Why is photography so expensive? I hear it all the time…

When you think of photography as a creative outlet; as a record of life’s precious moments; as a commercial enterprise; is it honestly prohibitively expensive? I think not. Even as a leisure-time pursuit, you only have to compare it to say skiing or boating.

Unless your brand of photography requires you to be in unusual situations, such as airborne or atop Everest, then photography is really not that expensive.

If you appreciate photography — enough to want to capture aesthetic digital images yourself — then buying quality DSLR camera equipment will be money well spent.

In exceptional circumstances, such as when an item fails to function through a manufacturing defect or as a result of an accident,  you would have reason to grumble. But with the years of use (DSLRs are designed to allow between 100,000 and 300,000 shutter actuations), the rewards are surely bountiful.

A lens has an even greater capacity than a camera body to repay its purchase price. Lenses can survive decades. Some photographers are enjoying taking images using 40+ year old lenses on their DSLR.

Where am I going with this? I’ll explain. Assuming you can see the logic in my claim that photography is not necessarily expensive, I’m offering a perspective to help with purchasing decisions.

To begin with, let’s view the camera in its most basic form, as a recording device. When you assign it very specific tasks, such as capturing fast-paced action, some cameras will fall short. Those then left vying for your attention will include the capacity to record fast frame rates.

If your requirement is shooting in available light, cameras with greater ISO range (a measurement of light sensitivity) will need to be considered.

If you want your camera to perform in extreme conditions, you will be looking for one with durability and weather-sealing.

Perhaps your decision will be governed by the fact that the camera needs to incorporate Live View functions or that it should record High Definition video.

These are the most significant considerations. Others, such as needing an onboard flash, weight, or previewing options are most likely less influential in the overall decision.

The next serious expenditure will probably be which lens/es. Considering my arguments above, lenses typically have the potential to well outlast the camera body.

Budget with your photographic ambitions in mind and aim for the lens you believe will (a) provide the focal range, (b) have the responsiveness to light, (c) the availability within your price range. For a point of reference, take a look at this database of camera gear.

The lens you want may not be affordable to you. You may only be able to afford it as a used item. When doing your research, you may conclude that your requirements could possibly be met by an alternate lens from a different manufacturer. Alarm bells should be sounding at this point. If the object of your desire is a particular Canon lens to suit your 50D camera, it’s wiser to bide your time until you can get it. The alternatives rarely, if ever, measure up.

Peripherals, such as remote controls, filters, and so on, can be assessed for their individual merits. The bottomline is that when items are critical to the optics, such as filters, try to maintain the standards presented by the lens optics.

The same rule applies to tripods, tripod heads and camera bags — allow for growth. No point needing to shelve the item when, sooner or later, you add a new acquisition that exceeds its capacity.

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