You want to buy the latest & greatest Fujinon glass. How do you convince your partner (who's not into photography) that it's well spend money?

[Patrick FR]

Fujinon glass is the ultimate GAS trigger... a perpetual temptation for X-shooters (damn you Fuji!)

 

I guess many of us will often have to face the situation, where we have to convince our partner (who is not into photography) that it just makes sense to invest a lot of money into the latest & greatest Fujinon glass.

 

So I thought it could be useful (and fun) to share our strategy, arguments and tips about how to persuade our partner and avoid conflicts (ergo: divorce).

 

One day, this could become a very useful thread for all of us

[x-tc]

Lead by example. Support them in what they love to do through your own generosity and it should come around full circle.

[citral]

You need to persuade yourself first that you need it, or you'll sound like an hypocrite.

 

Then you offer her a ticket for exotic holidays with you, where said glass will be used.

 

If you spend the holiday money for that glass be prepared to feel like a loser forever, you'll be happy maybe 3 days, then it will vanish.

 

Shit, it doesn't make me a better photographer, now really THIS time I thought... My wife is angry. We can only have one week of holidays in Memphis vs 3 in Hawaii. What am I gonna do with my life?

 

Well that's where I sit anyway. We'll see after vacations if there is anything left of that money I spared, for glass. But I will not tell her how we can't go to the restaurant and must eat potatoes because glass is more important.

[milandro]

Fortunately, I’ve never had too many  problems with this predicament and both my wife & I, usually, aren’t too difficult about things like this and generally encourage each other to indulge and buy things that complement our hobbies.

 

I generally also made a point of financing these purchases with money coming from selling things that are also part of my other hobbies. In fact my entering the Fuji X system was largely due to having sold the remainder of whatever analog photographic paraphernalia that I had left. I have often financed at least in the last 10 years the family holidays with money coming from selling my musical instruments.

 

 

Of course there are people using sneaky ways.

 

 

I remember the way an acquaintance and colleague of mine solved this “ problem”.
 
He wanted to buy one of the first affordable digital cameras before we went on a business trip to the USA. So he decided to buy it “ for the family”. 
 
He justified the expense as gift to all, himself, wife and two kids.

 

Once we went to the USA during a visit to the MOMA he bought a clock there and also declared it a “ family gift” but he got nothing to his kids and wife because he had already bought so many “ family gifts “ (for himself!? ).

 

I’ve lost touch with him but few years after I’ve heard from someone that he had run away with a younger female colleague. That was definitely a gift to himself alone!

[Marc G.]

My savings, my decision. Easy as that. I don't waste money on crap and she doesn't care all that much since I got away from Leica     

[Goran]

Lure her into photography (as I did), show her the fun of it, help her to become a great wedding photographer... and she is asking YOU to buy said gear, because now she needs it for her asignments :-) win-win

[aceflibble]

"What's that?"
"New [lens/body/filter/bag/guitar/games console/TV/phone/whatever]."
"Oh. So what's that do that's new?"
"It does [function] 0.02% faster."
"Huh."

And that's how that conversation goes, every time. Easy.

[Trenton Talbot]

My savings, my decision. Easy as that. 

 

Ditto 

 

Besides, I do photography for a living. My better half is my competitor. And she's a Nikon shooter. Why the hell would I ask for her approval? 

[Antony]

Become a professional photographer and tell her it's a tax deduction.

[FX Admin]

We should make a book of these answers

[milandro]

Title “ How to get away with buying what you want and avoid divorce”.

[Marc G.]

Good thing is all fujinon lenses look pretty much alike #stealthmodeon 

[x-tc]

We should make a book of these answers

I agree.  With an introductory chapter to first help people identify their own and their partner 's personality type and traits, followed by appropriate categorized responses for those personality types and traits.   

[BarwickGreen]

My wife doesn't know one lens from another, unless it is a very different shape. So that's easy. Buy a small one, a medium one and a big one. Never let her see more than one of each size at any given time, and she thinks I only have 3 lenses. I store them in  a bag on the top shelf in my toys cupboard and she isn't tall enough to see what's in there.

 

I suspect she knows I have more than 3 lenses, but she goes along with the pretence.

[Harlem]

Just an unannounced examination of her shoe cabinet...

[Trenton Talbot]

Just an unannounced examination of her shoe cabinet...

 

And what exactly you expect to find there? For most men, a $2,000 pair of shoes looks no different than a $100 pair. And both feel overpriced. 

[Harlem]

And what exactly you expect to find there? For most men, a $2,000 pair of shoes looks no different than a $100 pair. And both feel overpriced. 

 

It doesn't matter what I do find there. It's just to invoke that stinging suspicion "He knows but he spares me the painful discusssion."

[x-tc]

And what exactly you expect to find there? For most men, a $2,000 pair of shoes looks no different than a $100 pair. And both feel overpriced. 

There is a reason a lot of women judge men by the shoes they choose to wear.

[Trenton Talbot]

There is a reason a lot of women judge men by the shoes they choose to wear.

 

…just to complain later on that their husband is a narcissistic moron, and what were they thinking, yadda-yadda.

[benjaminthomson]

I just wait until she splurges on clothes.

[Warwick]

A. don't tell her it's a new lens. Chances are it looks just like your other lenses to her. If challenged, say "what? This old thing? I've had it for ages." Just like she does with the shoes and handbags she buys.

B. don't tell her how much it really cost. Underestimate the price by about 80%. In fact, just like she does with the shoes and handbags she buys.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[x-tc]

…just to complain later on that their husband is a narcissistic moron, and what were they thinking, yadda-yadda.

wow...   so much drama.   this thread might just turn into "sh*t my wife says"

go on...    

[Toon]

I made a HUGE mistake sacrificing my passion for photography to the one I loved (we broke up after 7 yrs). I should of fought harder for it. Now that I'm single, photography is my new girl! But during those seven years....I think I would of been a much better photographer sooner had I stuck to my guns. 

 

If this is what you LOVE to do, find a way to co-exist and you'll be a lot more fulfilled in the long run.

[Ektachrome]

Is that new?

Yeah.

Why is it different to the other ones?

It makes you look even more beautiful, darling.

So it was expensive, then?

You know, it's sad to be so cynical - here's me, only thinking of you, cuz you always complain about how you don't like yourself in photos!

How much?

OK, well this was supposed to be a surprise, but the *real* reason I bought it is because I'm taking you to Rome and I wanted to be able to capture all the angles.

We're going to Rome?!

Uh...

[Aswald]

Just tell her that your crappy photos was because of your "cheap" lenses you have.