What makes you keep a camera long term?

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williamming005

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william
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When you decide to keep a camera for several years, what matters most to you: image quality, autofocus, lens choice, or how it feels to use?

I’d be interested to hear which camera has stayed with you the longest and what makes you keep reaching for it.
 
I am using a used Nikon D750 that I got in 2019. I mostly shoot travel, sometimes the milky way and my family. The lenses that I have are mostly AF-D ones which I can use on my Nikon film camera too.

Motivation for keeping this body is that basically its a great body. Has pro level image quality, a good AF system and the D lenses don't have electronic motors and thus are less likely to fail.

I have used the D750 travelling across -20 treks, on my motorcycle on bad roads in rains and its still working as expected.

Everytime I think I need a 'better' body I just have a look at my photos which I have printed and go, hmm, these are so good why would I ever need a new body?
 
I have four reasons for keeping my X-H1's. Firstly, it's a near perfect fit for my hands. Secondly, I believe 24Mp is near ideal for the sensor size and I like the results from the sensor. Thirdly, for my type of photography if I use the battery pack I don't have to worry about battery life. Last but not least it's built like a tank.
 
Nikon D5300 (2014 - today) for it's built in GPS. It's been so valuable for location work over the years - mainly logging stepwells in rural India. Many are very similar and I would be lost placing them if it wasn't for my camera. Sadly It's retiring soon.
 
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I almost never sell or otherwise get rid of any camera gear. It's nothing to do with the technical capabilities, I just like the kit and don't need the money from selling them. My favourite cameras are my film Pentaxes that I could never part with.

What about you @williamming005 what do you do/think, as you posed the question?
 
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For me it's all about how they feel in use and the results I can get with them, I stopped chasing new models years ago when I found that the ones I had did everything I needed. I settled on these Leica M9s in 2017(added the M9-P a while later) and they are my favourite cameras.

M9 Travel Setup 2025Upload.JPG

The only problem with the Leicas is no weather sealing so when the weather is bad I have my Fuji X-T2s, I find they are real do-it-alls and can take the wind & rain on Dartmoor.

Three X-T2s.JPG

For when I want "better" image quality I have Fuji GFX 50S, the first generation, 2017 which tbh out performs my normal requirements but does provide very nice files.

GFX and Tilt Adapter.jpg

Unless I outgrow any of these I'm not looking to change them, if they break and I can still get replacements or repairs I will replace/repair rather than "upgrade" but I recognise there will come a time when the models I have are beyond repair and replacement will not be feasible but I'll cross that bridge when I have to.
 
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Topsy said:
For me iy's all about how they feel in use and the results I can get with them, I stopped chasing new models years ago when I found that the ones I had did everything I needed. I settled on these Leica M9s in 2017(added the M9-P a while later) and they are my favourite cameras.

View attachment 492590

The only problem with the Leicas is no weather sealing so when the weather is bad I have my Fuji X-T2s, I find they are real do-it-alls and can take the wind & rain on Dartmoor.

View attachment 492591

For when I want "better" image quality I have Fuji GFX 50S, the first generation, 2017 which tbh out performs my normal requirements but does provide very nice files.

View attachment 492592

Unless I outgrow any of these I'm not looking to change them, if they break and I can still get replacements or repairs I will replace/repair rather than "upgrade" but I recognise there will come a time when the models I have are beyond repair and replacement will not be feasible but I'll cross that bridge when I have to.
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Thanks for your sharing, dear Topsy

​

 
I always say I have the last camera I will ever own, and I always make that not true. However, having moved from full-frame to MFT, I can't see me ever going FF again as whatever a FF camera with lenses can do, it cannot shed it's weight and that's the killer for me.

In response to the OP, my longest-lasting cameras were a Nikon FE2 and then an FM2n which carried me through from the seventies until 2002. The FM2n was my last film camera and it was with deepest regret that I felt I had to move on as the lure of getting rid of smelly chemicals and stopping living in the dark became too great.
 
GetBusyLiving said:
I always say I have the last camera I will ever own, and I always make that not true. However, having moved from full-frame to MFT, I can't see me ever going FF again as whatever a FF camera with lenses can do, it cannot shed it's weight and that's the killer for me.

In response to the OP, my longest-lasting cameras were a Nikon FE2 and then an FM2n which carried me through from the seventies until 2002. The FM2n was my last film camera and it was with deepest regret that I felt I had to move on as the lure of getting rid of smelly chemicals and stopping living in the dark became too great.
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I did keep one of my old Canon F1ns and a few lenses but I rarely use 35mm anymore I just can't bring myself to get rid of it.

CanonF1n LUF.jpg
 
My Pentax Z-1p I bought 31 years ago, and M645 Pro SV I bought in 1997. Both still get used.....

I did get an MZ-S which was a beautiful camera but chose to keep the Z-1p as my film use decreased....

The K-1 I bought in 2016 is a keeper, such a joy to use. I couldn't get on with the D810 which had essentially the same sensor. I have the original Pentax FA Limited Trinity, plus quite a few of the gorgeous Pentax prime lenses which I am very reluctant to let go of. Criminally underused by me...

The other keeper is the D500, which I also bought in 2016 and just serviced. Still can't quite put it down, I'll keep it until it breaks.

Reason for keeping the Z-1p, D500 and K-1 is that, in my opinion, nothing that offers me more than what they can, and in their own ways each has their own MOJO.
 
I'm not really all that interested in cameras, I'm more interested in lenses. So, unless there's some big leap in technology or something that irritates me is gone on the new model or something stops working I'll probably keep the camera and carry on lusting after lenses.

I had a Canon 20D for something like 7 years and ditto or maybe longer a Sony A7 but I've had my Kodak Instamatic 36 for for about 55 years. I haven't used it for a long time though and I don't think you can get film for it anymore.
 
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Topsy said:
I did keep one of my old Canon F1ns and a few lenses but I rarely use 35mm anymore I just can't bring myself to get rid of it.
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I've held on to a FT and an AE1 because (a) I like them, though I'm unlikely to put a film through them now and (b) I bought the pair for £27 and sold the lenses they came with for rather more than that.

The Kiev sharing the picture with them suffered a shutter failure, so it went for recycling and I hope someone picked it up and had a go at fixing it.

Kiev Canon AE-1 and Canon FT-QL 50mm D600 D60_5035.jpg
 
My first proper camera, the Pentax MX, is probably the one I will take to my grave. But really what makes me hold onto a camera is the thought that I will use it, one day! :p
 
My Nikon F5 bought in Hong Kong on a visit when my brother worked out there on the new Chek Lap Kok airport in the early 90's, I doubt I will ever sell it, it gets occasional use, is still mint, and I still have the original box etc.

I've also still got, and still use a Hasselblad 500cm which my parents bought me for my 18th birthday, when I was doing my City & Guilds photography course at night school in the early 80's.

The newer stuff I move on without regret, but those two are untouchable as they made precious memories.
 
LeeRatters said:
Digitally, I bought my A7 in 2015, A7Riii 2021/22 and the X100f early 2024.

For me, it's that they do what I want them to do.

Okay, the A7 gets very little use now. But it doesn't feel like it owes me anything (£) and it's probably not worth much anyway now. I have thought about getting it converted tbh
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The A7 I bought in 2014 is still in service as a web cam that I use for work calls on MS Teams, which also finds a use for the kit 28-70 lens that I never got on with :D

I also keep it around as a backup for the A7III that is my main body these days, though I have had similar thoughts about getting it converted to IR.
 
The ones that I have kept - digital M8 and Sigma DP Merrils 1 and 3

Film - Canon A1, Nikon F ...quite a few Nikons and Leica M6 and an M3
 
Its a slightly odd question.

I make sure I buy the right camera in the first place for my needs at the time. Currently thats mostly sports photography.

The 1DX Mk II I currently use most I bought in 2018. At some point it will get replaced, because its a working tool, and I'll probably wait until a Canon R3 Mk II announecement before deciding. The R7 I have as a backup is OK, but I've never really liked it. There is a 7D Mk II as a backup backup.

Until an item ceases to do an adequate job for the task in hand it gets kept.
 
I've had 2 D750's for a few years, then 2 d500's. With a variety of lenses they cover most of what I shoot. The last 2 cameras I purchased were a Sony RX10 MK1, then the MK4, as they were lighter than the Nikons. Am now mainly using the MK1 since the MK4 died and the latest MK5 is too expensive. The MK1 focal length varies between 24-200mm at a constant F2.8, most useful. All my kit gets regular use. Am heading into London Westminster tomorrow, just taking the RX10 MK1 and a laptop. I'm now 75 and can't see myself buying anything new, other than perhaps a Sigma or Tamron 150-600mm.
 
Musicman said:
The A7 I bought in 2014 is still in service as a web cam that I use for work calls on MS Teams, which also finds a use for the kit 28-70 lens that I never got on with :D

I also keep it around as a backup for the A7III that is my main body these days, though I have had similar thoughts about getting it converted to IR.
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I used to carry both bodies (for sunrise landscape etc) with the 35GM and 70-180mm.

For night skies I would typically also set the A7 35GM up to track the sky and use the A7Riii 24GM for the foreground shots.

Neither of those happen that often anymore though.
 
Earley Man said:
I have four reasons for keeping my X-H1's. Firstly, it's a near perfect fit for my hands. Secondly, I believe 24Mp is near ideal for the sensor size and I like the results from the sensor. Thirdly, for my type of photography if I use the battery pack I don't have to worry about battery life. Last but not least it's built like a tank.
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I have an X-H1 and agree with you here, I had an X-T20 for 5 years which was great but as much as I loved the small size, it was a bit too fiddly resulting in missed shots, the X-H1 is the ideal size.

24Mp is more than enough, IQ is more than good enough, it's built like a tank and has more features I'll ever need.
 
williamming005 said:
When you decide to keep a camera for several years, what matters most to you: image quality, autofocus, lens choice, or how it feels to use?

I’d be interested to hear which camera has stayed with you the longest and what makes you keep reaching for it.
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What matters the most is being the best tool for the job, which is always a balance of the features that you have listed. If the jobs are different, you end up with a selection to choose from.

The camera that has stayed with me the longest is the Canon 350D, which was my first DSLR and has been repurposed for infrared.
 
B494B1DC-5F82-4A89-9C7C-9DC63F67A2D4-1000.jpg
This is me MANY years ago holding a Canon T90 with a 35-70 and 300TL - all 3 still in the bag I'm rocking but now in the loft (T90 now dead:-()

D
 
andrewc said:
Its a slightly odd question.

I make sure I buy the right camera in the first place for my needs at the time. Currently thats mostly sports photography.

The 1DX Mk II I currently use most I bought in 2018. At some point it will get replaced, because its a working tool, and I'll probably wait until a Canon R3 Mk II announecement before deciding. The R7 I have as a backup is OK, but I've never really liked it. There is a 7D Mk II as a backup backup.

Until an item ceases to do an adequate job for the task in hand it gets kept.
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I also have a R7 but don’t like it. The reach is incredible but noise and image quality is lacking in my opinion.

I would appreciate your thoughts.
 
I nearly always keep my cameras. I have given two to my daughter for her studies, and passed on a film camera I had 2 copies off. Other than that I still have them all.
It's not often I use the models I've had more than 15 years however.

So I guess it may be a mild form of kleptomania that makes me keep them,... :eek:
 
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lindsay said:
I almost never sell or otherwise get rid of any camera gear. It's nothing to do with the technical capabilities, I just like the kit and don't need the money from selling them. My favourite cameras are my film Pentaxes that I could never part with.

What about you @williamming005 what do you do/think, as you posed the question?
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I can understand that, especially with your film Pentaxes. Enjoying a camera is a good enough reason to keep it.
For me, I think how much I enjoy using a camera would matter more than whether something newer has better specs. That was part of why I asked — I was curious about what makes people stay attached to particular cameras over time.
Which of your Pentaxes is your favourite, and what makes it special to you?
 
williamming005 said:
For me, I think how much I enjoy using a camera would matter more than whether something newer has better specs.
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This is the 90/10 rule, 90% of the time you use 10% of the features and vice-versa, applies to jus about any product with a computer processor in it. Manufacturers try to seduce you with new features, most of which you will hardly use, but still the shiney things attract!!

When you wake up and realise that these bell's and whistle's don't matter in the art of taking a photograph, you step of the gear upgrade train and work with what you have got.

We are by our nature atrracted to new things so stepping off the train can be quite hard!!
 
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williamming005 said:
When you decide to keep a camera for several years, what matters most to you: image quality, autofocus, lens choice, or how it feels to use?
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None of those, except maybe how it feels.
It’s less easy to describe, does it do what I need, whilst being comfortable to use, and is the next upgrade worth it.

I had a Chinon CP7m for 15 yrs, a Bronica ETRS for 10.

But entering into the world of AF, and then digital, what sticks was nowhere near as long, I reckon I had the 6d’s for 5 years, and I’ve had an R6 for 5 now, I am starting to think about whether it’s worth getting an R6iii.

But honestly the R6 is the best camera I ever owned, and muscle memory is a strong and I question whether 2 R6’s are better than one mkiii.
 
williamming005 said:
Which of your Pentaxes is your favourite, and what makes it special to you?
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My favourite cameras are my film Pentax LX followed by the MX; my digital favourite is my Pentax K1iiiM. For me, Pentaxes of both types just feel good in the hand. The K3iiiM is a bit special because it is Mono only - I prefer monochrome images and this camera makes me see tonality and texture better, I think.
 
Petrochemist said:
I nearly always keep my cameras. I have given two to my daughter for her studies, and passed on a film camera I had 2 copies off. Other than that I still have them all.
It's not often I use the models I've had more than 15 years however.

So I guess it may be kleptomania that makes me keep them,...
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Why does Kleptomania (a rare mental health condition where a person has a strong, ongoing urge to steal items they do not need and can usually afford) make you keep them?
 
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I had kleptomania but I'm taking something for it :D New shiny bells and whistles was what made me stick with my original 7D rather than upgrade to the Mk2 realised there weren't enough compelling reasons to change. I still use my 350D on odd occasions
 
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am also as Alan said more interested in lenses, my main 2 are older EF lenses including a Sigma non OS 150 macro and a 300 2.8 mk 2
Couldn’t imagine not having those but camera bodies are tools and happy to upgrade for better autofocus and image quality at the moment am on an R5 had it for nearly 5 years though as far as I remember
 
for me, ease of use, getting pictures I wanted more often (even as I learned).
So 12 years of nikon d300 (semim pro did auto and prog and inbetween, was a solid build with at the end only the rubber covers breaking off)
I always wanted a leica digital m .. so I got a used m240, and although nice, the tech was teoo far back and was hindering some shots. m10 upgrade sorted that for a few years.
Then an itch for a gfx, but the sales person got me into a sony a7rm5. excellent camera. but wasnt scratching the itch and the photos although good werent what I wanted.
upped to gfx 100s used. excellent pics. much bigger though and demends good glass > big and heavy.
Now... considering a sigma bf and much smaller glass as the lecia m11 and m10r are a little out of reach. have to see...
 
Phil V said:
I had a Chinon CP7m for 15 yrs
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RESPECT!!!:notworthy:

My first purchase was a CP7m, great camera but not suited to slides. Could only afford that as I couldn't afford a Pentax P50 or a Canon T70 at the time, this was in 1987...

When I got a Pentax Z-10 in 1992, followed by a Z-20 in 1993/4 I sold the Chinon to an acquaintance, I had the occasional use but it was stolen at the Model Exhibition fair at Olympia in 1996 (my Z-20 was in a bag next to it but that wasn't stolen).

I have since bought a P50 and a T70, currently looking for a 35-105 FD zoom for the T70. An F-mount that will use my AF-S lenses and in time I will get another CP-7m.
 
welshwizard645 said:
RESPECT!!!:notworthy:

My first purchase was a CP7m, great camera but not suited to slides. Could only afford that as I couldn't afford a Pentax P50 or a Canon T70 at the time, this was in 1987...

When I got a Pentax Z-10 in 1992, followed by a Z-20 in 1993/4 I sold the Chinon to an acquaintance, I had the occasional use but it was stolen at the Model Exhibition fair at Olympia in 1996 (my Z-20 was in a bag next to it but that wasn't stolen).

I have since bought a P50 and a T70, currently looking for a 35-105 FD zoom for the T70. An F-mount that will use my AF-S lenses and in time I will get another CP-7m.
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I started with a Praktica, and I really wanted to upgrade to a T70, but couldn’t quite afford it. The Chinon had the look and the features at less money, with a bonus I could adapt some of my M42 lenses.
It finally died when it fell out of the top of the wardrobe. My first choice of replacement was a Pentax cos I thought I’d be able to use my old lenses, but I was wrong, so I swapped to Canon EOS, where I’ve been ever since.
 
I remember considering the CP7m when changing up from a P30, but a used Minolta 7000 came up at a good price instead, and I still have that camera. Likewise the Bronica ETR I bought a year or so later.

Had my Sony A7III since 2018 - it does what I need, so I've not wanted to change it especially. More pixels and wider dynamic range would be nice, but not essential.
 
Topsy said:
Why does Kleptomania (a rare mental health condition where a person has a strong, ongoing urge to steal items they do not need and can usually afford) make you keep them?
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I was thinking it probably is related to hoarding, keeping things one no longer really needs - something I am guilty off. Despite the official definition many such things are really a sliding scale, in this case the tendance to keep things, Some people can't stand keeping things they haven't used in the last year which is the opposite extreme of clinic kleptomania.

My hoarding probably puts me nearer the kleptomania end of the scale, even though my moral compass is sufficient to stop me stealing. However I should have put a smiley after the comment. I'll see if I can correct that now.
 
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