Justifying New Lenses

As others have, said, one at a time is easier to justify and budget for. But also I like to spend the time to get familiar with a new lens. For me it takes at least 3 months of shooting (a couple of times a week) to determine its strengths and weaknesses. At the end of that I may decide not to keep it, and sell it for something else.

it makes me happy...and i'm single so i only have to justify it to myself...

you could get the sigma 120-300Sport, and 24-70mm, and 100mm macro...and you'd be at like $6,000...so you just saved $8,000...now she'd have to be happy...right?!?!

"How do you justify the purchase of photo equipment?"

I spend my own $$ on it. My wife and I are both retired and we each have our own checking and savings accounts. I buy what I want with my $$, she buys what she wants with hers. I pay the rent, she pays utilities. She buys groceries, when we go out to eat (which we do often, usually at least one meal a day), I pay. It works for us. Harry

Tedder wrote in post #17121457
Talking about, reading about, and looking at pictures of gear bores me silly.

Then what are you doing here?

EricTober wrote in post #17120579
How do you justify the purchase of photo equipment?

By budgeting for it.

Last year, I knew I was either going to buy a full frame camera or a studio lighting kit this year, so I began setting aside 1/12 of my expected total purchase cost (after setting aside money for the month's expenses, of course). So this September, I will have the full amount saved and will be buying my lights without touching a single dollar of money meant for anything more important such as food, clothes, shelter, transportation, etc.

It's a powerful feeling, knowing that you can buy hundreds of dollars of gear one day and not worrying that the purchase will mean going hungry the next day.

I'm married. Have 1 kid.

I don't spend huge money on gear, but I never have to ask if I buy a new lens.

As I see it. If it's my own earn money and I don't have to comprise on buying something more imporant. I don't see why it would be a problem.

I am not married and have no kids, yet.
This is a 100% unpaid hobby for me, and it's great.
The hardest part isn't going out and just buying everything I want.
It is justifying the purchase to myself.

Although I have invest significantly more money into my gear
than what I had last year I feel totally justified by all the use it is getting monthly.

I sold my 17-55mm after getting the 24L II
I sold my 100mm macro USM after getting my 100L
Sold my T4i after getting my 6D and
I sold my 50 1.4 after getting the 50L

If you will actively use the gear, then go for it.
The cost is relative from one person to another.

I agree with others comments, rent the 300 2.8 II and see if that cost is justifiable first.
If it is not that amazing it will be a huge saving over a less expensive option.
Good luck with your decisions.

The best part is that a savvy shopper can find a lightly used lens, use it for a few years and sell it at virtually no out of pocket cost.

I justify it as, as long as I stay out of debt and out of trouble (not buying lenses when I should pay the mortgage ect...) and I have the cash for the lens I want then I can buy it. When it comes to the higher end lenses I might have to save for quite a while and in that time I will have researched and read reviews and seen all the pics in the sample threads and I will be certain that that is the lens I want to spend money on. I do sometimes think about taking out some equity on the house and buying a lens, but then I think about what that money could do for the house, or I could get "this" car!

My problem is that I also loving hiking/backpacking and cars. I'm set for hiking for now, but I'd sell my 400mm in a heartbeat if it meant I could get an Austin Mini.

Basically, be responsible and don't let it affect your regular life. If it is spare cash you want to spend then have at it. You only live once!

I can honestly say I can't come up with a justification for anything I've purchased pertaining to this hobby.

I buy them because I need them

EricTober wrote in post #17120579
She asked how can I justify spending that kind of money on a hobby?
.......

How do you justify the purchase of photo equipment?

Most seem to be answering this question as if you asked "how do I justify this to my wife?". Correct me if im wrong but I read it as you asking how do you justify it to yourself when it is a hobby?

$14k on a hobby sounds like a lot at first glance (to me anyway) but like others have said its all relative. As long as you are not getting yourself into unnecessary debt over it and can still pay the bills etc then if you think there is merit/reward in owning all that gear then go for it (when I say reward I mean satisfaction/fun etc not necessarily monetary).

If on the other hand you are banging it all on a credit card and worrying about it later then obviously that would be bad. It really depends on how much disposable income you have.

Personally I spend 95% more money on hobbies than my wife does but she knows how much my gear costs. Granted she doesnt really get why I "need" different lenses etc but she is OK with it. In reality I dont even "need" a camera as I dont make any money from it and it doesnt pay the bills. Ive been trying to get her to take an interest in it too as it would be easier if I was buying lenses for the both of us to use

14K is a ton of money for a hobby if you're making 50k. If you're making 150K, 250k, 500k it gets a little easier to spend that kind of money. It definitely depends on what you're making and what portion of that you're willing to spend on this specific hobby. One persons justification is irrelevant if there is 100k difference between incomes.
If you're constantly dropping thousands of dollars on you're hobby and then getting mad at your wife for dropping 200 bucks on a pair of jeans - you got problems....

pig pile wrote in post #17123482
I can honestly say I can't come up with a justification for anything I've purchased pertaining to this hobby.

YUP!

I keep a spreadsheet. Everytime I buy camera gear it goes on the "BUY" column. Everytime I sell something it goes under the "SELL" Column....

THEN... the stuff I own is the "WORTH" column and thats the prices that I would put in my pocket after fees and shipping IF I sold it...

and THEN I take what I've bought, minus what I've sold... then I minus what I have and what it's worth Net to me and that gives me my total "Loss" for this hobby of mine.

Total loss = $1493 wasted down the drain from all the buying/selling.

However.... This cost is spread out over the past 3.5 years of me doing SLR stuff and the result is I have literally 70,000+ photos that are high quality documentation of my children and growing.... PRICELESS.

I think I've come out way ahead.

but yes... Buy used!!!!

Talley wrote in post #17126100
YUP!

I keep a spreadsheet. Everytime I buy camera gear it goes on the "BUY" column. Everytime I sell something it goes under the "SELL" Column....

THEN... the stuff I own is the "WORTH" column and thats the prices that I would put in my pocket after fees and shipping IF I sold it...

and THEN I take what I've bought, minus what I've sold... then I minus what I have and what it's worth Net to me and that gives me my total "Loss" for this hobby of mine.

Total loss = $1493 wasted down the drain from all the buying/selling.

However.... This cost is spread out over the past 3.5 years of me doing SLR stuff and the result is I have literally 70,000+ photos that are high quality documentation of my children and growing.... PRICELESS.

I think I've come out way ahead.

but yes... Buy used!!!!

Good to see im not the only one that has a spreadsheet like this. It pains me every time I look at it.