[amelius]

This is why I don't understand why people like to take photographs of planes. They look the same every time!

(The same holds for cars).

[lm28469]

I mean, people collect stamps, coins, and many other things that seem completely ridiculous and useless to me, why not collect pictures of planes.

Chances are most of your hobbies are as ridiculous as that for most people out of the hobby

[Blikkentrekker]

Almost no one starts a stamp collection in this day and age.

It used to be done simply because there weren't as many forms of superior entertainment as there are now.

[kube-system]

There are plenty of new hobbies that nobody would call “superior forms of entertainment”. (Although it seems strange to gatekeep entertainment when its only utility is to the person enjoying it)

[Symbiote]

No one starts collecting stamps nowadays because, relatively, no-one receives stamps any more. An unusual stamp used to signify receiving an interesting letter -- perhaps a parcel, or a letter from a relative living abroad.

Without that experience, why would anyone start collecting them?

People still collect similar types of useless stuff (bottle caps, beer mats, guitar picks, fountain pens, license plates).

[CarVac]

This applies even more to the moon, in my opinion.

Looking at the moon, that's one thing. But taking a picture of the moon? Go to NASA or Wikipedia for a great high-res picture.

[probably_wrong]

I think the key to understanding the allure is by extending your line of reasoning even further.

Why play piano? There are plenty of recordings of people who play better than I ever will.

Why play chess? I will never be able to beat my computer anyway.

Why paint portraits? I will never be as good as Rembrandt, and my camera is infinitely better anyway.

I think the point of the activity is not "I will take the best picture of this plane/the moon that anyone has ever taken". Rather, it's "I will take the best picture that I ever took".

[CarVac]

My issue with the moon, in particular, is that:

a) it's not hard, it just requires a long focal length. b) it's not a creative act. The moon drowns out anything else, so it ends up being just a picture of an orb surrounded by black.

Piano is extremely challenging, and playing something well gives you that feeling of having overcome a worthwhile challenge.

Chess is likewise a battle of self-improvement.

Same with painting.

Moon photography? There's zero creativity involved, it's just about whether you've gone out and bought that 150-600 zoom you've been eyeing.

[lm28469]

At this point just stay in your bed and wait for death. Everything you'll ever do has been done better in the past. Humans need to keep busy and build/do shit, most of it is useless in the grand scheme of things

Setting up a camera capable of taking quality pics of celestial bodies sounds like a fun hobby, see: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/166334-debayering-a-dslrs...

[kube-system]

They don’t always look the same though. Even as a very casual airplane enthusiast, I sometimes like to look back at older pictures of a plane to see what it looked like older paint schemes or under previous owners. Also, the planes/cars are somewhere in space and time, and the picture captures that.

[dehrmann]

I'm halfway interested in planes, but I actually find old liveries more interesting than seeing yet another 737.