Should You Purchase That Gear Or Travel To That Place?

I've been thinking about gear and travel lately and exactly what I need/want.

There is a pile of gear that I want.....really want. Like the new Canon 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II. Oh man, would I like that. But it's expensive. The last price I saw here in Edmonton was $2600.00CA. That would pay for my family's return flight to California! Add to that the price of the Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS at $1500.00CA and that pays for our hotel rooms. And the Canon 1D Mark IV at $5100.00CA, well that purchase alone would pay for the whole trip.

What is more important a couple of lenses that will still be available when my kids are older, or that family vacation while the kids still want to do those kinds of things? Sorry gear heads, I must go with the family vacation. The gear I have is more than enough. A Canon 50D, the Nifty Fifty and a Tamron 18-270mm are perfect for any photography I plan to do for the near future. My kids will only be kids for a short time.

It's funny, I've been thinking about this the last few days and today I read a post from the Digital Photography School about this very thing. It's entitled Buy Less Gear: Travel and Experience More. Funny how karma works isn't it. Photography isn't about gear it's about vision. Sure the gear is part of it but seeing the light and visualizing the photograph you want to make is much more important that the gear. Knowing your existing gear inside and out and knowing the basic techniques of photography will go a lot farther by far than any new camera body and lenses will ever take you.

Sorry Canon, I won't be getting those 2 lenses or the 1D Mark IV just yet but one day I just may. Of course if you would like to donate them too me I would do my best to use them to their full potential. :)

Chris.