonde]

i'll play:

good body because you need one to actually take the pic
good lenses because they help you get the imagee you want
good tripod because you have to have one to get shaarp results and do night shots
good bag because you need one to carry all our gear without breeaking your back
good accessories because they will help you improve your images
good computer gear because you will spend alot of time working on your images so you want to have the best gear to help you do this (color calibration, good screen, ram etc..)

[cbock]

Good lenses will get your photos noticed...
A good body will get you more efficiency...
Good lighting will get your photos looking pro...
A good tripod will get you more balanced and versatile...
A good bag will protect those investments...
Good accessories (cards, diffusers, filters, etc.) will give you longevity...

[bewaretheblur]

a lot of people seem more into bodies than I am... To me, I figure once you're at 8MP with a decent sensor, you can take great pictures... I'm not sure that you could tell a printed photo taken by a rebel apart from a photo taken by 1d (besides the crop)... I see the body as being a convinience thing (features, etc) way down the line. Maybe that's because I have a Rebel XT though...

[willg]

depends on what you shoot. outdoor photographers don't need nearly as much lighting as a studio photographer and they may want to spend some money on a weather sealed body if they are in extreme situtations. For me, I didn't upgrade any glass, and my pictures have started to look much better just by upgrading to the 5d from the 300d. there are shots that I would never have been able to capture with the 300d that the 5d allows me to catch with ease

[Orgnoi1]

From where I am its lenses>lenses>lenses... kidding... actually I am at a point in my photography that I may start looking into studio equipment...

Per the body comment...it isnt so much the difference in quality of two *perfect pictures* as much as it is the amount of keepers in a single shoot... that of course is only my opinion...

[blonde]

Originally Posted by bewaretheblur

a lot of people seem more into bodies than I am... To me, I figure once you're at 8MP with a decent sensor, you can take great pictures... I'm not sure that you could tell a printed photo taken by a rebel apart from a photo taken by 1d (besides the crop)... I see the body as being a convinience thing (features, etc) way down the line. Maybe that's because I have a Rebel XT though...

don't forget that alot of people want a different body but not for the MP. for example, i want to buy a 1dmkII next because it has the far better AF system. i could care less about the MP after i printed a 16x20 image from the 4.1mp 1D. people want the 5D not just for the 12 MP but for the FF sensor.

[lakiluno]

Lenses (Sigma 70-300 APO DG Macro)
Tripod (Dynatran?)-Monopod?
Lenses (Old MF lenses - M42/Nikon F etc)
Grip
Bag (Small shoulder bag to use when I'm not using my backpack)

[cdifoto]

I go lenses first. Glass supercedes anything. You can't go without CF cards and batteries and such so I consider them a necessity, not an upgrade or accessory. Most other stuff, assuming you have a body that attaches to your glass, doesn't matter when you buy and in what order.

[storeman]

Hmmm

Good lenses will get your photos noticed, Not necessarily. I've seen photos by a good professional taken using a mid priced point and shoot camera that are excellent. Not because of the sharpness or colour but simply because of the content and composition. If I had the most expensive body with the most expensive lens I still wouldn't be able to match the photo's that this guy produces. The person behind the camera is the main reason for the result. Being able to see the image before it is shot is the key to reaising a good photograph. Granted, having better equipment will make that task easier but if someone has poor composition skills and takes photos of scenes that just aren't appealing then regardless of the equipment, the photo's won't get noticed.

For me, I suppose the most important purchase I could make would probably be some lessons.

[Greg P.]

The body and lenses are both equally #1, a shotty body with good lenses is no better than a good body with shotty lenses.

Originally Posted by storeman

Hmmm

Good lenses will get your photos noticed, Not necessarily. I've seen photos by a good professional taken using a mid priced point and shoot camera that are excellent. Not because of the sharpness or colour but simply because of the content and composition. If I had the most expensive body with the most expensive lens I still wouldn't be able to match the photo's that this guy produces. The person behind the camera is the main reason for the result. Being able to see the image before it is shot is the key to reaising a good photograph. Granted, having better equipment will make that task easier but if someone has poor composition skills and takes photos of scenes that just aren't appealing then regardless of the equipment, the photo's won't get noticed.

For me, I suppose the most important purchase I could make would probably be some lessons.

and thats pretty much dead on. Its the indian, not the arrow.

[Jon]

With me, it's item-by-item. What do I consider necessary for what I've got coming up, and that I don't currently have on hand. This might be a lens, a body, a tripod, a different bag, or any of a number of things. My B&H Wish List has cards, tripod bushings, tripods, lenses, tripod heads, filters, a film scanner, flash adapters and accessories and lighting tools (meter, Litediscs). Your priorities should go toward whatever will make your next shots come out best, regardless of what equipment category it may fall into.

[Eagle]

Body, Lens, Bag, Tripod, Flash, More lenses, and accessories at any time.

You have to have a body first or you don't have anything to put a lens on. Then you have to have one lens or the body is doing you no good. After that it is really up to each individual and how you want to use the camera.

This would be for someone new to SLR's.

Already have an SLR it would depend what you already own and what you are trying to accomplish.

[Eagle]

And what your last purchase was.

[Tandem]

What came first, the body or the lens?

My main interest is in sports photography. A good body and great lenses are a must. Sure you can get good shots with a lesser body and mediocre lenses, but it's like bringing a knife to a gunfight - you'll lose far more than you'll win.

True, a seasoned veteran can outshoot me with lesser equipment through knowledge of composition and the ability to anticipate the shots but that can only come through experience. My results and percentage of keepers increased enormously when I purchased better equipment. At least now when I get a bad shot I know to blame the photographer and not the equipment.

Accessories and a bag to carry it all are whatever it takes to get the job done. You either need them or you don't.

Lighting is next. You can still get great shots without great lighting but you limit yourself on what you can shoot.

A tripod is, in my opinion, the least necessary piece of equipment. You can get most shots handheld with the exception of those that require longer shutter speeds. Even so, you can most likely get by with a lower quality tripod.