dougpeterson
Workshop Member
I hope that's not the case. Your contributions are enormously valuable, especially on Alpa.
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Renting Phase One on a (very tight) budget
- Thread starter jars121
- Start date
stephengilbert
Active member
A "roller case?" Isn't that spelled "Rover?"
If I were you I would contact and go to one or several rental studios in Sydney. A lot of times places let you go there and if they have the gear they let you handle it and test it on premises if they are not too busy. Usually most people that work in those places are very cool if not then go to the next one.
Thanks for all the input guys, it has made for some very interesting reading. I understand where you're coming from gazwas, but I've been shooting with my G617, GX680 and GW690III for the last couple of years now almost exclusively, and have only resorted to the DSLR kit for paid work where I wasn't able to control the pace of the environment. I'm not at all interested in the type work I do where I have to used the Nikon (sports, events, parties etc), and would like to solely focus on the type work where I can be contemplative and methodical.
I see DB's on eBay Aus that sit there for months on end not being sold, so I might contact the sellers and see if I can rent the unit, as dougpeterson suggested. Otherwise, I'll be speaking to the various rental departments here in Aus to see if they've got any ex-rental units in my price range.
Thanks!
I see DB's on eBay Aus that sit there for months on end not being sold, so I might contact the sellers and see if I can rent the unit, as dougpeterson suggested. Otherwise, I'll be speaking to the various rental departments here in Aus to see if they've got any ex-rental units in my price range.
Thanks!
If MFD is the path you have set your heart on then all my advise would be is beg, borrow steal but NEVER part with your hard earned cash or worse get into more debt for one at this stage in your career. You have come to the worst place to ask about equipment as there is a buy, buy culture on here and dealers contribute a great deal. This is great if you are stupid and reckless with your money (most are here) but asking purchasing advice from a dealer is never a good course of action.
I was a photography student at university and after you have finished your course hopefully you will start working in some professional studios as a freelancer as I did. Its a hard slog at first (I won't lie) and I worked FOC for a couple of weeks just to get a foot in the door of some big studios.
However, once I started work properly with good photographers my kit become redundant as I would often be allowed to use the photographers much nicer equipment for fun and eventually paid work I shot on the weekends/evening. Its well within the interest of a good photographer to train you up and be the best you can be (including knowing the kit second nature) so you can shoot the small jobs while they concentrate on the bigger clients.
Concentrate on being the best you can be and try and get some work experience (FOC) with some studios which will be more beneficial than spending on kit (although you already have some very nice stuff). Most importantly, worry less about the kit you're using now as eventually you'll be joining the reckless on here and buying up all the exotic kit you can dream off.
Good luck!
GrahamWelland
Subscriber & Workshop Member
I won't disagree with Gareth about saddling yourself with debt early on in your life/career. However, where we part ways is regarding whether you should follow your heart or not. I'd say that if you want to go MF digital then why not. A cheaper Leaf would handle your needs (as described) and if you're like the rest of us here you'll appreciate the color, tonality and workflow despite others telling you that the world begins and ends with a D800 or whatever is coming along next.
Like you I genuinely find little joy in using a 35mm DSLR now. I tolerate one for now until I can shoot everything with my MF gear. It's a tactile and process thing. That either matters to you or it doesn't. Apparently for Gareth it doesn't so therefore it mustn't for you either!
I think you'll find that all these reckless stupid people here aren't anything like how Gareth describes in real life. I've met quite a lot of forum members here in person and without exception they've all been very pleasant people who just enjoy using their gear and shooting with the best that they can afford. It's as simple as that.
Trust your heart ... :thumbs:
Jars121: if you're anywhere near Sydney CBD and want to try an Alpa & P25+ or IQ at some point for a couple of hours before July 6th ping me.
Like you I genuinely find little joy in using a 35mm DSLR now. I tolerate one for now until I can shoot everything with my MF gear. It's a tactile and process thing. That either matters to you or it doesn't. Apparently for Gareth it doesn't so therefore it mustn't for you either!
I think you'll find that all these reckless stupid people here aren't anything like how Gareth describes in real life. I've met quite a lot of forum members here in person and without exception they've all been very pleasant people who just enjoy using their gear and shooting with the best that they can afford. It's as simple as that.
Trust your heart ... :thumbs:
Jars121: if you're anywhere near Sydney CBD and want to try an Alpa & P25+ or IQ at some point for a couple of hours before July 6th ping me.
Thanks guys
Gazwas: I should have specified in the original post; I'm at university, but I'm not a photographer! I'm about to wrap up degrees in Energy Engineering and Finance, about as far removed from professional photography as one can be! As such, I'm pretty much going to be operating on my own in the future, so I won't be able to rely on the kit of pro's that I may come across. I understand fully how someone in my position looking for a MF back would seem like overkill, and it totally is. Having said that, a large proportion of the expense involved will be offset by selling the Nikon gear, as well as the upcoming shoot (albeit a tiny budget).
Graham: it's nice to speak with others who share my discontent with DSLR kit. I'd like to think of myself as being fairly traditionally minded when it comes to photography despite being slightly younger. I operate a Heidelberg drum scanner from my family basement and have spent the last 6 months building a darkroom. It's not that much of a stretch to understand why I might not enjoy the lack of soul/character/history of a DSLR!
Regardless, thanks for the input, maybe we could grab a beer next time you're in Sydney
Gazwas: I should have specified in the original post; I'm at university, but I'm not a photographer! I'm about to wrap up degrees in Energy Engineering and Finance, about as far removed from professional photography as one can be! As such, I'm pretty much going to be operating on my own in the future, so I won't be able to rely on the kit of pro's that I may come across. I understand fully how someone in my position looking for a MF back would seem like overkill, and it totally is. Having said that, a large proportion of the expense involved will be offset by selling the Nikon gear, as well as the upcoming shoot (albeit a tiny budget).
Graham: it's nice to speak with others who share my discontent with DSLR kit. I'd like to think of myself as being fairly traditionally minded when it comes to photography despite being slightly younger. I operate a Heidelberg drum scanner from my family basement and have spent the last 6 months building a darkroom. It's not that much of a stretch to understand why I might not enjoy the lack of soul/character/history of a DSLR!
Regardless, thanks for the input, maybe we could grab a beer next time you're in Sydney
Guy Mancuso
Administrator, Instructor
I'm sorry but I have to address this and it pisses me off. First off all the dealers are invited here its a public forum and with that comes a diverse set of people as well as our diverse set of members all over the world. Which by itself is a great testament to learning and sharing in a diverse environment . Most if not all dealers, reps and such bring far more data to be learned by all than many can find out on there own. Frankly I work for pay and so do they. We lost Alpa as being a part of forums and frankly to me that was about the stupidest move they could make. Now tell me how do we get that info to our hands to make informed decisions. I'm sorry but let me make this really brief its up to YOU to make decisions on gear on any data posted be it a sales pitch a user experience, spec sheets or what have you . It's also up to you to understand and separate. The data learned is of value to you or not.
I'm going to have to agree with Ken, your on forums and that is any forum you need a thick skin to be on them. If that does not fit this diverse world with you than why be on them to start with.
I know Doug personally and he is a very bright hard working person that yes maybe bias but he has a good heart and more important contributes more than any rep out there. He also and let me be very clear has never broken or offended any rules here either. You on the other hand just insulted him and his reputation. Which BTW is breaking the rules.
You want to discuss this offline I would be more than happy or Bob and Jack would be happy to.
Guy Mancuso
Administrator, Instructor
Thanks for jumping in to help.
dougpeterson
Workshop Member
That's what my best friend does in Texas. Fascinating area to work in. Best wishes and congratulations!
Edit: I missed the plural on degree. I thought you were graduating in "Energy Engineering and Finance" which is what my friend does. Double degrees in "Energy Engineering" and "Finance" deserves double congratulations!
Jorgen Udvang
Subscriber Member
+1
The dealers who are active on this forum are extremely helpful, regardless if they have the possibility to sell some gear or not. I have been getting some very valuable advise from one of them recently. Interestingly, I am in a similar situation to the OP, in the process of getting a digital back for my GX680, although I'm choosing a somewhat different solution (a Sinar back, which requires tethered shooting). The reason why I do this in spite of having a healthy selection of DSLR cameras is that the functionality of the Fuji is difficult or impossible to duplicate with most other cameras (lens movements plus rotating, and in some cases stitching, back).
I see the point of what the OP is doing, although I doubt that renting a back will give the best value for money unless you can get a very nice price. A digital back for the Fuji is a solution that begs for experimenting nad that takes more than a couple of days.
stephengilbert
Active member
"f you are stupid and reckless with your money (most are here)...."
Thanks Gareth. It's true that I'm sometimes stupid and reckless with my money, but I wonder how you could tell?
Thanks Gareth. It's true that I'm sometimes stupid and reckless with my money, but I wonder how you could tell?
Haha thanks Doug, I appreciate that!
kdphotography
Well-known member
Whoa, whoa, whoa, here Gareth. Them's fighting words. I've been reckless. I've been stupid. But never, ever am I reckless and stupid at the same time.
It's true that you need to invest in yourself, but Gareth is right imho to be mindful of debt. I'm more of the old fashioned mindset that it's better to be without than to be with debt.
But there's absolutely no reason that you can't scrimp and save to invest in a photographic solution that meets your needs and satisfies your passion. And like Graham, overwhelmingly the forum members I've met have all been pleasant enough, willing to share solutions and a shared passion in photography, often with medium format solutions from both ends of the cost spectrum.
Btw, have you tried the Arca Swiss Cube? :ROTFL:
stephengilbert
Active member
Cubes are for sissies.
kdphotography
Well-known member
The auto levitate and self leveling features of the Alpa are great, Steve. But I only have a sissy Cambo so I must rely on the Cube. Still trying to figure out the autofocus though...
Still trying to figure out the autofocus though... 
Shashin
Well-known member
+1. It takes too much concentration.But never, ever am I reckless and stupid at the same time.
Shashin
Well-known member
And this is the paradox. I went to RIT and if you ever had all the equipment you could ever need it was there. As soon as I left, the shock hit me. It took a lot of time to get the equipment I enjoyed using. (Not there yet, but I keep my eye on the forum and if ever Graham comes to a local airport, I might just turn up to help him with his bags.
)So comes the question, how do you build a way to be the photographer you want to be? This is a tough one. Folks that don't do commercial work usually get another job to feed the habit. You may find that engineering and finance degree one of the best ways into your career. No one held Salgado's economic degree against him and Adams was a piano player. There is no right answer here, but there is a right one for your. Unfortunately, you are going to have to figure this out.
BTW, be careful about your overhead, whatever that is--student loans, vacations, rent, gear. That can be a huge drag. To do work, you need time and money. Usually you only have one of those at any point in time. And that is really frustrating. But if you are in it for the long haul, you can work it all out. But it can be a disheartening journey, but one with great rewards. The best piece of gear I have is patience.
Good luck.