I spent too much on my camera

As I get into photography, I’m drawn more and more to older lenses. Manual, no autofocus lenses.

Older cameras are so good. We’re at a time where digital cameras DSLR’s and mirrorless have been really, really good for over a decade. They’re fantastic. The most modern cameras are a bit quicker, and sometimes have a bit better battery life.

I bought cameras thinking I needed the very best. Falling victim to the marketing telling me all about the af tracking and dynamic range, as well as 4k video recording with autofocus tracking. I felt like I needed all these things. I didn’t. It’s a farse.

The more I shoot, the more I like being connected to the process. I don’t run and gun as much. I see a shot, and I don’t need to feel rushed. Even with street photography. I find that I do better when I need to plan the shot a little bit. Wait for a subject, or rather foresee the composition coming.

I don’t feel like I’m utilizing the $3500 Sony A7RIV that I’m shooting with. Or the Sigma art lenses that I bought. I find myself with a vintage lens on the end of my camera more often than not. I generally have a Pentax SMC Takumar 50mm f1.4 sitting on it. Partly because they’re so compact, fast, and I love the look. It’s hard to beat. I rarely have my Sigma Art 35mm f1.2 on anymore, though it is a fantastic lens. I’m starting to wonder why I bought a 24-70mm 2.8 sigma art lens. Also fantastic, but I almost always grab a prime. One of the shittiest lenses I own, I use the most because of it’s compact size. A Rokinon 24mm 2.8.

I just ordered an A7R. I bought it for under $500, something around $450. 13,500’ish shutter actuations. Just a baby. I bought it so I would have a (relatively) cheap body that could take all the lenses I currently own, and convert it for full spectrum photography.

Upon receiving it, I had to test it. I’m greeted with a [un]friendly sony menu that looks familiar. So at least I knew the menu system mostly. Lot’s of options still. Far more than I would have had a decade ago with a DSLR. After resetting all the settings and configuring to my liking, I started to shoot a bit with it. Just to see how it handled. Autofocus was slower than my modern cameras, but more than totally usable, and downright good if I were to buy this 10 years ago. The shutter is extremely loud and satisfying in a way. Though, you’re not going to get away with taking stealth pictures in any environment that isn’t noisy. You could just turn on silent shooting with an electronic shutter if your subjects aren’t moving quickly.

All this was just to make sure the 9 year old camera I just bought actually worked to verify my purchase. During my testing, I considered that this camera was a good camera. It’s more than I need. It’s more than most people need in most situations. Cameras now are nicer. They are more automatic and more forgiving, but they don’t make a nicer photograph. They’re made for a niche. A wedding or sports photographer where you don’t get another chance to get the shot or you don’t get paid. I could have bought this camera for my main kit and saved literally thousands.

I don’t completely regret getting a nice kit. I can afford it, even if it’s overkill for me. But, if I could do it again, I’d probably scale back a bit. I would focus on a few vintage lenses and at least 1 fast autofocus lens. Maybe a 24-70mm f2.8, although I could easily get away with a 35mm or 50mm prime. I would probably step it up to an A7II or A7RII for the IBIS. When I go shooting, I’m almost always grabbing a vintage lens and attaching it to my A7RIV. I don’t have a favorite (yet), so I rotate through a few 50mm options. Since I’m leaving autofocus ability and features, I don’t necessarily need the full power of the A7RIV. I don’t mind the resolution, it gives me a lot of leeway for cropping, however the file size is fairly big and unnecessary.

Start small. Grow slowly. Find out what you want to shoot, and how you want to shoot. Don’t fall into the trap of marketing hype that you need the latest camera. Any camera in the last 10-15 years will be a great camera.