The Canon 5D Mark III and the Nikon D800 are two of the hottest cameras of 2012 for professional and serious amateur nature photographers; many serious amateurs and pros in other fields of photography would love to have one too. While not outrageously expensive in terms of camera bodies, they’re not cheap — the $3000 you’ll spend for the Nikon D800 and the $3500 you’ll spend for the Canon 5D Mark III is hardly chump change. If you’re a budget-minded hobbyist or aspiring pro or if you are simply a budget-savvy full-time pro, there are some easy ways to save money on key gear and software choices.
Please note that I’m well-aware that trying to buy cheap can sometimes end up costing more money in the long-run. Believe me, I’ve been down that road many times when I was starting out in photography. I’ve learned, however, that there are times when buying the most expensive option may not be necessary.
Here’s why I don’t always buy the latest and greatest and most expensive gadget or service. As a full-time working pro photographer, I look at new gear and software as a business expense. That means three questions for me. Does this new gadget/product allow me to do things I couldn’t do without it? Are those things I could now do going to make a difference in the quality of my work and thus my income? And is there a cheaper but equally or sufficiently good alternative to the new gadget/product that would still allow me to do what I want now and in the future?
In this little article, I offer a few digital photography-related purchase choices that could add up to enough savings for one of these beautiful new camera bodies from Canon or Nikon and perhaps even leave you with enough cash left over for dinner.
As always, if you enjoy this review and the Deep Green site in general, please consider making your next gear purchase through the affiliate links in the text of this review or at the bottom of this page. You pay exactly the same, and I make a little commission to keep things running. To learn more about the products and services I use and with whom I’m affiliated, check out my Support the Site page.
For the purposes of this post, please note that I have a sponsorship arrangement with Induro and enjoy affiliate relationships with Topaz Labs, B and H Photo Video, and the NatureScapes store.
That out of the way, please rest assured that I do not suggest products or services in which I don’t believe. All of the gear choices outlined below are ones that I’ve made in my own photography and digital workflow, and I would make them again tomorrow with no hesitation.
Some photographers like having a full-size laptop with plenty of horsepower to do a lot of processing in the field. I’m guessing that many if not most of us, however, value small weight and size over performance for a laptop. When I’m traveling, I want something easy to pull out and store and with enough power to let me stay on top of e-mail/office work and my blog, run Lightroom to import/backup/cull/rate images, and maybe to tinker with a few new fave images at night. A small laptop of the 11+” screen variety is perfect for this, and there is no doubt that the Macbook Air would be an ideal choice. The 11.6″ model with 512 GB solid state storage will be awesomely fast, super light, and seriously cool, but it will cost you $1,900.
By compairson, my Acer Aspire One 11.6″ laptop with 4 GB of RAM (same as the Macbook Air quoted above) is pretty sweet. It’s not as fast as a Macbook Air, it’s a bit heavier (3.2 lbs. to the Macbook Air’s 2.4 lbs.), the 500 GB drive is not solid state, and it doesn’t have the same sexy styling. But, the Acer costs only $380! So, I’ll happily wait a few extra minutes while my images download from my card to my laptop. After all, I’m not shooting the Super Bowl, and no one is waiting intently on my latest monkey or orchid pictures. I’ve had my Acer for over a year, and it’s performed reliably. I knew the tradeoffs in performance, and I’ve had no regrets at all since purchasing it.
A tripod is a seriously important part of any photographer’s gear, and I don’t recommend going cheap. Nonetheless, I also don’t think it’s necessary to buy a Gitzo tripod if budget is a concern. I’ve been overwhelmingly happy with my Induro CT313 tripod (see my full review here). The Induro CT313 tripod is well-built, sturdy, light, efficient to use, easy to clean, looks good, and comes with a tripod bag and tool kit. A similar Gitzo model, say the GT4542LS Gitzo 6X Carbon Fiber Tripod, will run you about $1,000. The Induro will cost $545 or so.
Is the Gitzo better? Perhaps, but I doubt it’s worth nearly two times the price. That said, if you have the money and favor Gitzo tripods, get a Gitzo. They aren’t the world’s leading tripod manufacturer for nothing, and your Gitzo surely will serve you well for years to come. If you’re looking to save a few bucks though, an Induro tripod just might be for you.
I used to own the Really Right Stuff BH-55 ballhead, the industry benchmark in design and performance. It was great, and I had no problems at all with it (though I have seen the tension control lock up on people). Then I decided I wanted to save some weight and contacted Induro. After talking with one of their tech reps, I decided to go with the BHL2 ballhead model from their latest line. It’s great, and I don’t feel like I’ve lost anything at all in comparison to the Really Right Stuff ballhead (except about .8 pounds in weight!).
Interested? Be sure to check out my review of the Induro BHL2 ballhead.
Both Canon and Nikon make great long macro lenses. Canon’s 180 mm f3.5L macro is sharp and well-built, as expected . Nikon’s latest 200 mm f4 macro is great too. And they should be because you’ll pay around $1600 for either one of them.
I actually use the Sigma 150 mm f2.8 macro lens because I don’t like the super long macro focal lengths for rainforest macro work; I find them a bit too restrictive in terms of flexibility and flash to subject distance. Nonetheless, to stick with the comparison, let’s consider the Sigma 180 mm macro. It’s built like a tank, looks great, handles well, and is very sharp. The new generation Simga 180 mm will even have OS, Sigma’s version of IS/VR. A good friend of mine has the non-OS version of the lens, and I honestly think the image quality is as good as that of the equivalent name brand macros (I wouldn’t use a Sigma macro myself if I didn’t think so!).
The new Sigma 180 mm f2.8 macro with OS is not out yet (prices aren’t available), but copies of the previous, non-OS, f3.5 version can still be had for around $850. Another good option is the Tamron 180 mm f3.5 macro, which can be purchased new for around $740 for either Canon or Nikon. Finally, if you think the Sigma 150 mm f2.8 macro might be of use for your work, the new version with OS is out and costs around $1,100.
Since neither the current Canon or Nikon offerings at the longest macro focal lengths has any kind of stabilization, let’s consider the Tamron or the previous version of the Sigma 180 mm to be good alternatives for the purposes of this exercise, and we’ll stick with Canon for the comparison since that’s what I shoot.
A lot of photographers are starting to use the suite of plug-ins from Nik Software company. I’ve always resisted Nik simply because I was on a quest to keep from having to leave Lightroom but not because of any doubt about the quality of Nik products. I’ve tried them; they’re pretty cool. But I also didn’t want to pay a lot for more software, and Nik is not cheap — the complete collection that works with Lightroom and Photoshop (key for using layers) costs about $500, ouch!
The other day, though, I discovered Topaz Labs products, and I became a convert. I still do everything in Lightroom for most of my images, but there are times when Topaz DeNoise is the answer for noise reduction, when Topaz Adjust can add a little pop to the image, when Topaz Detail can add some interesting fine feautres and micro-contrast, and when Topaz B & W Effects comes in handy for a monochromatic take on a scene.
There are three big reasons that I’ve started to incorporate Topaz products into my workflow.
The first was noise reduction. Using Adobe Lightroom 4 for selective noise reduction (subscribe to my newsletter for a cool trick!) works well for a lot of images, but sometimes I wanted more. I tried a number of the different products out there and decided that Topaz DeNoise worked best for me. In addition to the principal features, the banding reduction for long exposure noise is a nice bonus.
The second was cost. Topaz DeNoise costs about $80. I also was intrigued by Topaz Detail, which cost another $40 and with Topaz Adjust, which sells for $50. I started to think about adding Topaz B & W Effects ($60), and that brought me up to a total of $230. I looked and was able to buy the whole Topaz collection for this amount (there was a promo offer). I could barely even have bought two of the main Nik programs for this amount.
The third reason was the release of the new FX Lab program from Topaz. Despite a rocky initial launch last month due to some strange registration and graphic card issues, the bugs have been worked out, and the new program is awesome. Basically, it allows you to access all of your Topaz plugins right out of Lightroom and to apply them on separate layers whose opacity and blend modes can be changed and on which masks can be applied for selective adjustments. There is no more need to open Photoshop! You can also easily pick and choose sliders from each plugin without having to open each separately. FX Lab is currently available for just $30 but will go up to $80 when the introductory offer ends on July 31, 2012. So, I was able to get the whole Topaz Plugin Bundle and FX Lab for just $260.
Some people love Nik’s control points and the programs in general. I’m not here to dispute that (though I do think the U-point technology, while cool, is just a bit overhyped). Nik programs are great and easy to use, and I do think that Nik’s Silver Efex Pro is superior to Topaz’ B & W Effects at this point (but it also costs $140 more!). If you want Nik, go for it. If you want to save a few bucks on image editing plug-ins, I think it’s worth checking out Topaz, particularly with the new FX Lab. I would even go so far as to say that you could forego the latest incarnation of Photoshop with this new software; I won’t be upgrading from CS5 to CS6. I use Photoshop to stitch panos and to do things that require text but I’ll tell you what, I think I could get by quite easily with Photoshop Elements since I don’t do major cloning or manipulation to my images anyway. With layers in Topaz FX Lab, my other main reason for going to Photoshop just vanished. I think it’s going to be a game changer in allowing for a complete non-Photoshop image editing workflow for nature photography.
By the way, I will be doing a full review on the Topaz Plugin Bundle and FX Lab soon here on the Deep Green blog so stay tuned.
Ed. note: My friend Greg Downing who owns NatureScapes just informed me that you can get the Nik Complete Collection at the NatureScapes store for $100 less than buying directly from Nik. Check it out!
Ed. note 2: When I started writing this article last week, the Nik Complete Collection at the Nik site was $600. Perhaps there’s a little price war going on, so the competition is good for photographers 
My studio photography needs come in the form of an outdoor studio — for hummingbirds of course but also for landscapes, flowers, macro, and larger wildlife. For multi-flash hummingbird work, four flashes is what you want, and four flashes will also be a great number for many people doing portraits or other types of studio work. You can have a main light, a fill light, a hair light, and a light on the background. Hotshoe flashes work great for hummingbirds and can do double duty for a lot of portraiture and on-location shoots as well.
The luxury setup right now for a Canon shooter would be four of the new Canon 600 EX-RT flashes ($600 each!) and the new ST-E3 transmitter ($319). The new transmitter interface and the radio frequencies coupled with full TTL control is incredible but this kit will set you back more than $2700!
A more budget-friendly option would be four Canon 430 EX II Speedlites ($299 each) and one Canon ST-E2 transmitter ($225). You don’t get radio frequency, and the guide number of the 430 is lower, but the infrared wireless system works well. This kit will still cost you over $1400 though. (A similar Nikon setup would cost about $1550.)
If you’re shooting in a controlled studio environment or even outdoors, you may not need TTL. Manual flash will work fine with a bit of experimentation. The Yongnuo YN-560 flash (~$70 each) will fit the bill. I’ve been using these for my multiple-flash hummingbird setups for about two years, and they work just fine. You’ll need something to trigger them, and I recommend the Phottix radio transmitter with four Phottix receivers. I also use these for my hummingbird work and for other nature work as well when I’m setting up off-camera flashes in anticipation of approaching wildlife or wanting to incorporate off-camera flash into my landscapes. Not having to worry about line of sight is great. To get a set of these, buy first the transmitter/receiver kit (one transmitter and one receiver) and then add an additional receiver for each flash you’ll want to trigger. Note that this combo won’t give you high-speed sync shooting capability so you’ll need to stay below your camera’s sync speed.
If you were in the market for all of these things and followed my choices, well amigo, you’ve just saved yourself $3,941! That’s enough for a Canon 5D Mark III plus a BG-11 battery grip or, alternatively, you could buy a large pizza every day for a year. I think you should spend it on the camera though as I have an affiliate link with B and H and the NatureScapes store. I don’t get anything on the back end from Pizza Hut.
Of course I realize that not many of you have all of these items on your shopping list. Nonetheless, even if you are thinking about only one or two of these things, I hope that the choices I’ve made in my own gear might give you some money-saving ideas next time you go shopping, whether for your hobby or your photo business.
This article obviously is not meant to disparage Apple, Gitzo, Canon, Nikon, Nik, or any other company. They all make great products! It’s also not meant to argue that say, Induro tripods are better than Gitzo, that Topaz is better than Nik, that Acer is better than Mac, etc. The higher priced options, as in all walks of life, usually are higher priced for a reason. These are simply instances that I’ve found in my own photography where I could save money and still get the results that I need. Other times, I’ll spend money for the top-shelf option.
I’m always happy to read your comments, so please feel free to post below. And if you have any great ways of your own to save money on photography-related gear, please share them with us!
Cheers,
Greg
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Nice article Greg and good savings tips! I should mention that the price of the NIK software on NSN is a full $100 less than on the NIK site (and always has been – 20% less than NIK) so yet another way to “save” if you’re a fan on NIK – also next week it will be even cheaper (though you didn’t hear that from me…;) )
Of course folks should buy using your affiliate link above – then you might be able to afford that Pizza!
Thanks, Greg. That’s really good to know. We can get the Nik Complete Collection at NatureScapes here for just $400!
Cheers,
Greg
Get the Pixel battery grip for 5d mark III for $85 from eBay and save another $264. I am going to hear, “You have fork out XX for YY and you wanna save ZZ on it?” Haha.
Great article Greg and you have got me intrigued by the Sigma 180mm macro lens. I keep wondering if canon are going to upgrade their 180mm macro after they did their 100mm macro …have you heard anything? in which case it maybe worth holding out for their new lens despite the added costs.
Greg
Great article. Thought provoking. My major limitation is my own skill and creativity not my hardware. Doing the key comparison of what do I need vs would like the 5D Mk 11 saves me $1300 over the Mk 111 and is a pretty fantastic camera body if you are only a “normal” nature picture photographer rather than a movie maker. What do you think?
By the way I totally subscribe to your philosophy of getting it right first time for zero or minimal processing with (in my case) Lightroom
Hi, Jeff. Thanks so much for commenting and for subscribing to the minimal post-processing ethic for nature photography
I actually have the 5DII, and it is still a great camera. I needed a full-frame camera for landscapes so for me, spending the extra money on the improved autofocus and frame rate of the 5DIII wasn’t worth it. If you’re going to be shooting action or a lot of tricky autofocus situations, then the 5DIII will certainly be worth looking into. If you just need great image quality in a full-frame body, the 5DII will work fine. By the way, you can pick up a second hand 5DII for a good price these days. I paid $1700 for mine so if you go this route you actually save about 1/2 the price of a 5DIII!
Cheers,
Greg
Hi, Peter. I’ve not heard about an upgrade to the Canon 180 mm macro but I’m certainly not privy to a ton of inside info
If you don’t feel like waiting, the new Sigma 180 mm f2.8 with OS will be a wonderful lens that will probably still save some money over the current Canon 180 and definitely over the price of any future version of the Canon 180.
Always tough choices when it comes to photo gear!
Cheers,
Greg
Hola Greg,
Great post! I wish it would have been posted two months ago…before I ordered my D800! Just kidding on the post…it really was a fun read.
I sold my D700 to raise some funds for the D800 and it it arrived last thursday just in time for a it’s maiden voyage to the mountains. My next venture will be a bigger sturdier tripod so I may have to take a serious look at your Enduro when we meet up next month.
Until then…
Fab
Thanks, Fab. Hey, you’re a Nik user, so if you had any comments on the Nik software portion, please feel free to chime in. I don’t pretend that my opinion should be the last word!
Looking forward to seeing you in a few weeks, and I’ll be happy to let you check out the tripod when we’re out shooting.
The D800 looks pretty awesome, and I’m sure you’ll put it to good use.
All the best,
Greg
I’d be cautious recommending YN flashes. I recently bought a couple; one died within a couple days the other took a week to die. Seems I should not have put them on full power when I tested them. YN is notorious for these failures and the reputation is that returning them is the last you will ever hear of them.
I’ve bought four Neewer flashes which are actually even cheaper. Only tested one so far but seems better. The light output is not good and you have to keep it at half power or less if you want a reasonable cycle time… but they’re cheap.
Hi, and thanks for your comment. I can only report my experience, and I’ve been using the Yongnuo flashes in multiple-flash hummingbird setups (which is very heavy use) without issues for about two years now.
Cheers,
Greg
Wonderful article!
I did fall into the trap of “I’ll settle for this until…” And yes I have ended up spending more money because of it. When I wanted my first dslr I wanted the 40D, but settled for the Canon Rebel, excellent camera but after 2 yrs I needed more for low light (I do not like flash) so I got my 40D and happily sold the Rebel XTi, a year later I wanted a wider angle lens, while doing research I found I could pick up a used 5D (full frame) which would thus make my fav L lens a true wide lens! Heaven!!! I held off and began saving and planning for when the 5DMIII would come out. My husband surprised me by saying “BUY. IT” and I couldn’t be happier! This camera rocks and is worth every single penny!!! I did splurge and buy the 3 year extended warranty, however to now be fully covered with it for 4 years, again worth every penny!!!
Hi Greg,
First and foremost have to say I love the images you create, particularly of wildlife; you’re a true inspiration!
Having received an email notification of your lasted blog post, I was interested to see you plugging Induro tripods and, as I’m just about to purchase a replacement tripod, I felt compelled to offer my thoughts in the hope that’s okay.
When I decided to turn pro back in September 2010 I made (for me!) a huge financial investment on tools such as: Canon 7D, Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS MK II, Canon 300mm f/4L IS, Kirk Enterprises BH-1 Ball Head, Wimberley Sidekick and a whole host of accessories and equipment besides, some of which I’ve yet to use nearly two years later, for example: Canon Speedlite 580EX II (not to mention the expensive rechargeable batteries I bought for it!), Canon Extension Tube EF25 II, Canon Angle Finder C to name a few.
However, by far and away the purchase I regretted more than any other was my tripod. Stupidly, I let the salesman talk me out of buying either a Gitzo or possibly a Manfrotto when he latched onto my concern about the rising amount of my bill. He suggested an alternative and eventually talked me into buying the Induro C314 Carbon 8X tripod, which turned out to be a serious mistake.
Although others more technically minded could no doubt explain this better than me, the main issue appears to be with the central thread that runs through the centre column: it constantly comes loose and makes for a very unstable platform. Only once was I able to take it apart to tighten it … well, actually it was a friend that did this and I’ve never been able to do it again, as for some reason I’m unable to find a way of unscrewing my ball-head from the tripod, which has been another source of immense frustration for me eveytime I’ve needed to use it.
I bought the tripod in the UK but I live over here in Thailand, and it was only a few weeks ago that I happened to find out there is an Induro supplier up in Bangkok. But this does me no good now, as the other day, while I had my tripod and 500mm lens over my shoulder (!), the lens swung downward and, in doing so, cracked the centre column of my tripod making it virtually useless.
Bottom line: Within a week I’m hoping to sell the above mentioned unused items and add whatever money I can get for those to whatever else I’ll need to invest in a far better built tripod, most likely, from what I’ve read, a Gitzo.
Apologies for the longwinded comment and for taking this opportunity to vent a little frustration Greg. I really do appreciate the informative blogs you write and the gist of this one is no exception; I just felt the need to add my personal experiences with Induro and my great disappointment about my tripod, sincerely hope you don’t mind.
Wishing you all the best!
Ashley
Ashley, thanks very much for the kind words on this post and the site in general and also for sharing your experience with your Induro tripod. I’m sorry to read of your negative experience with the CT314, and I’m surprised because I’m still very happy with my CT313. I have a few other pro photographer friends who use Induro too, and I know they have been happy with their tripods. I’m wondering if you somehow got a defective one (not that that’s any consolation!).
In any case, I suppose the lesson is that when buying gear, it’s always good to look around for reviews and even try out gear before buying if possible.
Cheers,
Greg
Greg: Great article to think about needs in the field and in post processing. I agree with many of the topics you raised, but one I disagree with is the Nik software suite. Yep, it is a bit pricey, but you can almost always find a sale and save $100+. Saw that was noted in some earlier comments. Control points in Nik… Yep a big sales item for Nik, but one I believe sets it apart from other solutions. As you know, I teach Photoshop and Lightroom and use them both extensively. Control points in Dfine (Noise Reduction) and Sharpener Pro are not that valuable to me as I find it easier to apply NR or sharpening selectively by using layer masks. But in tools like HDR Efex Pro, or Silver Efex pro, the use of control points is something that I find EXTREMELY useful. Having the ability to selectively deal with exposure, Amplified Whites / Blacks, structure, contrast, saturation, etc. via control points provides a level of ease and control that would take much more work in Photoshop with layer masks. In addition to that, using negative control points to help refine a “selection” via control points makes the process even easier. I know everyone uses tools differently, but in my private consulting, I see how people use the Nik software suite to provide results they would not otherwise be able to achieve without far more advanced Photoshop skills. Much of that ability comes to them by employing control points.
Great article to stimulate thoughts. I’m sticking with my Nik Software suite!! Love it. Now, how to get Nik to sponsor me
Hi, Pam. Thanks for your comment, and congrats on your new 5DIII!
Cheers,
Greg
Keith, thanks so much for your thoughtful comment. As you know, I’m never one to pretend that my word is the last; I’m a big believer that there are lots of great photography options out there and that some will work better than others for each person’s processing style.
As we discussed in the e-mails, I just didn’t find the Nik control points to be all that, but that could just be due to different workflow styles. I respect your image optimizing skills so I’m glad that you’ve chimed in with your point of view here. For the readers, it’s always good to try out different products. If you’re interested in a suite like Topaz or Nik, download trial versions of both and see which one you like better!
If you want to see Keith and me argue about Nik and Topaz in person, join us at the Bosque del Apache in New Mexico this November. We still have a few spots open, and you can check out the trip here.
Cheers,
Greg
The only question I have is: If you can save money on all those other things by not buying the top of the line this and that then why not just get yourself a used Mark II and safe even more? There has been a lot of buzz about the Mark III but many are saying the files are pretty similar to the Mark II and that it’s really just got a few bells and whistles that you might not need anyway. I have decided to skip it personally for the moment.
BTW Good luck in Bosque – you must have changed dates because I could swear they merged with mine initially. I don’t think there is anything remotely “tropical” there so bring some warm cloths!
You’ll have a blase for sure and certainly your clients will!
Have fun! Greg
Hi, Greg. That’s a good point about the 5D Mark II for sure. If you really were faced with this situation, you could buy a 5DII and then splurge on a Macbook Air or a Gitzo tripod.
I don’t know if I told you, but I picked up a used 5DII and for half the price of a 5DIII. If you don’t need the improved autofocus and frame rate and the other bells and whistles, then I think the image quality is indeed very similar. I researched quite a bit and decided that I wasn’t giving anything up with the 5DII versus 5DIII for landscape photography, which is what I needed the full-frame camera for. If you need it for more, the 5DIII sure looks nice.
I don’t think we changed dates in New Mexico but I’m not sure. You’ll be there a couple of weeks after us, right? Too bad — it would have been fun to catch up; I would have brought some of that palm wine (still in our freezer!). I’m dressing the same way I do here — speedo and flip flops. Only wimps wear coats, right?
Cheers,
Greg
At least you’ll be easy to pick out of the lineup of photographers – I only know one others dude that dresses like that in Bosque – I think his name is Moose or something like that and the speedo is not as flattering on him
Ha!!!
In the post above, it’s clear that I’m liking Topaz Labs products. But, I’ve got to tell you that there’s a great sale on the Nik Complete Collection right now. You can get it at NatureScapes for just $350!
Cheers,
Greg
Just discovered your site. Great stuff nicely written! Have to say that I’m not a poster child for saving on equipment, but your article does have me thinking. Recently wanted to go the Air route but stopped due to cost. Went with a new iPad and the camera connection kit. Shoot RAW plus jpg and load the jpegs onto the pad and edit with snapseed. Post to Facebook, tumblr, etc. work on the RAW files when I get home. Advantage is that the iPad doesn’t have to come out of your bag for the airport TSA security. I modified a Bellino backpack (available from Amazon) with one or two Ona inserts. I do travel with a minimum kit so this works for me. Can get the backpack “under the seat” in front of me on the aircraft.
Hi, Tom. Thanks so much for stopping and for your idea. I agree that the iPad has so much potential. I’m always stuck on how to back up images though? How do you handle that? Making your own camera backpack is a good idea. Like I said, trying to save money on photo gear is not always the best option but I do think there are a number of instances in which it can make sense.
Cheers,
Greg
You’re right about the backup issue. I’ve begun using multiple cards which don’t provide backup but limit what might get lost. I use Pelican card cases to protect them.
Hi, Tom. I wasn’t judging, just asking
This has been the big negative for me on using the iPad for managing images in the field. If there were just a USB or Firewire port easily available, it would be great since the iPad is so light and useful.
Cheers,
Greg
Greg,
good interview to read. However, it’s easy to ‘save money’ just buy going for the least expensive option. That’s not saving money, that’s just spending less money.
If there’s a sale and you can buy a shirt for 15 euro instead of 20 euro; that doesn’t mean your saving money; Actually it means your spending just a little less.
For the rest – nice read.
Greetz,
Werner
Greg;
What is the difference between the NIK academic version versus the Complete ultimate version. The academic version is about 150 dollars cheaper.
Thanks.
Hi, Werner. Thanks very much for your comment. The idea behind this article is that these are certain products/services where I’ve found that saving some money by buying a less expensive option can give similar performance/results. If you are going to choose one of the options outlined in each section, you would be saving money you would otherwise have spent.
Cheers,
Greg
Hi, Thomas. I think for the Academic version, one would have to prove that they are a student or teacher at a certified school.
Cheers,
Greg
Hi Greg,
Have you never thought to use a media storage device as temporary backup for your shots in field like the Canon MD80/Epson P5000 rather than a notebook? Ok, this models probably cost a lot of money in relation at their HD capacity, but you can find alternative brands for 100:300€ including a 500gb/750gb sata hard disk…
In this case you are saving not only money but also weight in your bag.
/Lorenzo
Greg:
I have finally gotten a response from NIK.
“Thank you for contacting Nik Software. The software is exactly the same. The only differences are the price and the fact that the academic version is for non-commercial use only.”
The cost for academic, military or government is …..$249.99.
Thanks for everything
Lorenzo, indeed, if you don’t want to or can’t deal with the added weight of a laptop, a media storage device can be a great option. As you mentioned, though, the really good models can cost more than a PC laptop and, if you also want to stay on top of e-mail or web browsing and can’t get by with a smartphone for those purposes, then you might still want a laptop.
Cheers,
Greg
Nice write up, I liked it. I too crave for new stuff when it gets introduced but a day later I figure out that paying so much money is not worth it. I actually bought a 8″ laptop for travels instead of the mac option.
I would also say look for second hands. I have bought lenses that way and it saves money.
Definitely on the second-hand idea, Peter. Refurbished can be a great option for camera and computer gear too. Thanks for your comment!
Cheers,
Greg