DIY Photography

Hacking Photography - one Picture at a time

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Is it REALLY time to upgrade your camera?

Nov 28, 2019 by Dunja Djudjic 10 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

New gear is constantly being announced and cameras are getting better and better. Plus, at this time of the year, there are also *oh so tempting* Black Friday deals. So, to upgrade or not to upgrade, that is the question. In this video, Mark Denney shares his own answer to it and explains why you may not want to upgrade your gear just yet. And if you’re not sure when to do it, this video will definitely help you to make the right decision.

Mark has used a Sony A7R Mark II for four years now. He says that he didn’t really think much about the upgrade when the Mark III was announced. But this year’s Mark IV had him thinking more seriously: “Should I upgrade to the Sony A7R IV?”

If you’re having the same doubts, calculate the cost first. Mark researched a bit and figured out that he could get around $800 for his old camera. It would leave him with around $2,700 to give out of pocket if he wanted to buy an A7R Mark IV. Okay, for me, that’s a lot of money. For some of you, it may not be. But whatever the case is, think – does it make sense spending money on a new camera?

Now it’s time to think about the benefits and what you get if you upgrade. Mark notes that the Sony A7R Mark IV has a better battery life than his old camera, it has dual card slots and a touchscreen. It also has an improved weather sealing, slightly better dynamic range, and improved AF system. A great improvement is a 61MP sensor, compared to the 42MP sensor in his old camera. Well, those sure are many improvements. But dig deeper. How much do you need these upgrades? Do you need them at all?

In Mark’s case, he realized that some of these features would be nice to have, but he doesn’t need them that badly. In fact, with larger image resolution, he would also need to buy a more powerful computer and definitely more external storage. It would add up to the price he previously calculated. This is something to have in mind if you also want to switch to a camera with a bigger resolution.

After thinking it through, Mark realized that a new camera wasn’t going to make him a better photographer nor make any additional revenue for him. And if he was to spend $2,700 on it, it would be nice if it at least paid itself off after a while, right? So, he eventually decided to stick with his old camera, because it does the job and it has everything he needs.

Personally, I also don’t make rash decisions when choosing gear. Like Mark, I also do my research and think it through before upgrading. I ask myself: Is this camera/lens gonna help me be a better photographer or take better photos? Is it gonna give me something essential that my current camera doesn’t have? Since I don’t make money from photography, I know it won’t pay itself off. But I ask myself one more important question: Is this gonna make me happy?

Of course, I’m not saying you should never upgrade (neither does Mark). But I just believe that you shouldn’t do it impulsively. Do some research, think it through, and then make the decision. In fact, I believe that only this “rational upgrade” will really make you happy. But that’s just my opinion.

How do you decide when it is time for an upgrade? How often do you buy new gear? Let us know in the comments.

[STOP UPGRADING YOUR CAMERAS! A Landscape Photography Debate via ISO 1200; image credits: C. Cagnin on Pexels]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Food photographers, upgrade your modifiers before you upgrade anything else Don’t upgrade your camera unless it’s limiting you This is why you probably shouldn’t upgrade your camera gear Insta360’s new Nano S 360° camera gets a 4K upgrade with 360° facetime and multiview video

Filed Under: Inspiration Tagged With: A7r II, A7R IV, a7R Mark II, Camera Gear, gear, Mark Denney, Sony A7R IV, Upgrade

About Dunja Djudjic

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

« Vibesta wins preliminary ruling in design lawsuit, Rotolight ordered to retract allegations
15 items for travel filmmaking you didn’t even know you needed »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • SpaceX shares unique view of Earth in latest video
  • Get ready to photograph two total solar eclipses this year
  • How I started (and succeeded) photographing space from my backyard
  • Insta360’s new teaser says they’re entering the gimbal market
  • Users report blurry photos from Samsung Galaxy S23/S23+ cameras

Alex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

Dave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy