Could you forfeit upgrading in 2012?

I'm a fairly successful photographer and I need a certain amount of equipment. Cameras, lighting, computers, and so on.

I've had a pretty good run of it and still pushing my Nikon pro bodies/glass and my computer system is a fair compliment to 12mp. It can cope.

With that in mind, and even with the imminent (sic) announcements likely coming from Nikon (and Canon too) in the new year as well as the promise of new CPUs from intel making their way into the overdue Mac Pro, i've decided to abstain from any new purchases in 2012, except for standard repairs and firmware updates.

So nothing new.

My question is this (mainly to professional working photographers):

Could you do it? Are you happy enough with your current output, or is the lure of the new your salvation? Is the equipment that important?

...Just asking.

--
examples of my photography at http://www.alexanderleaman.co.uk

--
StephenG

A genuine thanks for starting this thread. It has given me an idea...

Without a doubt my New Year's resolution is going to be not to purchase any camera gear in 2012 (unless something I currently own is lost, stolen, or broken beyond repair). That's quite exciting for me. Use what you have and make great images. I'd rather spend the time learning more about myself by using existing gear than purchasing new gear and learning about it.

Simple and liberating.

Peace
Peter

http://www.peteranthonyphotography.com

I'd like to go lighter (so I have considered the Leica route), but what I really want is low light capability beyond what I have, even though that is already head, shoulders, chest, waist and most of the legs above what film offered!

I don't mind noise, so much, but rather the loss of detail compared to what we expect.

There was a lighthearted thread on the Sony forum showing ultra-high ISO up to 832,000 (I think), which highlighted my problem. That is, when some of your images are silky smooth, pin sharp and show breathtaking detail, when you put them alongside some with even minor degradation, the loss in quality screams at you (and not in a nice way!).

If Sony bring out a camera that can keep the perceived quality into the 6400/12800 area then I would jump right in!
--
2011 : My new year's resolution -
To be positive, not negative.
To help, not to hinder.
To praise, not to criticise.

Firstly if you do it for a living any equipment has to justify its expense. i Have not seen anything since the release of the d3 which justified an straight purchase regardless of what was already owned.

The regular replacement of kit is another matter, we will have at least one d3, a 70-200 lens and some flashes that are due for replacement next year. We don't need to upgrade but if there is something better available we will get it.

After years of constantly having to upgrade computers, printers, cameras its all been pretty static for the last couple of years because everything does a very good job.

tony

Well, I'm not a working pro, but I do a fair amount of photography on assignment and need to be able to reliably produce good photos under difficult conditions and on deadline. A certain amount of my photography is of people or animals in motion and in poor lighting. My D300 - and my skills with it - have definite limitations under these conditions. So I would very much like an upgrade that will give me access to better high ISO photography. And a bigger buffer so that when I'm shooting raw at continuous high I don't have the camera slow down on me.

For photography that is under less challenging conditions, what I have now is terrific.
--
--Bob

I totally agree. Are the new cameras going to improve your photography that much?

I get a kick out of people who always have to upgrade to the coolest device out there. Unless there is something wrong with your current equipment, focus on getting business, getting better at your photos, and a host of other things.

I totally get it if your equipment is not getting you the shots you need and loosing you money. Just make sure it is the equipment and not your skills.

The last camera I bought lasted me four years. I hope to keep my current NEX for at least that long. By then all of you guys who just HAVE to have a NEX-7 will be on to something else and I will buy it from you for half price.

tonywh said:

Firstly if you do it for a living any equipment has to justify its expense. i Have not seen anything since the release of the d3 which justified an straight purchase regardless of what was already owned.

The regular replacement of kit is another matter, we will have at least one d3, a 70-200 lens and some flashes that are due for replacement next year. We don't need to upgrade but if there is something better available we will get it.

After years of constantly having to upgrade computers, printers, cameras its all been pretty static for the last couple of years because everything does a very good job.

tony

Click to expand...

--
Novice photobug, proud NEX-3 owner
http://davesnex-3photos.blogspot.com/

As Amateur, hobbyist and / or some niche of PRO, it might be a personal preference thing, but for those who need to earn their pay with their ware, then its not simple as that. The ushering of new technology and technical capability provided by new hardware would also create new demand and requirement on service and product delivered and expectation from customer would likely ascend accordingly. Its purely a matter of whether the ware can cop with the need then.

• Franka

Here we are again at the navel gazing end of the year
and it's holier than thou time and implied guilt and shame for all !
Puhlease !

If you are a Pro, you make Pro decisions on gear
and that is a straight business call.
If there's no upside to the business, then you don't buy it.

If you do it for fun, then you buy what you like,
when you like and hopefully, what you can afford.

Finding reasons to feel guilty about one's hobby/(existence?)
or God forbear, actually enjoying one's life, is suicide by degrees.
If people need a New Year to make a decision,
then their criteria are wanting.

Life is short.

--

When I first went into digital, back in the late 1990s, there were real improvements in image quality and function with every generation of camera. Back then I felt a real need to upgrade on a regular basis.

The last few years my upgrades have been driven more by convenience or shifts in the type of work I'm doing. I may see an improvement while using the camera or working with the files on-screen, but very few people will be able to see the the difference in the finished images. So while I'm looking at a camera upgrade it is by no means a necessity.

On the other hand, my main computer is getting up in years while my image files keep getting larger. There is no real reason I have to upgrade, but over the course of a year there would be a significant savings in the time I spend chained to a desk. And computers are cheap.

So yes, I could pass on an upgrade but come January I'll be shopping the after-Christmas computer sales. As to cameras, nothing currently available is all that exciting to me, but if some of the rumored new models come to pass that could be an option for the end of the year or early 2013.

Gato

--
After 40 years of Canon and Nikon I'm now using a camera named after my toaster.

Silver Mirage Gallery:
http://www.silvermirage.com

I am not a professional but I love taking photos. I stroll around taking photos and my camera is around my neck when I leave my apartment, always. So, in two years it's had it's fair shair of knocks and dings. I would happily buy the same camera but, of course, it's no longer available new. So, I'm getting a new model which is more expensive and my current camera will be the back-up and go out when I need to lens to switch between rapidly. But, no, I really like my current camera and it certainly meets my needs.
--
Patrick T. Kelly
Oaxaca, Mexico

Ron Poelman said:

Here we are again at the navel gazing end of the year
and it's holier than thou time and implied guilt and shame for all !
Puhlease !

If you are a Pro, you make Pro decisions on gear
and that is a straight business call.
If there's no upside to the business, then you don't buy it.

If you do it for fun, then you buy what you like,
when you like and hopefully, what you can afford.

Finding reasons to feel guilty about one's hobby/(existence?)
or God forbear, actually enjoying one's life, is suicide by degrees.
If people need a New Year to make a decision,
then their criteria are wanting.

Life is short.

--

Click to expand...

Yes, I agree with you - life is short. Which is why your polemic retort doesn't quite fit. Why bother with this?

If you came down from your soapbox for a second you might be able to see that the post was aimed at discussing the possibility that pro gear is perhaps at enough of a peak for some. The question is really, do you need better than what you already have gear wise, or are the contents of your kit bag enough?

I know, as I'm sure many others do, photographers who will salivate over Nikon or Canon rumours of cameras that have yet to see even a release date while they struggle to get the most out of their current model. I understand that no camera is perfect, and many pros especially will appreciate incremental improvements in ergonomics and the like. Maybe a little more resolution, maybe low light capture improvements, but I dare say that Dslrs are pretty capable right now.
None of this will make people take better pictures.

And I'm not trying to express a holier than thou standpoint either. WTF? In fact, I'm lightly suggesting that I can still see room for me to grow into the gear I already own. I can see that I still have things to learn in this regard.

Listen; if people want to blindly go shell out their hard earned on equipment for the sake of it and to fullfil a technical lust then that's fine with me. If they can justify the need for the equipment based on their P and L, and not feel 'guilty' about it then the marketing has worked and the wheel keeps turning.

I was just wondering if people were making decisions based on the implied urgency for bigger and better or if improving one's photography knowledge and skillset was a better way to focus resources. And I was using 2012 as a punctuation point that coincides with the imminent announcements from Nikon and Canon. None of this is about new year's resolutions - my suggestion could apply to any timeframe - it just so happens that I view my business development and goals over a yearly term.

As an answer to my original question, you may as well have just said "No, I couldn't do it, because I have a reason to want to buy/upgrade my gear". That would have been enough, thanks. For the record, we're currently in the second decade of the 21st century - using sarcastic snorts like "puhlease" as if we're embroiled in snappy banter from some generic sit/com from the early 90's doesn't help get your point across to modern readers. Actually made me cringe a little. Looking forward to hearing "talk to the hand..." and "what evvva" here soon.

--
examples of my photography at http://www.alexanderleaman.co.uk

I'm in the computer business, but the principle remains the same. Is there any reason why you expect the quality of your output to be perceived as inferior by your customers during the next year? If not, why do you need new equipment?

Remember, I'm not necessarily talking about the quality of your photography, but the overall quality of your output. I'm talking about the timeliness of your delivery, the ability of the client to actually use the photos for the purpose they intend. Can you bill them properly? Do they have to repeatedly contact you to get basic information from you? For that matter, do they have to nag you for any reason? Any reason at all?

If you answer 'no' to these questions, then an upgrade isn't an upgrade, it is an unnecessary expense. And I promise you, controlling expenses is the key to profitability.

--
I'm so bright, my father calls me son.

Now that you've judged the quality of my typing, take a look at my photos. . .
http://www.jpgmag.com/people/glenbarrington/photos

jadot said:

Could you forfeit upgrading in 2012?

Click to expand...

Did you mean forgo?

--
My Smugmug photos http://www.brianshannonphotography.com/
My photo blog http://brianshannonphotography.blogspot.com/
My 500px photos http://500px.com/brianshannonphotography/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brian-Shannon-Photography/157237647635870

We contract with pros mostly for 2 types of shoots: products & events.

The product shoots are generally done in a studio, the gear is typically high-end FF or MF digitals. We're not interested in who made the gear, we focus on the finished files which are always high res TIFFs. Our Marcom group pushes these out worldwide for brochures, local ads, etc.

Event shooting is similar, we don't care what the camera logo is, we're mostly interested in the results and the photog's ability to deliver on time. I wouldn't decide to select one photog over another based on brand of the body or the relative age of the body.

Photographers produce photos, the gear is secondary.

Cheers,
Doug
--
http://www.pbase.com/dougj/birds_birds_birds
http://www.pbase.com/dougj

I may buy a small, cheap laptop for tethered work (say 15.6" screen, 2 gigs RAM, 320 gig hard drive). No specific camera gear, though, unless something absolutely blazingly different arrives on the market.

--
Charlie Self
http://www.charlieselfonline.com

Yes!

But I couldn't change the title after posting. I think most people here know what I'm banging on about.
It was late, I'm perpetually tired.

Besides... It kind of works for this discussion, though I'm not suggesting that people might have to consider any purchases due to some philosophical 'wrong doing' in their shady camera buying past!
Thanks for your correction, but it's not necessary here.

beshannon said:

jadot said:

Could you forfeit upgrading in 2012?

Click to expand...

Did you mean forgo?

--
My Smugmug photos http://www.brianshannonphotography.com/
My photo blog http://brianshannonphotography.blogspot.com/
My 500px photos http://500px.com/brianshannonphotography/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brian-Shannon-Photography/157237647635870

Click to expand...

--
examples of my photography at http://www.alexanderleaman.co.uk

jadot said:

I was just wondering if people were making decisions based on the implied urgency for bigger and better or if improving one's photography knowledge and skillset was a better way to focus resources.

Click to expand...

Now, I would call that a self-serving question,
so my point was, why bother to ask it at all?
Are you really interested in people admitting waste of resources
or being slaves to bigger and better?
What galaxy shaking insight did you feel would be forthcoming ?

Sorry, I found the original seasonal, predictable and pointless,
that is only a personal opinion, which you are of course,
welcome to ignore.
I will strive to be a little less oblique and dated next time,
and throw in some random nang or suchlike.
--

With most releases only being tweaks of previous designs the novelty of the constant new is fading in me. I only move up when the limitations of what I have become an irritant opting instead for gear that I can get to know instinctualy and forget about, concentrating instead on the shot. After all, juggling piles of spec sheets and price lists on a regular basis is my idea of some level of hell. It's not what I got into it for.

I only recently upgraded my PC after nine years only to find the new one isn't that much of a performance leap so that should illustrate my stubbornness (and explain the creak when I open my wallet).

Now if I could upgrade my brain I would be in the cue once a month.

jadot said:

I'm a fairly successful photographer and I need a certain amount of equipment. Cameras, lighting, computers, and so on.

I've had a pretty good run of it and still pushing my Nikon pro bodies/glass and my computer system is a fair compliment to 12mp. It can cope.

With that in mind, and even with the imminent (sic) announcements likely coming from Nikon (and Canon too) in the new year as well as the promise of new CPUs from intel making their way into the overdue Mac Pro, i've decided to abstain from any new purchases in 2012, except for standard repairs and firmware updates.

So nothing new.

My question is this (mainly to professional working photographers):

Could you do it? Are you happy enough with your current output, or is the lure of the new your salvation? Is the equipment that important?

...Just asking.

--
examples of my photography at http://www.alexanderleaman.co.uk

Click to expand...

--

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain an idea without necessarily accepting it. -Aristotle

The one serious conviction one should hold is that nothing should be taken too seriously.
...oh, and I see by the lack of responses that I am right yet again.

I use an old Nikon D40, with 6 MP sensor. It produces good enough images for the work I'm being paid for -- that is, images no larger than 8-1/2x11 inches on a commercial press.

But for my last book, the publisher selected a number of photos for double page spreads. As it so happens, all of those were stitched panoramas, so no loss of resolution. But that is cutting it close, since they like large, eye-catching images and will likely want more in the future.

But after cropping, some of my images appear a bit off and lack the detail I'd like to see in print. A body upgrade is overdue. But, my last large advance went to unexpectedly replacing my computer and the rest went to paying off real life expenses. I can't justify buying gear unless it earns me income. Now if I were less lazy and worked harder…..

--
http://therefractedlight.blogspot.com