How content are you with your camera?

Are you happy with your gear ?

  • I'm content, No plans to upgrade.

    Votes: 85 72.6%

  • Well there's this body/lens I've always lusted after

    Votes: 19 16.2%

  • If a new body/lens offers a feature I want, I'll buy it.

    Votes: 11 9.4%

  • Well you've got to have it if they've improved the spec's want you?

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I want the best with the best AF,ISO, Noise, IQ

    Votes: 1 0.9%

  • I'm a total gear-head I always buy the latest gear when it comes out

    Votes: 1 0.9%
  • Total voters
    117
magicaxeman

magicaxeman

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I've often wondered if people always get G.A.S or are always looking for the next camera that can focus a millisecond faster,lock on and track more reliably, has a larger sensor, more megapixels, better high ISO/low noise etc etc...........

Or are you content with the gear you have? Does it meet all your needs and do all you want?


As for myself I'm actually content right now, my camera bodies & lenses do all I want and I have no purchases planned.
 
I’m pretty happy with my Sony a9s’ though I can see room for improvement still, just there is nothing out I’d rather for the job - a big firmware update is coming, so that will keep me happy for a while longer.

Leica Q, my favourite camera is getting a successor with 47MP up from 24MP. What that means to me is more versatility in crop mode so I only need to travel with one camera, in fact I’ve decided upon it and ready to sell my loved Hasselblad X1D.

So i’m Sometimes content but only because there is nothing else I’m currently interested it :)
 
None of the points in your opening paragraph concern me. The digital camera I use is quite up to the things I use it for; and my main photographic interests are well covered by my film cameras. Where I can get GAS is from buying a different camera becuase of its "feel", its historical interest, or simply that long ago I would have liked one.

So far as fitness for the purpose goes, I'm content. Although a 10x8 camera with triple extension could tempt me if the price were right.
 
Would love to say I'm content with any camera and lens combination, as I'm not much of a gear head just like some comfort in knowing the bit of gear I have can do the job. My gear doesn't need to please anyone but me, but I'll always want a little more.

So I'll vote honestly on option 2, none of them 100%fit the bill
 
My current gear is ideal for what I need it for now and the foreseeable future
Small light camera and small light lenses for travel, mainly cities so needs to fit in a messenger type bag or small rucksack
If that changes I may consider something else, so for now its a one from me
 
I tend to replace my main body every 5 - 7 years and I’ve had the current one 2 years so I’m years away from even considering a change. If anything I’d be looking at downgrading as the camera I have is more capable than I currently need.

Lenses I’ve chopped and changed a bit, depends on what I need for whatever project I’m doing, but it’s been fairly stable for a while now.
 
Hi, I am satisfied with my cameras I use mostly, all are "back-level"

- Leica M9 (from 2010) - for cityscapes, landscapes, static cars

- SONY A7R2 - travel, cityscapes, mostly with 21mm, static cars with 35mm, 55mm

- Nikon D800- for cars in action with 4/70-200 (due to poor SONY AF performance)

I never sell equipment, to force me to look for real progress when buying something new.

I was tempted a little by the new FUJI "super-FF" cameras. However, progress appears minimal, according to depreview,
and no IS means carrying a monopod.

Maybe, with an 100MP and IS I shall change my mind. On the other hand, "super-FF" will be cumbersome and heavy ... ---
 
I'm happy I think. X-T2, & an IR X-T1. If I won the lottery, I'd do something silly (Leica M10), but I don't actually *need* to. The X-T2 gives me superb quality up to A2 and the lenses are fab.

Best not to talk about film though... That's a whole 'nother ball game :)
 
Quite happy with my EOS 80D body, it does what I need and the image quality is decent. My main Sigma 120-400mm lens I would get rid of right now if I had the spare cash to upgrade. It's not great and I often feel it holds me back with it's poor image quality at the long end and some slightly dodgy AF sometimes. I see shots people have taken with the Canon 100-400mm L II and can see such a difference in sharpness, but dropping £2k (or £1300 if I went down the grey import route) on a new lens just isn't feasible at the moment. That said, what I really want is the Sigma 120-300mm f2.8 Sport lens but that's even more expensive.
 
There is always a job that comes in that requires a piece of equipment that I don't have, so end up having to buy!

I am still at the kit building stage and do wonder when I will have everything!!
 
I've recently upgraded my camera body to the Canon 60d and I'm happy with it. Lens wise I want to upgrade my Tamron 55-200mm to the Canon 55-250mm STM in the next couple of months and I fancy getting a wide angle lens like the 10-18mm as well. I'm still trying to decide whether I need this lens or just want it :)
 
Presently looking to upgrade my D610 for better focusing and possibly flippy rear screen. Image quality is good enough, but a movable rear screen would be really useful, since I often shoot at low level, and have to guess what will be in frame.
 
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I’m happy with my D810, D750 and the three lenses I need. I was lucky to acquire the D810 but photography isn’t really about kit, and as tech advances have slowed down there’s little benefit of upgrading it now. Maybe when mirrorless has matured, but the costs of equivalent gear will no doubt be eye watering.
 
I am only too aware that I am way behind the capabilities of my current cameras but the only itch that might need to be scratched is FF - but I'm actually more inclined to lust after a medium format outfit than FF "35mm" if you get my drift. But frankly I'll have to do a lot more photography before I become frustrated with my gear. My D500 with a couple of very good Sigma lenses covers everything I might want to do in one set of scenarios of interest, and I am just started to explore the capabilities of M43 Olympus kit and liking it.
 
Depends on which camera system you are talking about.

X-E2 with many lenses, I'm happy with this system. Love taking photos with it and everything about it. X-E3 is nice, but no WR and none of my lens is WR so makes upgrading slightly pointless, or very costly. So I voted no plans to upgrade.

X100 classic........ with my baby coming up to 1 years old, and the fact he is never still, the quirky slow AF in X100 makes it very difficult to use on the baby. But I'm not sure I'll ever upgrade this though, for taking photo of everything else, I still prefer the sensor output of X100 over anything else I've tried.

I used to be a gear-head when I started with Nikon crop, then switched to Canon full frame and a host of L lenses. Fujifilm X100 stopped all that, X-E2 gave me options to changing perspective. Now all new gear seems pointless, only slightly better. I focus on my photos now.
 
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Happy with what I currently use. Having said that, I am quite tempted to augment the current 3 Fuji bodies by adding 2 more X-T2s to what I currently use. I suppose that could be seen as an upgrade but I think that having 3 identical bodies will make sense!
 
My digital camera is just fine (EOS 80D) as are the lenses I have for it. I am going to buy a long lens for my Micro 4/3 camera as I am begining to struggle with the weight of my Canon kit.

To keep my GAS happy, I buy frequent film cameras but they do not count.
 
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magicaxeman said:
I've often wondered if people always get G.A.S or are always looking for the next camera that can focus a millisecond faster,lock on and track more reliably, has a larger sensor, more megapixels, better high ISO/low noise etc etc...........

Or are you content with the gear you have? Does it meet all your needs and do all you want?


As for myself I'm actually content right now, my camera bodies & lenses do all I want and I have no purchases planned.
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I find it rather pointless because people often forgot that it is their own performance they should be thinking about.

What is the point of buying a new camera that focus a millisecond faster than the camera belonging to the photographer standing next to you, if the guy with faster camera was slow to react to something, while the other guy foresaw something and already started taking photos? Your new camera may have a shutter lag of like 50ms while the other guy's camera may have a slower lag like 100ms, but you moved your finger slower than him, thus despite having a slower camera, the other guy took a photograph before you do.

I once had a computer with Windows XP and still using Microsoft Word 97, a friend pointed out that Windows 8 and Office 2010 would be a lot faster. I feel like wanting to say "Huh!" Because I was trained in touch typing and could do about 50 words per minute (I forgotten my speed) but I know my friend would jab at the keyboard with index fingers thus is slower at typing. I may have a slow machine and software but I could finish a one page document before the guy with the faster machine and software.

I would prefer to wait until the technical gap is a lot bigger. For example, if I have a camera that have 5MP and out comes cameras that have 6MP, I would not bother upgrading. But if I have a camera that have 5MP and out comes cameras with 20MP, I would buy. If I have a camera that have a maximum of ISO 800 and out comes cameras with ISO 1600, well I may not think about it. But If I have ISO 800 and out comes a camera with ISO 6400, I would.

I would not bother drooling over the next model if it have an extra half frame per second than the current model. But ten years later, I would drool over a model that is generations ahead to the current model, and is like ten times faster than what I have.
 
StephenM said:
Where I can get GAS is from buying a different camera becuase of its "feel", its historical interest, or simply that long ago I would have liked one.
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I can accord with this. And there's little wrong with it. Though the main thrust of photography has to be the images and not the equipment.

Major Eazy said:
I find it rather pointless because people often forgot that it is their own performance they should be thinking about.
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Ha! Of course!
 
Learning again, but thats not changed in 40 years plus, do not see why the next “latest” wont have me back there again lol
 
I voted "I'm content" :)

I think..... A7, CV21/3.5, CV40/1.2 & FE85/1.8 - I do have the kit zoom somewhere & also some older manual (non-FE) lenses.

I will admit, the A7iii niggles at me from time to time (but I did only buy the 21 & 40 in December) so although I could afford it if I had to or really wanted to, it can wait ;) For what I shoot, I don't need the latest features of the latest bodies. Yeah, they would be better to use no doubt, but it's balancing cost vs need.

I have just bought my boy a telescope though (he was supposed to be buying it himself :rolleyes::)) so there's a chance I may get into astro I guess..... ;):LOL::LOL:
 
There isn't really an option for how I feel.

I upgraded to an 80D last year (from a 600D) as I'd heard good things about reduced noise. But if I'm brutally honest, I don't see much difference in the final results.

So i suppose my answer would be:

Slightly disappointed with my current kit, but in no position to upgrade or switch.

What I am loving (weirdly) is the 20D I bought for £50 recently as a go-anywhere camera.

I love the simplicity of it and the lower cost means lower expectations about image quality, so it's really forcing me to think about what I point it at. The only thing it's missing is live view for when you have it in awkward positions - I took it out with a small tripod the other day and it meant lying on the ground to frame stuff.
 
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I am content with my camera ... but I do want a longer lens, though I have no need for it just yet.

I have a 5D mkIII which I upgraded to from a 40D. When the specs for the 5D mk III were first released, I knew straight away it was the perfect camera for me - I shoot a mix of landscape and wildlife as my preference and the usual family photos too. I've done a few weddings for family and friends too where this camera has really excelled (no plans to ever do it for other people, though!). I find the colours, the AF, the button layout on it perfect for me, and I don't need any more from it, so I have no desire to change.

The longer lens I would like is a Sigma 120-300 f2.8. I go to Botswana every other year ... all my favourite mammal photos have been taken at f2.8 - f4.5 and many of my shots I have at 280mm f4, I feel would benefit from having been shot at f2.8 - f3.2. I find the 300mm focal length to be fine on the whole for the location, but the option of having a 420mm f4 is pretty nice too. But it is a specific lens for a specific situation, and due to having young kids I can't make the most of it, so I'll make do with my 70-200 f2.8 +1.4x tc for a few more years.
 
Although I’ve just bought a Z6, I actually needed one for the silent shooting aspect. Apart from that, I don’t have any desires for more gear. I’ve built up the collection I needed over the years. If anything I will be downsizing as some stuff doesn’t see daylight until I have my bi annual sort out.
 
Happy with all my gear now. With everything I've accumulated, my current gear far outweighs my own skill level and can see the only upgrade I make in the future being a replacement body when my X-T2 kicks the bucket.
 
I'm Happy with my 7 year old D800, still learning how to use it to its full potential. I have lenses that cover 12mm to 400mm. I could do with more reach at full frame but not that often.
I will be doing some macro and still life in years to come, so will be spending out on lighting of some sort or other.
 
Fraser Euan White said:
I don't think the poll in this thread is a good reflection - if you read the equipment forums there clearly are gearheads but in denial!
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Ah, but you're assuming that the same people who want to "talk equipment" also want to "talk photography" :exit:
 
I am pretty happy with my Fuji set up, although I do keep thinking about the better tracking of the T3 over my T2, or the IBIS of the H1. Anyway, I haven't got any money to spend so I guess I can think about it, but not do it.

On a serious note, swapping out my Canon gear (7D, 7D2 & 6D1) for Fuji was the best thing I've done in ages. I wasn't taking the big heavy DSLR out, or I'd leave locked in the boot of the car. The Fuji gear is so versatile and light, it goes everywhere with me.
 
Fraser Euan White said:
I don't think the poll in this thread is a good reflection - if you read the equipment forums there clearly are gearheads but in denial!
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This did make me chuckle. When I saw the poll results I was like "eh???" o_O

62k posts in Talk Equipment which is the 2nd highest "posted-in" forum beaten only by... you guessed it... the classifieds!!
 
I'm a total gear head, but NONE of my cameras are less than 5 years old.
I've never seen a camera that can do everything I want, when a useful feature gets added there's usually something else removed - and I have multiple contradictory requirements...
I'm confident I'll continue to use 4 of my bodies over the course of the year.
Admittedly some of the newer models get considerably closer to my ideals than the models I use, but I've not found anyone willing to buy my kids, so I have to accept some restrictions. Multiple systems with each costing thousands is not going to happen.

I might just get tempted to add another system to my arsenal if I come across a Pentax Q7 at rock bottom prices. It could give a whole new angle to some of my smaller lenses. :D
 
Petrochemist said:
I've never seen a camera that can do everything I want,
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Quoted for truth!

It would be lovely of such a beast existed - for me, the Fuji X system is closest to it but even they aren't perfect.
 
I think I hit a perfect storm of being fully sold on the concept of mirrorless back when Fuji released the X-Pro1, but none of the bodies really being quite good enough to replace a DSLR, so I had major GAS for quite a few years from 2012 to 2017 and changed systems A LOT, often back and forth between mirrorless and DSLRs, mainly Fuji and Nikon.

Now I have an a7III / a7RII I'm genuinely settled and I don't pay a great deal of attention to gear, which I have to say is an incredibly nice feeling. My visits to photography tech sites etc are about 1% of what they used to be. My a7RII is comfortably the longest I've owned a camera since my Nikon D90 way back when, and was the point where DSLRs became a complete irrelevance to me.

Harlequin565 said:
This did make me chuckle. When I saw the poll results I was like "eh???" o_O

62k posts in Talk Equipment
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I think that's because owners threads are a comfortable place to settle in and discuss anything and everything (without starting new threads all the time), not necessarily because people are looking to buy new gear.
 
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Although there's a fair bit of mockery about gearheads and GAS (not completely unjustified) many older digital cameras were not at all great and distinctly got in the way of the image creation process. I'd say that time is pretty much over now, and so many modern cameras are really capable and excellent bits of kit that the drive to upgrade because of improvements is much weaker.
 
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