Average age of BCG members?

[Wade Abadie]

Based on this data I am looking forward to Steve’s sure to be instant classic videos such as “How I turned my walker into a tripod” quickly followed by “your walker, the blind you didn’t know you had” and “Cataract, Horton effect without a computer”.

Laughing about it sure beats the alternative

LOL

 

[Wade Abadie]

You got young kids, get a Plena or save for a Plena, and you will have plentiful pics of the youngsters.

Funny you should mention that! I plan to rent a Plena this coming April to take photos of my kids in the Bluebonnets. I’m sure I’ll love it…if I do my part well enough maybe my wife will let me keep it

 

[Wade Abadie]

Thinking @Wade Abadie deserves a round of applause from forum members. .. More important than this survey is the sneak peek into member’s background, if not life, that lead to photography. This has given relevance and identity to who “XYZ” really is and generates familiarity and respect. That‘s a good thing.……..

I’m genuinely interested in learning about everyone and their photography journey. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to share!

 

[SandyW]

Based on this data I am looking forward to Steve’s sure to be instant classic videos such as “How I turned my walker into a tripod” quickly followed by “your walker, the blind you didn’t know you had” and “Cataract, Horton effect without a computer”.

Laughing about it sure beats the alternative

My 'already owned' articulated camera mount will work fine with my walker.

 

[Woody Meristem]

At 83 I've been making images for well over 60 years, starting with a Kodak bellows camera that used 616 size roll film; in the early 1960s I began using 35mm film in a rangefinder-style camera; the 1970's brought the SLR and its lenses 24mm to 300mm which I used until I bought my first digital cameras, beginning with a Canon bridge "superzoom" as they were then. More recently I've been using Olympus cameras and lenses, their size and weight suit my advancing age, bum leg and clogged coronary artery.
I'm now the happy owner of an OM-1, three E-M1ii and an E-M10ii along with zoom lenses covering from 12mm to 400mm (24mm to 800mm to you FF folks), a 1.4X TC and a 60mm macro lens. A couple of months ago I thought I was done buying new cameras, then OMDS came out with the OM-1ii and had what was basically a half-price sale on the original OM-1 so ... Never forget that the easiest way to deal with temptation is to yield to it.

 

[tjphxaz]

I just turned 77. Started photography seriously around 2011. For most of my adult life golf was my leisure passion. When I began to think about retirement I didn’t feel I would be happy only doing golf. As I left my office one day there was a professional photographer taking photos of the office building for promotional purposes. I started up a conversation and found it interesting. He was shooting Nikon so I bought a Nikon camera (the D3100 I think and a lens that I don’t remember). Tens of thousands of photos later I enjoy nature (wildlife and landscapes), youth sports and street photography. I’m a member of two camera clubs in the Phoenix, AZ area where monthly competitions keep me motivated to improve my skills and creativity. One highlight of my photography journey was Steve Perry’s Costa Rica workshop in 2018.

 

[Ltgk20]

I started photography back in 2006 as a freshman in high school after seeing a friend with a camera taking photos for the yearbook. I spent the next for years shooting for the yearbook myself. I continued with photography on and off for many years, shooting friends, family, and kids as a hobby. My passion was rekindled permanently around 2012 and I've been at it continuously since then. I like all genres, with portraits possibly being my favorite. In the last four years or so I got into wildlife, and particularly bird photography.

For cameras, I started with a Minolta Maxxum 7000, a 50f1.7 and a beercan. From there I moved to a Maxxum 700si, Sony a100, a700, a99, a99ii, a9ii, a1 and now a1ii.

 

[splatbass]

I’m 63. I started wildlife photography in my 20s in the ‘80s when I lived in California. I had the desire, but not the money for equipment so the results weren’t that good. I had a decent camera - Canon A1 - but a cheap Spiratone (remember them?) 500mm f8 mirror lens that gave donut shaped highlight bokeh. My subjects were generally tule elk at Point Reyes and mule deer in the Santa Cruz mountains. Now I can afford the equipment and travel to really enjoy wildlife photography.

 

[2Lab]

I am 79 and I was kind of interested in my teens with a box brownie and an Kodak Instamatic. I joined the AF in 1966 and after a year in the USA I got reassigned to the UK and realized visiting Europe was not an Instamatic type trip. I read and asked questions and decided on a Nikon but even at the PX prices it was not in my budget so I opted for the Minolta SRT 101. What a great camera it served me well into the mid-90s but by then parts started to become unavailable. In the mid 90s I shot 2 years vacation images without a light meter. I decided to buy a new camera but I discovered all of my kit was obsolete as Minolta (camera division) was no longer. Now was the time to go Nikon, very little budget constraints, I opted for an N70. Later my wife I had been playing with a digital point and shoot but I didn't think much of it. About 2000 the Nikon F100 came out and boy did I love this camera. I had to take a PhotoShop class for work about the time the D-100 came out and I saw what was capable with a DSL.. I purchased a D-100, then D200, D2X, D3X, and finally a D800E. Wow the D800E was a challenge to my photo skills but once I master it, wow the images and capabilities were amazing. I jumped on the D-850 when it came out and was using this all the time with the previous D-XXX as my backup or secondary lens mount. I really dragged my feet on mirrorless, mainly because of the price ($$$$$$$) and shooting problems I had been reading about. Back to budget constrains again. After about 2 years after the Z 9 came out I used part of my IRA to get this outstanding camera. I have had it 2 years and still learning. I think my camera upgrade days are over and I will be satisfied with my Z 9, but who knows Nikon my tempt me again......

 

[JasmineDB]

I thought it would be interesting to get an idea of the average age of the members here on the forum. If you would like, feel free to post below with a little background info and how long you have been into photography.

I'll start with myself:

I am 36 years old and began getting interested in photography about 19 years ago while working on a ranch during the summer of 2005, before my senior year of high school. I started with simple "point & shoot" type digital cameras, and it wasn't until 2012 that I purchased my first DSLR (a Nikon D5100). However, it was in 2015 on a trip to Alaska with my girlfriend (who is now my wife) when I started to get serious about truly learning the art. Since then, I have educated myself any way I can on the technical aspects and artistic styles of wildlife photography, which is now one of my biggest passions. It is a never-ending learning experience for me, and I don't believe anyone ever "gets it all figured out".

Hello, I’m 67, live in Belgium, and started with wildlife photography about five years ago, when for health reasons I had to spend at least an hour a day outside. I stumbled on Steve Perry’s presentation on Youtube, watched it several times and knew that I wanted to have a go at wildlife photography. I bought a second hand D500 and a 70-300 lens, two years ago I switched over to mirrorless. I love to photograph birds, butterflies and dragonflies, and all beautiful things that I see.

 

[ButlerKid]

Hello, I’m 67, live in Belgium, and started with wildlife photography about five years ago, when for health reasons I had to spend at least an hour a day outside. I stumbled on Steve Perry’s presentation on Youtube, watched it several times and knew that I wanted to have a go at wildlife photography. I bought a second hand D500 and a 70-300 lens, two years ago I switched over to mirrorless. I love to photograph birds, butterflies and dragonflies, and all beautiful things that I see.

Welcome to BCG!

 

[Mark_Laidlaw]

What I’d be worried about if this poll is a trend in the industry is for the non professional market is it sustainable? If the younger generations for whatever reason aren’t getting into photography when does the music stop?

I do get kids and disposable income however most of us started when we were younger and had the same challenges. The numbers might be bigger but so is today’s pay. I wonder if a more connected world and the smart phone have changed the appeal to taking photographs at an artistic level.

In my observation, the trend might be moving more high-end, but I don't see it dying off, at all. An iPhone can do most of the daily snapshot stuff better than anything simply because sharing is so integrated into the device, but that's about it.
If I'm rifling through the garage trying to find something and want to send a photo of it to confirm it's the right doohicky, I'm not going to pull out a camera to do that.

It's when someone wants significantly better image quality... and you don't have to spend much, anything with a bigger chip will outperform an iPhone, even a D70/20D with fast glass will blow an iPhone out of the water as we all know.

But what I've seen, is the people who are approaching this as a hobby are looking for one of two things an iPhone can't do or can't do well:

-Super-Tele work, super macro, low-light, long exposure, or anything that needs file malleability.

-Gear bits to collect because they've got an engineering mindset and think that this stuff is just cool to exist.


From the week I've spent on here, this forum seems to be largely the former. DPReview by contrast is almost entirely the latter.

 

[Hooligans Imagery]

I guess BCG Fake ID's are going to start showing up in Buy Sell with false promises of seeing, walking, sleeping and great images if you get one.

 

[Carmel Nikon]

Good observations, Mark! I'd also add a 3rd item iPhones cannot do very well:
* Capture images of any type that will be printed (wall print or book), or displayed on a large screen and show well.

I recently got to do a direct comparison My brother has a good eye for photography, but has limited himself to his iPhone camera. He readily notices the 'artificial bokeh' and other software-generated image enhancement on his iPhone images. I recently visited and got photos of his son (playing in the Ohio State band) that blow away his iPhone pics with my Z8 and 85mm f/1.8 lens - with both his and my images taken on a sunny day at portrait-distances. My brother can more quickly switch from super wide angle to semi-tele and back faster than I can change lenses, so he for sure gets some "in the moment" event-related shots I miss. But when I have time to have the right lens for the right shot, his iPhone can't touch what I can do.

Such an interesting dynamic!

 

[rjb138]

73 years old here, retired landscape architect, in Pennsylvania.

FIrst camera was a 35mm Pentax Spotmatic (1969), with basic 50mm lens plus 28mm; basically used for architecture projects in school. Moved up to Nikon FM in 1977, added a 200mm lens and started dabbling with wildlife/birds. Almost all used for 35mm slides. First digital camera was a Canon S45 in 2003 followed by Olympus C8080 in 2005, then Nikon D90 in 2015 and added Sony a6000 for travel photography in 2015. D7500 along with telephotos for more wildlife and birds in 2018, until the z50ii in 2024. Now consolidating around Nikon Z system.

Since retirement, focus has been travel (UK, Italy, Spain, Germany, Canada, Central America, Caribbean, US) and wildlife/birds (Alaska, Hawaii, Outer Banks, Costa Rica, Belize and local)

Mixed into all this was iPhone 4s, 7, and 15 plus, which have proved very useful for travel. - always in my pocket.

 

[O]

Good observations, Mark! I'd also add a 3rd item iPhones cannot do very well:
* Capture images of any type that will be printed (wall print or book), or displayed on a large screen and show well.

I recently got to do a direct comparison My brother has a good eye for photography, but has limited himself to his iPhone camera. He readily notices the 'artificial bokeh' and other software-generated image enhancement on his iPhone images. I recently visited and got photos of his son (playing in the Ohio State band) that blow away his iPhone pics with my Z8 and 85mm f/1.8 lens - with both his and my images taken on a sunny day at portrait-distances. My brother can more quickly switch from super wide angle to semi-tele and back faster than I can change lenses, so he for sure gets some "in the moment" event-related shots I miss. But when I have time to have the right lens for the right shot, his iPhone can't touch what I can do.

Such an interesting dynamic!

Yes amazing,

The best camera in the world is clearly the one you have at the time its needed.

 

[JSP]

79. Started with an Argus C3 given to me by my parents when I was about 12 years old. Bought a used meterless Nikon F as I was headed to my first year of college and have been with Nikon ever since. F2, F3, F4, F5....switched to digital when the D2 was introduced, and did the same sort of progression through the digital bodies. My last DSLR was the D850. Got the Z8 and Z9 as soon as they were available. As a side note I had a Fuji 617 back in the film days (all of four frames on a roll of 120 and guess focusing) until I learned how to stitch scanned slides in Photoshop.

 

[segger]

I'm 69 and became interested in photography to create reference photos for my art. As a professional wildlife artist, I feel it's important to only work from my own experiences and photos. My first camera was a Sony Mavica (big ole clunky thing), but my first DSLR was the Nikon D7200 and I was hooked. My paintings are predominantly birds so naturally I turned to the longest zoom lenses I could afford to capture those elusive creatures in the wildlife refuges that get as far away as possible. The Z8 is my latest purchase and I can only hope to figure it all out ( with Steve's book and videos) before my annual birding trip to Merritt Island NWR, my favorite place.

 

[marler1957]

67

 

[Whiskeyman]

Funny you should mention that! I plan to rent a Plena this coming April to take photos of my kids in the Bluebonnets. I’m sure I’ll love it…if I do my part well enough maybe my wife will let me keep it

If she lets you keep it, make sure that she ends up very pleased that she did!

 

[Whiskeyman]

Hello, I’m 67, live in Belgium, and started with wildlife photography about five years ago, when for health reasons I had to spend at least an hour a day outside. I stumbled on Steve Perry’s presentation on Youtube, watched it several times and knew that I wanted to have a go at wildlife photography. I bought a second hand D500 and a 70-300 lens, two years ago I switched over to mirrorless. I love to photograph birds, butterflies and dragonflies, and all beautiful things that I see.

Please post more of your photos here, JasmineDB. It's more fun when you actively participate instead of just browsing.

 

[Whiskeyman]

The cost of photography has been mentioned several times in this thread, and even though the initial entry point with new gear can be quite high, I still venture that the cost of photography has never had such potential to be so low. Great gear, both cameras and lenses, can be purchased used for a fairly low price, and film and processing are the cost of a memory card or two, and a computer, which most people already have.

Back in the late 1990s, my oldest child's high school marching band went to California to march in the Rose Parade®. My wife and two other children and I all went on the trip, too. Out film and processing bills for the trip ended up being well over $400, almost $500. (Imagine if memory cards were WORM (Write Once Read Many) cards.) Yet the worst was the roll of film that my seven year old son took at the San Diego Zoo, of which none of the shots was any good. He was really upset, and when I explained how we could have avoided this with a digital camera, my wife told me to go ahead an get one, which ended up being a Nikon D90. That same son now uses that D90 as his own DSLR.

So in order to get more people, especially young people, into photography, become a mentor to a young person with an interest in photography. Help to start a camera/photography club. Donate old gear to young people trying it out, or just have with you it so that they can try it out. David T's point about the future of photography and how long it will sustain the base of manufacturing/engineering/development we now have is a very salient one. We all need to help to grow the craft/hobby so that many continue to enjoy it after we no longer can.

 

[RussellT]

I'm 66, won a horse racing jackpot 48 years ago and bought my 1st camera, a Conon A1. Most enjoyable camera I ever owned
Bought numerous lenses and then got pissed off when Canon changed the lens mount. Sold all my Canon stuff and switched to Nikon, and have had Nikons ever since

 

[dorthzyx]

I'm 73. Got my first camera in the late 50s. A little kodak but can't remember which one. I inherited my brothers Minolta srT202 with 55mm and 90-230mm lenses when he went to Viet Nam in the 60s. While I did some shooting in my high school and college days I did not really get into it until I started having children in the 80s. I used a number of point and shoot cameras after the Minolta quit working (the Minolta and lenses are still in my closet) and as I approached retirement, I bought a Nikon d3100. Since then, I have had the d7000, d500, d850, z5 and z9. All my lenses have been Nikon and Sigma. Really enjoy taking pics of my grandkids and family. It is also a treasured time when I get to go out with my grandkids (ages 5-18) and a few of my cameras on photography excursions, teaching to use the cameras. My other areas of photography are landscape and wildlife and a minimal amount of micro.

 

[Ken Miracle]

76 ... retired 1-1-2009. I was born in Idaho and lived here for all but 6 months of my life. Grew up hunting and fishing. Chased chukars up and down Idaho canyons and mountains for years. Rode Bicycles to work. Back packed, down hill and cross country skier (20 years as a volunteer at our local ski resort). I got a bridge camera in 2010, borrowed my wifes digital canon eos rebel to take to on my first trip to Alaska to fish and hunt in August 2011. 2013 took some photography classes and bought my first wildlife camera Nikon D300s before my second trip to Alaska for photography and even dabbled that same year with a 4x5 film camera, I did not like the dark room so that did not last through the year.

I took more classes, dabbled in a wide range of photography from macro to landscape street photography, portraiture, light painting etc. and went through a number of Nikon and Fuji cameras. I have photographed wildlife in Alaska and Africa and travel stuff in Italy, Greece, Turkey, Israel and Jordan.

I have been involved in conservation especially around Greater Sage Grouse for many years and started doing a lot of photography for non profits like The Nature Conservancy and more. I slowly drifted into bird photography and then into birding and citizen science. I became a trip leader for our local audubon society chapter, taught bird photography classes for a now closed camera store, my camera club, the adubon society, high school photography classes, etc.. I started selling prints etc. and got so busy with it that my wife walked in to my office/digital dark room after taking a larger sized print to one of our retail outlets who had an out of town customer waiting for it and said "I thought we were retired". She said we had not been out photographing or birding for weeks and I realize I was spending more time with spreadsheets, and tax reports than photography. The next day I started unwinding from all of my retail sales outlets and getting back to being retired.

While I still dabble in photographing events and people for my church I am 90% a bird ID photographer for citizen science and my own enjoyment now and love the thrill of the hunt. I hunt birds with my camera in all types of habitat and weather year round here in Idaho.

Current primary camera gear 2 Nikon Z9's and a Z6III. Current primary birding set up is a Z9 with Z600 f/4 TC. Other lenses include Z24-120, Z600 f/6.3, Tamron Z mount 150-500 and 35-150 f/2-2.8. I have tripods, monopods and other support gear sitting in the closes that I have not used for quite a few years now as I got deeper into birding and they were in the way and new lenses and now cameras had better and better vibrartion reduction/image stabalization. As I get older someday the gear in the closet will get used again. I work out 3 days a week to stay fit for chasing birds.