Tools: Cheap and disposable vs. the best you can find/afford?

[Tin Can]

That's a terrific photo, Randy!

I don't recall who shot it. They were very shaky!

1971. I had hair, a dog, a pretty girl and a nice bike. It was my first restoration.

I miss them all!

[David Karp]

If I can afford it, I try to purchase what I really want instead of settling. That is not always possible. Patience helps. For example, after waiting for a LONG time, I picked up a used ARCA Swiss Discovery that was upgraded with the telescoping rail for a very low price. That gave me everything I really wanted/needed in an ARCA monorail at a bargain price.

When purchasing lenses, I try to benchmark what would be ideal. For example, I used a 90mm f/8 single coated Fujinon for years. It was light, very low priced, and a good performing lens. I upgraded to my benchmark, a 90mm f/8 Nikkor, when one came along at a very reasonable price. I benchmarked a 200mm Nikkor M for backpacking, but that lens is pretty expensive. I chose a 210mm f/6.1 Caltar Pro (which is a Schneider Xenar) - Same lens design, Copal No 1 instead of No 0, and single coated instead of multicoated. That lens was super nice. I did not feel the need to upgrade. When the shutter went bad right before a trip, I picked up a 210mm f/5.6 Fujinon L for about the same price as a shutter service. Again, no need to upgrade. Mostly, I have Fujinons. They are usually available at reasonable prices and perform very well.

[6x6TLL]

This is what I ended up doing. Waited and found an Arca Swiss metric with orbix in 4x5, and waited some more and found an APO-Sironar-S to use with it.

Great suggestion about benchmarking lenses.

[Grandpa Ron]

It should be obvious there is no correct answer.

I have all sorts of hobby items I purchased and never used because "you can't do without this". I also have a number of beginner models items I wore out and no longer use and a few I use quite often.

You move up to the tools you really need.

[LabRat]

Then there's the "You don't find it, it finds you" situation...

Steve K

[fotopfw]

I've worked professionally from about 1983. I only bought what could earn itself back in jobs. And sold when I did not need it anymore, like the 2.8/400mm from Canon. Shot weddings on medium format (Mamiya C330 and RB67) and had at least two of everything.

In LF, it's a different story. I do that for fun (though I have sold some work). So here my choice was: what do I like to work with? I ended up with a Linhof Technika (almost as old as I am) and Sinar P2 (4x5" and 8x10").

Age is unimportant, camera's/lenses and people can be very old and still function well.

[John Kasaian]

Then there's the "You don't find it, it finds you" situation...

Steve K

For sure!

[Jim Andrada]

Well, my first LF camera was a brand new 5 x 7 Linhof Kardan Bi I bought in 1970. It's a joy to use. I've never regretted the $ I spent for it. Likewise my Felder 4 in one sliding table sytem - all 2 tons of it. I've built boats with old Rockwell Delta machines and there's no comparison to working with the Felder - I never have to fight the tool to make it do what I want.

Which is the big issue I usually have with lower end gear - with 75 years of picture taking under my belt I have no doubt that I can do good work with anything that winds up in my hands, but it took a lot of work and practice to get to that point. But when you're new at something it's hard to compensate for the idiosyncrasies of less than excllent tools of any kind.

[invisibleflash]

OP, I like the best tools available, but my budget wont allow for it. So I use what I can afford that will get the job done in a fashion that will still be acceptable. If it produces results that I am ashamed of signing my name to, then I will pass on it.

[John Layton]

I like to think that whatever, whenever, and however I screw up (or am otherwise unsatisfied), that I only have myself to blame, and not my tools. Whenever this is not the case...that's when I get a better tool!