Upgrading Gear

Good afternoon,

So I was talking to a friend about cameras a couple of weeks ago and upgrading cameras came up. We went back and forth about the pros and cons of getting a new camera.

Some of the pros are obvious; newest/newer gear, more capability (ISO, dynamic range, aperture, focal length, etc). Some are not so obvious; increased desire to take photographs because of new equipment, needing to learn how to use the new gear,

The cons are a little simpler; cost, needing to learn how to use the new gear, possibly needing new software to work with the gear (primarily with cameras and raw conversion), researching equipment, compatibility issues with other gear, and some others that haven’t affected me personally.

Yes I know that learning “how to use it” is in both because it can be a blessing or a curse depending on where you are on the learning curve.

Granted my friend and I were discussing upgrading cameras specifically most of what we discussed applied to most upgrades. I heard it many years ago and still believe it today. Buy the best that you can comfortably afford. I did and I generally am upgrading my cameras every 6 to 7 years. I currently use a Sony a57 and an a77 tech from March 2012 and August 2011 respectively. Both of them are still serving me well, and some of my lenses are from the 80s. I believe that the newest (other than cameras) gear that I have is a flash made in the mid 2000s that does exactly what it is supposed to do.

For example with me I am looking at getting a new Sony camera that is full frame soon. My current lenses won’t fit it unless I purchase an adapter (a $300+ purchase), my flashes won’t fit the new camera and I would need to purchase an adapter or a new flash that will control the others wirelessly (I haven’t looked into it much it could potentially be a couple $100), I use lightroom to process raw files which and they switched to a service (additional $10/month), that isn’t even putting the cost of the camera in there yet which at it’s least expensive I have seen it around $1700. I looked into going full frame a couple of years ago but couldn’t justify the purchase with only a few gains. Increasing usable ISO, in my opinion, by 2 stops, and it being a full frame camera. The other changes were nominal to me. The camera I am looking at now is 3 stops of ISO, which to me makes it worth it.

My point is that there could be many factors to take into account with simply upgrading a camera. If you are upgrading flashes or lens some of this doesn’t apply. The idea of buying the best you can comfortably afford probably does though. Well built equipment can serve you well for years if not decades. What gear have you upgraded from.

~Scott

Some of the cameras I have upgraded from. A Vivitar that I had in elementary school, a family slide camera that I found in a desk at my Dads (my daughters later used it), a Minolta DSLR that is the same model that my Dad and Stepdad used when I was younger, and my first digital camera that I bought for a fishing trip to Baja.

Gear Envy

Good morning,

Again it has been a while and I appreciate your patience.

I am sure that all of us has experienced it we see someone else with something that is better or newer or different than what we are using and there is that moment of “I wish I had that” or “If I had that lens/camera/flash/program I could capture/make that image.” I currently have it in regards to my friend Drew. His camera is tech from 2017 and my newest is from 2012. Now this doesn’t mean that his camera takes better pictures than mine is just means it is newer. Mind you I still would like a newer camera and it will happen eventually. There are advantages on both sides. Newer has better ISO capabilities, lighter, better battery, newer tech. The downside is I would have to buy new editing programs and new lenses or an adapter if I want to use my current lenses, I would need to learn a new camera as well.

Taken with my A77 (2011) on the way to meet up with Drew and his A7RIII (2017)

The main point here is that sure there is always going to be newer or better gear than what we have unless you can buy the newest greatest thing every few months. Sometimes new things are needed other times the gains are minimal and not worth the cost. I say wait until you have outgrown what you currently have then get the new thing that is out. There are photographers out there that are making exceptional photographs with 35mm film. That from the 1900s. The first patent for a 35mm camera was in 1908. So currently I will stick with what I have any quietly envy other peoples’ newer equipment while at the same time honing my own skills by finding work arounds with what I have.

~Scott