Forgot Password
Pentax Camera Forums Home
 

Reply
Show Printable Version Search this Thread
01-28-2014, 02:15 PM   #1
Veteran Member
peterjcb's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Weddington, NC
Posts: 468
is photography your most expensive hobby?

I just got back into photography after many years and got to thinking that I've spent a bundle in the past couple of months on this latest hobby. Hopefully after this initial expenditure I've got pretty much everything I need.
It's funny how something like just taking photos can turn out to be quite expensive. I'm thinking that this is probably the reverse of a lot of other hobbies that usually start off very inexpensively and get more expensive as you get further into it...am I wrong? I've put a moratorium on buying any new equipment for at least a year...

On a similar note I've been a distance runner for many years and what started out as a very minimalist hobby has actually turned out to be quite expensive when I consider how much money I've spent on running shoes, clothes, race entries and travel expenses to get to different races, etc...it goes on & on but it is fun

I tend to try & play down what I'm spending in hopes that my wife won't notice...
...thank God that I don't play golf


Last edited by peterjcb; 01-28-2014 at 02:18 PM. Reason: spelling
01-28-2014, 02:24 PM - 1 Like   #2
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
grhazelton's Avatar

Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Jonesboro, GA
Photos: Albums
Posts: 1,970
Ha! As I remember Mike at Wings Camera in Atlanta once said that while photography is an expensive hobby, its far cheaper than the car hobby, and far, far cheaper than having a mistress...not to mention a LOT safer!
01-28-2014, 02:28 PM   #3
Veteran Member
narual's Avatar

Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: South Bend (Notre Dame), Indiana
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 1,988
Definitely, by far.
01-28-2014, 02:30 PM - 1 Like   #4
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter
monochrome's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Working From Home
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 26,276
Photography is far, far cheaper than fly fishing for trout.

01-28-2014, 02:30 PM   #5
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
mattb123's Avatar

Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Colorado High Country
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 10,864
My photography pays for it's self which is nice. Makes purchases easier to justify to the wife!

But cycling (road and mountain) combined with skiing (XC, Alpine, AT) gets pretty expensive and I don't even travel much to do them. If I didn't live here it would be crazy expensive and I'd probably have to find something else to do.
01-28-2014, 02:30 PM   #6
Site Supporter
Site Supporter
geomez's Avatar

Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Roanoke, Virginia, USA
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 1,760
I'd say with the rise and popularity of cell phone cameras and Instagram, it doesn't have to be an expensive hobby.
01-28-2014, 02:32 PM   #7
Loyal Site Supporter
Loyal Site Supporter




Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Gladys, Virginia
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 27,571
I think my most expensive hobby is my three kids.

Truthfully, once you have purchased the lenses you want, the cost of photography really levels off. My wife shoots professionally and pays for the gear...

01-28-2014, 02:34 PM - 1 Like   #8
Veteran Member




Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Ontario
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 3,332
Yes. Unless "Owning Too Many Cats and their Associated Vet Bills" counts as a hobby.
01-28-2014, 02:38 PM   #9
Veteran Member
peterjcb's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Weddington, NC
Posts: 468
Original Poster
QuoteOriginally posted by Rondec Quote
I think my most expensive hobby is my three kids.
LOL....it pays to be an empty nester
01-28-2014, 02:43 PM   #10
Veteran Member
Nesster's Avatar

Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: NJ USA
Photos: Gallery
Posts: 13,072
QuoteOriginally posted by BrianR Quote
Yes. Unless "Owning Too Many Cats and their Associated Vet Bills" counts as a hobby.
+1 on that

Also, compared to a hi-fi hobby (again depending on what direction you take it) photography is both cheaper and takes up a lot less space.
01-28-2014, 02:48 PM   #11
Veteran Member
audiobomber's Avatar

Join Date: May 2008
Location: Sudbury, Ontario
Photos: Albums
Posts: 6,806
Hi-Fi Audio is a far more expensive hobby than photography, and along with expensive gear, you have to buy music. Real audiophiles spit on lossy compression from iTunes etc. CD quality (44.1kHz/16bit) is the minimum acceptable quality level.
01-28-2014, 02:49 PM   #12
Veteran Member
oxidized's Avatar

Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: USA - Delaware
Photos: Albums
Posts: 435
its expensive for sure, however there are others right up there with it. Take dirt biking for instance. You need a bike. You need a trailer for your bike. You may even need a new car (one that supports a trailer). You need a helmet and all other kinds of safety gear. Every time you go to the track you need to buy a pass. And all of that is not counting the medical bills in case you ever wipe out lol. It also depends on the kind of photography. Looking at the price of the DA 560mm makes me really really happy im not into birding
01-28-2014, 03:14 PM   #13
Site Supporter




Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Alabama
Posts: 2,450
I think Disney is my most expensive hobby...

We own DVC points, purchased at retail from DVD. If (read that as when) we add on, we'll almost certainly buy resale.
01-28-2014, 03:14 PM - 2 Likes   #14
Veteran Member
Na Horuk's Avatar

Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Slovenia, probably
Photos: Gallery | Albums
Posts: 11,186
I would have more expensive hobbies, but I can't afford them
01-28-2014, 03:19 PM   #15
Pentaxian




Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: New York
Posts: 4,833
All of my current hobbies are interconnected. I'm heavily into astronomy but my most expensive gear is for astrophotography rather than visual observing. Bought an RV van last summer, buying it used still cost more than all my telescopes plus cameras, and I often use it for weekend trips to darker skies. Also planning to finally purchase a kayak that will sometimes be used for wildlife photography.

Photography can be a relatively inexpensive hobby when funds are tight. A used DSLR can keep someone going for years. Even a cell phone cam can suffice but it will be much more limiting.
Reply

Bookmarks
  • Submit Thread to Facebook Facebook
  • Submit Thread to Twitter Twitter
  • Submit Thread to Digg Digg
Tags - Make this thread easier to find by adding keywords to it!
camera, count, dslr, hobby, photography
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
This is why your used gear is so expensive scratchpaddy Photographic Industry and Professionals 21 06-27-2013 12:47 PM
Most Expensive lens Fl_Gulfer Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Other Camera Brands 5 08-30-2012 06:06 PM
Your % of your earned income is from photography? slackercruster General Talk 9 07-12-2012 05:14 AM
Is Photography a Men Only Hobby? cbaytan General Talk 85 02-20-2010 12:01 PM
Is this the world's most expensive lens? (not Pentax) Ash Pentax SLR Lens Discussion 3 02-18-2008 10:58 PM



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 12:42 AM. | See also: NikonForums.com, CanonForums.com part of our network of photo forums!
  • Red (Default)
  • Green
  • Gray
  • Dark
  • Dark Yellow
  • Dark Blue
  • Old Red
  • Old Green
  • Old Gray
  • Dial-Up Style
Hello! It's great to see you back on the forum! Have you considered joining the community?
register
Creating a FREE ACCOUNT takes under a minute, removes ads, and lets you post! [Dismiss]
Top