Sometimes there is a stigma within the photography community that if your gear isn't new, you're not getting the best possible pictures – or if it isn't new, you're letting yourself down in some way.
Well, the "newest" gear in my camera bag to date is 12 years old. The oldest was made in 1965, and all of it makes me want to take photos every single day.
I've often said to photographers looking for advice on what camera or lens to get next is, "Pick something that makes you want to shoot it every day." This doesn't have to be the latest gear, it just has to be kit you enjoy – and I think sometimes we need to remind ourselves about that!
Just for reference, my current cameras are a 12-year-old CCD sensor Leica M-E, a nearly 60-year-old Leica M2, a 12-year-old Nikon D800 and a 28-year-old Nikon F5. Every single one of them brings a smile to my face, every time I use them. And that's the point of photography: enjoyment!
If you enjoy the gear you're using, you are going to take better pictures. It just makes sense; if you enjoy your cameras, you take them out more and shoot more. And taking more pictures makes you better at composition and judging the moment.
Yes, you can have the latest and best mirrorless camera and it can make you happy. But more often than not when we have older cameras, we have the fear of missing out – and we think that if we have the next best camera, our images will get better. Unfortunately, that's just not the case 99% of the time.
People often say that 24MP in 2024 isn't enough. My Leica M-E is a "mere" 18MP and it's honestly the best camera I have ever owned, while my wonderful Nikon D800 is 36MP, which is frankly overkill to be posting to social media (but I do it).
While I do understand the working photographer wanting slightly more megapixels for client work (that's why I got the D800 in the first place), if you're just posting to socials even 12MP is more than enough!
What's more important than what your favorite YouTuber is using, is finding a system that makes you want to go out and take photos. I ordered and picked up two Nikon D800s on the day of release for my professional sports photography work, and they only got used at events. Yes I was at events all the time, but I never used them outside work – not once!
But today, I take a camera with me all the time, whether it's going to the grocery store, going to the beach or just taking a hike along a trail – and I do that because I enjoy the gear that I'm using. I used to chase megapixels, as many of us do, but now I enjoy using my "old" gear and I enjoy looking and taking pictures.
This is all down to my finding camera gear that I 'gel with' and puts a smile on my face when I use it. It took me a long time to realize it, but once I did I never looked back – or looked at upgrading any time soon.
So anyone out there questioning their camera system or thinking, "Is this camera too old," I say if it makes you happy and makes you want to use it every day then that's the best camera you can ever own – be it brand new or 60 years old.
Enjoy it, go out and take pictures!
If you want to take a page out of my book, you might be interested in the best DSLRs or the best film cameras – and don't forget to pick up the best camera film for them!
