What purchase changed your life?

bwcolor said:
My house.
Depreciated like a digital camera.
Completely changed my photographic purchasing habits.
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Bought the wrong house, then. I bought my last house (the one I sold to buy this one) in 1992 and sold it for 3x as much in 2002, after spending maybe 50% of the purchase price on renovations etc., i.e. 100% appreciation in 10 years. The first room we had (re-)built in our current house (built c. 1600-1970) was the darkroom, converted from the old wine cellar.

Cheers,

R.
 
A Canon T70 the summer after my Freshman year at college convinced me that I'd enjoy photography. It's long since been sold, along with the F-1 and F-1N that replaced it, but it got me started.

A Canonet 2.8 convinced me that I'd enjoy using a Rangefinder, and led to the M6 (since sold) which led to the M6TTL, my main film camera. The M6TTL may or may not lead to the M-M, I'm still counting pennies and thinking about that. The Canonet sits on a shelf, I didn't pay much for it, and I couldn't get but a few bucks for it if I sold it.

A Tachihara 4x5 that got me back into large format (I took one class in college and really enjoyed it). It's been replaced by an Ebony, and one of these days I need to sell the Tachihara.
 
My life? - wedding ring.

My photography?

1) Nikon FE2 - first camera I bought with my own money

2) Nikon F5 - the pinnacle of film SLR performance (at least at the time) - see my avatar

3) Zeiss ZI - I was more of an SLR shooter and had an on again/off again desire to shoot with an RF until I bought a ZI.
 
Photographically... It would have the be the beginning that had most impact I think. I had a box Brownie, and was in the military serving overseas. A guy who worked in an office down the hall was a photo enthusiast with access to a darkroom. He guided me into the world of photography and it took hold. I got a 35mm non-RF viewfinder camera. In turn this got me off the base, walking about the area, and totally changed the experience for the better.
 
When I took my first classes at SVA in New York and the teacher was using a Leica
M4-P and saying it was the best camera period. I then got my first Leica a M3 and
a 35mmf2 Summicron that changed my outlook on photography and taking
pictures in New York.

Range
 
Roger Hicks said:
Bought the wrong house, then. I bought my last house (the one I sold to buy this one) in 1992 and sold it for 3x as much in 2002, after spending maybe 50% of the purchase price on renovations etc., i.e. 100% appreciation in 10 years. The first room we had (re-)built in our current house (built c. 1600-1970) was the darkroom, converted from the old wine cellar.

Cheers,

R.
Click to expand...

Not everyone was fortunate enough to buy before the real estate bubble . . .
 
Photographically it would be The Negative, Exposure • Development by Ansel Adams. It was when I really began to understand technically what I was doing.

In life, it would have to be the dinner I bought at a restaurant on Mt Adams in Cincinnati in early 1975. My soon to be bride was my dinner date. I met her 38 years ago next Friday.
 
Technically my children were and continue to be very expensive. Nothing changes your life and outlook like the arrival of children. Did not believe in love at first sight till then. Even marriage is a distant second.

Photographically, it was also my children's arrival that rekindle my interest in photography. My lovely wife is also a tremendous supporter of of this vice. She willingly helps to feed my GAS afliction.

I am sure many of you are in a similar situation. We are very lucky indeed!
 
Konica Hexar AF, back in the early 90's. That camera showed me that gear could be really small and quiet and yet produce stunning images. That's the camera that dropped me down the rabbit hole of street photography; been there ever since. :)
 
My first M which I purchased around 1998. It was a M6ttl and I bought it as a dealer demo with a small dimple in the baseplate.

I had actually intended to buy a Nikon F100 or equivalent Canon that day. You know, a serious camera. I really didn't know what a Leica was, until I saw one sitting on the shelf behind the sales guy. I asked "What's that?" and he answered: "Oh, that? That's a Leica...'.

Now, to tell the gods to honest truth; I was getting a little sticker shocked by the Nikons and Canons he was laying out on the counter and I started to scan the shelves for something simpler and cheaper (LOL). That's when I spotted the old fashioned little black camera.

But the moment he handed the M6 to me my brain went 'ooohhh...'.

Some pro shooter, whom I think was a PJ, was being helped at the counter next to me. As he left he leaned over and simply said: "Buy it."

I walked out of the store 10 minutes later with my black M6ttl, a 50 and a few rolls of APX400. I was totally broke, but pretty damn happy.

I still have that camera. It's been with me everywhere and have probably carried it with me nearly every day since I got it. It totally changed how and what I shot; where I went and whom I met along the way. Who knows where it's impact will end?
 
Cool story Harry! In a perfect world that PJ would read this and recall the event and come forth to reveal who he is;)
 
RObert Budding said:
Not everyone was fortunate enough to buy before the real estate bubble . . .
Click to expand...
Fortunate be damned. In 1992 I bought a solid Victorian house I could afford and treated it as a place to live, not an investment. Unless you HAVE to sell for some reason, the long-term trend of price rises will always cancel out the collapse of a bubble. I've only ever owned three houses. The first (Victorian again, 1974-1987) tripled in value in 13 years; the second doubled (or tripled, depending on how you calculate it) in 10 years; and I'd guess that my present house (2002-present) has gone up 100% in a decade.

Remember, you are not talking about depreciation. You are talking about fluctuations in selling price.

Cheers,

R.
 
My 1st lens interchangeable RF, a Voigt R3a with 40 1.4 Nokton. I've been shooting SLR and later DSLR all my life until I found the joy of RF in 2008.
 
For me it was my first rangefinder, a Konica Auto S2 several years ago. It led to my ownership now of several rangefinders.
 
My Leica. My wife divorced me when she found out the price.... Just kidding :D

Actually there were 3 purchases that changed my life, photographywise. First it was the a Pentax K20d in 2008, that started my interest in serious photography. Then, in 2010, I bought Pentax ME, which made me discover the qualities of film and appreciate small cameras. Then, in early 2011 I bought a Zorki 4, basically because it was dirt cheap and it looked cool. I put a roll of film through it and I had , you know, that revelation-like thing :).
 
Canon Powershot a70 - got me back into photography - learned a lot from it's limitations too
Honda CB500S - got me back into motor biking and a desire for smaller and lighter camera gear
Leica M6 and Summicron 50mm. Changed my photographic outlook and got me into developing black and white. Bought used and turned out to be a bit of a dud (shutter problems), but still think did well on the deal, lens is a stunner.
 
M6+50/1.5 Nokton, in 2009.

my first rangefinder, first time with a film camera as my main camera. learned a lot with it. my next lifechanger might be the M, most expensive item i will have ever bought and a farewell to film at the same time...
 
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