How Will I Know if I Need a Camera Upgrade?
By: Paulo Makalinao
Tags: Creativity, Photography, Art, Cameras, Tech

Autofocus and Exposure Problems

Another good reason to consider upgrading or not is autofocus. I remember when I first started shooting, I went from an introductory camera with 7 autofocus points to one with 45. And now, I shoot mirrorless, so I can essentially put my autofocus point anywhere.

Anyways, if you’re finding that a lot of your key shots are missing focus and this is costing you otherwise very good photos, it might also be an indication to upgrade. It might also be a wise upgrade into the world of mirrorless due to things like superb subject tracking and even the ability to follow people’s eyes. But keep in mind, problems with autofocus may also be related to your lens, not your body.

If you’re missing the correct exposure often, say, because you shoot on a DSLR, it might also be time for an upgrade, again, to mirrorless as the EVF’s preview is very good at showing you your exposure. This means that you’ll hardly ever miss exposure again.

But at the same time, if your autofocus is hitting often enough to get the shot and you’re pretty good at getting your exposure right, in this department, their may not be much reason to upgrade.

Better Dynamic Range and Lowlight Performance

If your camera sensor, in terms of dynamic range and or lowlight performance, is not performing up to par of what you need, this could also be a superb reason to upgrade.

A good upgrade path in order to increase dynamic range and lowlight performance is to go from APS-C to full-frame where the larger sensor means cleaner images due to the larger area. I find that going from APS-C to full-frame increased my low light performance by an entire stop, which is huge at an ISO higher than say 1600 or 3200.

Dynamic range is also a very good reason to upgrade as well. Even new full-frame cameras have a better dynamic range than older full-frame cameras, so this is not just based on sensor size. Although, a bigger sensor does typically give better DR. If you shoot landscape and you find that your current camera has poor highlight or shadow recovery, then yes, an upgrade to a newer camera is justified. However, for someone like me, who shoots portraits in more or less even lighting, the dynamic range has hardly been a concern for me. If your work is not requiring you to process photos that have harsh shadows and harsh highlights, this reason to upgrade is not really applicable.

Access to Professional Features

Sometimes you upgrade your camera just for more professional features. Maybe the joystick is a convenient tool to have to change focus points. Perhaps a top-down LCD screen for viewing your settings on the go is something you like. Maybe you’re dying for a better battery life. These types of features are usually available on more professionally-oriented cameras, but I typically wouldn’t recommend upgrading based solely on small things like this.

However, if you are upgrading for a professional feature such as dual card slots, I would support upgrading for this alone. I have never had a card fail on me yet, and I sincerely hope it never happens. But especially for client work, having a second card slot is serious peace of mind. While I find the other reasons I mentioned for potentially upgrading as important, getting a new camera body for dual card slots is justifiable in many instances on its own.

Wear and Tear

Finally, if your camera has been around a few years, and it is having issues with its shutter or maybe the rubber areas are falling off, then it might be time to upgrade here.

But Keep in Mind…

Keep in mind that a camera upgrade also doesn’t mean buying the latest and greatest camera out there. It could also mean upgrading to a camera that’s a generation old, for example.

I’ll also add in that if your camera is getting the work done and is getting it done in the quality that you want it, then I would say to reconsider an upgrade. But if you find that your camera tool is limiting you from doing better work or at least better work more often, than an upgrade makes sense. Remember, your camera is a tool, and it won’t magically make your photos spectacular. The point of your gear is to provide you with as little restrictions to your creative flow and expression. You know you have good gear when it allows very little barrier for you to create art. If you feel like your camera body is a barrier, then it may be time for an upgrade.