10 Items from a Photographer’s Wish List to Make Santa Faint

October 23, 2012 2 Comments

I was recently browsing through B&H catalog and one thing struck me quite a bit, namely this:

Okay, it’s Broncolor, one of the best lighting brands, but… It is a light stand! You know, a stick with wheels. $6 000? Come on guys, maybe it makes 0 to 60 mph in 2 seconds? Or what?

Anyway, I thought it would be a nice idea to make a Chirstmas wishlist from top priced photo stuff and see how much it will make. You can show it to your husband/wife/mom/dad if they think that you spend too much on photo gear ;)
So, what do we need? A decend camera with a couple of decent lenses, and a couple of power packs with three flash heads for studio and outdoor lighting.

1. Hasselblad H4D-200MS Medium Format DSLR Camera – $35,995

2. Hasselblad 35-90mm f/4-5.6 HCD Aspherical Zoom Lens – $7,595

3. Hasselblad Ultra-Wide Angle HCD 28mm f/4.0 Auto Focus Lens – $5,295

4. Hasselblad Telephoto 300mm f/4.5 Auto Focus HC Lens for the H Cameras – $5,195

Now, the lighting:

5. Broncolor Scoro S 3200 RFS Power Pack (100-240V) – $12,647

6. Broncolor Pulso Twin 4 – 2 X 3200 Watt/Second Lamphead – $4,143

7.Broncolor G2 Pulso – 1600 Watt/Second Focusing Lamphead – $2,730 x2 = $5,460

8. Broncolor Para 330FB Reflector Umbrella – $11,326

And an extra set for faster and more remote shooting:

9. Nikon D3x SLR Digital Camera – $6,999

10. Sigma 200-500mm f/2.8 EX DG APO IF Autofocus Lens – $25,999

Total: $122,415

And I did not mention all the tripods, reflectors, softboxes, cables, and tons of other accessories that would easily bring it to $150 000.

Of course, this list is a bit weird, because it is soo unlikely to see a fashion photographer with a 500 mm Sigma, or a wildlife shooter with Broncolor or Profoto lights around an elefant (which is slightly more possible). But who knows, who knows…

What seems unbelieveable for hobbyists, will seem okay for world-recognized photographers – so let’s just strive to be among them.

But that light stand is definitely overpriced, don’t you think?