Wednesday, July 15, 2009

As the bard said, 'that is the question"

To paraphrase the BARD: " to upgrade or not to upgrade, that is the question"....
This is the most frustrating thing about digital. It's not necessarily the need to get a better camera but the perceived need and the fear that what we have at hand will be obsolete. We get on this escalator and cannot get off at a floor that we deem satisfactory so we keep on going up and up. Take the 5D for example, it a superb camera that takes superb photos, It has it's problems like all cameras but it is, in my opinion, a classic. I have two of them and will not give them up. Do I want a 5DII? Of course I do but what real advantages based on what I use the camera for are there? Of course it does video superbly etc. I use the "old" 5D outdoors in day time mostly so noise is not an issue. As for resolution, I believe that 13.9 mega pixels is quite enough especially when shooting raw. The files are really huge.
As I have posted before, professionally, I use the D700, but this is a personal choice and has nothing to do with which brand is better. So as I lust over the 5DII. I must ask myself the basic question of why. And that is the hard question. When the mark II came out the original still took great shots and it still does. So what is all this angst! Are we really falling for the marketing hype? Will be ever be satisfied and get off that escalator?
Surely the new models are better but will hey make us better photographers? This is the larger question. There are people using Olgas who are creating incredible images, for example.
I believe that we should all take a deep breath and count to ten before we upgrade.

2 comments:

  1. I agree with the 5D debate. I cherish my, ahem, your 5D that I have so graciously adopted. Its more than I can ask for in a camera, always delivering, just a perfect camera. And I get very stuck in whatever camera I am used to. Its like and undying love! There are time when you get to the point where you have to just move on, but for now I am still i love, but do love the video aspect of the new 5D. I guess for digital camera geeks, new cameras is like fashion, always need to have the newest edgiest camera. We are consumers in our DNA, to the detriment of our wallets and to the environment. Its the argument of do we move forward for the sake of moving forward or just say, thats enough, we have everything we need. The answer is obvious. We are meant to continue moving forward. I will always have a special place in my heart for my 5D though.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, I see a subtle request for a 5DII.
    We shall see. My resolve is ebbing...I'm in trouble, I think.

    ReplyDelete

Fall splendor