Photographer’s Wife is Left Stunned By Cost of His Camera Gear in Viral Video
A photographer asked his wife to guess the cost of his camera gear in a viral TikTok video — and she was left hilariously “shaken to the core” by what she learned.
In a TikTok video posted this month, wedding photographer and videographer Jesse Holland asked his wife of ten years Kayla to estimate how much the various equipment in his camera kit cost.
@treelinejesse The last one 😂 #cameragear #filmmakers #canon #photographer #videographer ♬ original sound – Treeline Visuals Jesse Holland
In the clip, Kayla hugely underestimates the $2749 ($3,799 CAD) price tag on her husband’s Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 lens and is left stunned to realize that his Canon C70 camera is worth $5,065 ($7,000 CAD) — not the $1,809 ($2,500 CAD) value that she presumed.
In other amusing moment, Kayla is shocked to discover that Jesse’s ProGrade 128 gigabyte memory card is $144 ($200 CAD) — not the $18.09 ($25 CAD) price that she estimated. She also guesses that her husband’s Rode NTG5 microphone is $32.56 ($45 CAD) and is lost for words when her husband reveals that the microphone actually set him back $491 ($679 CAD).
The TikTok video quickly went viral and racked up over four million views — with other photographers entertained and amused by Kayla’s shock and horror at just how much the professional shooter’s gear can cost.
‘Photographers Can Relate That Some Equipment Seems Overpriced’
“I think Kayla was shaken to the core!” Jesse, who is based in British Colombia, Canada, tells PetaPixel.
“I’ve definitely told her what things cost, but it doesn’t really seem tangible until you’re holding a camera and lens and knowing ‘OK this is $7,236 ($10k CAD) in my hands.’
“I also think that even though her reactions are funny, many struggling photographers really relate that some equipment just seems overpriced.
“At one point she holds up my monitor and says ‘This feels like junk’ — yet it still costs almost $361 ($500 CAD). That’s a lot of money to a lot of people out there.”
Jesse, who runs the photography and videography business Treeline Visuals, says that he knew the video would be amusing to photographers and TikTok users alike. But he never expected it to go viral in a matter of days on the platform.
“I think one of the reasons why it went so viral was because there were basically two main polarizing pieces to it,” Jesse explains.
“Folks in the comments were arguing over SD cards — comparing speeds and brands — and whether I got ‘scammed’ with the price or not.
“Another issue some had with the video was that I hadn’t discussed the finances with my wife which is fair enough. I never emphasized in the video that this is my business and not a personal expense.
“One of the things that I hope people took away from it after watching the video though, is that there is so much that goes into a photography and videography business behind the scenes, and your average person may not know how high the operational costs are of running a business like this.”
More of Jesse’s work can be seen on his Instagram, TikTok, and website.
Image credits: All photos by @treelinevisuals.