For every joy there is a price to be paid - says Egyptian proverb. So does every hobby has its price. Let’s see how photography stacks up against other hobbies.
Study of Hobby Expenses
Recently I have come across a study conducted a decade ago by PriceRunner.co.uk, the independent shopping comparison website. They did a research and ranked different hobbies from the most expensive to the least expensive. Guess which hobby sits on the top of the list? You guessed it right, it’s photography.
The Most Expensive Hobbies
According to the study, average yearly cost of photography is 4500 British Pounds or around $6300 (as of writing this). The next two spots are occupied by scuba diving and rock climbing - 3925 GBP ($5460) and 3714 GBP ($5165) respectively.
Poor Man’s Hobbies
Want something cheaper? No worries. Knitting, rollerblading and stamp collecting will make you busy without breaking the bank (all three under 300 GBP or $420 per year.
Reality Check
The idea of this post came to me when I was doing a little it check of my photography expenses this year. The list looks like this. All prices are in Euros. Everything but the Canon 17-40mm F4L EF USM was purchased on Amazon.es.
My Photography Expenses 2021
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Canon EOS RP with kit lense RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 | 1358 |
| Canon RF 85 mm F2 Macro IS STM | 636 |
| Canon 17-40mm F4L EF USM | 539 |
| RF 50MM F1.8 STM ACCS | 216 |
| Canon EF-EOS R Adapter | 101 |
| K&F Concept 77mm variable ND Filter | 60 |
| K&F Concept 67MM ND2-ND32 | 56 |
| Yongnuo Yn600Ex-Rt Ii Maestro Ttl Speedlite | 129 |
| National Geographic Carbon Tripod | 121 |
| SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC 128 GB. 170 MB/s, UHS-I, Class 10 | 33 |
| National Geographic Carbon Tripod | 121 |
| Neewer Honda Camera Backpack | 37 |
| Think Tank TT656 Mirrorless Mover 20 | 45 |
| Total | 3331 € |
As you can see at around $4000 it’s quite close to the above mentioned study. Of course most items from this list have long term use and I won’t have to buy them again for at least a couple years. However, this list excludes ongoing costs like travel, access, tours, etc. Also there are some things that I would need to buy like an additional battery, grip for the camera and so on.
On the Way to Pro
While photography is an expensive hobby, think how expensive it becomes if you want to level up your game. Just one Canon RF 70-200MM F/2.8 L IS USM lens costs nearly as much as the list above.
Conclusion
Like everything in life, photography can be done with considerable less expenses. After all, you have a smartphone or can get a point and shoot camera at a bargain price. It all depends on how much you can and are willing to invest in photography and what your expectations and goals are.