A “So… This Gear Or That” Series Rethink: New Gear Releases Don’t Do It For Me Anymore.
(Throwback pic of my son for interest.)
A recent Lumix release initially prompted me to write a “So…” post about it. These posts document my internal argument for not succumbing to the latest gadget acquisition syndrome-triggering event. Namely this:
This was an easy dodge, though:
- I am not a part of the L MOUNT ALLIANCE!… <ahem> and…
- Unique L Mount Alliance lenses are pricey and/or not that special and many are available for the system I already have.
- If I were to cave to a Lumix camera it would be the much less expensive and permanently on sale Lumix S5 II/50mm f/1.8 kit that haunted my B&H shopping cart for the longest. In the end the last thing I need another mount to feed.
- You get a free lens! Not really, but that is what I tell myself.
- It is video centric from what I see and I do not really do video.
- 24MP is just fine. Better than fine, but I have been irretrievably spoiled by the 33MP A7C II.
So on to my primary conceit. The “So..” posts.
I am not saying anything I have not said before.
I do not need new gear. Video reviews are starting to sound like this comedy skit to me:
I have said that video is not my thing. I am happy for those who do video that such products exist. but when they get to the video portion of the reviews it pretty much sounds like that clip to me.
Ok. I managed to distract myself again. The point.
I do not need new gear anymore.
Years old cameras do it for me.
My last upgrades were a practical consideration.
Since I am planning to retire from my main form of income generation in the not too distant future I wanted to upgrade my main kit to more recent offerings, mainly because they were more recent offerings. While they suited me just fine, they were dirt old by camera gear standards and would be more so by the time I retired. And I wanted to move that needle a bit.
Not because the gear I had was not capable enough. They crushed it.
A7III.
A7C.
Heck. Give me an A7II and I would be fine.
A camera released in <checks notes> 2014.
I am fine with other brands.
Canon EOS RP.
Leica Q.
I have nothing against DSLRs.
Canon EOS 5D.
Pentax K-1.
Crop sensors are fine, also.
Sony a6100.
Olympus E-P5.
How about a crop and DSLR? Nikon D3300.
Ok, I will stop.
My point is that for me latest and greatest does not really matter. Any gear I do choose comes down to personal preference. Yes, others do have use cases where the latest gee-whiz features do matter. But not for me. I count myself lucky in that regard. On the one hand anyway. The flip side of that is that my gear issues stem from wanting everything. This post is more dangerous to my wallet than any new release. With this walk down gear memory lane it takes everything in my power not to pivot over to MPB.com or KEH.com and start typing “Pentax K-1” ‘in the search box…
But I am good.
Most recently, I have learned that the best cure is taking a bit of kit similar to the old specs I am obsessing over out and about. Worked the last time I had one of these flare ups.
So. I am good.
As fun as the constant hunt for the next thing to buy?
Nope.
But much friendlier to my wallet and makes it easier to decide what to bring when leaving the house.
Welp. That is it for now.
Happy capturing.
-ELW
Eric L. Woods 