Wow I gotta have one of those

[Grandpaw]

I have always been amazed when reading about the new cameras and all the new super dooper things that they are able to do. I am also amazed at the amount of people that haven't
even taken the time to learn a fraction of what their current camera is capable of before they jump ship and get the newer model with all the latest bells and whistles on them.

I try and learn as much about the camera that I own as possible. Nobody ever learns everything about what their camera can do but in my opinion most of the people I talk to or read about would benefit more from spending more time learning about their current camera than from spending money on a newer one that they will never learn but a small fraction of the functions on it either.

I have a plan where you can do both. In my opinion, if you must have some new bells and whistles, most of the folks could save a ton of money by going to the Dollar Store because you should be able to get a bunch of bells and whistles there for very little. In the long run you just might be better off investing more time learning about what you own than investing a lot of money on newer equipment. Take the money you saved and take a fun vacation where you can take some pictures and capture some memories, Jeff :idea:

[Frog]

I agree, Jeff.
Consider all the famous photos that were taken before digital was even thought of and how many were taken with digital years ago.
Composition and focus, composition and focus, composition and focus.

[wfooshee]

But... But.... More megapixels and more frames per second and more focus points and more metering points and bigger sensors and higher ISOs and more bracketing modes and better viewfinder and bigger LCD and better menus!!!

I NEED alla dat stuff! It'll make me BETTER!!!!

Sarcasm over. As a hobbyist rather than a professional, I'm in a different world than most folks here, but the same idea applies. Having gone through a Canon AE-1, a Nikon n8008, a Sony point-and-shoot (first digital,) a Nikon D50, and a Nikon D5000, I can say that the only two I replaced because they limited me were the point-and-shoot and the D50. Granted, this is a different level than someone looking to upgrade from, say, a D300, but upgrading because that one is 16 MPs and the one you have is "only" 12 just doesn't make sense.

[draymorton]

I agree up to a point. But certain equipment will afford you possibilities which other equipment simply will not.

Ex: I shoot stage performances with a 5d Mark II. Were I to have the luxury of shooting with a Mark III, my images would be better. Why? Less noise, the possibility of shooting at higher shutter speeds or tighter apertures (courtesy of higher sensitivity), more refined image quality, etc.

I'm not saying I can't shoot a decent image with what I have now. I'm just saying that the images would be better with the newer technology.

OTOH... if Robert Knight or Jim Marshall were able to produce all of those iconic images with AE-1s and the like, no one should be blaming their 5dIIs for crippling their artistry. I try to keep that in mind.

[Franglais]

You're trying to convince me not to buy a new camera this year? Won't work..

I buy one new DSLR each generation (about every four years*). The advances in terms of low light performance, autofocus, exposure accuracy (including flash) are significant. Any increase in the number of MPix is not important (6Mpix is enough for my needs).

I don't go out and learn everything the camera can do - there are many features that I don't use (example: video). I just stick to the basics that I use all the time and add a few new things that I know I'll use. Looking forward to discovering the artificial horizon

(* For me the Nikon D4 generation started with the D7000)

[Grandpaw]

Don't get me wrong, I like getting a new camera for the advantages it has to offer also. The point I was trying to make is that a lot of people learn just enough to make the camera work and miss out on many features and options that the camera they have in their hands can do. The point I was trying to make was to get the most out of the camera you have before spending the money on a new one. Having a camera that is loaded with features is a waste of money if you don't take the time to learn how to use them.

One of the reasons that I have my Nikon D7000 tips thread is because I am reading up and learning as much as I can about my latest camera the D7000. In the process of learning I found a lack of information on the internet so as I learned or thought of things that might help others I started sharing them in my thread so that it might help others do the same thing.

By the way Charles you really need to get a D7000 because it is a very nice camera, Jeff

draymorton said, "I agree up to a point. But certain equipment will afford you possibilities which other equipment simply will not." I totally agree with you but so many people just won't take the time needed to learn how to get the most out of the new equipment they purchase thus wasting their money in my opinion.

[Franglais]

...
By the way Charles you really need to get a D7000 because it is a very nice camera, Jeff

I have the D800 on order

I suspect that most of your tips for the D7000 will also work for the D800. I'll check them out as part of my getting-to-know-the camera routine.

[Grandpaw]

I have the D800 on order

I suspect that most of your tips for the D7000 will also work for the D800. I'll check them out as part of my getting-to-know-the camera routine.

Did you order a dozen SD & CF cards each so you will be able to take more than 20 or 30 pictures at a time? Jeff

[mattb]

But they are so shiny!

[Franglais]

Did you order a dozen SD & CF cards each so you will be able to take more than 20 or 30 pictures at a time? Jeff

I'll pick up a 32GB CF card for the RAWs next week. The JPG's will go onto one of my SDHC cards as a backup.

In my daytime job I regularly simulate a whole computer suite of mail servers on my portable PC's (I have three - add a more powerful one each year). Treating large RAW files is not going to be a problem.