Random Neural Firing: I Think New Cameras Have Surpassed My Use Case.
Recent film pic in header for interest. Heads up. Another ramble fest. A metaphor will be stretched to its limit. You have been warned.
I was going to use the blog title:
I think camera companies have run out of ideas.
But that seemed a bit harsh.
After thinking more about it I do not think that is the issue. For a model of what is occuring with cameras I look to cars.
When I was growing up I had massive posters of exotic cars on my wall. Specifically a Porsche 959, Lamborghini Countach, and a Farrari Tesarossa if memory serves me. Loud, fast, beautiful, dangerous machines. I was also a fan of the everyday sports cars. Your Mustangs, Camaros, 300ZXs, Supras, and the like. But something has happened since then.
It started with sports sedans. Or sedans in general. For example my first post college degree first real job car purchase was a Toronado Red, 5 speed manual, VW Passat. I also drove an AWD Mitsubishi Eclipse Turbo that same day. An actually swift Eclipse before the bloated, defanged wonder that Fast and Furious pretended was fast that followed it… Have yet to see a single one of those movies… Anyhoo.
My Father was shocked that I chose the Passat.
He was a muscle car aficianado whose vehicle history included a modified ’56 Chevy in HS and a Plymouth Road Runner. My reasoning was simple.
- I drifted the Eclipse on a backroad during my solo test drive… During the test drive. After the dopamine hit wore off, I immediately realized that car would end me. I acknowledged that I did not have the restraint necessary to wield such a vehicle safely.
- The VW was enough fun. Rowing through the gears was a hoot and as a bonus it had a backseat my Dad could easily fit in, instead of the padded package tray behind the Eclipse’s front seat. My one and only modification was a wood Momo shift knob.
Both were the same price, so it was purely a choice of reason over unnecessary indulgence.
And after that, mainstream sedans got even faster and handled even better.
And after that EVs came around upending the whole my car is faster than yours thing.
No passion involved, admittedly, but it is harder for me to get excited about a fire breathing muscle car or exotic when you see it matched or doors blown off my God’s own golf cart. In a straight line anyway.
And the Hyundai comes in with the Ioniq 5 N, and it also manages turns and laughs.
So. Game over for me then.
Yes. Does my knuckle hair grow out a bit when I hear the roar of a V8? Yes. It is built into my DNA courtesy of my Dad. But I would no longer purchase one. And while we are at it…
Luxury cars.
But first, a used car purchaser primer.
I buys cars used. That Passat was the last car I bought new. My hyper logical subconscious mind did the math and whispered to me as the wheel left the dealer’s lot. Psst.
This car cost $17K (1990 prices, people. I am solidly Gen X.).
Add in financing, taxes, and whatnot we are probably looking at paying $29k when the dust settles.
When that tire hit the street the car became a $15k used car, so day one you are in the hole $5k.
Geez. Thanks subconscious. Such a buzzkill.
And I have bought nothing but used cars since.
Even converted my only buy new Father to my ways, occasionally. Went from all new cars to him letting me take a swipe at shopping for him first.
Back to luxury cars.
When my hoonery inspiring retired police car Dadmobile…
…succumbed to the notorious HEMI tick… as they do. I pivoted hard to a car I had been eyeing for years.
I used to look at luxury cars with some envy. This car is so nice that the first thought was, what would a luxury brand do for me that this car does not do? Handles phenomenally. Looks the business. And unlike many luxury brands, it is less expensive to fix, and this is theoretical because so far (Knocks on wood.) I have not had to. And it gets great gas mileage. I am good.
Well, recently, after another favorite German Audi cousin…
…mechanically totaled itself, we bought the car that was at the top of my virtual used car shopping list.
I love this flipping car.
Had lamented Honda doing away with the Turbo 5 speed Sport option from the last generation. That was the first car I was looking to buy before I went with the MAZDA above.
I like Hondas. We have owned a number of them. But unlike the MAZDA I did not look at Honda for a stirring driving experience. And I speak from experience. At the same time that I owned that first Toronado red VW Passat mentioned above I also owned a Honda Accord. Decent, but driving dynamics-wise wise it was an appliance compared to the VW.
In the end I also went with the MAZDA then because of its lower price and far better fuel economy. Well, the same applies here.
While yapping with my wife at the start of the first post HEMI test drive of the MAZDA above, I looked down and realized I had quickly and quietly slid up into license losing territory without realizing it, mumbled a cuss, and slowed down. Yeah. More than enough horsepower for me. It is not like I am out here drag racing other Fathers for pink slips.
Same with the Honda. First time driving a hybrid, so after the button press, I stood still waiting for the engine to start before realizing, Oh yeah. Hybrid. It is ready to go. Pushed the accelerator and…
Yeah. I’m good.
The thing scooted off the line confidently.
And to my great surprise, the handling matched the MAZDA. Might surpass it. They are close either way. Both are far better than the fast in a straight line and built in and tuned for the US market VW Passat I was replacing. Which is high praise for the Honda. And, courtesy the Hybrid system, it has far, far better fuel economy. Then you add in a giant backseat (Bigger than the VW or Dodge Charger, while we are at it.), more than enough tech, including a few features that I did not even know were a thing, and I am beyond good. As a result…
I love this car.
When I see a new car test, I am left thinking… Ok, nice. But I really like my car.
You can keep your luxury and latest and greatest cars.
A long road, but this brings us back to the task at hand.
That is exactly how I feel when a new camera is released now.
They offer new features I personally do not need, and specs beyond the ridiculous specs I already have. Yes, others need these features, and that is fine. But I do not.
And back to cars for a moment. I think car companies started running out of stuff to put on a car, so they started to charge more to take stuff off. Italian exotic brands will release Superleggara models where they often delete features like A/C, stereos, and even replace door hanles with cloth pull straps… What? Yes. Technically a lighter car is a faster car. Should improve handling as well.
But my Warrenton/Sylacauga roots see this as charging me more for less stuff.
Well, I offer that this is now happening with the camera market.
So much stuff has been added that we are starting to be charged extra to remove stuff.
Remove the ability to create RAW files.
Remove the ability to take color photos.
I do not fault them for this… but I am not interested in a Superlegerra camera.
What is my point?
Let’s see. How can I say this? Wait, I actually managed to get back to where I started.
- I think camera companies have run out of ideas.
- I Think New Cameras Have Surpassed My Use Case.
Similar to the cars that are coming out nowadays. Wait, don’t groan yet. I swear I have one more reason to beat this dead horse of a metaphor.
Despite the fascination I had with more and more power in my youth, that has passed. I do not need a family sedan that will rip off sub 5 second 0-60 times. I do not need recent attempts at fully autonous driving and other recent marvels of technology.
Similarly, with regard to recent cameras, they have begun offering features I have no need for.
I should be happy.
But similar to cars (sorry), it has also made me lose interest in new gear.
The horror.
Now what am I supposed to read about and watch on Youtube?
I guess I need to just go out, learn more techniques, and take more pictures…
Wait… that is pretty awesome actually.
Happy capturing.
-ELW
Eric L. Woods 
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