To upgrade or not to upgrade

One of the questions I am asked more than any other is " Should I replace my old camera with the latest model?" The simple answer is, there is no simple answer! Are you upgrading because the retailer's ad has convinced you that you can't do without this latest fancy toy, or have you exhausted the capabilities of your existing equipment? If you can answer this question honestly, then whether or not you should spend your hard-earned cash becomes clear.

I honestly believe that it is rarely worth upgrading a little compact camera. If you are satisfied with the picture quality why bother? Newer models are often sold on the promise of massive pixel count but what does this mean? To the average user, not much I'm afraid. On average an extra two megapixels, that's two million pixels, will add a border less than three centimetres thick around the outside of an A4 print. Not terribly impressive is it? There is also the issue of sensor size, the more pixels that are crammed in, the more digital noise becomes a problem. My first digital compact was a little Toshiba with 3.1 megapixels, a miserable amount compared with modern offerings yet the photos I took with it seven years ago are still perfectly acceptable today.

 If you are using a DSLR camera you may think that the latest Canon, Nikon or whatever will immediately let you create better photographs; not necessarily. Any modern camera I have used has been capable of stunning results when used properly. I have three Nikons, a D40x, a D200 and a D700 and in decent light you would be hard pressed to tell which of these produced any given image on your monitor. Which lens rather than which camera you are using will often make the greatest difference. Even then, in good light at average settings there will be very little visible difference between the typical kit lenses offered with many cameras and the most expensive glass on the market.

So, should you upgrade or not? Get to know your equipment inside out and explore its potential fully. When you have done that you won't have to ask anybody else, you will know the answer yourself.

Go to www.imagesbygeorge.co.uk to see more of my work.