Roger Hicks Loc: Aquitaine

Before you buy anything new, be it camera, lens, tripod, whatever, ask yourself two simple questions. First, will this improve my photography? Second, how?

Another way to phrase the same sort of question is, "What will the new kit do for me that my current kit can't?"

Unless you are reasonably clear on the answers to these questions, you shouldn't spend the money.

Cheers,

R.

MsJ Loc: Northern Indiana

Great advice, Roger.

notnoBuddha

Heck - what are you trying to do, wreck this economy even more? Are you advocating buying only what one needs, and not just desire? Sounds darn right un American.

RocketScientist Loc: Littleton, Colorado

Think before I buy. Great idea, but it hurts what is left of my brain.

Iduno Loc: Near Tampa Florida

Photography. Always something to learn. Always something to buy. Why mess with a winning formula. Just to be practical? ;-)

dixiemegapixel Loc: Salemburg, NC

I do most of my thinking after the fact, when I try to remember what it is, what it does, and which camera I originally "needed" it for.

rayford2 Loc: New Bethlehem, PA

Sometimes impulsivity steps in. After reading through UHH for the past several months and perusing through the gear most people had, I thought buying a better system would at least get me in the ball park for taking photos the other people did.
Then I asked the first question Roger mentioned and came up with a humiliating "no". I have a bridge camera that has more capabilities than I have knowledge about, so for now I'll content myself with it.
For economic reasons an up-to-date camera set up is a pipe dream until I can justify paying for wider dynamic range and IQ.
What good is an expensive camera body that loses value before you ever learn to use most of its capabilities?
...I hope the devil doesn't make me do it.

Thank you for the tips.

jenny Loc: in hiding:)

* * * * *
Righto Roger! May i add, if there's anything you don't know how to use on the camera you have already, you don't need to be getting another one thinking it will get you better pictures.

Roger Hicks Loc: Aquitaine

This provoked an interesting thought. Maybe if there are buttons on your camera that you don't know how to use (even after six years or so, there are several that I've never used on my Nikon D70) then maybe you should buy a simpler camera with fewer buttons, dials, levers and readouts (like my Leica M9).

Actually, all I do with the D70 is ignore the ones I've never cared enough about to figure out. When I replace the D70 (probably with the D800), I'll probably ignore quite a few of the buttons on that too. Meanwhile, I'm just waiting for the D70 to die, which it keeps threatening to do: I have only one card left that it recognizes, and that, only intermittently.

As an aside, this is why I never really agree with those who say, "Read and re-read the instruction book for your camera." WHY? If it's designed properly, it shouldn't need more than a very slender instruction book: if it's not designed properly, the instruction book won't overcome the design faults.

Cheers,

R.

clicktime Loc: Yucca Valley Ca.

How will I know the potential of that 800mm lens if I don't get it.
How can I see if I am good at landscape photography if I don't have that 2.8 16mm lens?
How will I know my potential as a portrait photographer if I don,t have that prime 85mm lens.
How will I know if I have a future as a cinema photographer if I don,t get that 5Dmark 2 with video? And they say the new 5D m3 gets better color and saturation with that new processor.
A fact that most don't want to admit is that better equiptment will get better results once it is used correctly. The real question is will it pay for it's self in the long run? Not for most. It's still hard to resist the bling.

Roger Hicks Loc: Aquitaine

Quite easily, really. You use your 500mm or 600mm lens and think, "I need more reach: an 800 or 1000".

Or for landscapes, you think "I need to get everything in from THERE to THERE, which is about the angle covered by a 16mm lens." You also stop and think, "How often am I going to need f/2.8 for landscapes? How many landscapes do I shoot hand held in poor light?" Actually, I find wide-angles of limited use for landscapes: usually, a lot of foreground and a lot of sky, and very little of interest.

Or with portraits, you think, "This shot is good, but I need smaller depth of field (= wider aperture) or softer focus (which is why I bought a Thambar) or more sharpness (rarely needed with portraits)".

A concept I have peddled for years is the "quality plateau". Up to that level, better gear/lenses will get you better photographs. Beyond that level, it won't show in your pictures. The quality plateau is sufficiently important that I've started another thread about it, but the basic (and sometimes unpalatable) truth is that for most people and most subjects, it's remarkably low. It's only with difficult subjects and/or skilled photographers that expensive kit normally make a difference.

Cheers,

R.

jenny Loc: in hiding:)

Well Roger,you provoke more thoughts too. If you're experienced and still have buttons you don't bother using,you probably never needed them and can do whatever they would allow anyway even without them.
I've often wondered why we have more and more automatic buttons added so it would be hard to operate a camera in the dark or get it ready for use without looking at it. Wonder if there's a camera of the past that anyone would like to have as much as i fondly remember my little YashicaFX3.

davejann Loc: Portland Oregon

Simple answer: rent one. Wish I had thought of that before my first marriage :cry:

jenny Loc: in hiding:)

Are you suggesting photography involvement can ruin marriages?

Danilo Loc: Las Vegas

You raise some good points here, Jenny. When I was shooting with Nikon F2's I could literally make all my settings in total darkness...had to do just that a few times! But now I never have to, thank goodness! I miss those cameras!