Most photographers enjoy playing with new gear; after all, a lot of us are gadget nerds, and modern cameras can be rather nifty little technological boxes. Before you get ready to drop a bunch of money on a brand new camera, though, be sure to ask yourself these questions to make sure you're making the right decision.
Coming to you from Maarten Heilbron, this great video talks about the things you should think about and ask yourself when you're thinking of buying a new camera. A lot of us lust after new gear, and we often conflate the desire for a new camera with the need for one, though those are often two very different things. And while there's often nothing wrong with wanting a new camera, and indeed, it might enable you to do things you couldn't before or pay for itself because of the time it saves you, it's pretty common for photographers to try to justify a new gear purchase as something that will let them get shots they couldn't get before, when really, it's the technique or creativity that's holding them back. Check out the video above for more thoughts on the matter.
Lead image by Daria Shevtsova.
👏🏼 A client of mine asked about getting a camera for his daughter and that she was interested in photography. I said I would put together something for her and I sent one of my old 5D mark II bodies to CPS and had the shutter replaced with a clean and check and purchased a Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM used for 240. I gave it to him the following week for her to use as long as she wants along with some tips, youtube tutorials etc.
I started shooting film 23 years ago my senior year of high school. Manual everything. Today's debates about focus speed, DR, etc is fine but learning the basics is a great start and a 5D Mark II is a supercar compared to what most of us started out with.