What's more expensive- Reefing or Photography?

xtm

xtm

Active member
As I was pondering what lens I should buy next, it dawned on me that I've been spending too much money on my hobbies. A pro body + a bunch of fast glasses + flash + misc gear and I'm easily in the $7K territory. :eek2: It's a bit shocking considering that it's really just a hobby for me and I don't earn a penny doing photography. The good thing is that after buying the equipment, I don't have to spend more to "maintain" it. I just go out and shoot!

On the other hand, my reef tank is a constant money pit. Additives, electricity, new fish, new frags, new bulbs, new filters, fish food... always replacing stuff. But man it's so satisfying.

I think the reef tank is actually more expensive than photography.. especially in the long run. What do you think? Which hobby have you spend more money on?
 
I think it kinda evens out. Both can be very expensive. You need to stop buying fish and frags and some more fast glass though!!!!
 
If I pursued photography with at the same level as I do reef keeping I'm sure it'd be more expensive.
 
I think this question depends on what kind of reefer you are and what kind of photographer you are. For me, although I've spent longer as a reefer so may have bought more stuff for it over time. I'm a pretty casual photographer and don't even have a pro body yet, so for now my tank is a bit more costly. Not to mention that I hired a finish carpenter to custom build my stand/canopy into a free standing wall which cost me a pretty penny.

On a side note, I've seen lenses in the range of $10,000-$20,000. I've not seen that kind of price on a 'typical' tank equipment of livestock.
 
i dont want to even think the amount of money i've spent on bodies and glass over the years.. 35mm, 6x6, 6x7, 4x5.. Ouch..:eek1: I can see how reefing could get up there cost wise in the long run. Bigger and better tank, larger skimmer, newer cooler, better power heads, etc, etc, etc..

Unfortunately there aren't many things in photography that you can get for 25-50 bucks that will go as far as some corals will. Plus in the long run, your corals can continue to grow. Whereas your new spiffy pro camera body is last weeks news because brand X just came out with the new D2,000,000D with its 80MP sensor. Suddenly your "old" brand X body just doesn't seem as nice anymore..

Long story short. Photo is a bigger money pit in the long run atm..
 
Being as I'm still learning about SW tanks, and haven't even begun to dive in......being a photog is more expensive.

However, photography is an "investment" that will pay itself back for me.


From what I read, owning a reef is like owning a car. You're often putting in money you didn't expect to be putting into it.
 
Interesting thought. For me, reefing is more expensive. Once purchased, cameras don't suddenly and rapidly shed their flesh or slowly and painfully melt before your eyes. They can make one long for expensive accessories, however.

I don't need to feed my 50D other than charging its batteries which can probably be done for a year on the juice my MHs suck down in a day.

On the other hand I have spent way more on just a single lens than any coral or single piece of reef equipment.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15294557#post15294557 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reef Bass
cameras don't suddenly and rapidly shed their flesh or slowly and painfully melt before your eyes.
Click to expand...



That made me laugh. :lol: That would suck if that happened.
 
If both are truly pursued with a real passion?

Photography would win out as more expensive in the long run.

10,000 on Reef tank and upkeep in one year if you really go all out.

You can easily spend this several times over on Photography equipment.

But it really depends on the level that you take it, but I would say overall Photography, Hell I do both on the cheap and I really want that 100mm macro $600.00 and really, really want that 400 mm 2.8 L IS $6800.00 and right now I can not think of what I would do to my 3 tanks and spend even $1000.00.

And thats keeping my cheapy $500.00 camera body!!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15297772#post15297772 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ducklabdad

But it really depends on the level that you take it, but I would say overall Photography, Hell I do both on the cheap and I really want that 100mm macro $600.00 and really, really want that 400 mm 2.8 L IS $6800.00 and right now I can not think of what I would do to my 3 tanks and spend even $1000.00.
Click to expand...

A couple of ultra acan colonies at $700 each?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15297772#post15297772 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ducklabdad
If both are truly pursued with a real passion?

Photography would win out as more expensive in the long run.

10,000 on Reef tank and upkeep in one year if you really go all out.

You can easily spend this several times over on Photography equipment.

But it really depends on the level that you take it, but I would say overall Photography, Hell I do both on the cheap and I really want that 100mm macro $600.00 and really, really want that 400 mm 2.8 L IS $6800.00 and right now I can not think of what I would do to my 3 tanks and spend even $1000.00.

And thats keeping my cheapy $500.00 camera body!!
Click to expand...

On the other side of that. If you are truly and passionately pursuing photography.......your equipment can and will pay for itself via commisioned shoots.
 
On the other side of that. If you are truly and passionately pursuing photography.......your equipment can and will pay for itself via commisioned shoots.
Click to expand...

+1

What do they say? "Find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life"? I do well for myself financially and invest a lot of that money back into what I am passionate about in the hopes that I can make a living for myself doing what I love. Sure beats spending money on cars, vegas, five bedroom houses...etc...

-Tre
 
For me, camera gear is a necessity and I spend A LOT more on gear than I do my tanks. It's my job though, and that changes everything.

However, if we are speaking of hobby only, then I think reef tanks are more expensive. You can "get by" with an entry level body and kit lens and take a decent picture. We all know that we don't want brown corals :P
 
It's a toss up on how in depth you want to get with the equipment. You have so many different choices in both areas that it's not even funny.
 
It really depends. Taken to any extreme either hobby could be more expensive. On its face, I would say photography is more expensive, but in my personal case, I have spent more money on reef aquariums than the entire Canon lens lineup including the 4-digit focal length lens that nobody owns.
 
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