There is a lot of advice on buying equipment on the internet. It ranges from people who say you spend thousands on equipment, to people who say all you need is a stick and a brick. I try to go somewhere and buy gear based on factors like return on investment, need versus want, and creative return.
Maybe I’m getting bored, but right now, there’s hardly a device or release that really excites me. I struggle to keep up to date with all the latest releases. If that’s the light, I’m on it. If not, I will think. However, I’m not here to tell you which devices I like and which I don’t. I’m here to share some of the advice I received on upgrading gear, which I think is very valuable to many photographers.
Let’s face it, many of us aren’t full-time professionals, so knowing what you need and shouldn’t be in camera is beneficial. For example, what I need in a camera is very different from what a sports photographer would need. That’s why I don’t own one Canon 1D Xbut one Canon 5DS.
I’m not a techie, but the ‘new’ Gear excites me
By now, you’ve probably noticed that I’m not one to go looking for camera buying advice. Other authors are much better experts on those issues. However, when the box with the Canon 5DS showed up on my doorstep, I was excited, not only because I wanted a high-resolution camera, but also because it would allow me to create works of art. higher quality. The camera will be used immediately on the job, and as the return on investment grows, it’s a sensible purchase. In the end, everyone is excited about the device to one degree or another. That is normal. After pondering my gear buying habits, I’ve found that I own more modifiers than I own the camera and lens together – just one. Profoto Fresnel cost me a foot and a half to buy! Why so? It is thanks to the creativity that I get from this device.
Back to creativity
This is the meat of this article. Going back to creativity is simply a fancy way of saying: “this camera will help me make better photos”. As pretentious as it sounds, it’s justifiable. Every lens, camera, light modifier, etc. has a specific emotion associated with it. It was an emotional purchase. Most of the modifiers in my arsenal don’t see the light of commercial footage. However, I still have them for creative work. They excite me.
Very few people will see a slight difference between the light from the Profoto lamp and the light from the Godox strobe. To put it bluntly, light is light. At the same time, Profoto is extremely satisfied when using it. This also applies to film cameras. There is no technological reason in this day and age to use a film camera. Digital is way more comfortable. However, the process, look, and feel of filming give a huge boost to creativity, thus getting you excited about photography.
I treat my cameras like horses. I don’t mind if they beat as long as they work. However, the joy when I looked through the viewfinder and saw the image unfold before my eyes was immense. So is the joy of hearing the blinking of the shutter. The feeling will increase if I have Phase One in my hand. Owning a medium format camera won’t make me a more skilled photographer, but it will make me a much happier photographer.
Refundable investment
Return on investment is a measure of a reasonable person’s upgrade. In a nutshell, all you need to do is take the price of the equipment you’re buying and see if the work you’re going to get can pay for it. Basically. If you want to dig deeper, you should analyze whether you need to make a purchase based on the new work the new equipment will bring. For example, by purchasing a 5DS camera, I know that I will be able to do higher resolution than photography, which was not possible before. The crops can become more frenetic and the amount of detail captured is better. Both of these things were not possible before, and they have helped me find some new jobs. Very few people notice the difference between 5D Mark IV and 5DS immediately. The devil was in the details. So the logical way to go ahead with the upgrade is to ask if the new device will give you new work. 
Creativity versus investment
Where is the perfect balance? That’s a good question, and there’s no right answer to it. If you find that you can afford new equipment and you can see ways it will make you more interested in taking pictures, you should buy it. Now, what percentage of the “creative return” is legitimate, is another question. I try to be honest with myself and really test myself before spending cash. For example, I rented Fresnel before spending. Once used, I love it and want to have one, so when there is a unit for sale, I buy it. It didn’t pay for itself. Honestly, I can do most ads with a few softboxes and a Paragraph 133. But I’ve used Fresnel in many creative and ambitious shoots, which makes it more fun for me as a creator than as an image maker.
Stop thinking
At the end of the day, to buy or not to buy is up to you. If you are one of those people who want maximum return on investment, you should stay away from purchases unless they are absolutely necessary. But if you want to shoot in style, go ahead! Just like clothes, I’m happy to pay a premium for certain items if I feel that wearing them will bring me a lot of pleasure. No one said your device shouldn’t bring you joy! Have fun, enjoy and be creative with the device you want.
