It’s almost a decade since I bought my first DSLR. A Canon 10D. “Barely” 6.3 megapixel resolution, most smartphones I would consider buying these days have more than that. But it used all my EF lenses and has served me well. Too well in fact.
For all of us in technology, the words “early adopters” or “gadget fans” imply the opposite of zombies. Fast moving, fickle creatures that can’t resist the smell of fresh tech flesh. Can’t be seen with a device whose specs are outdated. So how has this old camera survived so long? And, more to the point, how have I resisted buying a new one for so many years? Especially during visits to Photokina and other photo tech wizardry shows?
If you check out the rate with which I put pictures up on various blogs, flickr or panoramio you would say I am a pretty heavy user of the device. In fact these are a small proportion of my camera clicking activity. The DSLR came just in time for my first child, and now that I am up to three, there are more than twenty thousand pictures of them. Then there is work photography. Most marketing departments are too stingey to pay for a good photographer and too boring to take a good picture so I often try to fill the gap. I have enjoyed taking it along to consulting projects and shooting anything from jewellery to coffee.
New DSLRs have tried to entice me. Almost immediately after the 10D came smaller and lighter cameras. But not that much smaller or lighter to make it worth changing. Resolution increased but most end up being seen on computers anyway. Even photos of mine which have been used commercially in ads by Saab and the like have never suffered from lack of resolution, even in print ads. Higher sensitivity for shooting in low light situations enticed me. High Definition video makes sense so you don’t need to carry a second device for that. Included time lapse features would be useful. The tables are turning…
Alex vs photo marketing crowd = 1-0 I would say!
