Last Camera Syndrome?

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Saw this article yesterday... I do not think many on this forum are suffering from the disease, but am I wrong. It seems many of us continue to invest in the industry :)

https://photographylife.com/last-camera-syndrome/
I'm certainly not in the market for a new body and probably won't be for a long time. My D750 does so much so well and does it in a light, crisp package that suits me well. it's going to take a significant increase in technology to get me let go of it and that doesn't mean mirrorless (ugh!); at least not yet. My plan is to reevaluate the state of the market once I've burned out the shutter in my current D750.
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Danno

Senior Member
I'm certainly not in the market for a new body and probably won't be for a long time. My D750 does so much so well and does it in a light, crisp package that suits me well. it's going to take a significant increase in technology to get me let go of it and that doesn't mean mirrorless (ugh!); at least not yet. My plan is to reevaluate the state of the market once I've burned out the shutter in my current D750.
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I am kind of in the same boat. I love my D7200 and I am now enjoying the D700 I purchased from a friend. I think it will be a while before I make a change. I could upgrade the D700 at some point, but it would take a lot to get me to upgrade the D7200 - it meets my needs. Both the D700 and D7200 have a lot of life left in them.
 

Fortkentdad

Senior Member
While one of the symptoms of my G.A.S. is perpetual lens lust, it isn't limited to lenses. I just 'invested' in some Godox lighting gear with three units and triggers earlier this year and already I'm lusting after a nice LED constant lighting system. Don't get me started on bags and cases. But as far as bodies go - well my sister-in-law loves her new Olympus mirrorless and I find myself thinking "me too, me too, I need one of those" "Our" err now my wife's D5100 works just fine but the D5600 would be so much better. And hey I have one of those D610's which the author of the article referenced by the Danno as Nikon's 'fiasco". I wonder how many new FX lens buyers the introduction of this entry level FX body brought to Nikon? Anyway, it is an entry level FX so I NEED to upgrade, maybe the new D8XX will be the cat's meow, or perhaps I should just bite the bullet and get a D5 or save a few pennies and settle for a D4 refurbished - only to upgrade to a D6 someday. And if they ever come up with an FX with the swivel screen of the D5100 - I'll jump all over it.

Unless I retire and have to learn to budget better because every Monday morning as I drag myself out of bed, I think to myself is this the week I drop the "I'm retiring on _____" letter on the CEO's desk? My GAS keeps me saying not this week. But we just amended the corporate employee policy to read "employees are expected to work until 71" - meaning 65 the old 'expected date" is now considered "early retirement". So instead of three years, I could be behind the desk another nine. .... so lots of time for that D5.

No, I'm not in my 'last camera state" - I expect there will be a new body someday in my camera bag.

Now my truck, I bought a big decked out diesel so that it would be my last truck, ... that was 2010, ... yes I've looked at the new ones ....
 

STM

Senior Member
I recently retired my D300 for a D7100. I did it in mind that that would be the last DX camera I needed for long distance Nature Photography. My D700 is still trucking along after over 5 years and I don't see a need to upgrade it any time soon. If I do I will probably get a D3X. High ISO is not an area where I tend to photograph so I don't need anything past that. It would be a waste to go with a D4 or D5 for me.

I agree with the author's assessment. Many cameras are getting "bloated" with high MP sensors. Honestly, unless you are going to do BANNER SIZED images, why do you need anything more than say 24 MP?? I have had billboards made from client work I did with the D700 and they look just fine to me. And for REALLY critical client work I toss digital aside and go to the "gold standard", the Hasselblad, anyway. I think Nikon and Canon both are guilty of not listening to their consumers on what they want. They are still playing the MP game.

As for lenses, I have AI/AIS from 16mm fisheye to 600mm super telephoto and pretty much everything in between. My purely mechanical and absolutely reliable lenses will last me until I no longer want or am able to do photography.

As for camera phones replacing REAL cameras, well I will just keep my thoughts on that to my self so as not to offend any "phone phreaks"
 
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STM

Senior Member
Most can find a need for a new camera----------------------- if they want one ;)

But before they do, they need to sit down and be TOTALLY HONEST with themselves and ask if a new camera will make them a better photographer. I would say 95% of the time the honest answer would be NO. They would do better working on their skills as a photographer and not fall into the trap of "I need a better camera to be a better photographer". You can take a $5500 D5 and STILL take crappy photos with it. On the other hand, an accomplished photographer can take an "ancient" D1 and within the limits of its abilities, still produce a stunning image.

It is not so much about the equipment as it is the photographer behind it. And you can quote me on that
 

STM

Senior Member
I totally agree with @STM. I call it having a "pixel fetish".

I really like the D7100, but compared to the D300 and D700 I don't like how much longer it takes PS to do what I ask it to do because the file size is so much larger.
 

TKC_D500

Senior Member
I'm in the "if you want it and can afford it then get it" camp. What someone else buys or used has no effect on my journey as a photographer whatsoever. I bought my D500 because my D90 was beyond what nikon said was the expected shutter count and didn't want it to fail and let me down at an important moment. Most everything said so far in this thread is true, but in the end if a new piece of kit will inspire you to get out and shoot, go for it! Now if someone will just send me a 200mm f2 I will be happy! For a while anyway.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
I originally bought my D70 in March of 2004 as this was Nikon's first consumer-level DSLR (I wanted a Nikon to be able to use my assortment of Nikon compatible film lenses). When the D200 was announced in Nov. 2005 and I got to play with one at a photography show I bought one due to it's increase from 6 to 10 MP and its more professional build quality and controls. I skipped the D300 and D300s because I didn't feel the jump from 10 to 12 MP and the other updates sufficient to warrant the cost of the jump. So I waited (and I waited) for the D400. Finally after 10+ years with the D200, I started to look for a replacement and had just about decided on the D7200. Then I heard about the D500. At first I was elated, but then I found out the D500 was only 21MP vs. 24MP for D7200. Plus the D500 lacked the builtin flash which is useful for quick shots, fill flash, and as a flash commander. About the only advantage the D500 had was faster frame rate and a bigger buffer as well as a little better build and very slightly better high ISO performance, but since I did not do much high speed action photography, I did not believe the D500 was worth about twice the price so I got the D7200 and am very, very pleased. The D7300/D7500 and D760/D850 rumors do not excite me, so at 71 years old, I am beginning to think the D7200 my be my last camera body.
 

pforsell

Senior Member
The four year upgrade cycle has been good to me. By the time the new models come out the old ones are getting a bit long in the tooth. Currently waiting for D5S next year and a little bit excited about a the D5X rumors :). My D3X has seen a lot of action lately since there was no D4X.

Interesting thing is that since I have never bought the first version of a body but the "facelift", all of my bodies are running flawlessly. The oldest D1H has over 450,000 shutter actuations with 150,000 rated life!

My path has been D1H & D1X -> D2Hs & D2X -> D3s & D3X -> D4s & none -> D5s & D5X next year. No D1, no D2H, no D3, no D4 and no D5 for me, but the S and X versions instead. And they rock!

I will soon need more shelf space for the bodies Oz


20170316-_1080156.jpg
 
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JH Foto

Senior Member
I really enjoyed owning a D7200 an amazing camera, but due to ill health and the inability to carry a DSLR + lenses I have to use a Panasonic FZ1000.
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
I thought the statement was pretty self explanatory. If you are a mediocre photographer, upgrading to a newer camera won't make you a better photographer. You will still be a mediocre photographer, just one with a new camera.
What if someone wants to upgrade fully understanding it won't make them a better photographer; what if they just want to upgrade their camera?
 

STM

Senior Member
What if someone wants to upgrade fully understanding it won't make them a better photographer; what if they just want to upgrade their camera?

Hey it is their money if they want to spend it without any gain in their abilities as a photographer then that is up to them. For me, if I am going to spend several grand on a camera body I need to have a good justification rather than "I just wanna new camera".
 
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Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Hey it is their money if they want to spend it without any gain in their abilities as a photographer then that is up to them. ...
And therein lies my point. Not everyone who "does" photography is on a lifelong journey to improve their photography. And that' s okay.
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STM

Senior Member
And therein lies my point. Not everyone who "does" photography is on a lifelong journey to improve their photography. And that' s okay.
...

I have to admit that that is a mentality I have a hard time understanding. Why would anyone who engages in a something not want to improve their abilities? It is human nature.
 

Bikerbrent

Senior Member
I have to admit that that is a mentality I have a hard time understanding. Why would anyone who engages in a something not want to improve their abilities? It is human nature.

Then how else do you explain why so many people are abandoning all forms of dedicated cameras to shoot exclusively with their smartphones or tablets? Even with full manual and f1.8, I can't blur the background on a closeup shot of a flower on my wife's LG G4. These people are obviously satisfied with the snapshots they take.
 
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