Photography on a budget - is this even possible?!

[8ounty]

I am very passionate about photography and love spending time behind the camera, however I'm not a high earner and generally live on a tight budget, so even purchasing my first DSLR was a mission, and even then I had to settle for a second hand one.

I'm now at the stage where I feel the need to buy more kit, extra lenses, flash gun etc but again they're so expensive. When I have asked for lens advice on this forum I state that I'm on a budget, yet still get advice to buy lenses which are £600+ which is a million miles beyond what I could ever afford!

I'm beginning to think about quitting whilst I'm ahead, and selling up and buying a point and shoot again

[Sollie_Nevina]

I'm in basically the same boat.

You don't have to buy everything all at once.

Start small...a slave/external flash. Cheap, averaging around 20 bucks I think?

Then save up for the next thing. A Penny here, a dollar there.

I honestly can't bring myself to get major equipment until I know I'm at a point where I could replace the money spent with money earned.

If you are at that point, consider taking out a small loan, finding the equipment and rent it, or work out payment plans with local owners.

Remember that old saying, "Where there's a will there's a way."

[RLucas]

What are you wanting to do that requires more kit? This is the point where you need to ask yourself what is holding you back, and decide from there. Just randomly throwing money in to it will not make you a better photographer. I learned this the hard way with my music. I threw exponential amounts of money at guitar equipment, searching for tone, when I could have been just practicing.

You have a range of focal lengths in your bag already, with the exception of the really wide end. There is enough there to keep you busy for a really long time, and to learn.

If you learn to use the equipment you have, within it's capabilities, the better it will be when you can afford different gear.

Look at it this way. Photography, like any other hobby, can be as expensive as you make it, but if you give up now, after raking and scraping to get your camera, would it not be a waste as well?

Just keep shooting, and try to avoid the lens lust! It can be a powerful thing!

[gturner]

If you are looking for cheap kit, you need to look auctions and second hand. Cheap primes are probably your best bet.
New stuff is always going to be expensive

[edbayani]

follow RLucas' advice. it' is the best advise.

[AshNZ]

I agree with RLucas. You seem to be pretty equipped. Heck, you have one more lens than I do and yet I never really thought about budget constraints. When I bought my dslr, it was one year's saving for me, since I am a student but I never thought or felt constrained by money. I know I have enough to go on for atleast 1-2 more years. So basically, if you make it a problem, it will be a problem and if you don't see it as a problem then it won't be a problem. In future learn to make passive income from photography - this is what I'm trying to do.

[tuxcomputers]

I started with a crappy second hand Kodak 2.5Mp point and shoot, since I knew nothing about photography apart from loving to do it, I used that for about 2 years. Once I had reached the limit of the camera I upgraded to a SLR-like, you know one of those super zooms.

Again I used it for about 2 years, if I was not taking good shots I knew it was not the cameras fault. I produced some really good shots with both cameras. Once again once I reached the limits of the camera I upgraded to a dSLR.

Unless you are not telling the truth with the gear in your signature then I doubt you have reached the limit of your camera gear. You just have lens (or gear) lust, you need to examine your desires and figure out what you want and why you want it. I mean what specific situations do you want the gear for? What photos are you trying to do and what gear is missing for you to do that.

I wanted a flash instead of the crappy pop thing that's on the camera. When asked by my wife "Why do you want a flash?" the best I could come up with was "So I can take photos at night". I know that there are other situations you can use a flash but I was doing fine without the flash and still have not got one.

[Indigo November]

Luke said it better than I could have, great advice.
I don't see why you need more gear. Why would you want a 50mm 1.8 lens if you already have a 50mm 1.2 lens??
What limits are you meeting with you current gear? Is there a specific reason you need a flash right now?
It would help us greatly if you would specify your needs.

ETA: hope I didn't sound mean! just trying to understand better!

[inkista]

Better, more expensive equipment doesn't actually make you a better photographer. It takes limits out of your way, true. But sometimes limits are good things. You have to think of a way around them, or a way to use them. Fighting against a limit can teach you a lot about technique. My el-cheapo 75-300 III taught me more about how to properly use a telephoto lens than any other lens I own. Not to mention, you've already discovered the joys of adapting manual focus lenses on the cheap.

As for cheap flash units, have you considered going Nissin or Yong-Nuo? Those seem to be the frontrunners in the Strobist discussion threads of cheaper ttl-capable flashes in the $80-$200 price range. Or, if you want manual-only, there's the LumoPro 160. Assuming you don't hunt up a killer deal on, say, a used SB-24.

[Jim Bryant]

Yea..learn fully what you already have. Believe me it's the eye and the knowledge of learning what your equipment can do for you that makes the photographer.