AP costs so far

[Stardust]

Agreed.

You can count if you wish, just for reference, but I've just stopped caring. It's only money, and it's only there to be spent at one point or another. Does it matter that I've spent enough to cover a 2nd hand car? Not at all, I enjoy using what I've bought and I'm not about to sell it all and trade it for a car . A car is merely a utility, my telescopes are pure enjoyment. I know which I'd have.

Couldn't agree more , my car is a 16 year old Toyota, Almost everything I own is worth more than the car,it's reliable and  just something I have to have.

[johnrt]

All my gear was free, I won it all in a competition.

[Moonshane]

visual observing is not cheap either. I have spent a lot on scopes, eyepieces, filters, finders etc etc but generally buy used and could sell most of my stuff for what I have invested in it or certainly no more than 10% less. it's like money in the bank but a lot more fun.

[smudgeball]

The cost of astrophotography .....................

[ollypenrice]

When you buy a new car you notice the difference for about a week. Then it goes back to being your car. It becomes like wallpaper, just part of the background of your life. In fact, funnily enough, the most ordinary and humdrum car I've ever owned (my present one) is actually the one for which I have the greatest affection.

My good astro kit never loses its shine, though. Looking forward to working on a picture, knowing that you've got the right gear, enjoying the beauty of nature via its images, the pleasure of being creative... That's worth while.

Sure, an Ariel Atom would be a lot of fun around these hills but not as much fun as a good imaging rig when I really think about it. Astro gear isn't expensive to run, either, just to buy.

Olly

[Superdavo]

The total cost of AP to date is proportional to the length of time you've been doing it. You can never have a good enough setup! 

David

[StuartJPP]

...Astro gear isn't expensive to run, either, just to buy.

Olly

Unless you include the costs for carting it all the way to your place to get some decent skies

[ollypenrice]

Unless you include the costs for carting it all the way to your place to get some decent skies

But we are so cheap once you're here...

(We have to charge Ian extra because he eats so much... Goodness me, he eats at least twice a week!)

Olly

[Naemeth]

When you buy a new car you notice the difference for about a week. Then it goes back to being your car. It becomes like wallpaper, just part of the background of your life. In fact, funnily enough, the most ordinary and humdrum car I've ever owned (my present one) is actually the one for which I have the greatest affection.

My good astro kit never loses its shine, though. Looking forward to working on a picture, knowing that you've got the right gear, enjoying the beauty of nature via its images, the pleasure of being creative... That's worth while.

Sure, an Ariel Atom would be a lot of fun around these hills but not as much fun as a good imaging rig when I really think about it. Astro gear isn't expensive to run, either, just to buy.

Olly

Agree 100%. For me 20 minutes a month is enough to give me the pure pleasure and 'wow' you get from astronomy, only astronomy seems to be able to do it. Obviously 20 minutes a month is a minimum, and I'd prefer more, but sometimes other things get in the way.

[LouisJB]

less than my other hobbies! but then again I'm just getting started on it

I don't see it as money wasted or even money spent forever, more money put to a use I'd think of it as. We only get one short life, what's the point of not doing things you enjoy with it.

Anyway, gaining an appreciation of our small place in the universe and the natural beauty out there is priceless. I do ask myself, since most things worth imaging have already been done by someone with better equipment and with things that could never be owned (Hubble etc), what is the point. But there's a satisfaction to doing things yourself. For example one of my other hobbies is playing the drums and writing music, so I may never make a number 1 track, but I don't really care. I do it because I enjoy it and it's what I like to do. It's a more expensive hobby than astrophotography in many ways but it sure beats watching the TV. Which is more rewarding, well it depends. Any hobby you're into the most is the best for you and there sure are a lot of things waiting to be explored.

I'll probably (is this famous last words?) stop spending so much on astro once I have a setup I'm relatively happy with, as with most things (hi-fi, cars, computers, etc) it's diminishing returns beyond a certain point and here in the UK for astro the weather and skies make it a bit of a part-time hobby at best, for me. Being able to getting some half decent images of a number amazing celestial objects will be good enough for me. Also it's like an extension to my more general photography hobby, so it was never a big leap. 

This could be normal denial though, lets see where this takes me in 2 or 5 years time...