[MarkJerling]

A decent CPL with Multiple type ratings will run closer to 100K as most airlines wont touch a basic CPL with a bare min 200hrs and no ratings. So by the time you ad in your Multi Engine ratings and type ratings on airplanes bigger than a Piper Seneca/Beech Duke/Duchess, hello 100K.
Photography can definitely be a 'cheaper hobby' although with my GAS i think i could have done a PPL and about another 75-100hrs with what i have spent on gear

---------- Post added 06-18-18 at 02:24 PM ----------



Thats just a basic single engine no frills CPL, $200hr is cheap for something like a C172 or Piper Cherokee. By the time you ad in your other ratings such as Twin engine etc the costs skyrocket. Aircraft like a Piper Seneca twin run between $400 & $600 per hour plus instructor and ground course fees, so a basic 10hr seneca rating will run between $4000 & $7500 effectively

Ouch!

[richandfleur]

Nice images. It's not to hard to find an affordable improvement over the kit 18-55, but the 55-300 is a different story.
I've been very happy with my Sigma 17-70 2.8-4. It's not WR, but otherwise, it seems like a good step up over the kit 18-55, and it even has a reasonable close focus, so though not a true macro lens, it will pass as a cheap one in quite a few situations. Before that, I used a Pentax F 35-70. Not as good a zoom range as the Sigma, but dirt cheap, and remarkable image quality.

Beyond 70mm things seem to get very expensive for high IQ. I'm not sure what I'd classify as my 'best' zoom beyond 70mm, as I have quite a few and none I'm totally happy with.
I have some oldies - a Tokina 28-200, Tokina 70-210 MF, Pentax F 70-210, and modern kit Pentax 50-200 DA-L and Sigma 70-300 APO. Apart from none of the lenses being particularly fast, all of them have IQ issues. The last 2 perhaps have the least aberrations, but they're not particularly sharp, even stopped down. The Tokina 28-200 and the Pentax F suffer from bad halos even stopped down, although they're actually quite sharp. I need to do some more testing with the Tokina 70-210, as it actually seems fairly good, but I haven't used it much as it's built like a brick, and is quite slow.

Fully agree here.

I've tried several zoom options, including the Pentax 55-300 and Tamron equivalent. The Tamron had crazy purple aberrations going on, but was actually very sharp and the build quality was awesome. Real could have used it like a baseball bat type solidness. The Pentax is better, but is the most expensive of the bottom range options (from Pentax/Tamron and Sigma). After that you're into real money. Maybe a smaller m4/3 camera with a smaller zoom would be cheaper and give better results for a medium amount of money. Not sure, haven't looked into it. Zooming seems to go crazy expensive, especially as you step up the sensor size.

Those Sigmas do seem the best option for an upgrade. Tamron seems ok too, but appears prone to back and forwards focusing issues throughout the zoom range.
Don't like that the Sigma 'turns the wrong way' when zooming. Maybe I'm being very petty here, but I think that may annoy me.
Quality wise, they do see like a great step up over the basic zoom kit lens offering.

[Kiwizinho]

Photography can definitely be a 'cheaper hobby' although with my GAS i think i could have done a PPL and about another 75-100hrs with what i have spent on gear

I've occasionally entertained the idea of a microlight aka recreational aircraft rating, as it's a lot less involved, and supposedly less expensive, however the local aeroclub actually charges more to hire out their microlight than their Tomahawk, and it's low winged which is not ideal for photography.

Apart from liking planes, part of my interest actually relates to photography. Sure, drones are all the rage, but good ones can cost a fair bit, and there are altitude and location restrictions. There are a lot of things I'd like to photograph where it would be great to be able to do so from the air, and where a drone probably wouldn't be ideal.

[Kiwi645hauler]

I've occasionally entertained the idea of a microlight aka recreational aircraft rating, as it's a lot less involved, and supposedly less expensive, however the local aeroclub actually charges more to hire out their microlight than their Tomahawk, and it's low winged which is not ideal for photography.

Apart from liking planes, part of my interest actually relates to photography. Sure, drones are all the rage, but good ones can cost a fair bit, and there are altitude and location restrictions. There are a lot of things I'd like to photograph where it would be great to be able to do so from the air, and where a drone probably wouldn't be ideal.

Getting a LSA/Microlight license is a lot less complicated BUT there are also amore restrictions on what you can do on the license and what the airplane can be, and how they can be operated.
Some of the modern LSA airplanes however are extremely capable airplanes too.

[zkarj]

Initially I only had one book, so just used the Paypal buy now button.
Now I've got some local Marlborough themed greeting cards, with more to come, this second book on its way, and I thought I might try selling prints, so the Paypal buttons aren't really scaling.

I've used the PayPal basic shopping cart functionality on a couple of sites. Seems to work pretty well with most of the heavy lifting done by PayPal. It's a bit more work, but really not much harder than the Buy Now buttons.

Before that, I used a Pentax F 35-70. Not as good a zoom range as the Sigma, but dirt cheap, and remarkable image quality.

Hmmmm. I have one of those sitting on a shelf. From memory, it came on the front of the KP. I shall have to give it another look.

Apart from liking planes, part of my interest actually relates to photography. Sure, drones are all the rage, but good ones can cost a fair bit, and there are altitude and location restrictions. There are a lot of things I'd like to photograph where it would be great to be able to do so from the air, and where a drone probably wouldn't be ideal.

Ah, drones. You'll have fun with those in Blenheim, being such a small place with two airfields. Looks like most of central Blenheim is off limits as it's within 4km of an airfield.

[Kiwi645hauler]

Ah, drones. You'll have fun with those in Blenheim, being such a small place with two airfields. Looks like most of central Blenheim is off limits as it's within 4km of an airfield.

I do believe that CAA have recomendations in place that pretty much cover all of Blenheim with the 2 airfields so close to the town, but DJI's GeoZone only has Woodbourne locked out as a prohibited area, and that basically only covers a radius from the middle to end of the runway in each direction.

[zkarj]

I do believe that CAA have recomendations in place that pretty much cover all of Blenheim with the 2 airfields so close to the town, but DJI's GeoZone only has Woodbourne locked out as a prohibited area, and that basically only covers a radius from the middle to end of the runway in each direction.

I read the full regs at one point, which are a bit more detailed than that page I linked to. I don't specifically recall whether the 4km radius from an airfield overrides the rest of the rules, one of which is you can fly most places if below 100m.

[Kiwi645hauler]

I read the full regs at one point, which are a bit more detailed than that page I linked to. I don't specifically recall whether the 4km radius from an airfield overrides the rest of the rules, one of which is you can fly most places if below 100m.

Like many Aviation related things, there are lots of rules and regs hahaha,
But The CAA website pretty much encourages all RPAS (drone) pilots to have up to date Airport charts and maps that aviators use as this then gives the RPAS operator airspace areas for control zones and special areas such as MOA's and LFA's
Unfortunately most drone retailers just want to put a drone over the counter and kick you out the door. I know here at Southern Cameras I try to give the customer as much information as possible about drone operation, but also try to get them to sign up to the CAA RPAS website in store, but also the website airshare.co.nz is fantastic as it has fully transplanted maps showing ATC control Zones, areas with 4km boundries to Heliports and airports, & special restriction zones.
For example, pretty much all of Dunedin City, Mosgiel, The Taieri Plains to Milton are under a ATC Control Zone that extends from ground level to 12,000 feet, and within that airspace is Momona, & Taieri Airfields, plus 2 heliports in the city, at Kitchener Street by the harbour and the Hospital. There is a restricted area at Tairoa head around the albatross colony that extends approx 2km from the heads.
The other neat thing with airshare is that it has links for CAA Part 101 training which is for RPAS operations.

[richandfleur]

Yep airshare is the go to for this type of information.

If you're in controlled airspace, then you have to notify traffic control of your flight, and there are tools to log the flight and seek approval in advance.

The exception is a 'Shielded Operation', where you fly close to, and under the height of, some obstacle (natural - trees etc, or man made, buildings etc) that would arrest the flight of the drone if it headed off towards the airfield, and which aircraft are going to be avoiding anyway. That doesn't require air traffic control approval.

It's best not to fly near an air field anyway, so that 4km circle is best avoided at all times regardless. If you do need to fly there, then you're into being qualified and having an observer etc. Just don't.

Outside of that, you can fly up to 400 feet / 120meters, always in line of sight, give way to any manned aircraft, and only during daylight hours/never after dark, and not within 4km of an aerodrome.

Oh and you should have permission from the owner of the land you're flying over too...

[MarkJerling]

You may recall we discussed, some time back, the case of the "beach photographer". See here: Man's conviction over photographing girls on beach quashed | Radio New Zealand News
The case makes interesting reading - see here: https://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/cases/graham-thomas-rowe-v-r/@@images/fileDec...=948.800894358

[richandfleur]

While agreeing with Nelson Judge Tony Zohrab's description of Rowe's behaviour as "creepy", Justice William Young said it hadn't constituted an offence.

Yuck. Not a big fan of street photography in general, nor this style of beach photography either...

[MarkJerling]

While agreeing with Nelson Judge Tony Zohrab's description of Rowe's behaviour as "creepy", Justice William Young said it hadn't constituted an offence.

Yuck. Not a big fan of street photography in general, nor this style of beach photography either...

No. I'm not a fan either. But, at least we now have the Supreme Court pointing out that taking a photo in a public place cannot be an indecent act.

[Arpe]

Creepy yes - but the correct result I feel.

[Class A]

Photo & Video (in Christchurch) are selling a Pentax 645 MF kit with a 45-85 zoom, 75mm, 45mm, 150mm, 200mm lenses, a 2x TC, a 280T flash and a genuine Pentax fitted hard case.

[Kiwi645hauler]

Photo & Video (in Christchurch) are selling a Pentax 645 MF kit with a 45-85 zoom, 75mm, 45mm, 150mm, 200mm lenses, a 2x TC, a 280T flash and a genuine Pentax fitted hard case.

I seen it too, though all i really need for mine is the 75mm and 45mm lenses but its a bit too pricey really as a kit... $2450 but it does have Pentax Case, 280T, 2x converter, 45, 75, 150 200mm, & 45-85mm lenses...