Guys, Photography Gear is Not Real Estate, or Why We Should not Complain that Fujifilm X-H1 costs $299
The Controversial Deal
So Fujifilm just launched a mega deal on the Fujifilm X-H1, where you can get the X-H1 body with vertical grip and 2 spare batteries for $999.
Even better, if you bundle it with the Fujinon XF8-16mmF2.8, you are basically going to pay the X-H1 with grip $299 only, or $499 if you bundle it with XF16-55mmF2.8.
- X-H1 + Grip + XF 8-16/2.8 ($2,298)*: BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS
*1,999 for the lens + $299 for the camera - X-H1 + Grip + XF 16-55/2.8 ($1,698)*: BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS
*1,199 for the lens + $499 for the camera - X-H1 + Grip ($999): BHphoto, Adorama, AmazonUS
Now, I understand it can be annoying, that our gear loses a lot of value.
But guys, the sooner we stop considering our gear an investment that has to keep most of its value over time, the earlier we’ll start feeling better.
It is inevitable, because…
The Mirrorless War
We are in full mirrorless war, and companies fiercely fight for every single customer to survive, so we better get used to discounts from any brand.
We want innovation, we want competition, we want fast camera refresh cycles with frequent technology updates.
If we want all that, then we have to accept that our gear will lose value faster than in the past.
On the other hand, thanks to this strong competition, we get our high performing gear cheaper than ever before in the first place.
Try to see it from this perspective: we spend less compared to the past at the moment we purchase our gear, but we lose more at the moment we sell it.
We can’t have it all.
Electronic Goods vs Real Estate
When I buy my Fuji X gear, I am aware that, as soon as I leave my local store with my brand new gear and take the very first shot, it already loses 15% of its value just because it is now labeled as “second hand“.
And so it happens with every electronic good.
The ROI (return of investment) happens not at the moment we sell our gear, but in the months and years, while we actually make money working with it. Or, for amateurs like me, the ROI is the fun I have using it day after day.
Photography gear, or any electronic good for that matter, is not real estate and just loses value quickly.
So, yes, the Fujifilm X-H1 costs $299 if bundled with this lens. And we should not complain about it.
10 years ago I bought a Mazda 2 that cost me €14,000, and now it is literally worth €1,000 and the new electronic toothbrush in my Amazon shopping cart has more value than my 2016 iPhone SE.
Peace, that’s how it goes.
So let’s just enjoy that cameras with 14fps, blackoutless EVF and 4K video can be purchased as cheap as never before, and accept that we won’t get that much back, the day we sell it.
cheers
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