Reality Check

Now that Photokina is over, photo forums and the blogosphere are filled with predictions about how much better this camera will perform than that one and why the lack of some feature portends doom for the errant manufacturer. What’s weird is that these opinions are based on equipment that isn’t available yet, or so scarce that the opinionator has probably never even held it, much less used it. In any case, and maybe it’s just me, I find it hard to get too worked up about which DSLR performs better at ISO 6400 while, day by day, the U.S. economy slides deeper into decline. When the price of necessities such as food and fuel rises, discretionary purchases, such as photo equipment, get put on the back-burner.

A tightening credit market doesn’t help. I can’t cite any specific facts and figures, but the visual evidence of tighter belts is convincing enough. I’ve noticed that photo retailers in my area (Philadelphia) are carrying less inventory, which in turn is being examined by fewer customers. Things aren’t likely to get much better by the holidays. Odds are that a lot of the glamorous new toys introduced at Photokina either won’t be ordered or will sit on dealer’s shelves unsold. Of course, none of this will prevent some folks from insulting each other over what they'd buy if they had the money.

What keeps all of this from being dreary and depressing (at least for those of us who aren’t trying to sell something) is that there's nothing to stop us from enjoying the equipment we already own. If you already own a digital camera, taking pictures is essentially free until you run out of hard drive space. Printing is costly, especially if you use an ink jet printer, but who says you have to print everything you shoot? Selectivity is a virtue well worth developing. (No pun intended.)

You film shooters aren’t left out, either. Although film prices will rise over time, largely because of the rising cost of oil, your camera and lenses are probably already paid for. If you do decide to buy new equipment, there will be great bargains to be had for those with the patience to wait for them. I shoot film and digital, so I’m covered either way. Any time I feel myself lusting for a full-frame sensor I pull out my trusty Canon EOS 1n or my Nikon FM3A and shoot to my heart’s content. My Nikon Coolscan V takes care of the rest.

But all this is all just my own personal observations and reflections. What I’d really be interested to know is how the rest of you photo junkies out there are dealing with today’s enonomy. Is everyone else but me so wealthy that it’s not an issue? If it is, what creative ways have you found to “satisfy the habit?” When it comes to spending money, what do you need and what can do without? I suspect that as long as the essence of photography is the ability to create rather than the ability to purchase, we’ll weather this storm just fine.

Comments

[Andreas]

(OT)

Gordon,

is this photo a "self"?
However, I like it, it is one strong illustration of your article, plus good composition and tones.

More on the topic tomorrow... got to sleep.

Andreas

[Scott W]

I do very little photography for money. This makes it very hard to justify significant expense unless my day job's very lucrative. Two years ago I bought a 5D. Two years before that, I bought studio lights. I doubt if I've spent more than $2000 on photography equipment apart from those expenses (and laptops) in that 4 year period. I did recently pick up a used medium-format film camera and a film scanner. I doubt I'll make another major purchase until 2010, unless I suddenly come into a lot of money... in which case, I'll fund a studio space with that rather than buy electronics.

[John Skillman]

I am torn between jumping on the new camera I want today before the dollar completely collapses and the price increases, or just sitting tight for a bit to see if the retail market collapses and the price decreases. The only reason I would update my camera is to make a little more money by selling images, but if the economy collapses, I expect the competition to increase massively thwarting that plan, but then, I would HAVE to have that new camera to sell anything, but then again, market demand will be reduced. In short, I'm in a conundrum.
I am going to a camera show tomorrow with an SD card. If the camera I'm eying takes demonstrably better pictures compared to my existing model in the exact same conditions, I'll probably go for it as I have already saved the cash up. It would not be a credit sale.
If I was planning on buying a lens, I would wait for what I believe will be a prolonged, inevitable recession to pick something up on eBay, but the camera I want is fairly new with a recent price drop and I don't expect to be able to find one used.

[Gary Wilson]

As a professional photographer for close to 30 years, Im used to making equipment purchases based on rational choices but feel particularly emotionally rewarded when getting to purchase as a hobbyist. And as a hobbyist, the recent announcement of the Lumix G1 had me recalling the joy of using Canon's early G model digicams with their rotatable LCD screens. They were particularly useful when interpreting the scene offered up from an odd camera angle. Somewhat like using one of my ancient Rollei's. I have always loved cameras and for years now, I would buy them without much regard or regret. For a while now, however, there has been a shift in concern. I neglected the purchase of the newest 1Ds, choosing to stay with the Mark II I already had. Besides, it already had the features I needed. And, not caring for the extra resolution or the video capability of the newly announced 5D Mark II, I decided to stay with the 5D's I already own.

As always having been a bit of a political junkie, the shift of concern really comes as a businessman. I have been utterly alarmed by this administration's reckless policies and watched in horror as regulations have been abandoned in favor of greed. I have been trimming my gear expenditures in favor of spending on gold and silver ETF's.

[jono]

I've been using film alone since I lost my canon G7 in uruguay a few months ago. Luckily on that trip I also had a ton of HP5 and an Olympus XA with me so I still got tons of photos. I'm lucky in a couple of ways really, right now I have a decent paying job in geothermal energy development that if anything gets better as oil prices rise and I can afford to keep buying film and chemicals. And also I've been lucky in finding free paper and film on craigslist. So right now, while I'd like to replace my lost digital, I'm perfectly fine shooting my film and printing in a darkroom for very little cost.

[Mike]

You've got the right idea. Be happy with what you've already got — and remember you bought it in the first place so it must have been "good enough" then. What's changed since except perhaps your expectations and they're easily enough to put aside.
I'm just bummed out that Polaroid has packed it in which will prohibit me from making instant prints/negatives. The loss of a favorite tool is disheartening.

[t]

This is interesting: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2008/09/30/business/20080930_economy_voices.html

Improving technique costs nothing.

[Bob Nichol]

There is an unfounded assumption that as soon as a new camera is announced your old camera stops working and turns to dust forcing you to buy the new model! I have found this to be false as the old camera continues to take technically excellent photos until dropped or suffers a catastrophic mechanical of electronic failure. What doesn't change is no matter how much equipment I buy it doesn't affect my picture taking skills. I still take mostly bad photos with just enough good ones to encourage me to continue in the hobby.

[Tom]

Well written.
Everything has its cycles..... and bubbles. First we saw the tech market, then housing, now it is time for the Photo Market Bubble to burst, I call this "The Great Light Hype" for a reason. When consumers and professionals alike understand that it is no longer about the megapixels but the dynamic range that is now, or should be now, the difference and what should be looked at first, Camera Mfr's will have a tough time on their hands. They need to begin understanding how to Market in this fashion, how to be able to explain to the market what dynamic Range is and how does it influence your images then they may leap above the rest. Just look at HDR, some folk love it but don't really know why.
It's a shame we will soon see many a store and product, brick and web a like, closing down soon.
t

[EmmJay]

So far for me the bad economy is something you read about as I still have the same job with the same pay. Business at work is slow and I suppose things could change in the future. Personally I have more fun with vintage film cameras and B&W film than with the latest digital offerings. This leaves the kid in me satisfied with equipment costing hundreds not thousands of dollars. Also I'm frugal in buying any piece of equipment. I purchase cameras, lenses etc. used or refurbished. I don't own much that can't be sold for near what I paid for it. Sometimes I even make a little.

[Wesley]

So far, I have enough saved for my photography hobby. I have already signed up for more workshops in 2009 and know that, unless, we have a huge crash, I will be able to pay for those. I have cut back a little on lens lusting and accessory lusting but those are things that I really don't need. I have plenty of equipment already to continue creating and having fun doing that.
I can't see the economy affecting that at all. I am retired so have to watch my budget but, so far, things are OK, not great, but OK.

Wes

[Joe]

Except for ink jet supplies, I've purchased no camera equipment related equipment during the past year, and have no plans for further spending through 2009. My 5D and 20D bodies are still challenging me to produce better work, and the 5DII and 50D are interesting, but not enough to prompt me to add or replace the old bodies. My glass inventory is extensive and good quality. The new 24L is mildly interesting, but I'd definitely pop for the Nikon 14-24 if they'd just release a full function EF mount! The Sigma DP2 and micro 4/3 trend are more interesting to me than another DSLR body, and a good selection of wide to normal compact/pancake lenses as well.

[Amy Sakurai]

In a microcosm of The Economy I recently started work at a new job – and took a 33% pay cut in the process. That steep cut in my income means I can barely cover my mortgage, car payment, and all other recurring expenses (utilities, insurance, gasoline, tithing, etc.) and have a minimal, not-very-adequate amount for groceries / clothing / contingencies left over each month. So I’ve cut out all non-essentials and luxuries.

Under this scenario I was very grateful that I’m a digital photographer. All my equipment is paid for, and I print very rarely (generally resorting to Costco, as I was too stingy to sink money into the HP B9180 I wanted). So as you noted, Gordon, the hobby is basically free. While on my austerity budget I can shoot and create as much art as I want (although my time budget is equally squeezed). I’m very delighted that I have a no-cost hobby to keep me distracted from other (admittedly minor) losses to my lifestyle.

I’m lucky in that I have good equipment (good lenses, good camera(s), good tripod, good flash) and lust for nothing (so far). Plenty of stuff to be able to create good photos – equipment much better than the photographer, actually. I’ll whimper a little if someone releases a long-awaited “digital rangefinder” which I’d dearly love to have, but I’ll make do with my big DSLR and (relatively) small 35mm lens for street photography.

I won’t be able to do the photo books and calendars I want to make as gifts, but my friends and organizations will understand.

Amy
Portland, Oregon
(just visiting here via The Online Photographer)

[Captain Fairly-Obvious]

Times change: tides ebb & flow...

Sometimes we're "poor", & spend time with our families, sometimes we're "rich" & spend all our attention on gear.

Remember what the original photogs used? Makes us look like idiots. No auto anything, a few plates / month, or per shoot if they were rich...

Quality over quantity, you know?

Where we got the gear-schizophrenia from ( Gigapixel brand MegaCam in one hand, Lomographics/Holga in the other ), I don't know, but I think it's got more to do with feeling a need to avoid one's current moment, what one has.

Or a need to avoid working-with-the-LIGHT, instead concentrating on the things...

We don't need NEW gear, we need gear that is good enough, works well enough, and has charged batteries & available cardspace.

Addiction is what's ruling our world.

[Michal Daniel]

Having been a photographer for over 30 years, I've lived through a number of up and downs. Bringing up a son, without a car, self employed, not easy. He's 26 now, and looking back, I can hardly remember how we managed. Advice? Equipment matters only to you, nobody else who hires you cares about it nearly as much. Figure out what truly interests you, and concentrate your photography on getting paid for that. For me, that's theater. For you, it could be mushroom hunting, or whatever. Fact is that if you truly concentrate on your specific area of interest, you're likely to find ways of selling the resulting images, no matter the economy. The world around me out of my control. What I do in it is not. And no matter how negative the events around me, doesn't mean my life and work needs to spiral down as well.

[MESullivan]

It would be nice to see more interest focused on the making of images rather than the acquisition of equipment. We will see how it goes. As for myself, I also shoot film and digital mostly just for personal enjoyment. I don't see me making much purchases in the near future unless it's to upgrade a couple of lens to faster versions.

[JohnBrewton]

All too true and at the same time, sad. I've quit watching my stock portfolio because it depresses me no end. So to raise my spirits I bought the new Fotoman 69 and two lenses! And, imo, the best way to dispense with all the digital bs is to shoot film. But I'm not getting rid of my M8!

[tbm]

My favorite activity is still making prints in my darkroom via my dichroic enlarger of captures acquired with my Leica equipment. The chemicals last a long time, so the only two things I must intermittently buy are film and paper, neither of which I will cease buying despite the horrid state of the Bush economy.

[Roger Botting]

This time around the economy is not hurting me. The last time, around 1990, it really hurt. I lost 75% of my photo business overnight, lost my ability to buy film to experiment and to work on new ways to to come up with better photos or to promote myself. Eventually, I stopped taking photos for a living. Now its for my own pleasure.

[Jack]

Thank God for digital. I can shoot forever at no operating cost other than electricity. I can print, when necessary, at a cost way below chemistry. I can print huge with great quality, and compete for assignments in corporate art, that were formerly out of reach. I am scanning old images for stock. But I haven't bought any new equipment in 10 months, other than another hard drive which fortunately is 1/10 the cost of 3 years ago. So I am enjoying quality photography more than at any time in my life. And that's good, because everything else is nervous. Regarding new equipment, I don't need new cameras, I do wish I had an electric car.

[jg]

I think my hobby comes forward as a pretty good metaphor for how I live and how I feel about consumerism and our first world societies.. I have plenty of cameras, film cameras. Maybe fifteen 35mm compacts, SLR and medium format. Even an old, cheap view camera. Also all the digital cameras I need (2). I love taking pictures. Owning equipment is not what I enjoy. I see plenty of toys I don't need on the store shelves. I don't long for any of it. Probably, I'll be getting a digital camera with a few more megas (I currently own a compact and a SLR, both 7 Meg's) in a near future. And that's it. My major limitation is time, not equipment.
I feel there is something fundamentally wrong in the way we live now. I heard just yesterday that big car manufacturers are having a tough time here, in Spain. Seems they were selling 140.000 cars each month on average. Now they only sell 100.000 a month. Each households owns a couple of them at least. ¿Who needs more? It's just irrational.
There must be an end. I know that in order to keep our jobs and our lifestyle we are supposed to buy what we do not need, but I just can't. And I feel it's absurd to insist on this economic system, It's doomed. Capitalism is bound to change. So if this crisis kills some old ideas, let's welcome it. High gas prices have made everybody aware of the need for change, for instance. Even hardcore petrol heads like Bush. Let's hope we learn the lesson and change doesn't hurt normal people too much.

[Mike J.]

I've recently been concentrating on paying down my debts, and have almost eliminated all the debts that I pay interest on (I do have some old medical bills outstanding that I have to pay--they're next). Meanwhile looking at my digital purchases from a hardheaded household-economics perspective, I am not very pleased with the performance of these "investments." Two of my digital cameras went from "expensive" to "valueless"--aside from being out of date, they can't be sold because they no longer work properly. To me that feels like money down the drain, even though the second camera has paid for itself (in the form of work sold) a number of times over.

The trigger for these thoughts is the temptation of the new D700/A900/5DMkII cameras, all around $2500-$3k. I could "stretch" to this, but then I think of how I will feel if the investment were to lose 2/3 of its value in 3-5 years. Or, if it stops working like the cameras I bought in the past, how I will feel if it loses 100% of its value. That's not a happy prospect.

That has got me thinking of shooting film again, and relegating digital to a point-and-shoot. Film and paper costs money, but then so does inkjet ink and paper. A well-chosen film camera can be quite cheap and also hold its value.

Digital's easier and more convenient, of course, a big point in its favor. Film's DR is much better but digital's low-light capability is much better.

I guess I'll second what John Skillman said: it's a conundrum. I just know I need to be hard-hearted and hard-headed about money these days, and I'm not happy with the "computer model" of spending with digital.

[Stan]

I feel a lot like you. I have been a photographer for 40 years and switched to digital totally when I bought my 10D, which is still my primary camera. I find that the desire to own another camera, lens or whatever a real distraction to real photography. I am still doing some pretty good work with my 10D both selling some photography and doing it for my own personal satisfaction. I must admit, I feel the need to upgrade now and was on the fence for the past 2 years on whether or not to by the 5D, now that the replacement is out I will probably purchase it. Its not that I could not afford the equipment, it is just that it sometimes gets in the way or doing my "art", Its time to step up a level and I am now ready. I hope this will be my last SLR, because I want to focus on the photography and not the equipment. A final thing, is that I love my equipment, I still have my Ftb, F1 and Hassy equipment even though I have not used it since purchasing the 10D. Thanks for the blog, I will check in to see what you are up to.

[bobdales]

Interesting comments. "Make do" and concentrate on my art is the way I'll go, unless the micro 4/3 DMD shows up. On-going costs are manageable with digital.
Looks like it will be tough year in the camera biz.
(Visiting from The Online Photographer)
BD

[Gordon]

Quite a few people have commented about how they either continue to use film or are thinking about switching back, if only part-time. It's certainly an economical option. You can buy a used, top-of-the-line film camera and because it has already depreciated, you can be secure in the knowledge that if you decide to sell it a few years later, you can get close to what you paid for it.

The main problem with film these days is finding it and getting it processed. Instead of searching, I buy online, at places like B&H Photo and Adorama. For quick and affordable scanning, my tip is to find a high-volume minilab or pro lab that uses Fuji Frontier or Noritsu film scanning equipment. Ask for the highest resolution scan they offer (generally 2000 x 3000 pixels for a 35mm film frame). You may be amazed at how good a scan you can get. Of course, if anyone else out there has found any proven methods for managing their film workflow, I'd love to hear them.
-Gordon