Do You Need That Fancy-and Expensive-New Camera?

So you really need that fancy DSLR or MILC camera for Christmas? Really, do you need it? Can you quantify what it is about all the extra features, maybe the larger sensor, the looks, the prestige of ownership, that you need to have to produce better photos?

What do you mean by “better photos” anyway?

Will they be technically better? 

 Almost certainly if you are going with just about any current dedicated camera as an upgrade from a smart phone The sensor size difference alone will make for sharper photos with less noise and better colors and dynamic range. The ability to control things such as shutter speed, aperture, ISO and lens focal length can all make for better photos technically.

But will they be that much better, f you don't take the time to adequately learn how to get the most from your shiny new camera? (Lots of people don't which is why the shiny new camera ends up being a waste of money.)

Better photos? 

Possibly, if you currently have a camera that is either outdated (as in 5 years old or more) or lacking certain features the new camera has. However, the same constraint applies: you need to learn how to properly use all the new capabilities, not just assume a newer, more advanced (and more expensive) camera is going to automatically improve things because of automated features. It still takes a human being with knowledge and judgment to optimize the output of even the most advanced and sophisticated camera.

So then, “possibly” can turn into “probably not” if you haven't already reached a point where you can get the most out of your current camera, and it's actually inhibiting your ability to produce the photos you want, or keeping you from enjoying photography.

Consider this: the marketing department of every camera maker says you need the latest and best camera. What they mean is they need you to buy it, and the best way they can get you to do that is convince you that photos from your 2 year old entry level camera are crap compared to the latest mid range or prosumer camera they offer. Just remember that 2 years from now they will be saying the same things about the cameras they are trying to get you to buy now.

The fact is that about 80% of photos are taken under conditions that can be easily handled by a smart phone made within the past 3 or 4 years. The other 20% are indeed situations in which exacting controls, better sensors and longer or shorter focal length lenses are necessary to produce images worth looking at. Just try capturing a soccer or baseball game, birds in the backyard or close ups of flowers with a smart phone. 

Tried that already? Did it make you swoon with photographic euphoria? I didn't think so. (There are people taking some outstanding photos with only smart phones, but sports and wildlife are not usually their genres.)

The question remains, though, do you need the latest camera available? I, along with thousands of other professionals, produce sale-able images with cameras that are years from initial release. They get the job done, and have long since met return on investment, and important point for pro photographers. Why invest money in new gear when it isn't actually needed? 

Some pros do need the latest gear, in order to assure themselves of optimal capabilities. A missed shot due to a gear shortcoming can not just cost some money, it can tarnish the reputation of a pro photographer and thus lose future assignments.

However, that applies to pros, and only a small percentage of pros at that.

99.9% of camera owners are not going to risk losing income due to a camera's burst rate not being fast enough, or missing the focus, or having too much noise in a low light situation. As I mentioned above, 80% of photos out there can be produced easily and adequately with a smart phone This has always been the case, relative to the technology of the time. 30 years ago, 80% of photos were produced by simple 35mm cameras, many of them fixed lens or with the standard 50mm lens. Before that it was Instamatics, and before that basic box cameras.

Most people really don't need even a basic DSLR or MILC to take photos worth showing and sharing. Sales trends bear this out, as the compact camera market has almost died out completely, replaced by smart phones, while the bridge and DSLR/MILC markets are struggling as well. So, if you are yearning for a $1000+ DSLR kit, do you really need it?

Probably not.

However, if you want it because it will lead you to enjoy photography more, and perhaps increase your level of knowledge and quality of your photos, then that is all the reason you need to buy it.

Please don't let it sit on a shelf or in a closet, to be used only for special occasions. Make the most of it, learn how to use it well, and it will be more than worth the investment of time and money.