Subscribe to read all posts!
Your camera gear is not an investment.
At least - not the way most people are buying it.
I hear the same justifications constantly.
âIâll rent it out.â
âItâll pay for itself.â
âI just need to have it.â
That sounds logical, but it isnât because every one of those sentences is built on something you donât control⊠other peopleâs demand for your stuff. Relying on rentals to justify a purchase isnât investing. Itâs hoping and hope doesnât pay off debt.
The rule I follow:
If I canât pay the gear off within 12 months, I donât buy it. No exceptions.
Once that payment bleeds into the next year, youâre not building anymore. Youâre carrying weight. Interest stacks, options shrink and the gear that was supposed to free you up starts making decisions for you.
The real ROI on gear isnât rental income. Itâs usage.
Can I use this on work Iâm already getting?
Does it help me move faster or shoot more consistently?
Does it let me say yes to jobs Iâd otherwise pass on?
Thatâs the return is not âhow much can I rent this for?â, but âhow often will I actually use this in my own work?â
Iâve shot on high-end cameras, but there are moments where the budget doesnât support a full package and you still have to make the shot happen. Thatâs where something like an FX3, C50, Pocket 6k, or a Komodo earns its keeps. Immediate access has a value most people never calculate.
That $5,000, in most cases wonât come from random rentals, therefore, it needs to come from your actual workflow. If you canât clearly see where that $420/month comes from before you buy it, you shouldnât buy it.
(Leave comments here after reading)
There are two ways creative freelancers think about gear:
Spec-based: Is this the best camera I can get?
Return-based: Will this consistently make me money within a year?
Most people stay stuck in the first one.
The second one is what actually moves you forward.
Iâm done chasing upgrades. From here, I only buy tools that fit into my current workflow, get used regularly, and pay themselves off fast. The goal isnât to own more gear. Itâs to own gear that works for you, not the other way around.
Thank you for reading and I have more readings in the chamber.