asiafish Loc: Bakersfield, CA

I am an amateur, so return on investment is not a consideration. It is a hobby, purely for pleasure. Some buy wines that cost quite a bit over a year or more, others by art.

My cameras and lenses are quite expensive because, fortunately, I've been successful in my business and don't have any debts. I bought my house in 2015 for much more than 48 grand. I bought a car last July (CPO used) with unlimited mileage warranty through October 2021, but it was a lot more than 18 grand. None of that matters. A $15,000 Toyota Corolla will get me from A to B every bit as reliably (perhaps more) than my Mercedes E350, but I don't want to drive all of those miles (about 50,000 per year) in a Corolla.

A Canon Rebel with a 35mm f/1.8 lens would take the same pictures I take with my Leica M-D and 50mm f/2 Summicron (or a Canon 6D with 50mm f/1.2L vs Leica 50mm f/0.95 Noctilux), but it won't quite match the image quality and won't come close to the pleasure I get from shooting with a rangefinder and mechanically and optically superb all metal-and-glass Leica lenses. Is the Leica lens better than the Canon? Of course it is. Is it 5, 10 or 20 times better? I doubt it, but since I don't worry as much about cost as I do about joy of use, it doesn't matter.

hduturn

I go out to shoot sometimes and spend the day out there either by myself or with a friend. So the outlay of money should not be just about how much you can make off it but also the enjoyment you get out of it as well. $5000 does not buy much today when you think about it. My bike was $20,000 and I know i don't make anything off it, just put money on chrome....lol

jccash Loc: Longwood, Florida

I would definitely pay over $5k for a D850 and a couple good full frame lenses. Maybe a good tripod and Gimbo if I had the extra cash. I would not finance such a purchase.

Chris T Loc: from England across the pond to New England

Sure, I could've bought another car for less .... and have done ...

But, I wanted several years of hassle-free driving ... perhaps - right until I drop off the planet ....

So, it made sense to pay a little more to assure myself of that ....

I didn't buy it to get me back and forth to work. I bought it to get me back and forth to the grocery store - in comfort

I work here - out of my home ....

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

With due respect my feelings are if I spend any amount of my money for a camera or anything else I will do what I want with it even if that is to use it for a boat anchor. You may have strong feelings that it is the wrong thing to do but unless you pay for it your feelings don't matter.

Dennis

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

And I feel exactly the same after recently buying a Leica M6 TTL, a Leica M10 and three lenses, 28, 35 and 50. A 90 later on should be the icing on that cake. Cameras were new/lenses were used.

I guess I am having a hard time getting my points across in this thread. Rare for me I must say. I am speaking only in general terms. Nobody NEEDS pretty much anything other than food, clothing and shelter. People WANT many things and my feeling is: if I have the money to spend I will buy what I want when I want it. I feel the same way about anyone else's spending. Life is short. Buy what you want if it will make you happy.

It annoys me on this forum when people write in saying they want to buy the newest whizbang camera and lenses. Invariably someone writs back asking what will the new kit do that the old one won't. My thinking is cameras are BASICALLY the same. They take in light and make pictures. Whether you start with a Nikon D3300 or D850 the basics are the same. I have no problem at all if a new shooter buys a D850 provided he has the money. If he wants that camera why shouldn't he have it.

Dennis

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

D800 is my upper DSLR at the moment. I have learned, from you, that some cameras shoot much faster for sports than others. Not having taken many fast sports photos I never needed that speed.

Dennis

frjack Loc: Boston, MA

When I faint I usually don't blink because the eyes tend to stay closed.

Bill_de Loc: US

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Brucej67 Loc: Cary, NC

I have the D800 and the D810 and like them both. The D800 has proven a trusty camera and I have shot it at ISO 6400 and still get grain free photos as in the one attached taken in Charleston at 9pm.

Taken with the D800

(Download)

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

And, yet, there are people here who keep claiming that the part 12" behind the camera is what really matters.

dennis2146 Loc: Eastern Idaho

Nice photo. I like my D800 a lot.

Dennis

asiafish Loc: Bakersfield, CA

Aboslutely.

Funny, I have similar kit. M-D (love the screenless) and M5, 28 (the new generation Summicron), 35 (the slow Summarit) and 50 (both a Summicron and a Noctilux). I also have a 90, an ancient Elmarit from the early 1960s that I just don't use often enough to justify a better one, though I'll probably get a better one eventually anyway for that new lens smell.

asiafish Loc: Bakersfield, CA

Of course it is, but given the same part behind the camera there is no reason to worry about that particular person wants to put in front of it.

AzPicLady Loc: Behind the camera!

I did. I knew that was the one I wanted. I saved for it for years, though.