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The Photographers Lament
To buy or not to buy
I stared at the screen with my right hand poised over the “enter” key. Is this something I need or want to do? Buy a camera costing twice as much as the one I owned?
The little devil on my left shoulder, wearing a frayed tweed jacket, fedora tipped back on his head, with a tiny old-fashioned camera slung around his neck, whispered.
“Do it, buy the camera. You need it, you want it. “
A tiny figure suspiciously resembling my wife sat on my right shoulder, whispering sternly.
“Don’t you dare! The camera is way too expensive, and you don’t need it!”
Lost in thought, I evaluated the positives and negatives of my upcoming decision.
I had a good camera. A mirrorless camera, a Nikon Z6II, purchased three years ago. An entry-level prosumer camera, it was the first serious camera I had owned in a long time.
At the time of purchase, its capabilities were beyond the limits of my photographic skills. I saw it as a camera I could grow with while establishing long-forgotten photography skills.
Working with the Nikon became a delightful journey of discovery and self-satisfaction. My skills improved on each outing as my photos sharpened and my eye for composition.
Over time, I made a subtle transition from improvement to a conscious desire for perfection. The Z6 II was a mid-resolution general-purpose camera but advanced resolution, better autofocus and other features of a pro-level camera started calling.
Happy but untethered thoughts floated around my brain housing unit. A cornucopia of sophisticated pro-level cameras enticed me as I flipped through the virtual pages of the B&H catalog. Having that camera would make life great. I could be a contender!
Yet after a few minutes of internet high, pragmatic thinking prevails. I am only an amateur photographer. I don’t do photography for a living. It is only a hobby. Is this a realistic expenditure?
If you think about it, a camera, for us nonprofessionals, is a luxury item. In case of a cataclysmic event, the last item on the list would be a 2-pound piece of metal. Its practical use would end after hammering in the…
