How do you decide when to upgrade your gear?

[Jbear]

Some very good ideas here. Mine is short...if there's something I want to accomplish and I can't because of a gear limitation...I upgrade. The cost/benefit has to be favorable as well.

 

[Jbear]

Concerning cars and technology, I just bought a new car (current model year) because I did NOT want the infotainment updates which demanded more touchscreen interaction and fewer buttons that came on the new "updated" edition.

100% that for me!

 

[O]

More recently, I had a Nikon D500 with a 500mm PF lens. I was getting frustrated though, with the mirror slap often scaring away the birds I was photographing, and I wanted a little more reach. Also, I was getting frustrated that I couldn't crop as much as I wanted to in post sometimes because of the D500's crop sensor. When the Z8 came out, and it had a silent shutter feature, plus it was full frame and I could crop deeper in post, it only took me a couple of months of reading reviews and asking questions to decide to upgrade to it.


Soon afterwards, the Nikkor 180-600mm lens was announced. I had had a 200-500mm Nikkor lens before the 500mm PF. This gave me the extra 100mm I'd been wanting. The IQ seemed good, and the zoom was internal, and the throw of the zoom ring was MUCH shorter than the old 200-500mm lens, AND it was at a decent price. (Although, I wish it had been a pound or two lighter).


In both of these decisions, after doing considerable researching, the camera body and lens that I decided to buy met multiple needs and wants. I think that is what made me feel good about making the upgrades.

Amazing how we all have different needs and solutions.


I was looking at the 180-600, i found the internal zoom was not what i wanted, YES i didn't want to give up the 200-500, the throw of the 200-500 wasn't an issue for me as it was more so for many others i heard off in the club bitterly complaining about it.

I modified the lens internally to make it a durable push pull lens, when needed only for fast moving subjects at high frame rates.
It’s something i don't want to give up as it fits my needs spectacularly well.

I can frame a subject tightly, ie: a football player, bull rider, motocross rider, or a bird in flight................and i can keep it tight as the subject moves around at the same time keeping the hammer down. I hardly need to crop, there are other benefits such as focusing and exposure is less demanding when using matrix.
The push pull has allowed me to get outcomes that needed almost zero cropping.

It was a solution that just enhanced mostly composition, dust is not an issue as i usually have a good cover, and always wipe the extension keeping it pristine.

The 200-500 is so cheap used now. I do the same with the 28-300 but also only at fast moving subjects at high frame rates.

It basically is a fix for me to meet a need LOL, strange for many not for some LOL.

Only an opinion

 

[marc]

This question relates to the thought process, technical but also philosophical.

For example, does one start with the current gear they have (say body and lenses) to pursue the photography of interest (wildlife, nature, landscapes, portrait etc)? If you are unable to achieve what you are looking for how do you know its a technology issue and not a lack of skill? Some things are obvious- faster lenses, longer reach etc. For reference, I have no formal photography training, just learning as I go and I enjoy the hobby.

What about camera bodies?

It seems like most people here are shooting with pro level/top end bodies. I'm assuming many here are professionals. For those who are not pros or make money from your photography (a hobbyist) what criteria/reasoning do you use to upgrade? Do you buy the most advanced camera you can afford in hopes that the technology will last the longest? Do you let your wallet decide? Do you always buy the best?

How did you learn when your photography skills were holding you back and when your technology (say sensor resolution or autofocus speed for wildlife) were holding you back? Thanks for sharing.

When my wife fly's out for an overseas work conference!

 

[MartyD]

I am retired and not that far away from 70. I would like to say that I use my gear until it fails or it is a limiting factor in my photography but that would be a lie. I have limits to what I will spend on photography equipment but I buy what I want and can afford. In order to stay happy and healthy as you age you need to have a passion that keeps you going. For many of us on this site our photography is not a career but one of the primary interests that gets us out of bed every day and out in the fields. There is nothing wrong with purchasing something that makes you happy and challenges you to get better as a photographer as long as you can afford it.

 

[O]

I am retired and not that far away from 70. I would like to say that I use my gear until it fails or it is a limiting factor in my photography but that would be a lie. I have limits to what I will spend on photography equipment but I buy what I want and can afford. In order to stay happy and healthy as you age you need to have a passion that keeps you going. For many of us on this site our photography is not a career but one of the primary interests that gets us out of bed every day and out in the fields. There is nothing wrong with purchasing something that makes you happy and challenges you to get better as a photographer as long as you can afford it.

True, its what its all about.

 

[Anjin San]

I am retired and not that far away from 70. I would like to say that I use my gear until it fails or it is a limiting factor in my photography but that would be a lie. I have limits to what I will spend on photography equipment but I buy what I want and can afford. In order to stay happy and healthy as you age you need to have a passion that keeps you going. For many of us on this site our photography is not a career but one of the primary interests that gets us out of bed every day and out in the fields. There is nothing wrong with purchasing something that makes you happy and challenges you to get better as a photographer as long as you can afford it.

Marty…I’m with you at going on 71 and 14 years into retirement. I get what I want and cost isn’t really relevant due to prudent long term investing…although the bang for the buck and better is the enemy of good enough principles come into play…as well as weight and flexibility. I so care what it costs but cost alone doesn’t keep me from getting something…it’s all of those other factors and cost is about the last thing I consider outside of those principles. And I completely agree that better gear doesn’t make you a better photographer…but it does give you better images with the same skill set and whatever physical limits you are stuck with. We would all like to get better skills…but life intervenes and I suspect most of us have other interests and things we need/want/wish to do that interferes with getting out enough to actually achieve that skill increase. I don’t ge5 out enough…but when an important trip comes up I do get out and blow the rust off beforehand even if I’m only shooting random subjects I don’t really care about.

 

[Vincent_VdB]

As a bachelor am I my own CFO so that helps (not) with my NAS/GAS .
I really have al the lenses I need for the coming years. With 2x Z9, 1x Z8 and 1x Z7 do I have bodies that will last me some time as well.

I started venturing into a new challenge (astro photography) and that requires a whole different mindset, skill set and … investment.
“Buy once, cry once” was here my motivation for the various purchases I made with just 1 refractor scope.
If I have indeed clear skies and get more experience will I split my budget over both fields of photography.
There are those shiny cooled crop sensor cameras but also full frame, colour or B/W, …
The rabbit hole runs deep

 

[Hooligans Imagery]

Main purposes were getting into wildlife and creating a lighter travel kit.
Z5 with 24-200 was my original Z.
So why did I make some of my upgrades
Z9 and 100-400 - Africa Trip and starting to shoot wildlife
105 MC - something light and more than just macro; great travel lens
Plena - something different; replaced the 105 as my travel lens but made my kit heavier; Lens creates magic on non wildlife trips.
Z600- longer, sharper - easier to carry; works well with 1.4 TC if needed
Z6iii - lighter travel kit with 24-120 and Plena. Works for wildlife if opportunity pops up and I am close enough such as pelicans in San Diego.

I don’t feel a need to upgrade anything now; will be investing my time in improving post processing skills.

As for the wife, given her skills (IKA Culinary Olympics Gold Medal in 2000) she gets anything she wants for the kitchen, so she just encourages my creative side as well.

So really the cats are the only ones that really need to approve since they run the household.

 

[Woody Meristem]

Remember, good enough is almost always good enough. If the primary/only use of your photos is social media or personal memories, a ten year old 16mp camera and kit lenses are all you need, if you're a pro wedding photographer or shooting magazine covers the newest and the best might be what you need. Most modern cameras, even one or two generations old, have more incorporated technology than most of us will ever use. Since I never print larger than 11x14 I don't need the best gear and won't upgrade until my current cameras and lenses fail me.

 

[kanonka]

Well, to put a screw in place, you sure can use manual screwdriver. But at some point you get tired and go buy cheap B&D electrical screwdriver. Then you get tired of batteries going bad at unpredictable moments and other issues, so you bite the bullet and buy Dewalt. At some point you realize that you are not that rich to buy cheap things, and go to Makita (or other high-end).

Yes, the task stayed the same - putting screw in place, but better tools do make a (lot of) difference in how much time and effort you put into it.

For years I was happy with my Canon 5D MK3 (and previous models). But from the moment Sony added IBIS, I was envy of it. Then I went into birding. At about same time Sony came out with A1, and that's were I said 'ok, it's time to upgrade'. Was using it for 3 years, but was not much happy with their 200-600. And then Nikon finally not only improved their AF to almost acceptable level, but also produced 800PF. So now I'm with Nikon z9/z8+800PF. Nikon AF feels like a huge step back, and I hate the cameras, but stay with Nikon because of the glass. As soon as Sony (if ever) comes up with something comparable, I will switch back. Or if Nikon improves AF algorithms to Sony level, I will stay with Nikon. The end goal is to have something that helps me without standing in the way.

Does any of this gear make me better photographer? No. Does it make shooting easier and easier? Absolutely. The less I have to think/care about gear when shooting, the better it is, provided that image quality is at possible maximum. Unfortunately, there are always compromises that we have to make...

To answer your question: you upgrade when you want to simplify your life. Or when you have an outbreak of GAS