What Are You Thinking About?

[carwhacko]

Is it still possible that you will be hired in an oil and gas offshore industry when you are 50-60 years old?

[jut703]

Suddenly felt the urge to splurge on toys.

One part of me wants to buy a mirrorless camera and full frame SLR to replace my aging crop-sensor SLR.

Another part wants to buy a new PC to replace my aging Core 2 Quad setup.

Still another wants to just upgrade my laptop to an SSD and 8GB RAM.

And then I'm tempted to replace my SJ4000 with the newly launched Xiaomi Yi.

But at the end of it all, it just feels so irrational and unnecessary - buying toys gives temporary glee but it's really more prudent to just save more and live a frugal life so I can achieve the more pertinent financial milestones (i.e. house) quicker. It's just that sometimes it gets boring to save and invest and it's so tempting to spend.

[EQAddict]

I bought a mirrorless camera a few years ago (Nex 7). I was also in the same boat as you. I already had a Nikon D90 which was good. It felt like an un-needed luxury at that time. Anyway long story short : it was the best purchase ever. I've used it for thousands of shots of my travels and kids. Sold the D90 and I've used this trusty Nex 7 ever since. Its not top spec anymore but it gets the job done and its much more portable. Full HD movies.and I have a few lenses to keep it company. Using it now actually in amanpulo

[vinj]

Suddenly felt the urge to splurge on toys.

One part of me wants to buy a mirrorless camera and full frame SLR to replace my aging crop-sensor SLR.

Another part wants to buy a new PC to replace my aging Core 2 Quad setup.

Still another wants to just upgrade my laptop to an SSD and 8GB RAM.

And then I'm tempted to replace my SJ4000 with the newly launched Xiaomi Yi.

But at the end of it all, it just feels so irrational and unnecessary - buying toys gives temporary glee but it's really more prudent to just save more and live a frugal life so I can achieve the more pertinent financial milestones (i.e. house) quicker. It's just that sometimes it gets boring to save and invest and it's so tempting to spend.

The urge is there especially when you see the bonuses and extra income coming in one after the other. You just have to let it pass and the urge will pass.

I usually have a list of items that i want but I only proceed to buy them when the deal presents itself. Of course that's on top of the dream of saving up for that dream home, with the furniture, DIY haven garage, and other niceties that you want to put into it over time.

[jut703]

I usually have a list of items that i want but I only proceed to buy them when the deal presents itself. Of course that's on top of the dream of saving up for that dream home, with the furniture, DIY haven garage, and other niceties that you want to put into it over time.

The thing with gadgets is that good deals are always available, which is why it gets tempting. The devil in me keeps on telling me that splurging on my camera/PC upgrade won't really impact my long-term financial goals since spending a few thousands doesn't really push back my goal achievement date too much.

But I fear that it'll be a downward spiral where I spend a few thousands this month, and then next month, and then I'll suddenly realize I've spent hundreds of thousands and have significantly slowed my savings rate, all for a few toys.

[jut703]

I bought a mirrorless camera a few years ago (Nex 7). I was also in the same boat as you. I already had a Nikon D90 which was good. It felt like an un-needed luxury at that time. Anyway long story short : it was the best purchase ever. I've used it for thousands of shots of my travels and kids. Sold the D90 and I've used this trusty Nex 7 ever since. Its not top spec anymore but it gets the job done and its much more portable. Full HD movies.and I have a few lenses to keep it company. Using it now actually in amanpulo

The thing with mirrorless systems today is that there still isn't an affordable fast (f/2.8) walkaround (17-55mm) lens.

One more concern with going mirrorless is that even if the body is smaller, the lenses will still be bulky, unless you use a prime pancake. Thus, I'm thinking that it might be a better idea to get a full-frame 6D instead, and then invest in some lenses (24-105, 50mm, 70-200).

Right now I only get to use my SLR during out of town trips, complemented by my iPhone (for those times when the camera's too bulky) and action cam (for anything with water). My hesitation comes from spending over a hundred grand on something that I only get to use once a month, although it's something that would last me for the next 5 years or so.

[EQAddict]

I use a generic tamron 18-200mm walkaround lens. It is bulky. But better than the stock 18-55 which is gathering dust.

But it has served me and my family well. Nothing beats the convenience of using the smartphone as a camera I agree but my best shots have always (especially in low or intense backlight situations ) have come from the nex 7. Memories frozen in time are worth every penny.

[jut703]

I agree that the biggest shortfall of a smartphone is its lowlight photography, and even an entry level SLR with a kit lens far outpaces the best smartphone out there.

However, even SLRs and mirrorless cams are not made equal. The biggest shortcoming of my current setup (550D + Tamron 17-50 f/2.8) is still low light noise and AF accuracy. This is despite the fact that my Tamron can already allow shutter speeds 4x as fast as any 18-55 or 18-200 variable aperture lens because of its fixed f/2.8 max aperture. I still find myself in situations where I have to bump up my ISO to 3200 and sometimes even 6400. At these levels, noise is visibly evident once you view pictures on a computer monitor, still not as bad as an iPhone, but far from the high-quality photos you get with ISO 100-800.

In scenarios like that, I usually resort to using flash (I use a Canon 430 EX II speedlight) but I frequently find myself in situations where there's just no good place to bounce light off (ceiling is too high, walls are colored, outdoor night shots).

This is why I'm considering the 6D. As a full frame camera, even when shooting at ISO 12800, it's still much better than any mirrorless camera or crop-sensor SLR at ISO 3200.

Plus, the 24-105 f/4L is a much better walkaround because of its wider range (equivalent to 15-65mm on a mirrorless/APSC SLR) and IS. It's also very sharp even wide open at f4 and has the advantage of IS.

[CVT]

The thing with gadgets is that good deals are always available, which is why it gets tempting. The devil in me keeps on telling me that splurging on my camera/PC upgrade won't really impact my long-term financial goals since spending a few thousands doesn't really push back my goal achievement date too much.

But I fear that it'll be a downward spiral where I spend a few thousands this month, and then next month, and then I'll suddenly realize I've spent hundreds of thousands and have significantly slowed my savings rate, all for a few toys.

Agree,- and it is instant gratification at a cost of (affordable) tens of thousands....

Even hundreds of thousands or a (couple of) million/s for a new ride... And you look pogi pogi pogi everywhere you go.

But a new house is a few millions,- and it is long and hard to save for it....

You just have to grit (your teeth),- keep your head up,- and don't lose sight of your dream....

That is character.


"The measure of a man is what he does with power" LJIOHF!

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[_Cathy_]

WTF happened to EUR? The last time I bought it was almost P60 and now it' P47 na lang. I should read the papers more.