[reh321]

Is there any hobby that is cheap?

What expenses are there for golf? Looks like between 1500 and 2000 dollars for a decent set of clubs. Then greens fees, balls, and apparel and it isn't exactly cheap.

Skiing, hunting, fishing -- most things out there seem to have expenses. If someone wants to convert the occasional image to monochrome, then a regular camera is adequate. On the other hand, if you mostly shoot black and white images then this would make total sense.

If you photograph mostly in B&W, then the new K-3iii makes lots of sense, but I was directly responding to comments about monochrome K-1 and monochrome GR. Having a monochrome K-3iii has no bearing on monochrome K-1 and monochrome GR. Pentax would have to develop them first, and sell them to people {some of whom already have the monochrome version of the K-3iii}. I’m not sure how many budgets have room for more than one monochrome camera, and purchasing regular K-3iii, K-1ii, GRiii, plus monochrome versions of each would be very costly! Yes, a 36 exp roll of B&W film would cost $20-$30 for film plus later processing, but that sort of expenditure is different.

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Last edited by reh321; 04-18-2023 at 11:22 AM.

[Sandy Hancock]

that's not the argument I made to justify it for my wife. She hasn't noticed it yet, or at least let on if she did. I have a great wife.

Just remind her about that lovely bread knife you had custom made for her

[HoundFrog]

I know we often joke about Pentax marketing and decisions but monochrome version is just genius IMO.

Infrared! Infrared! people want infrared K-mount cameras too!

[Wheatfield]

but it is available only in a K-3iii, a very expensive package for many of us; B&W film was a much less costly option ‘in the old days’.

The "old days" are gone.
Where I am, a 36 exposure roll of Ilford Delta is $17.00, develop and scan to a high resolution file is $22.00 to CD (I'd have to buy an external drive) or $29.00 to a USB dongle.
SO, a 36 exposure roll would cost me minimum $39.00 to get something I could use.
I expect a K3 monochrome will cost somewhere around $2900.00 here.
With that in mind, after 65 - 75 rolls of film, I would have paid for a K3 monochrome in film and processing depending on if I add a CD drive to my system.
A prolific shooter would shoot that volume in a year or less, probably much less. After that, the camera has paid for itself.

Honestly, I don't see a lot of reason to shoot film if the imaging is going to end up being done on a computer. The photographer still ends up with a digital image, so why not just start with one and save the hassle of film altogether?

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Last edited by Wheatfield; 04-18-2023 at 06:43 PM.

[Wheatfield]

Is there any hobby that is cheap?

What expenses are there for golf? Looks like between 1500 and 2000 dollars for a decent set of clubs. Then greens fees, balls, and apparel and it isn't exactly cheap.

Skiing, hunting, fishing -- most things out there seem to have expenses. If someone wants to convert the occasional image to monochrome, then a regular camera is adequate. On the other hand, if you mostly shoot black and white images then this would make total sense.

The thing with hobbies is that cost should be a low part of the equation. It's not like the hobbyist needs to justify expenses to an accountant someplace like a working pro does.
Hobby = want, can afford (yes/no) purchase. If a hobby is too expensive, find one that is affordable.

[reh321]

The "old days" are gone.
Where I am, a 36 exposure roll of Ilford Delta is $17.00, develop and scan to a high resolution file is $22.00 to CD (I'd have to buy an external drive) or $29.00 to a USB dongle.
SO, a 36 exposure roll would cost me minimum $39.00 to get something I could use.
I expect a K3 monochrome will cost somewhere around $2900.00 here.
With that in mind, after 65 - 75 rolls of film, I would have paid for a K3 monochrome in film and processing depending on if I add a CD drive to my system.
A prolific shooter would shoot that volume in a year or less, probably much less. After that, the camera has paid for itself.

Honestly, I don't see a lot of reason to shoot film if the imaging is going to end up being done on a computer. The photographer still ends up with a digital image, so why not just start with one and save the hassle of film altogether?

I do my own scanning, directly to the main disk of my computer; the $20-$30 for film + developing is actually what I paid this month. In the 1970s-1990’s I was actually going thru about fifteen 36exp rolls of color film and about three 36exp rolls of B&W film per year. Since I switched to digital, everything has been color for me, but I’m trying to go back to B&W film. At my volume of B&W, there is little point in purchasing a camera that specializes in monochrome - certainly not a K-3iii, since I haven’t even purchased a ‘normal’ K-3iii {my primary camera since 2018 has been a KP which cost me $700}.

[Wheatfield]

I do my own scanning, directly to the main disk of my computer; the $20-$30 for film + developing is actually what I paid this month. In the 1970s-1990’s I was actually going thru about fifteen 36exp rolls of color film and about three 36exp rolls of B&W film per year. Since I switched to digital, everything has been color for me, but I’m trying to go back to B&W film. At my volume of B&W, there is little point in purchasing a camera that specializes in monochrome - certainly not a K-3iii, since I haven’t even purchased a ‘normal’ K-3iii {my primary camera since 2018 has been a KP which cost me $700}.

Sure, so now we have to add in the cost of a dedicated film scanner. Even a cheap Plustek will set me back over $550.00, or the price of more than 20 high res scans done by the lab, and this isn't taking into account the time I will never get back scanning film when I could be out taking more pictures, or taking my dog for a walk or any of the other things I find more fulfilling than watching a negative strip scroll through a machine.
I know you want a cheap monochrome camera, and can't understand why Pentax or anyone else would not make one for you. Sadly though, it isn't going to happen.
It might be time to accept that.

[Mike.P®]

Advertised for pre-order in the UK at £2249, so we pay more for it n the UK it seems. I've pre-ordered anyway though.

I didn't realise you were a Pentax fan Lindsay, never seen you mention it on TP.

Look forward to seeing what you get with it.

[TwoUptons]

Is there any hobby that is cheap?

What expenses are there for golf? Looks like between 1500 and 2000 dollars for a decent set of clubs. Then greens fees, balls, and apparel and it isn't exactly cheap.

Skiing, hunting, fishing -- most things out there seem to have expenses. If someone wants to convert the occasional image to monochrome, then a regular camera is adequate. On the other hand, if you mostly shoot black and white images then this would make total sense.

All hobbies can be cheap... it's just us hobbyists keep making them more expensive...

I can buy everything I need to go fishing for well under $100 (including some beer and a cooler)... until I get to the "but ifs"...
"but if I had a better lure..." quickly turns into "but if I had a boat..."

Same thing here
And this is a vastly cheaper hobby than collecting old cars...

-Eric

[Rondec]

All hobbies can be cheap... it's just us hobbyists keep making them more expensive...

I can buy everything I need to go fishing for well under $100 (including some beer and a cooler)... until I get to the "but ifs"...
"but if I had a better lure..." quickly turns into "but if I had a boat..."

Same thing here
And this is a vastly cheaper hobby than collecting old cars...

-Eric

Sure. Photography can be cheap too. Buy a 250 dollar used SLR and kit lens and you can shoot for a long time. I think the challenge is that most of us like to try out new stuff -- even if the new stuff is used gear.

[reh321]

Sure, so now we have to add in the cost of a dedicated film scanner. Even a cheap Plustek will set me back over $550.00, or the price of more than 20 high res scans done by the lab, and this isn't taking into account the time I will never get back scanning film when I could be out taking more pictures, or taking my dog for a walk or any of the other things I find more fulfilling than watching a negative strip scroll through a machine.
I know you want a cheap monochrome camera, and can't understand why Pentax or anyone else would not make one for you. Sadly though, it isn't going to happen.
It might be time to accept that.

I’m sorry you view the Plustek scanner as “cheap” - I have made good use of it. I purchased the scanner as part of my film-to-digital project ten years ago. It still works, so why not use use it. I don’t want a ‘cheap monochrome camera’ - it is the farthest thing from my mind; I would not purchase a camera that I would use for only 20% of the time. I still have the “Super Program” camera I purchased forty years ago, and used constantly for a dozen years. It and the scanner still work, so why not use them for that purpose, so I am. I like finding good uses for old equipment - I don’t like throwing something away becauseI don’t have further use for it. I don’t have any other use for the time - we don’t have a dog, and the weather is miserable here at this time of year. Please don’t impute your thoughts on me.

[Wheatfield]

Please don’t impute your thoughts on me.

[Larrymc]

Same thing here
And this is a vastly cheaper hobby than collecting old cars...

-Eric

Yeah and takes up a whole lot less space than collected cars!!

[Rondec]

Yeah and takes up a whole lot less space than collected cars!!

What about Hot Wheels?

[Larrymc]

What about Hot Wheels?

Depends on how many Hot Wheels cars you have and their vintage., Those little things can get pretty darned expensive and all they do is sit on a shelf and collect dust!