What Would You Do With $200?

A rather strange and odd fact. I have a $200 gift certificate that I have no idea what to do with.

Embarrassing to admit. But I have this longtime policy that I got from the photo-writer David Vestal (1924–2013), an early influence and mentor, later enlisted as a columnist  for the magazine I edited. His column was called "Vestal at Large." David said once that he didn't sign non-disclosure agreements because "I'm in the disclosure business." The policy I developed after I started writing about photography in 1988 was, well, to disclose—"man up," spill the beans—that is, be honest, even when it hurts, because then readers have a sound basis for judgment and can decide for themselves.

Quite a number of early complaints went something like this:

They: "You only downgraded the X camera because you had a dispute with X."
Me: Yeah, but how do you know I had a dispute with X? Because I told you.

They: "You weren't even much good as a professional photographer so your opinion is worthless."
Me: Yeah, but how do you know I wasn't much good as a professional photographer? Because I told you.

They: "You just got that information from X."
Me: Yeah, but how do you know I got that information from X? Because I told you.

Etc.

I'm sure I've fallen down in the practice of this principle over the years. Making ourselves look good is human nature, and I can't be immune. But that was the principle from the start of my reviewing: try to be honest, and then people will know where you're coming from, and they can take that into account when they draw their own conclusions. Do your best not to fool anybody, in other words. Admit the awkward or embarrassing facts along with the ones that make you look good.

Calendars
Actually two awkward little factoids have come up recently that I don't want to admit. One is that for the first time in more than a dozen years, nobody sent me a calendar this year! In the heyday (oh, the heyday) I used to get a pile of calendars every New Year. For the past two years I've ticked off my daily eyedrops using calendars gifted by Gordon Haddow, whose work was nice to visit every day. (Thanks Gordon.) Charlie Cramer's calendars were always a pleasure. This year I had to go out and buy my own calendar at the office supply store. I'm reluctant to admit this because I suppose it is a sign of TOP's shrinking readership, the decline of the blog form, the curdling of the camera market, the decay of the World, aging, entropy, and the brooding spectre of perdition! I exaggerate. But...oh well. Disclose.

The other fact is more weird. I got a $200 B&H Photo Gift Certificate over the holidays, which I usually use right away because otherwise I forget about it, and...I cannot think of a single thing to apply it to.

I started pining for camera gear in 1980 when I caught the photography bug, and once I decided to buy a Contax it took me months to save up for it. I bought the lens first and kept it by my bedside (a virtual cult object, and the time I discovered that you can use a 50mm lens as a loupe) while I saved up for the 159Q. I obsessed mightily over that Planar lens and mid-level body. And then it became my constant companion in photography school, which is still the most concentrated episode of every-day shooting I've ever enjoyed, even though I was spinning my wheels madly and staring hard at my own navel and didn't really know what I was about. Over the ensuing decades there was always something to want. Darkroom gear, lenses, cameras. And in the background there was always paper, film, and chemicals to soak up spare money. Now, I have too much camera gear; in fact, I have to sell a bunch of it. I have enough cards. Don't need a strap, don't need a bag, don't need another lens. My tripod will see me out, doubtless. I'm set. The only thing I want right now is a used Apple Watch for its built-in heart-rate monitor, and B&H doesn't sell many Apple Watches; the few they have cost a lot more than $200. I don't know which one to buy anyway.

I literally can't think of a thing to do with that gift certificate. I've looked at SSDs, a new set of cards, software, filters, monolights, instructional books (Gordon's book is still evergreen, but I already have it). Nope, nope, nope. After 35 years of always wanting something photo-related, it's come to this? Feels weird.

Anyway: what would you do if you had $200 to spend at B&H?

Mike

Original contents copyright 2023 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. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below or on the title of this post.)

Featured Comments from:

Doug Anderson: "$200 is kind of an awkward amount isn't it? Not enough for a major piece of equipment, but too much to fritter away on just little bits and bobs. I'd probably change my mind tomorrow but if I had to spend it today I would order a 100' roll of Tri-X ($160) to put in the freezer (it's not going to get any cheaper) and put the remainder toward the annual replacement of the batteries in all of my emergency lights."

calvin amari: "Speaking of your policy to always exeleutherostomize, suggesting that one of your principal sponsors doesn't sell anything you want is unlikely to be recommended in the small business handbook (though I trust that, if they sent you a $2K gift card, you'd not be so stymied.) Check out the wonders of B&H's Photographer T-Shirts, Hats and Collectibles section. You can get a Lego model of the B&H store, full sized crystal or wood models of cameras, and a whole wardrobe of t-shirts."

Mike replies: You sent me straight to the Dictionary! Thank goodness I have a good one.  ;-)

David Dyer-Bennet: "Partly—this is the progression of inflation—$200 just isn't significant in photography any more. My 35mm Summicron lens cost me $240 new in a camera store—but that was in 1975 I believe."

Comments

[Mark]

Film, film, and more film.

[James Weekes]

Get the evf for your fp.

[Malcolm Myers]

You have a new grandchild. Create a photocalendar with 12 (or more) pictures you've taken and pay for it out of the $200 gift card.

I do a calendar of my kids every year for elderly relatives who have no need of more 'gifts'.

[Collin J Örthner]

I have had a lot of fun over the years with sound recording. It is all part of being present in the moment, a lot like shooting pinhole cameras which can take up to 30 minutes sometimes. I feel like I have a deeper experience by paying intensely to things that surround me. You might enjoy it as well:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1459383-REG/zoom_h4n_pro_black_h4n_pro_4_channel_handy.html/BI/2144/KBID/2882

[Alan]

Go and buy an external hard drive and do some backups!

[Sal Santamaura]

If I were you, and able to add to that gift certificate, I'd buy a Canon Pixma PRO-200 printer and some Hahnemuhle FineArt Baryta Satin paper. Then start printing your best images. Yeah, it's a dye printer, not pigment, but I've got a PRO-100 (the PRO-200's now-discontinued dye-ink predecessor) and Epson P600. After testing untold numbers of different inkjet papers on them haven't found any combination that looks as good. The prints will outlast both of us at our ages. As you've recently had made clear, health is fleeting, so who cares? Enjoy the beauty while you can.

If there are any images you feel a need to leave behind as more permanent prints, use that same Canon printer to make digital negatives on Mitsubishi Pictorico Pro Hi-Gloss White Film. No need for an enlarger; just put those negatives in a contact frame and expose whichever silver gelatin paper you like best using a regular incandescent light bulb, a la Weston. Right now I'm enjoying the Ilford Warmtone fiber semi-matt finish.

[Terry Burnes]

Trade in to B&H some of the used gear you no longer need or want to up the value on deposit there to get the watch you want, thus solving two problems, the watch and easily getting rid of some gear that would otherwise just sit around.

I had a problem with elusive heart arrhythmias that would come and go but never be evident in a medical environment and thus eluded diagnosis, even when wearing a monitor at home for 48 hours. I finally bought an Apple Watch and soon diagnosed myself with Afib, confirmed by my doctor, which led to some lifestyle changes such as quitting drinking and some modest medication, so that my condition is now largely controlled and not much of a concern to me. But the watch remains very useful when I do have an episode of Afib, to verify it and then reassure myself when it is over (my doctor tells me the real problems with Afib, such as stroke, come if and when it lasts for more than 48 hours; mine lasts only a few minutes at this point).

I'm a great believer in the Apple Watch as a result. And it is useful in many other ways. Think of it being to normal watches as an iPhone is to an old flip phone. Given your heart issues I'd say don't delay. Just get the least expensive model that does the health related monitoring you want.

[Vince]

I had a similar circumstance several years ago; won $100 gift card from a local photo store for a zoo photography contest, and I never could decide what to do with it. The photo store took the decision out of my hands by going out of business…

$200 would cut the price of your Apple watch almost in half (I would suggest the current aluminum version without cellular, unless you really want to play Dick Tracy), if you have the other half.
Or, you said "no" to SSD, but IMO you can never have too much storage (do you have offsite backup, e.g.?), especially fast storage.

[robert e]

Can you just hang onto the gift card for a rainy day?

I was in a similar situation earlier this year, when B&H had a big sale and I happened to have a few bucks to spend. I ended up replacing some aging consumables and degradables--a memory card (which was also bigger and faster), a camera battery (both fresher and higher-capacity), guitar strings, patch cables...

If I had a $200 gift card today, I might look into the Peak Design quick-release strap system, or a backpack strap camera mount, or replace one or more proprietary quick releases on various supports with a standard one. Weird that there's a theme there! But on the other hand, I might put it toward a computer control surface or an additional monitor--either would speed up media editing or post-production jobs that I occasionally take on, as well as a queue of personal projects.

Oh, I just remembered that B&H has a used department. Hm...

[John Camp]

Couldn't you put it up for auction on TOP?

[John Sullivan]

I would buy a Manfrotto gear driven tripod head. I do copy work and it is so much easier to level out the camera by turning two knobs then by loosening and tightening and checking settings. Now that I am retired I have to get my own and they are expensive.

[Roger]

For a good time I suggest the TTArtisan 100mm F/2.8 "Bubble Bokeh" triplet. I bought the Leica M mount version. The link below is for the M42 mount--it's a bit cheaper ($155.00)--use the balance buy a filter or two and a lens hood for it.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1780880-REG/7artisans_photoelectric_f10028_b_m42_100mm_f_2_8_lens_for.html/BI/2144/KBID/2882

[Dave Riedel]

Regift it to some young photographer or vlogger you may know.

[robert e]

I think printed calendars are becoming less popular, in part because more and more people rely on their devices and online accounts, and assume others do too. On top of that, they only get more expensive to produce and send each year.

[William Schneider]

I keep a "Purchases" folder on my computer desktop. Inside, it has text files listing desired items.

Currently my B&H file includes print storage boxes, inkjet printing paper, and a 4TB portable SSD drive. I add to the list until I need something urgently. That way, I always have listed items ready to qualify for free shipping.

If I were a more modern fellow, I'd probably keep these lists on my phone.

[Mark Sampson]

I would buy as much double-weight, fiber-base photo paper as that would get me. It's essential for the photographs I make; prices are always rising, while the choices available dwindle. And I have prints to make!
Of course I need to buy a new computer, but that's beyond the scope here.

[Robert Roaldi]

You can't have too many memory cards.

[Willem]

If you don’t need give it away to someone who does need it. Seems simple to me.

[Jeff]

Printer inks or papers. Printing was and still is the intended output for my photography; only the materials have changed.

[John Shriver]

USB backup disks. Magnetic, not SSD.

[Steve Rosenblum]

If you do much photo editing, a Wacom Pen tablet comes in quite handy. Once you master it it makes the whole process easier and more intuitive. The medium size Wacom Intuos tablet is on sale now at B&H for $299. Another idea: a small portable SSD drive for photo backup. I think you can get a gajillion TB one now for $200. =) Or, thinking out of the photography box now, a pair of decent compact binoculars to check out the local flora and fauna is a nice thing to have. The quality has steadily improved and they have gotten remarkably affordable.

[Christer Almqvist]

Have you got only one tripod, or do I misinterpret your writing?

[Freddy S.]

Get the Ilford obscura pinhole camera kit, plus some extra photo paper, and rediscover the joy of analog photography!

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/982823-REG/ilford_1174029_obscura_pinhole_camera.html/BI/2144/KBID/2882

[Aaron]

No idea how these gift cards work, but any chance you could sell it someone else? Maybe sell for $150. You get cash they get $200 to spend at BH.

[Michael Plews]

Too bad B&H doesn't sell pool cues or would $200 even get you close?
I'd splurge on some high end printer paper myself.
Sorry, not much help.

[David Drake]

Well, for $200 I would probably buy an exterior drive. Cause you never know when they'll die. Or as my stepfather would say "fall off their perch" (he's a birder). In the old days it would have been easy - film or darkroom paper. Those days it was easier to make smaller purchases.

As for calendars, they are a dying breed. Haven't fallen off their perch yet. I have not used one in years. I have been using an app on my iPad called Pillboxie which reminds me take my meds with alarms. It’s brilliant. Or the calendar on my iMac.

[Bob G.]

Terry Byrnes and Vince had right idea… sell some stuff to B&H and get the watch you need. No cellular if your phone is in your pocket or nearby… and the calendar is right on it! And much, much more….
Your health is important!

[John Krumm]

I finally bought one of those $150 Aura Carver frames, their most basic, and I like it quite a bit. Yet, it's essentially a 10 inch LCD in a frame with a little computer inside, but it just works and it's pleasingly elegant. Pretty simple to set up, and it looks quite good even under bright light (it shuts down if it gets too dark). The blacks are black, whites are white, and it looks nice and sharp from normal viewing distance of 2-3 feet, and mostly non-reflective. I have it in my kitchen, in a window close to face height. You do have to add photos to the app on your phone, so if they are on your big computer that's another step. It's best if you do some sorting ahead of time, but it does have an "auto" feature if you want it to judge what's no good. The best thing is you could give access to your son, and he could upload photos to it easily (you could also buy him one and both do that).

[Keith B.]

How many camera batteries do you have? How old are they? Do you have a second charger?

[Kye Wood]

+ 1 for Doug Andersons advice. Absolutely sound.

[Steve Renwick]

If I were the owner of that certificate, I'd buy one (count it, ONE) box of 4x5 film. Prices have gone up.

[Vijay]

Consumables. I’d get one set of inks for my Canon printer, one box of A4 Photo Rag Pearl paper, and how many ever rolls of Portra 800 I could get with what’s left (3?)

[Albert Smith]

200 dollars worth of some combination of batteries and memory cards. Can't have too many of either.

[xf mj]

I just spent about that amount of money on ink for my photo printer at B&H. I picked four of my most scarce shades of ink, and bought them in prep for those inevitable future days when they each run out.

There's nothing worse than choosing an evening to make some good prints and then learning that you cannot because of a short ink supply. It always happens when you are in the thick of getting a certain photo to look just so on paper, and then "Oh cr*p! I'm fr**king out of Vivid Light Magenta!" happens.

If your ink supply is good, then buy photo paper. Same logic.

This is sort of the digital analog (forgive the pun) of people's "Buy more film!" answers I'm reading here. Never hurts to get ink or paper ahead of time. And, by all means, if you are looking for things to do with your modern-day photo hobby, "Make more prints!"

[Michael Newsom]

For reasons I cannot explain Steve Goodman's song 'Vegematic' came to mind.

[Basil Steinle]

I really like my Apple Watch SE. Has a heart rate monitor, and is not much more than $200. The only things the more expensive models do are blood oxygen monitoring and EKG. My SE alerted me once when my heart rate dipped below 40, and I wasn’t even keeping track.

[Stan B.]

$200? Easy- if I was a FF mirrorless user. I'd get the 20mm 2.8 Viltrox for... $158! Although not in the same league as the superlative 14mm Fujinon (21mm equivalent) or top of the line FF primes, (from what I've seen online) this little sucker punches way above its weight- performance seems to at least equal if not surpass the 20mm Nikkor I used for decades.

[Christine]

Why not buy a lense or two for your iPhone? (Unless I missed it, i don’t think you’ve gone down that path). I bought a few years ago for my iPhone 5. I & some fellow photogs from our local camera club had great time with our tiny lenses on a trip to the Montreal botanical gardens mid-winter - a must for some greenery, flowers & heat as a balm to -30°C. Loved the macro which is not something I shoot FF, being a lover of 50mm. iPhone accessory lenses are pocket-sized & won’t break the bank, & they’re just plain fun.

[James]

Sal Santamaura's second paragraph suggestion sounds like it could be turned into a complete post for TOP.

Sounds liked fun for all of us...

[Ben Bishop]

Everyone needs a baseball cap with the B&H logo or maybe a T-shirt, don't they? On the more practical side I notice they sell dashcams and phone mounts.

[Richard Tugwell]

Not quite photography......

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1703392-REG/nikon_16772_8x42_prostaff_p7_binocular.html

Ive always found binoculars surprisingly useful if you spend a lot of time outdoors. You could probably get a more compact model -i only did a quick search

[john savoia]

Fancy hydrophobic thin superlative blah blah blah filters for your most used lens(es)?

[Richard Tugwell]

Ah - those are pretty compact. Thought I'd linked to the 10x42

[David Lee]

200.00 dollars? I would go to a good steak house and order the best rib eye steak they have along with a nice and simple side salad and 2 glasses of red wine. If there’s any change left maybe some cheese and a port.

[They have that at B&H? The key here is that it's a B&H gift certificate. --Mike]

[F Hall]

I just spent $200 at B&H. I got a daskeyboard. As a writer you probably have your preferred keyboard.

In case you don't I like these ones with the brown switches. The blue switches for those who like clicky keys. My original is still like new after a decade but I set up a second system and I foolishly used another mechanical board that is terrible in so many ways.

[James C Chinn]

No doubt I would use it buy ink and paper to feed the voracious appetite of my Epson P600 printer. Have to run it at leaset once ever couple of weeks to keep it from clogging.

[Dori]

Not sure if your gift card rules allow this, but I would suggest a contest for your readers. The person that suggests the best thing you end up wanting to buy for $100 or less, gets $100. This is a win-win for everyone:
-B&H gets people to look at their site/products
-You can also put up some sponsored links of the items
-The readers get to do some window shopping and one person ends up with $100

Maybe it's uncool though, not sure

[Not THAT Ross Cameron]

The cynic in me says that it’s a deliberate strategy by B&H - they know the prices of their goods, and that $200 won’t buy much gear unless more money is tipped in, or you become a walking billboard with their merch.

+1 for Terry Burnes suggestion to offload gear and get that watch.

Also, I’d say not wanting stuff is a good thing. Whole philosophies have been built around it.

[Bob]

A Lensbaby special effects lens, winter photo gloves for whatever conditions may apply, carbon fiber hiking poles (my balance has gone south), possibly an old but still good pocketable MFT camera. (I recently start using an Olympus OMD E-M1 from 2013 and a few lenses and am quite happy with the results.) Printer paper and/or ink.

[Arg]

There is something ironic about using a gift photography calendar “to tick off my daily eyedrops”. ;)

As for the $200, have a look at Mark Wiemels who has a channel on YouTube, and maybe pick out one of the surprisingly good off-beat budget lenses that he covers. Just for fun!

Cheers

[ASW]

Based on the article I just read, if I had a $200 gift card I would buy a flashy watch and then not set it. Seems like that's what the cool kids do.

https://www.gq.com/story/do-you-need-to-set-the-time-on-your-watch

On the other hand, the fact that it would take a gift card for me to even consider a $200 watch (not to mention the fact that I think a $200 watch is expensive) suggests that I am very much not cool. Unlike all the folks in the article, I don't even own a mobile phone to tell me the time, but do have a 10-year-old analog Timex field watch ($35 on sale) that still works perfectly. They weren't lyin' when the said it can take a lickin' and keep on tickin'.

If the Apple watch will give you some peace of mind regarding your heart and integrate into your Mac lifestyle, go for it.

[Dale]

Don't you miss that about the film days (which I'm still in)? We can use the same gear for 40+ years, but always need film, paper, etc.

On calendars... I still find it useful to have one on the wall at work. Have hung an Ansel Adams one for many years, but this year I went with a Michael Kenna calendar. A joy for the eyes, and also useful.

[Roger Bradbury]

There's no photo equipment I need or even want, so it'll have to be books. (he said, pretending reluctance)

(Pix by) Gregory Heisler
Gregory Heisler: 50 Portraits
$29.47

(Pix by) Mark "Weissguy" Weiss (Words by) Richard Bienstock
The Decade That Rocked
$45.35

(Pix by) Stéphane Remael, (words by) Léna Mauger
The Vanished: The "Evaporated People" of Japan in Stories and Photographs
£22.99

(Pix by) Jonathan Brand
Lower East and Upper West: New York City Photographs 1957-1968
$40.00

(Pix by) Mick Rock
SHOT! by Rock
$50

That little lot comes to $187.81, but I think there's a bit of tax on top of that so I'd most likely have to lay down (say) a $5 bill as well. Works for me.

[Speed]

It's a gift so get something that you will not otherwise buy but might find interesting or fun.

Toucan TSLC10W 1080p Outdoor Floodlight Security Camera with Night Vision & Radar Motion Detection

Monitor an indoor or outdoor area with the TSLC10W 1080p Floodlight Security Camera with Night Vision & Radar Motion Detection from Toucan. This camera features radar motion detection for up to 30', night vision functionality, and two-way audio thanks to a built-in speaker and microphone. A 1200-lumen floodlight, along with a 10 dB siren help keep intruders and unwanted activity at bay.

Toucan Outdoor Floodlight Security Camera

You don't need one you say? How do you know if you haven't tried one? It might be fun -- and useful if you come home after dark.

[Merle]

Got a Baker's Dozen coming up? Easy 1st prize. One doesn't need an Apple watch anyway.

[Raphael]

How about a Bluetooth speaker? They have a JBL Charge 5 for under $200.