How do you afford it?

As you can see from my signature I have one "L" lens, probably the cheapest one made and a Tamron that is a Canon killer (my opinion) along with my 10d and other stuff. My question to the group is, all you guys who have ordered your 1d mark II bodies for $4500 and your other various "L" lenses, how do you afford it all. I make a six figure salary as does my wife and I can't really afford to come close to buying any of that stuff.

Of course I do have other issues. I own 12 guitars (all very nice ones), am in the process of building a 4000 square foot home, my daughter is going to a private college next year, and so on, so perhaps I have answered my own question but it is something I have been wondering for quite a while now. I suppose if I added up the worth of those guitars (afraid to do that) it would probably crush what most people have in photo equipment. Maybe I need to get to only one hobby...

Fabulous, I'm rambling now..

We live in cardboard boxes, eat Top Ramen three times a day and hold cardboard signs on street corners reading: "Will shoot for food", but, of course, we don't want food, we want money! Notice the multiple references to cardboard.

Those are the boxes we received all our cameras and lenses in!

I have a lot of camera equipment but only one guitar worth mentioning(Gibson Lucille). I am recently retired and otherwise wouldn't be able to afford everything I've bought, but I liquidated another hobby (model railroads) a couple years ago, and that money has been paying for most of my camera purchases ever since.

I've really reached a point where there isn't much to buy except for the big L primes, and I have no use with which to justify them. So for me, the spending is pretty much over until my Mk II becomes significantly obsolete and something much better is available. Hopefully that won't be for a couple years.

Your house is bigger than mine, too (about 10%).

Ahhh, but you did answer your own question. 4000 square feet and private college can buy a lot of 1D Mk II cameras with fine "L" glass.

Get yourself a trailer and send her to community college. Get your priorities straight, man.

OK, j/k! Had I a daughter, she'd have a private tutor and wouldn't be allowed out of the house until she was 30.

RFMSports wrote:
We live in cardboard boxes, eat Top Ramen three times a day and hold cardboard signs on street corners reading: "Will shoot for food", but, of course, we don't want food, we want money! Notice the multiple references to cardboard.

Those are the boxes we received all our cameras and lenses in!

I'm sorry Jim, but I just threw out a big pile of boxes. I guess I should have considered my "1D Mk II" friends.

What's really odd is that most of the boxes came from B&H....

I think I've identified a problem. Belmondo states that he owns a Gibson Lucille, the first thing that popped in to my mind was "I wonder how much he would sell it for"

I am sick...

I thought I was doing Ok, my check for the whole month of Mar '04 was $928.64 BEFORE taxes were taken out. I guess I am in the wrong forum and 10 years before I can retire. Dang, the wife HAS to get a job.

No 1D MKII for me unless things get a little better.

At least I have a little Canon gear! YES, makes life worth living

20 plus years in the military, getting deployed to dark crappy [edited] hole places, ended with a retirement that is a means to afford the addiction to photography. Don't get me wrong, the job (military) was fun, but not some of the places.

Scott

Last month I took my first vacation in 5-1/2 years... I have only one hobby, and one vice.

OK, 2 hobbies. No wait, that's a vice, too.

I've happily assisted a (mid-level) fashon shooter in NYC up until I started adding up what his studio was worth... That begged a question:

Q: so, how much do photogs make to be able to afford 100K+ worth of stuff with another 10K/year to keep it updated/running?

A: look around. what you see is 5 years of hard work without vocations, mercedes in the driveway, 50" plazma screen in the living room and going out partying every weekend. (For those outside NYC, one night out can easilly add up to $150+ without much effort). What you see is an investment in to my current income of 250K/year...which is provided by a 5-day 60-hour week. And only 10% of us make it this far.

The guy's tearsheets for 2004 so far include: Elle Girl, Vellum, Marie Clare, TV Guide and some commercial assignments that I can't disclose if I want to keep my job as his assistant.

3 words, Tax write-off.

Hell, if I worked like a dog I'd have more stuff, but I like spending time with my kids. Coaching Mite ice and F2 roller hockey, attending all my kids school functions, serving on preschool boards, ok I don't enjoy the dance recitals, going to the kids soccer and baseball games. Ok, if I sold a vehicle or three, 3 SUVs (1 show), 2 P/ups, Street bike, ATV, get rid of a mountain bike or two, sell one of the condos, stop the yearly ski trips, move out of the 3800sqft home with a 1 acre yard and 3 decks, forget the boat I was looking at, give up my season tickets to the St. Louis BLues...............I think Ill just build slowly thank you and spend as much time with my kids. Its all about priorities. And no Mercedes, have you checked the repair history on those? I'll stick with Acura and Lexus. And yes I have been to NYC, nice to visit, otherwise, Ill stick to the Midwest. Income goes over twice as far, and hell, you can piss away $150 partying around here easy. That wont get ya more than a couple of hours in a good strip club.

I only graduated a year ago (M.Sc in engineering) and all my money goes to Japanese guitars, Japanese cameras and Japanese optics. There must be something special about those Japanese...

I live in small apartment, have no kids and use public transportation (have to admit, that's not an option everywhere). It's all about priorization!

Get the kids out of the house! Both daughters moved out a couple of years ago. You would be suprised how much money you can save
As some one said, priorities. Photography is something that I enjoy and I enjoy it more using good equipment. Do I take better pictures cause of my "L" glass? Probably not. But I learned long ago that quality always has greater returns. The short of it is, you buy what you are comfortable with.
Bottom line.

It will be awhile before my kids are out of the house 5&7 Yrs old. I agree with buying quality, I buy the best I can afford (get my wife to let me buy). And I too have a problem with Japanese.....4 of 5 vehicles, motorcycle, ATV, Sony sends me chrismas cards, even lawn tractor and mower.