TP: Your greatest regret in photography - the one

Well, I'm not sure if I really regret this as I have learned something from it, but mine would have to do with thinking I could get away with buying the cheap stuff instead of getting what I really want.

Examples:
- "Oh look, a superzoom, no need to buy both a wide-angle and a telephoto anymore!"
- "Hmm... I guess both of these tripods have three legs, I don't see what the big difference is."
- "What?! That much for a BAG? Forget about it..."
("Some" of these might have been a little exaggerated, but you get the point...)

...so my tip to myself is: Get the one I really want the first time, instead of only after I've become too frustrated with the cheap one... and in the event that I think the cheap one really might be OK - research it some more, because in most cases, there is something I am overlooking.

larsholm wrote: Get the one I really want the first time, instead of only after I've become too frustrated with the cheap one... and in the event that I think the cheap one really might be OK - research it some more, because in most cases, there is something I am overlooking.

larsholm -- that's one of the best bits of advice to a newcomer.

My father always used to say buy the best as he reckoned that there was a saving to be made from fewer breakdowns/repairs (and even better warranties). It has taken me far too long to learn how good that advice was.

A film Canon P&S he purchased 30 or so years ago still works well.

Edited by brettania - 26 May 2007 at 09:51

To believe that minolta lens prices wouldn't rise.

not being careful enough with all my shots.. i dont setup, i dont get multiple exposures to pick the right one, i never use a tripod, i just stop for an instant, shoot, and go on walking. I ruined many oppurtunities by behaving like that.

on the otherhand, i think i'm protecting myself from the frustration of not getting a good shot after getting prepared. I just act as i don't care at all, i don't want photography to become another stress in mylife. I shoot while i pass by, sometimes change my way for a good shot, but not so frequently.

After then, when i come home, i know in deep that i could get better shots if i tried. It gives a feeling of emptiness in my mind.

If i will be able to change this and shoot more seriously depends on if i feel confident that i wont grow tired of photography because of the added stress. I dont for the moment.

larsholm wrote: ...so my tip to myself is: Get the one I really want the first time, instead of only after I've become too frustrated with the cheap one... and in the event that I think the cheap one really might be OK - research it some more, because in most cases, there is something I am overlooking.

That's the so-called "1st Nemecek law of financing":
I'm not rich enough to buy cheap stuff.

When I'm buying the cheap stuff instead of the real thing I wanted (but I considered as too expensive), I end up buying the real thing later anyway, loosing the money "invested" in the cheap stuff. Example: Lenses.

Or I have to buy the cheap thing multiple times, since it breaks repeatidly. Example: filters, accessories.

Or it breaks and creates "collateral damage". Example: Bags, tripods.

Regards, Josef.

My motto: You Buy Cheap - You Buy Twice

Lost files !

Most intelligent souls have back ups but I got a lightning strike a year ago and lost so many shots - I felt like I had lost a limb for weeks. I lost about two-thirds of my Tibet shots and almost all of my trip along the East coast of the US. Some of my favourites were during a storm at sunset in Washington DC and I lost all of them.

If this has happened to you then you know how awful it feels. Getting a good picture is such a good feeling; losing it forever is just as bad.

So now two hard drives is not enough; I do DVDs too and have a big spike protector.