Originally posted by Kunzite A "meeting" where you can briefly test some equipment is not the same.
You're confusing the meetings. I came to your Pentax meetings for 2 years and it's the same each time. 8-12 people are gathering at the same restaurant and the main preocupation is drinking and eating. The cameras and lenses of the participants are shown on the table and you have the chance to briefly put you hands on that gear. This can't even be called a briefly test of equipment. And I remember that each year I told you that I can help organise some photo meetings by providing:
- one of my large training rooms or even a studio
- a lot of flashes and modifiers
- professional models
- a known photographer who can provide trips and tricks
When I realised that you're not interested in such meetings were we can:
- put to test our lenses and cameras
- photograph and socialise in the same time
- test flashes and triggers
- etc.
I stopped coming to your Pentax meetings.
But since you're so sure about what you talk here, let me ask you something: have you ever went to a Canon or to a Nikon meeting? It's a one day or 2 days meeting with a theme. If we want to shoot wildlife, Canon or Nikon provides tele lenses, from the cheap ones to the big and expensive ones. If the theme of the meeting is city landscape, then Canon or Nikon provide wide angle lenses and fisheye lenses. A full day or 2 full days of shooting in real life conditions is not the same with putting a lens on a camera and take a few shots in a restaurant until the food is coming.
And speaking of F64, have you ever organise a meeting and went to F64 and ask for Canon or Nikon lenses/cameras? I have organised a few this year and F64 was always open to discussions. And have you ever walked into F64 store, showing them your portfolio and ask for a camera or for a lens to test for 1-2-3-5 days and in exchange write a short review with your experience in testing the gear you wanted?
As I said,
only if you don't want to test something from Canon or Nikon you can't.
---------- Post added 11-24-17 at 08:25 AM ----------
Originally posted by Rondec Rentals are not necessarily worth it, depending on the situation. Looking at it, you will spend about 10 percent the cost of a lens, plus shipping in order to rent a lens. If you are sure you want the lens, you are better off just buying from a company like Amazon with a liberal return policy.
Let me tell you my gear and see if it makes sense for you my arguments based on the country I live. I shoot with 5D Mark IV and the following lenses:
- Canon 16-35mm f4L IS (light, excelent in terms of optics, good build); it's excelent for landscape, corporate events and large indoor portraits with flash
- Canon 35mm f2 IS (light, very good optically from f2.8, good build); I can do a corporate event or a wedding only with this lens
- Canon 85mm f1.8 (very nice lens for the price)
- Canon 135mm f2L (one of the best portrait lenses, at half the weight of 70-200mm f2.8)
- Canon 70-200mm f4L IS (the most used lens I own, incredible versatile, light, superb in terms of optics)
I was testing 16-35mm f2.8L lens side by side with 16-35mm f4 and 35mm f2 lenses. I was also testing 70-200mm f2.8L IS lens side by side with 70-200mm f4L IS and 135mm f2L lenses.
How much it would have cost me to buy all this gear and return most of the lenses after 4-5 days? Initially I really wanted to buy 16-35mm f2.8L lens and also the 70-200mm f2.8L lens, but after shooting in my normal shooting conditions with all the above lenses, I realised that I don't need the f2.8 lenses at all. I didn't saved money by buying the other lenses. But I have excelent optical lenses now at half the weight. Yes, I've spent 280$ on renting all the lenses from above just to make sure I made the right choice. 2 days of renting a lens costs between 12$ and 30$.
I don't need to buy a fisheye, a macro lens or a wildlife lens because I preffer to rent these lenses on the few occasions that I need them. I had the wildlife lenses this year rented for 30 days for 300$. Assuming that I was shooting with Pentax, the DFA 150-450mm costs 2400$. This means 8 years of shooting with a rent lens. And the benefit of renting is that today I can rent a Sigma 150-600mm, tomorow I can rent a Canon 100-400mm and the day after tomorow I can rent a 300mm f2.8 lens, which is a lens that cost more than 6000$.