5D MKIII and financial status

Folks, I wanted to get myself a bit more educated on how much one needs to earn to be able to purchase MKIII and quality glass.

If we are talking professionals, it is not a question - it is how they do their business.
But what about amateurs and hobbyists? It is a $3.5M camera and a bit too expensive of a toy to photographs dogs, kids, etc.

So why and how you buy yours? Is it a lot of money or your earn enough to not notice the price? I personally think the camera is over-priced and I will not get it unless it costs $2.7-2.8M.

P.S. It is becoming a great discussion. Can you folks share what do you do with your camera?

If I were to get one(it's taking a bit of restraint not to) I'd get it through my Newegg Preffered account to bust up the 0% interest payments over a year. Sadly I already have far to many cameras(6).

I thought it (5D Mk III) was very reasonably priced. Cost a lot less than my 1Ds Mk II - which I bought new in 2006.

Not to be funny, but I think that "M" should be a "k".

I couldn't afford $3.5M for anything...at least not without hopping onto my jet to visit my Cayman Island bank.

huntersdad wrote in post #14429501
Not to be funny, but I think that "M" should be a "k".

depends where you live

M = Thousand
MM = Million

I sold all of my canon gear to move to Nikon. That plan failed and i bought a 5D3 body instead. Only costed me 1K out of pocket but i did have to start over in lenses. Happy that i did because it allowed me to save a bit more to buy great glass (ie like my 50L) instead of wasting money and buying mediocre lenses.

Whitlam wrote in post #14429493
I thought it (5D Mk III) was very reasonably priced. Cost a lot less than my 1Ds Mk II - which I bought new in 2006.

It is all relative I agree.
Some folks purchase Leica for $50.000 and it is a good value for them.
What do you use the gear for? Are you a professional or hobbyist with big love for photography?

light_pilgrim wrote in post #14429517
depends where you live

Awesome response.

Haven't bought one yet. Waiting for Canon to work out some bugs although it seems so far apart from the light leak which is a non-issue for 99% of the users and for the frenzy "gotta have it" crowd to dissipate before I buy.

I think the price is ok. Would I like it cheaper. Yes. I like gas to be cheaper too. And eggs. And Porsche 911.

It will be used strictly for business. So once factored into the years in service vs potential revenue, it's really not a big deal. It's already better than any 1ds-whatever camera is capable of.

Warbird55 wrote in post #14429522
M = Thousand
MM = Million

No...

K = Thousand
M = Million
B = Billion
T = Trillion
MM = nothing

Sold my 5d2 and chubbed up for be rest to get the mkiii. I'm just a hobbyist. Got the camera partly due to me being a gear head (sort of) and because I think its worth having this camera to preserve memories. Is this camera really that good? Check
Out the 5d3 thread. I can say that I will not be buying a body for a very long time.

i make 6 figures, but i am also a budget conscious hobbyist. doesn't mean i go and buy everything under the sun. my last camera was an xti (circa 2004), so it is time for an upgrade. all hobby cost money, however for me, being able to capture the memorable moments in your life is priceless. having the right equipment + skill will bring it out more beautifully )

A slight correction...

Numenorean wrote in post #14429557
No...

K = Thousand
M = Million
B = Billion
T = Trillion
MM = millimeters... or "I just ate a chocolate chip cookie fresh from the oven"

OP, some people spend thousands on toys, others just don't have that much to spend, or can't justify it. There are DSLRs priced from $500 to over $7000 (even more if you start to consider medium format models too).

Get what you can justify and afford and go have fun shooting. It's more about the lenses, anyway.... Practically any camera on the market is capable of capturing a pretty darned good image. The lenses used on it will make a bigger difference... The user's skills are also a major variable.

Oh, and by the way, professionals are generally quite a bit more price conscious than well-heeled amateurs. Pros think in terms of return on their investment and buy just what they need to get the job done, rather than splurging on what they want. At least this true of pros who don't have an employer or someone else buying their gear for them.

WARAT wrote in post #14429645
Sold my 5d2 and chubbed up for be rest to get the mkiii. I'm just a hobbyist. Got the camera partly due to me being a gear head (sort of) and because I think its worth having this camera to preserve memories. Is this camera really that good? Check
Out the 5d3 thread. I can say that I will not be buying a body for a very long time.

+1. I'm the same way! I think after i buy a 35L next month, i'll start finally diving money into another car and mod it up. Now that's a much more expensive hobby..