I see no need to get political about this post and have it sent to The Attic.

I had never heard the term "excess deaths" before, but Dr. Campbell (in England) used that term about statistics in England.

Yesterday, I saw an article in the Washington Post about excess deaths in the US during the pandemic. Over 910,000 people died from Covid, but the excess deaths totaled over 1,000,000, and they can be attributed to the pandemic. I don't mean someone who fell down the stairs or got hit by a car, but many people died as a result of Covid without getting the disease.

You should be able to read this article from a Google search without a subscription. As a test, I sent it to a friend, and he could read it.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/02/15/1-million-excess-deaths-in-pandemic/

This is a great point. I think a lot of people phrase their questions in such a way that they get warped, or irrelevant, or sarcastic answers.

Like a consultative sales person, if I ask, "Tell me about your experiences with ______. What did it do for you? Would you have bought something else, in retrospect? Why does, or doesn't it, meet your needs or expectations? Do you feel good about it? Have you had any negative issues with it?", then I will get more useful answers.

That said, people in general are "innocently ignorant" about things they know nothing about. They may not ask the "right" questions, because they don't know "where the on ramp is" to the topic. I've been there, done that, myself, many times, and been misled.

Sometimes I read questions that are obvious examples of that innocent ignorance. Directly answering the question would obviously take the asker down the wrong path! Sometimes I redirect, and I'm thanked. Other times I redirect, and the OP gets upset with me (or someone else in the forum gets upset with me) for not answering the original question directly.

Frankly, those of us who hang out here a lot do it for fun. We are not paid. The advice is free. It may or may not be useful. Some of us *try* to help. Caveat Emptor!

It's simple; if you want it just go get it. No permission required. After all, for most of us here, this is just a hobby and none of it is required other than for our own enjoyment.

If you ask the forum about their experience with a particular piece of gear then you'll likely get some good information to help with your decision.

However, if you ask the forum "if I should", then be prepared for the forums individualized opinions regarding why you 'should' or 'shouldn't'. And you must also remember that the forum doesn't know your want's, desires, needs or constraints. You'll only get opinions based on their perspective, not yours. For me, the only person qualified to help answer this question is my wife.

It's all about how you ask the question!

You're right. If you can afford another $3000 camera when you already own a $3000 camera that isn't anywhere near 'old' nor 'outdated', there's no reason to ask strangers on the internet for permission to spend your money on unneeded items. Most $3000 cameras are designed to last 10+ years, if not forever.

But, if you know in your heart you're not making a wise choice given your photography needs and personal financial situation, maybe that fear exhibits itself in needing to ask strangers on the internet what they think about the idea. And some strangers might give a candid response to your question, helping you make your own 'right' decision. Others, of course, will happily spend your money as if their own, their 'right' decision that may / may not apply to you.

The simple fact is that roughly 98% of the members on here (bearing on mind that approximately 86.3% of all statistics are made up on the spot) don't take full advantage of, or cannot use, the full benefit of the cameras they have, should mean nothing whatever.

If you want another camera - or anything else - you need simply to answer a few basic questions:

- why do I want whatever it is? About the only unacceptable answer is that it is a cover, an excuse, hiding from some other deeper phycological darkness, filling a void.

- will I enjoy using it? What will be better? I know in my case, I will rarely take photos that will impress anyone, but I take great pleasure from taking photos using the cameras (plural) I have that are capable of making spectacular images.

- probably the most important one: will this purchase materially affect me or my family in a negative way? If I spend this money, who suffers?

Good answers = full speed ahead!

Let's face it, if only the absolute most competent were "allowed" to buy top class equipment, almost all manufacturers would be out of business. Manufacturing at scale requires appropriate sales volume to keep sales price acceptable.

Very, very few of us will suddenly produce masterpieces because we bought a new camera.