This is an Article I personally felt should be dealt with sooner or later. Since the Holiday season is near and Camera companies are trying to Chunk out ( More new cameras ) than most of us can chew. The Million dollar question is ...'' Does the latest and Newest cameras makes us a Better Photographer ?? ''... Generally speaking '' NO ''.
Who doesn't want a new EM-1 , 6D, D800 or even The Latest 36MP , '' FF '' A7R ... ?? For most of us it's simply way beyond our means and budget. But does that makes you with whatever camera you're having now Obsolete ? ...Again '' NO ''.
We need to remember how amazing our camera was when it was announced. We need to remember how excited we were to finally own it. We read everything we could about the camera. We looked at every sample image coming out of the first models. We counted our pennies until we could finally own that amazing piece of gear we wanted so much.
Then it became old. It became outdated. There was something newer. And flashier. And more advanced. The siren’s call of better photographs lured us into researching the even newer camera. Looking at all of the sample images. It has us counting pennies again trying to get to the end of the rainbow to find the new pot of gold.
That great camera we already own seems worthless. It seems like an anchor weighing us down and holding us back from our dreams. If only it did what the new camera can do, then we could find success.
We have so much technology and so many options at our fingertips right now. Even the simplest of cameras are good performers when used correctly. That camera you were so excited about two years ago is just as good today as it was then.
Yes, there are times to upgrade. Yes, there are times when gear matters. Yes, there are some advantages to staying up to date with certain technologies. Yes, there are times to retire a piece of gear and replace it with something new. As a enthusiast you will see gear come and you will see gear go, but I have yet to get a camera that made my photos better. Or made me see the world differently.
Enjoy what you have. Do the most with it. Remember there are folks in the world with older gear taking better photos than you are. If they had your gear they would see it as a blessing when, at times, we see the gear we have as a curse.
Always remember not to get yourself into a '' self-Imposed Inferiority Complex '' whereby your friends latest camera will take better pictures than yours. That's all Bullshit and I know from all those years been out there amongst the best there is....
Well, if you have Money to spare, by all means buy ...
But for most of us , money is still a major issue, especially in this Hard Times. Ask yourself
whether you really need that upgrade or will it make you a better
Photographer. The grass is always greener on the other side, but in the end it
too will decay...Ha,Ha. But if you're a Pro, who makes a Living in
Photography, that my friend is a different Ball game.
I have decided recently to either go back to Film or just downgrade to a simpler camera that will do the job for me. I am a little tired of all this Gear Madness and lust and have finally decided to get myself an Old and outdated E-300. Nothing Fancy, just another camera that will see me through my daily needs...
I just thought I would provide an update for anyone who runs across one of these now ancient cameras. With some tweaking of the camera's color settings --slight increases in contrast and saturation -- the colors are amazing, the best I think of any of my cameras. There's just something about the sensor. My favorite combo is the camera and the very small and light Oly 14-42. It focuses quickly and accurately, and just feels great in the hand. Of course, some caveats. No image stabilization. Don't get too serious above ISO 1600.
But sometimes we get too, too spoiled by the latest and greatest. This isn't one of those cameras, but it keeps one thinking seriously about photography, reminds me that for generations pros used cameras much more simple than this to create great images.
And Here are 12 '' Kodak Moments '' from the past and why I have decided to downgrade.
This shots below were taken recently from my new ( old ) E-300. This Old Favorite of mine has made me Re-Discover my old self and Re-exploring the Basics of Photography, all over again. For over the past few years, I have indeed gotten lazy & spoiled by all those iAutos, P and Art Filters. I have never felt so refresh and eager since those Film days when I first started exploring Photography.... Yee Haa !! It's really a blessing in disguise for me. Well, here's some random shots that were done using basic old school Techniques that were all about Lighting, composition, creativity and most of all ... Imaginations. Nothing Fancy , just simple old school '' go out and have fun '' Pictures.
So, be content and Happy with whatever you have, for there will always be another newer camera over the Horizon. Utilize your gear to the Max and when your shutter count tells you it time to let go, then just do so. In the meantime enjoy your Photography and just go out and have Fun. Please don't let those Latest gear bugs bite you and get you down.
Photography is all about capturing that '' Moment '' in time and sharing it with your love ones and friends. Be it the cry of a new Born or tears of a Mother on a wedding day, it's that precious moment that you were there that makes it memorable. The camera matters less, it's your will, passion and love that makes capturing that Moment counts.
As with most Art form, Photography is all about the way you see the world through your lens. It's your Imaginative Vision that matters, and not your Gears ....
Have a nice day ahead ...!!!
Cheers !!!......Uncle James.
