PShizzy: The Blog

No one likes to budget. This is just the truth. Budgeting means you have to compromise, and accept that you won’t get what you want. It’s important to understand that what you need and what you want are very different things. A budget isn’t just a number that you have to stay under, it’s a commitment. So what do you have to commit to?

Never buy the latest camera: Getting a D3 or mk3 right now means you’re paying premium. Instead buy the last of the last gen’s stock if it’s on clearance, or better yet, get it used.

Never buy new: The second you use it, kiss 10% goodbye. Instead, look to getting a well kept used item. Cameras hemorrhage value over time, so get the camera right before you need it. Any sooner and you’re paying for the privilege.

Have a walk off price: Have a price in mind before you consider buying anything. Never agree to pay a penny more than that price. And be sure to consider fees and shipping when you come up with your price. Being willing to walk away means patience to wait for the price to come down.

Meet them halfway: Paypal is a 3% fee. On a two thousand dollar purchase, that’s 60 dollars. Consider a direct deposit to a bank account, a check or a money order. And if a seller offers upgraded shipping, consider downgrading and asking for a better price. On said purchase, you could easily save one hundred dollars.

Don’t sit on money: Hear me out. Rather than save up for a five thousand dollar purchase, consider lower priced, used goods that can meet your needs at least part way. Keep them in good condition and resell them. The whole time you have them, you can use them to earn money for the step up model you want. Good examples of this: Using Alien Bees (which hold good value) looking to get Profoto’s later. Or getting a 300 4 while waiting on a 300 2.8. Or getting a 300 4, then the 120-300 2.8, then the 300 2.8.

Don’t sit on lenses: Do you need all your lenses all the time? If those lights, or that 300 2.8 collects dust half the year, but you really need something else of durable value (the price won’t go down fast, like other lenses or lights. NOT CAMERAS), then sell it off. Selling a 300 2.8 to get money for lights so you can earn money doing portrait shoots in the offseason is smart. When you’re done and the season is about to start, sell those lights and get that 300 2.8 back. Kept well, you can easily break even on the resale.

Now an example in these tactics: Dann Wunderlich, recent (as of today) hs graduate, is looking to prepare for the upcoming sporting season in August.

• He has a modest kit: a 50 1.8, the 10-22 EF-S lens, 60 Macro, and a 30D with a grip.
• He’d ultimately like the Sigma 120-300, a 580ex II, and a 1D mk2N.
• He has between 1500 and 2000 dollars. What he wants will run him nearly 5k.

First thing’s first. Get the lens. Dann has nothing in this range, and since he shoots field sports, he needs it. Dann has no more budget left. But he shoots night sports and sorely needs a flash. Well, he could go it without a flash, but in his situation, I’d consider selling the 60 macro. It’s a wonderful lens, but if he plans to shoot sports at night, he may need that flash more than the macro. He’d now be shooting field sports with a 30D and grip, a 120-300, and a 580EX flash. That’s decent. He has a 50 1.8 for closer low light situations, and the 10-22 for wide. Limited, but he can take care of his primary need: Field sports. I didn’t say he’d end up with everything, just that he would end up in a better situation for field sports.

Another option: If you can light the field with the flash, get a 580EX with a CP-E3. Then look at a 100-300 4. That’s about 1100. With the remaining 400-900, you can look to sell the 30D and grip, and the 10-22. Then the mk2N becomes feasible. Final Kit: 50 1.8, 60 macro, and 100-300 4on a mk2n with a 580EX and CP-E3. It will struggle at night but the flash will help, and he has a good range. Earn a little, and eventually trade in that 100-300 for a 120-300 2.8

Final option: Sell it all except the 50 1.8. 600 or so for the 10-22, and 700 to 800 for the 30D and grip. The 60 macro would get about 300. That’s 1700, with hopefully the full 2k in funds is 3700. A Sigma 120-300 at 1850, and a mk2 (not N) at 1600 or so (less by august). With the remaining money, a 580EX could be had (just not the II). He would have a notch below what he wanted, but shooting field sports with a 120-300 2.8 on a mk2 with a 580EX sounds pretty good to me.

Basically, there are no magic tricks to it all, you have to make compromises and live with them.

I welcome anyone with a budget and an idea of what they’d like to go ahead and add a comment or contact me with their situation, and I’d be glad to help them out.

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