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Archive 2015 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases

  
 
LeeSimms
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


Thanks in advance. This was always one of my favorite threads at another web forum. In the last calendar year, what were you BEST purchases (short list, 1~6 items) and what were your WORST (most regretful).

Go!



Dec 14, 2015 at 01:17 PM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


BEST : JPEG Mini Pro, a second 24-70L II, small Godox Li-Ion power packs (for speed lights).

WORST : nothing I totally regret

UNDECIDED : iMac 27" Retina (hasn't given me the speed benefits, vs 2012 MacBookPro, I was hoping for), Spider Holsters (just got them - first wedding coming up)



Dec 14, 2015 at 01:20 PM
MRomine
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


The 4-D750 and the line-up of f1.8, 28, 35 and 85 lenses. Best wedding cameras I have ever owned or used. Love the f1.8 lens line-up sharp fast and feather weight.

Worst: Nothing jumps out at me right now.




Dec 14, 2015 at 01:35 PM
Mark_L
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


I have bought very little this year.

BEST
1. V860 speedlights. 1.5s recycle at full power with no battery pack (lithium ftw) and remote power control. Winner at £115 inc trigger. SBs and PW TT5s went on ebay.

2. Sigma ART 50mm f/1.4 (inc dock). This lens is amazing, the sharpness, contrast and lack of aberrations at wider apertures is the best of any lens I have ever used all for £450.

3. Bron Para88 knockoff. Gets exactly the same light as I've seen in reviews of the bron for 150 euros

WORST
"Heavy Duty Photography Video Studio Boom Arm with Grip Head Clamp" Cost under £40, I got what I paid for.




Dec 14, 2015 at 01:38 PM
SloPhoto
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


BEST:
Godox Lights, Sigma Art Lenses

WORST:
Phottix Stratos Triggers (d750)



Dec 14, 2015 at 01:59 PM
DannyBostwick
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


Best: D750s. Image quality is out of this world and the files have saved my butt countless times.

Worst: D750s. These cameras are built like a disposable camera from rite aid.



Dec 14, 2015 at 02:04 PM
hardlyboring
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


Best purchase: Leica 35mm F2 Summicron ASPH
Worst Purchase: hmm I actually didn't make any bad purchases this year.
We did not really buy anything except that Leica lens and 2 D3s cameras.



Dec 14, 2015 at 02:22 PM
Jason Ferber
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


Best: Hands down, the brand spanking new MacBook Pro Retina 15", fully loaded. This thing screams! Coming from a 2009 that I was nursing along, what a difference! Also in the list is Lacie D2 thunderbolt for working drive, plus some new backup drives, and a circular polarizer (FINALLY).

Probably Best: I just got Yongnou YN-622's 2 days ago, and LOVE them, but haven't had much time to play with them yet. I don't feel like I'll regret them.

Worst: That was basically it gear related I purchased this year, so have nothing on the worst list this time around. I usually spend months researching something before buying though lol so this is typically a short list.



Dec 14, 2015 at 02:25 PM
ricardovaste
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


Best.

1. Trip to NYC / Copehagen
2. Griddle pan
3. Vintage jacket which is fab.
4. Personal photo album
5. Death of a Salesman.
6. Commissioned ceramics.

Worst.

1. Huge table that was meant to be solid oak, which turned out to be chipboard with veneer.
2. Made to measure jacket which isn't up to scratch.
3. Tickets to watch Bond. What a let down that was.

(Wasn't meant to be purely photo related was it? Haven't really made any photo purchases beyond the album).



Dec 14, 2015 at 02:29 PM
IrishDino
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


Best purchases: rMBP, monopod for family formals.

Worst purchases: Video light (hardly ever used it)



Dec 14, 2015 at 02:31 PM
sgtbueno
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


Best: iMac 27 5k
Canon 24-70 2.8 V2 fantastic lens
4 Yongnuo 600 speed lights

Worst: Hurley Pro Board

Best investment: A 10 days vacation in Germany, Austria, Italy, Monaco, France and Switzerland with my wife after shooting a wonderful wedding in Austria.



Dec 14, 2015 at 02:40 PM
sherijohnson
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


best - upgraded my yongnuo flashes to the 560IV version coupled with additional magmod gear

the benefits were that I was able to reduce my light kit sizewise for events quite easily going this route, triggers/receivers built in, able to change light settings from camera. the other bonus is that I have gotten that much more comfortable with going 100% manual flash, the only downside for now is that using this system does not give me the AF assist in super low light which at times has forced me to use no OCF but of course by then it is just open dancing, so not necessarily important. - magmod of course goes without saying, has given me the ability to be more creative with lighting and have even more control of the light

worst - okay not bad 100% of the time.... BUT, I finally invested in real sandbags and I found out how great they work. I know that sounds like a good thing, right? Well I had an event where equipment got severely damaged because the sand bags prohibited it from falling. So it was good and bad and ended up costing me way more money.



Dec 14, 2015 at 02:54 PM
dhp_sf
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


sherijohnson wrote:
the only downside for now is that using this system does not give me the AF assist in super low light which at times has forced me to use no OCF but of course by then it is just open dancing, so not necessarily important.


Get these as a pass-through for those situations: Yongnuo YN266C

These will fire off AF assist beam and will allow pass through so you aren't actually using them as triggers (though you could but no need to).

I bought a lot of stuff this year...

Best: Switching to Nikon stuff (close runner up was picking up an a7Rii for travel)
Worst: Walkie Talkies for my team which we never end up using because they're so bulky and annoying. And you can't really understand what people are saying through the headsets either. On the plus side, we look like secret service people and that's kind of fun.



Dec 14, 2015 at 03:15 PM
sgtbueno
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


dhp_sf wrote:
Worst: Walkie Talkies for my team which we never end up using because they're so bulky and annoying. And you can't really understand what people are saying through the headsets either. On the plus side, we look like secret service people and that's kind of fun.


I'm dying to find something great for that purpose



Dec 14, 2015 at 03:23 PM
jmraso
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


Best: Leica M6
Worst: Leica M8 ( which doesnt mean it is a bad camera, just a faulty copy)



Dec 14, 2015 at 03:28 PM
sherijohnson
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


dhp_sf wrote:
Get these as a pass-through for those situations: Yongnuo YN266C

These will fire off AF assist beam and will allow pass through so you aren't actually using them as triggers (though you could but no need to).

I bought a lot of stuff this year...

Best: Switching to Nikon stuff (close runner up was picking up an a7Rii for travel)
Worst: Walkie Talkies for my team which we never end up using because they're so bulky and annoying. And you can't really understand what people are saying through the headsets either. On the plus side, we look like secret service people and that's
...Show more

someone else had mentioned this to me, but I didn't know the current ones already have this feature..... so I am certainly going to look into it. THANK YOU!!!!!





Dec 14, 2015 at 03:34 PM
DigMeTX
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


Best -
- I honestly haven't had it long enough to declare but I'm hoping this new Rovelight with the updated remote turns out to be my best photo purchase.

-EVGA GeForce GTX 970 SSC GAMING ACX 2.0+ - Got it for a killer deal. Made a difference in LR

-My yearly pair of sueda Puma Ligas.

-Elrick Gold e-Volution 4 string:
http://photos.bradcookphotography.net/img/s12/v183/p457716563-5.jpg


Worst - About the only thing I can think of is this scale that I bought for precise brewing with my Hario V60:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00N54J504?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

It's horrible.



Dec 14, 2015 at 04:04 PM
LeeSimms
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


Unless you all want to see me whip out some Hi-Fi porn, let's keep the BEST/WORST lists limited to our photography businesses.


Dec 14, 2015 at 04:24 PM
StephenAndrew
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


Best: Solid state drive. 480GB for less than $100 on cyber Monday and it cut my editing time by nearly 40%...I should have bought one years ago. Benefit to cost ratio extremely high.

Worst: Sony A7R II (with Zeiss 55 1.8 lens and Metabones Canon adapter). Don't get me wrong, I love it and it's a fantastic camera. The ratio of benefit to cost is low though since it was so expensive. I use it mainly for personal stuff, it hardly ever comes out during a wedding.



Dec 14, 2015 at 04:26 PM
leethecam
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · 2015 :: Best and Worst Purchases


Best:
A couple of G-Tech, G-Speed RAID 6GB drives
Pair of Profoto B1's
Capture One 9 upgrade
Dropsync 3 software - so cheap and makes C1 tethering safer.

Worst:
CalDigit Express Card / USB3 adapter - killed my drive, dreadful aftercare


Usually I end up buying all sorts of gizmos that I regret, but not this year. Seems old age brings a little more wisdom...



Dec 14, 2015 at 04:39 PM
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