So, Christmas has now been and gone for another year… And all too quickly, don’t you think?!
No doubt many of you received a fine array of photographic gear to keep you going through the coming months. These new ‘toys’ are a joy to behold. The untarnished buttons, the polycarbonate mouldings, the shiny gizmos and gadgets that you plan to use (some of which you probably won’t)… And let’s not forget the promise of all those multiple award-winning pictures yet to come!
But I’d like you to spare a thought for those less fortunate. I’m not talking about those people who aren’t as lucky as you (although, please do); no, I’m talking about those items of kit at the bottom of your camera bag which you’ve now consigned to an early retirement because you hold in your hands their latest and greatest successors.
The sad fact is that a great many photographers – both professional and amateur – make this same mistake year after year. Ok, so it’s their money and their lives, but it does frustrate me to think of the way photo gear automatically becomes obsolete to these people in the weeks and months immediately following Christmas. It seems such a waste – and for what? To be seen to keep up with the Joneses?
To clarify: I think it’s great that technology moves on at a pace year after year. Many of the developments are necessary and vastly beneficial. I also fully encourage investing in your hobby or profession; I think you should definitely invest in new kit, purchasing the best that you can afford – so long as you get out there and use it to its full potential!
But, speaking from a professional stand-point, it makes perfect sense to me to make purchases only when the need really arises. You’ve got to protect the bottom line. Technical malfunction, new job-specific requirements, the simple need to update after X number of years – these are clearly all legitimate reasons to upgrade.
Call it what you like, but the kit I use often comes with a weighty price tag – and I’m not made of money!
To illustrate my point, here’s an example taken from my own kit list…
Much of the gear I have still does its intended job perfectly well – even after 10, 15, 20+ years of use. The picture you see above shows my well-worn, well-used Lowepro Photo Trekker AW (circa 1992?), which I still use on occasions – most recently on this shoot.
Sure, it’s rather scuffed-up and doesn’t share the sleek lines of the newer models but hey, it still protects my kit in the harshest of environments. Clearly, this should stand as testament to the build quality and materials used – but more importantly, it should tell you that I have faith in the brand, to the point where I am still happy to throw their products around all these years later – quite literally!
Remember when you first purchased your now-battered camera, lens, bag etc? It was nice and shiny and the greatest thing since sliced bread, right? It may not look pretty now, but give it a chance and discover that it can still deliver the goods.
After all, many people don’t really care what kit you use, so long as the results are great. Dare I say it – it’s not what you’ve got, but how you use it that counts.
