Only If Mom Has One Heck of a Day Rate

Gentlemen, husbands who are fathers, sons and daughters: here is your annual public service warning. Mother's Day is next Sunday, May 8th. It's coming up. Be forewarned.

Subject line of a recent email from B&H Photo:

Deals for Mom 💐 Canon 1D X  Mark II Now Shipping

Made me laugh. I'd say Moms must have a four-figure day rate to be rockin' an axe like the 1D X Mark II. Hope I don't have to bid a job against her.

Also shipping very soon: the Zeiss Batis 18mm ƒ/2.8, "optimized for the Sony A7 series." Zeiss says it's shipping now, B&H says not quite yet.

And if you want to get something nice for your mother? (C'mon, she doesn't really need another pro-level body.) How about this:

That is one girly-looking computer. I mean that in a nice way. It's the 12" Macbook in gold, on sale for $300 off for Mother's Day. Still might be a little too dear for the occasion, unless maybe you're married to the mother in question. Stylish, though.

Speaking of stylishness, the Hasselblad lunacy came in for a lot of snark-slinging amongst photographers, but the two remaining flavors of the Stellar, including this nice walnut and champagne model, are on end-of-run closeout for $649. For that price, it's much prettier than it was at the original $2,195, don't you think? (Just make sure your mom doesn't hang out on camera forums.)

(Ethical question: does your mother really need to know it didn't cost $2,195? I'm kidding, I'm kidding.)

I know:

...A camera bag. A company called Jo Totes makes a number of ladies' camera bags...that is unless your mom needs a backpack for all her LF gear when she goes mountaineering in Yosemite. (Don't laugh. My cousin Christine climbs mountains in Colorado and she's almost 60.)

Here's a camera that actual photographer moms might like. She can take it to the beach and not worry. Fifty dollars off for the occasion.

You might also want to know that the Pentax K-1 is just beginning to ship now too.

...That one's not for your mother, though. We've already established that she shoots Canon.  :-)

Mike

P.S. Here's a single link to all of B&H's Mother's Day specials.

Original contents copyright 2016 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site.

TOP's links!

(To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below.)
Featured Comments from:

Gordon Lewis: "This is more my mom's speed." 

Mike replies: Ha! Excellent. Yes, perfect.

Dave Jenkins: "Mom's taking pictures with her cellphone these days, in case you missed it. The other part of your advice is actually quite good. After witnessing my wife's endless frustrations with Windows 8 and 8.1, I finally took pity on her and gave her an 11-inch Macbook Air for Christmas. Things are much more peaceful around here. It is definitely the gift that keeps on giving."

Tom Duffy: "My wife and I got a good laugh at the B&H email as well. As I was writing our quarterly property tax check, I said, 'Sorry, there goes your $6,000 Canon for Mother's Day.'"

RubyT: "This mom would love to get a K-1. However, that hiking trip in Wyoming in July has dibs on the funds."

Soeren Englebrecht: "Well, my mother recently celebrated the occasion of her 70th birthday by getting herself a Nikon D7000 and a nice Nikkor 18–70mm lens, all lightly used. Her previous Nikon DSLR was worn to bits from heavy use."

Stuart: "Blimey Mike! I wish you wouldn't do that! I panicked there for a minute, but then realised that the USA Mother's Day is different from the UK one. It's true what that article says though—I remember yomping (schlepping!) home in my youth, just like my offspring, who work away from home, do now. What goes around comes around eh?"

Marcelo Guarini: "I always gave my mom a bouquet of roses, she was very happy with that. I still do at her place in the graveyard. She was the one that taught me to see details in nature, things and people. She may have been a good photographer."

Comments

[KeithB]

My wife loves her little gold MacBook. Though when we bought it I kept asking "are you *sure* you only want 1 non standard port?"

It has turned out to not be that much of a problem just make sure to buy the USB-C -> standard USB+USB-C+ display dongle.

[David Boyce]

Regarding the Sonyblad Stellar;

Imagine strolling down New York City's 5th Avenue or the Causeway Bay in Hong Kong. This is the camera that you want slung from your shoulder. The Stellar Special Edition Digital Camera pairs Hasselblad's refined Swedish design with Italian opulence.

Living a hop, skip and a jump from Causeway Bay as I do I can safely say I have never seen anyone with a Stellar over their shoulder. Leica M9, check. Leica S2, check. Canikons with huge big lenses, check, check and check.

You are more likely to see a gold plated Hermes Leopard skin and Buffalo horn Royal edition Leica M6 than a Stellar.

[Jim Couch]

My mom would be happy with the her negatives that her first husband absconded with. (Shot with a Leica BTW)

[Maggie Osterberg]

Every mom should have a Leica M. But, if your mother doesn't like rangefinders, SEND THEM TO ME!

I'd love an M typ 262 or an M-P and hell, I'd take one of those goofy M-Ds, too.

Honestly, I'm tempted by that Hasselblad Stellar at its current price.

[Frank Petronio]

Day rates (or better, "creative fees") have been in the low thousands for the past 30-40 years for average middle-market advertising and corporate shooters... at least for the ones who stay in business.

Day rates as a term should have died out in the 80s, with the exception of editorial photography... which isn't really viable as a profession except for a very few (who tend to supplement it with ad or outside work).

[hugh crawford]

All my mother seems to want is a weed burner that has more than the puny 4 foot flame her current one has. At 86 years old she seems to have a hard time figuring out new cameras, but flamethrowers she's fine with.

[Alan Carmody]

Maggie, I disagree. My mom had a Contax IIa with a collapsible Tessar 50mm and introduced her three sons and husband to photography.

I can't think of a more perfect camera for mothers day. You can still find them in near mint condition, occasionally.

[Moose]

"Here's a camera that actual photographer moms might like."

The TG-4 is a camera with a split personality. As a rugged P&S, IQ is far superior to their TG-8x0 series.

Then, after a quick trip to the phone booth . . .

Raw output. I know, some folks say that's of no consequence with tiny, high pixel count sensors. With both of my 1/2.3" cameras, TG-4 and Panny ZS40, the Raw files make a huge difference in the quality I get out of the camera. The post processed version may seem overdone to some, but that's the point; these Raw files stand up to serious manipulation.

Microscope Mode, super close focus - with focus stacking in camera. With the accessory ring light pipe, it will shoot Microscope Mode and focus stack in complete darkness.

A very capable and useful camrea in a small, rugged package/ I imagine there are some moms who would like it.

[Maggie Osterberg]

My mom had a Contax IIa with a collapsible Tessar 50mm and introduced her three sons and husband to photography.

I cannot argue that! Especially one in good condition.

Meanwhile, I bought the Hasselblad Stellar, with the olive wood grip.