budget for picking up photography as a hobby

[OldShooter]

Did join two local meetup groups of photography. The advices I got is to get the equipment you will dream to use. They said if you started with lower grades, you will need to sell them at a lost. Each upgrade cycle will cost you more money. You would end up with fancy equipment anyway. Buy them in one step instead of multiple costly upgrades.

I totally disagree with this. First, you have no "dream" because you have no experience. Second, the first thing you buy often teaches you what you really wanted. Third, you should be buying good used equipment and if you upgrade you should be able to resell your former equipment for a price close to or even more than you paid.

One option to used equipment that I have used a couple of times is "refurbished" equipment from the Olympus store. Everything I have bought looked absolutely new. I think these are overstocks, display models from photo shows and maybe the occasional customer return

The way I buy is to decide which refurbished item I want, planning to save around 20% from new, then I subscribe to the store newsletter. These guys are addicted to discounting and routinely run storewide 20% discount sales. My most recent purchase was a M.Zuiko Digital ED 8-25mm F4.0 PRO for $652.49 plus tax vs new list price of$1099.00. IMO that particular lens is more money than you should be spending right now, but you get the idea.

Constantly upgrading equipment is not a characteristic of photographers, it is a characteristic of equipment junkies. Fun, yes. Photography, no. Find some other groups.

 

[Cat-parents]

I totally disagree with this. First, you have no "dream" because you have no experience. Second, the first thing you buy often teaches you what you really wanted. Third, you should be buying good used equipment and if you upgrade you should be able to resell your former equipment for a price close to or even more than you paid.

One option to used equipment that I have used a couple of times is "refurbished" equipment from the Olympus store. Everything I have bought looked absolutely new. I think these are overstocks, display models from photo shows and maybe the occasional customer return

The way I buy is to decide which refurbished item I want, planning to save around 20% from new, then I subscribe to the store newsletter. These guys are addicted to discounting and routinely run storewide 20% discount sales. My most recent purchase was a M.Zuiko Digital ED 8-25mm F4.0 PRO for $652.49 plus tax vs new list price of$1099.00. IMO that particular lens is more money than you should be spending right now, but you get the idea.

Constantly upgrading equipment is not a characteristic of photographers, it is a characteristic of equipment junkies. Fun, yes. Photography, no. Find some other groups.

I agree 100% with this. Thank you!

 

[Major Tom]

Constantly upgrading equipment is not a characteristic of photographers, it is a characteristic of equipment junkies. Fun, yes. Photography, no. Find some other groups.

Absolutely. You see a lot of this gearhead thinking on forums like dpreview. Nothing wrong with collecting gear and comparing technical specs, if that's what you like to do, but it's a pursuit that is markedly separate from that of photography. Gear is necessary if you want to make photographs but, if you are a photographer, it is not the end goal.

 

[skyking1]

It is having something in your hand when the framing is set up for you. That can be your phone. These were taken with the early google pixel phone.
Recognizing good framing and lighting.
In this one we are riding back to the beach after an overtime day driving piling.
The boat wake is my favorite aspect of it, otherwise just another marine sunset.

Here is the same shot framed with the ferry dock moments later. It is not as fun to me, it misses that action element.

 

[Mark2024]

I found "Irene Rudnyk" on YouTube and really enjoy her work.

Since I am told that buy the best lenses you could afford because you could use them for 20 years. But buy a used cameras body to start because the bodies are updated every year or so.

Knowing there are safety net available in US, I am open to buy some nice equipment. My list is a Canon 200mm f/1.8 L USM, and a Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM Lens. Still thinking about either an EOS-1D X or 5D.

 

[OldShooter]

I found "Irene Rudnyk" on YouTube and really enjoy her work. ...

So maybe you'll be drawn to portrait photography? In the mean time, you can study her photos and try to understand the lighting -- where is it coming from and what kind of light? (For a little different take on portraiture google Richard Avedon.)

Since I am told that buy the best lenses you could afford because you could use them for 20 years. But buy a used cameras body to start because the bodies are updated every year or so. ...

Err ,,, I would say that this is more equipment junkie thinking. Re lenses, any OEM-branded lens and many third-party lenses are completely adequate for the kind of use most of us make of our photos. Looking at photos on a computer screen really doesn't require much "quality" because the resolution is so low. Ditto making photobooks a la Shutterfly. Low resolution. Even very large prints viewed at normal distances are completely in the realm of any lens. It is only special cases where the sharpest most expensive lenses might help. Large prints viewed from very close, small crops from larger images, macro images, etc.

Regarding bodies, if you want the latest and greatest feature set maybe you will want to upgrade once in a while. But remember this: None of your favorite images was shot using the most recently announced camera body. Here are some people to google: Henri Cartier-Bresson, W. Eugene Smith, Dorthea Lange. None of these photographers shot using equipment even close to being approved by the equipment junkies, yet they produced some of the most famous images you'll ever find.

My list is a Canon 200mm f/1.8 L USM, and a Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM Lens.

Re the 85 and 200 lenses. (35mm equivalent) focal lengths in the 85-105 range are probably good starter lenses, maybe supplemented with a 35mm focal length. Since you are drawn to portraits, the 85 is a good one for group shots and full body shots while a 105 is nice for head shots. To my taste, a 200 is not a very useful lens. Too long for portraits and street photography, awkward to handle for close-ups like flowers, and too short for most wildlife outside zoos. IMO that one is not a good starter for you. Just a 35mm or 28mm medium wide angle and something in the 85-105 range will give you plenty of challenges.

 

[Mark2024]

Thanks. I will rethink about the 200mm lens. There are just so many on line praises for that lens.

 

[obsessed]

when you see a photo posted in the forum. How could you tell what type of camera was used to take that photo?

If you are interested in photos from a certain camera or lens you can go on flickr. There are usually groups dedicated to each camera and lens. You can also see the camera and lens info on many of the images there.

 

[obsessed]

I found "Irene Rudnyk" on YouTube and really enjoy her work.

Since I am told that buy the best lenses you could afford because you could use them for 20 years. But buy a used cameras body to start because the bodies are updated every year or so.

Knowing there are safety net available in US, I am open to buy some nice equipment. My list is a Canon 200mm f/1.8 L USM, and a Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM Lens. Still thinking about either an EOS-1D X or 5D.

Do you have a camera store in your area? If you haven't already it would be wise to see the camera and lenses you are looking at in person. The 1DX and those lenses are not small or light which might influence your decision.

Also, at this point, I would strongly consider going with mirrorless. While the cameras you mentioned are pretty on par with current mirrorless models, all new development is in mirrorless including new lenses.

 

[bigreader]

If you want to get serious I recommend Fuji, only because I have some inside information on their JPG intellectual property which is far superior to Canon, Nikon and Sony. I've been waitlisted at multiple places for an X100V which is one of their great offerings for a "point-and-shoot" pro-quality prime (no zoom) lens camera. On par with Leica (my opinion) but 1/5 the price. No zoom so you have to work for creating shots but the hardware is amazing. There is a long waiting list because of limited production and an update is scheduled for early next year.

Here's a bit more love for the Fuji.
I have a Fuji x100F, an older version of the X100V, and a Lightroom subscription and I am set. Initially, I was concerned about giving up my Nikon and all of its lenses. But the Fuji is light and compact, so I can take it anywhere and the quality of the photos is incredible. If you think that you would like travel and street photography, or don't want to tote a bunch of lenses, it's a great choice.
br