Today we’re going to talk about new gear. Maybe it’s a new camera, or a new lens. There are plenty of opportunities over the years to grab some new gear for yourself. But when is it right to upgrade your gear? What do you do when you get it?
The photo at right is a fairly old photo now. But it’s important to me, because it is one of the crowning photos from my Falsely Accused self-portrait series that I developed back in 2014. It was earlier that year that I bought myself a pretty critical upgrade, a Nikon D7100, which was my workhorse for these last 12 years. I have other cameras, some that are more portable, some that are just retro-tinkerers. However, when I needed to get stuff done, or work with off-camera flash, the D7100 was the camera I turned to. I expect I’ll keep it for a couple of years. But I was recently afforded the opportunity to upgrade, and I took it. And I picked up a Fujifilm X-T5.
So let’s talk about gear…when do you now it’s time to upgrade? And what do you do when you get it?
When To Upgrade?
I’m not one who believes you always need the latest gear. I do not suffer from the misconception that a better camera makes you a better photographer. So let’s get this out of the way right now: You probably do not need to upgrade as soon as you think. You will be able to create incredible works with the camera you have right now. And any camera you might be shooting with is probably better than the camera that the greats shot with in their era.
You’ve seen the incredible works of Ansel Adams, Annie Leibovitz, Dorothea Lange, or Steve McCurry. Your cell phone can probably rival the cameras used by all of those iconic photographers. But let’s talk about McCurry’s camera, which he used to photograph one of the most well known National Geographic covers of all time (I’d show the photo here, but it’s not yet in the public domain, so you’ll have to visit that article). McCurry captured that photo using a Nikon FM2, a camera released in 1982 and it wasn’t even considered a professional camera at the time. There were four camera lines above the FM2 in the Nikon lineup. The gear didn’t matter…the vision and the skill behind it did.
In 1984, when McCurry captured the Afghan Girl, I was introduced to photography using my father’s Nikon N2000, the little brother of the FM2. It was far less capable, but still a great camera. And in McCurry’s hands at the time, he’d probably produce a photo equally as strong as The Afghan Girl. My father eventually gave that camera to me in high school, and I used it to hone my skills through college, all the way until I got my first digital camera, the Nikon D80 in 2006. I used the N2000 for the better part of 22 years. I used the D80 for 8 years. And I used my D7100 for the last 12. My point is that the gear wasn’t giving me super-powers. Adams’s 8×10 camera was primitive compared to today’s medium format cameras. A great photographer can probably use a Nikon D1, their first digital camera with only 2.7 megapixels, and rival a photo captured with any of today’s cameras.
For the record, I still have the N2000 and the D7100, both of which I still use. Albeit, the film camera gets expensive to use these days. I also have a Fujifilm X100S (aka, Fujifilm “Second”) that I regularly use for my street photography.
Back to the point: Your camera is not going to severely limit you in most cases. So while you are still able to take great shots and your camera isn’t missing the beat, don’t consider upgrading. It’s probably not worth it.
Why Upgrade?
“Why?” is probably a better question to ask yourself, rather than “When?” And the answer could come from several directions.
Maybe you’re getting into sports photography, and you need a camera that can take more frames-per-second, or one with a better auto-focus. Perhaps you just want one with more focusing points so you can take advantage of the dynamic 3D focusing or focus tracking. That might be a good reason to upgrade.
Suppose you are starting to gain some extra income doing portrait photography, and you really need a full-frame camera to get the control over depth of field in a studio setting. That might be a good reason to upgrade from your APS-C cropped sensor.
I upgraded to the Fujifilm X-T5 for two reasons:
- Comfort: If I’m being honest, I wanted a smaller camera. The X-T5 is smaller and lighter than the D7100. This makes it a far more comfortable camera to use. It also has all the dials on-body for ISO, Aperture (on the lens ring) and Shutter Speed (dial on top), which is very close to the Nikon N2000 I grew up with. So it’s more comfortable for me; and therefore more enjoyable to use. This is part of my evolution. I’m no longer depending on photography as a second source of income. So I’m much more interested in the experience of photography, and I therefore want to be comfortable when I shoot.
- Low Light Performance: In recent years, I’m shooting more and more hand-held. Up until about 5 years ago, I was shooting more often with a tripod and an off-camera flash. That was my world at the time, and I very much enjoyed the tinkering to get the shot. As I’ve moved away from that, I’m realizing that the D7100 doesn’t perform as well in low light or at high ISO. So a mirrorless camera with good low-light performance serves me well to get faster shutter speeds and better quality photos than I’m used to.\\
I’ve been talking camera bodies, but the same is true for lenses. You may need to add a lens to your bag if you need some extra reach, or maybe a wider angle lens. Maybe you just want a gimmicky art lens simply because it’s fun. All viable reasons. But don’t think that upgrading from a 50mm F/2 to a 50mm F/1.8 is going to set your photos on fire…that’s not exactly a serious difference in most scenarios.
In short summery of the “why”, your upgrade path should address a limitation you have with your current gear. If you don’t have a limitation, you probably don’t need that upgrade.
Gear Acquired. Now What?
So you’ve hemmed and hawed, and you decided you really did need an upgrade. You grabbed your new camera body, or a new lens or something else. You have to learn your gear, and it’s going to take some time. So let’s use that time intelligently.
For starters: Read the manual. Even a seasoned photographer may discover unfamiliar features of their new gear. And there’s no better place to start than the documentation from the manufacturer about that gear. My new camera definitely had many more focus options and many more modes than I’m used to. I’m not sure if all will benefit me, but I have some things to learn.
Second: Experiment and practice. Every camera, every lens, and every flash has its own personality. You need to get used to working with your new gear and understand it’s capabilities. More importantly, you need to understand its limitations. You will only learn those personalities through experimentation and practice. Recreate photos you’ve done before to compare notes. Try to push the boundaries so you can find the edges of those limiting factors. Be patient…you’re probably going to make lots of mistakes, or you’ll misjudge your new gear.
Third: Enjoy. Don’t get frustrated, just enjoy the new gear for what it is. It will give you a new reach in your photography. The sooner you truly know your gear, the sooner you’ll be creating fantastic works.
Final Thoughts
It’s tempting to upgrade every chance that you can get. Gear can sometimes be inspiring, but that is short lived. If you’re really working hard at your art, the gear is not limiting you like you think it is. You should instead be thinking creatively. From a different perspective: If you’re always learning new gear, you’re never going to to be comfortable with it. And if you aren’t comfortable, you’re leaving a lot to chance.
Get comfortable with your gear, and upgrade only when you are absolutely limited in what you can do with your current kit.
