Really a non-issue as I got my money's worth in enjoyment and images. Nothing new here. Almost everything in life depreciates: cars, motorcycles, girl friends, clothing, jewelry, homes, audio gear, USA dollar, even you...
Since I buy used or discontinued closeout gear I don't lose $$$...actually I'm ahead of the game...
...best deal: got an XT/kit/75-300 setup at a pawnshop and sold the lenses for $50 more than I paid, and still have the XT bod
Edited by jay tieger on Mar 23, 2008 at 04:49 PM GMT
I don't doubt that there are many people on here who make alot of money from their gear. When I was a track photographer and kart photographer I pulled about 150K profit over a 4-5 year period.
But this opens the eyes of people who think that they need the best gear to do what they do but make no money from it.
I will find it hard to justify spending more than about $1000 on any digital in the future "if" I go back to digital. I make no money from photography any more and have no desire to do so.
I am happy to be a weekend warrior an dwill be hard pressed to shoot more than 50 rolls a year tops.
I made 20-30x what my gear cost me before expenses, I was not concerned about depreciation during that period, but looking forward no way can I justify spending the dollars asked for todays releases.
I've lost £0 on selling digital SLR bodies currently as i've yet to actually sell one.
I still own the three that i've bought!
My 10D cost me £1600 and it is now worth about £200.
My 1dmkii i paid i think £2500 for and it is now worth about £800-1000.
My 400d i paid £450 and it probably worth about £200.
So if i sold my kit i'd lose probably lose £3350 which is around $6500!
But that's if i sell it, all my kit works fantastically still so it'll stay for a good while longer.
Interesting. I keep an excel file of all my purchases / sales. Kinda scary btw
The most I have lost so far is on a D60. I purchased it used for $1000. Two months after that I had Canon replace the shutter - thank you eBay - for $350 and I sold it when I got my 20D for $650. Loss = $700.
I purchased my 20D when it was in the current lineup for $1950. If I was to sell it now what would I get? $500 at most?
I have now a 1D MKII but I am keeping the 20D. Not only for backup but because its sale would considerably hurt my stats!
Money-wise, I lost about $3,000 and $4,200 as a result of switching 1Ds to 1Ds MarkII and switching 1Ds MarkII to 1Ds Mark III. Each roughly during a period of shorter than 3 years or so but the enjoyment I experienced with each body.... priceless. No, I didn't charge it, BTW .
I think one should see the "loss" as a normal thing associated to using a camera. Even a loss 0f $3,600 over a 3 year period is only $100 per month. If this is your job or your main hobby, it is easily justifiable (golf anyone?)
I can't really count it a loss sold a 3 year old 20d for $500 less than I paid for it. I shot weddings portraits and school events with it so it gained me money, which I spent on my business.
