Camera Upgrade Time?

How is your new year going so far? I hope it’s been fabulous!

Mine has been a little crazy….mostly on the work-front. The next couple weeks (maybe even several) are going to be pretty busy. Today was a longer than usual day. I pulled 11 hours with only a 15 minute break. Phew! I went to work till about 5:15pm, came home, and had my laptop back up and running by about 5:45pm.

11hrZiti-0721.jpg

Luckily, hubby saved the day and cooked dinner!

11hrZiti-0726.jpg

While I typed and calculated away, he turned some leftover spaghetti sauce into baked ziti.

11hrZiti-0731.jpg

Just before 8pm, I called it quits for the day and got some cabbage steamed up to go with our pasta.

11hrZiti-0736.jpg

Dinner was great – hubby is a better chef than he thinks!

***

Anywho, on to the camera discussion…

I’ve been thinking for awhile that it’s time to upgrade my camera. I don’t take camera purchases lightly, though. They’re so expensive! No, no, I think long and hard when deciding on such a big purchase. The first time I considered getting a DSLR, it was 2006 and I was researching what kind of camera I needed to shoot photos for my handmade jewelry business (for the web site and promotional material). I was a member to online jewelry-makers groups, I researched web sites, and I read through indie business forums for hours and hours and hours. I studied for a long time and finally decided on the one – the Canon Rebel. But, I couldn’t afford it. 🙁

201201052313.jpg

Yup, I didn’t end up getting the Rebel till a couple years later when hubby organized a group gift from him and some of his family to get the Rebel for my Christmas present in 2008. I used the camera for a whole year and exactly one year after hubby purchased it, it died. 🙁 Luckily, since it was the last day of the warranty, the camera was covered. Phew! Since the camera was trashed, I had my choice – get the same exact camera or get a credit for the same camera and use it to buy a new one. Instead of getting the exact same camera, I got the Rebel XSi (just one step up) because I found the extra auto-focus points really helpful. So, at this point, I’ve been using the same camera since 2009, and she’s been doing great work for me…But, I’m ready for an upgrade.

I actually almost got a new camera last year around this time. If money weren’t an object, I probably would have gotten the Canon Mark 2D, but do you know how much those cost?! You have to either be a professional photographer, a really-really serious hobbyist (and I consider myself pretty serious, but…), or just plain rich. Instead, I asked around to some of my favorite food photographers/bloggers and researched online at a price point I was more comfortable with and decided on the Nikon D7000. Then, I got cold feet.

What if the D7000 was the wrong camera? What if I invest all this money in a camera, and it’s the wrong one? I worried I’d be trapped with the wrong camera forever! Ok, I knew it wouldn’t really be forever, but it would be a long time before I could gather the funds for a replacement. It’s not like I’m just getting a latte. Like I said, I don’t take camera purchases lightly. Not to mention a jump from Canon to Nikon would be a big leap since I’m already comfortable with a Canon camera. Ultimately, I decided that I needed to think about it for a couple more weeks. And a couple more weeks turned into a couple more months, and now here we are, and it’s been a year.

So, in the last couple weeks, I’ve researched cameras more, still leaning towards the D7000, and I tried to really think about if I was making the right decision with the D7000. After some time, and lots of reading, I decided on the D7000 again. At least, I did until…I couldn’t really find it in stock (at the price I wanted to pay). It seems to be out almost everywhere! Some online sources say the flooding could have destroyed a lot of the stock, though I don’t know if that’s true. But you know what rumor I think is even more interesting?

Word on the street is that Nikon is having a press conference tomorrow (January 6th) in Thailand and that they may announce a replacement for the D7000….the D7100! What-what! Yea, if I’m going to spend this much money on something, I’m definitely going to wait to see if those rumors are true. No point in getting the old version if there’s a newer, better one coming out soon, right? I hope we find out some good news tomorrow from the conference!

What’s your dream camera?

Do you get nervous and second guess yourself when you make a big purchase?

13 thoughts on “Camera Upgrade Time?”

  1. Canon Mark 2D. I actually bought the camera and after using it for a weekend… got buyer’s remorse and returned it. It was the best weekend ever and will forever be on my dream list.

    Reply
  2. i would love a DSLR. not sure what kind, but one would be awesome. i have a fancy point & shoot with a good lens, so that works for now. but i definitely do take a long time to make decisions about big purchases… “do i REALLY need this?” case in point, my ipod has been on the fritz for months but i keep nursing it back to life. my husband keeps encouraging me to just get a new one… ha!

    Reply
  3. I just got the Rebel for Christmas, it’s my first DSLR. I’m already in love with just how much better the photos are so I’m sure that better and better cameras are even more amazing. Just looked up how much the Mark goes for and my eyes bugged out of my head!

    Reply
  4. Congrats on the rebel! I’m a super nervous purchaser with anything “big”
    (aka over $50, haha) so I do TONS of research and comparison shopping before I buy anything to curb off any buyer’s remorse. I’m sure with the rebel, though, you won’t have any remorse, it’s a solid purchase.

    Reply
  5. i JUST got a dslr (my first!) from my husband for a birthday/christmas/not buying anything all year present and i LOVE it! we had been doing some research before the purchase and decided on the nikon d3100 for me. it’s a great beginner dslr with a reasonable price, especially because he found a great bundle for it with the camera body, two lenses, camera bag, and tripod. i love it!!

    Reply
  6. i have a nikon d7000 & love love love it. one thing i have found with my nikon is that it takes awhile to get used too. it took me nearly a year & i have a nikon obsessed brother.

    also canon users don’t generally like how nikons work

    Reply
  7. Chris has been making us dinner on some nights too, so nice! I always have to research like a crazy person to make a big purchase or any purchase for that matter lol. I can be so indecisive sometimes. I can’t believe how expensive all the camera gear is. I just got a new lens and about had a heart attack when they rang it up *gulp* but it is worth it in the long run, especially when you are so passionate about it, right? 🙂 A family friend who shot our wedding and is a pro used to have canon and switched to Nikon and loves it. Best of luck with your decision, that’s not an easy one that’s for sure!

    Reply
  8. We just purchased a Nikon d5100 this week and it’s our first DSLR. Still learning how to use it and all the functions but loving it so far. We did extensive research on which camera to purchase and Nikon vs. Canon. In the end, the Nikon won out because of their better quality lenses. However both brands make great cameras so you can’t go wrong. If it were in the budget, we would have loved to get the d7000.

    Reply
  9. i have a d7000 and love it, its extremely versatile and looks great at high ISO’s, i would highly recommend it, although the camera nikon announced was the nikon D4 a replacement to their pro sports camera the D3 but the D4 is already sold out for pre order and the body by itself is 6000 dollars
    good luck with whatever you choose

    Reply
  10. How wonderful of your hubby to safe the evening and cook dinner 🙂 It does look delicious…
    Good luck with your camera search…I am a Nikon girl but have friends that swear by others. Would be great if you could test drive them like cars.

    Reply
  11. My husband and I looked at the Canon 3Ti – I pulled the plug on it because I got cold feet about spending that kind of money. Maybe one day!

    Reply
  12. I am actually looking to buy my first dSLR and have had cold feet for months! I have been leaning toward the Canon Rebel and that is probably what I will go for. Even though I have been saving forever and have the money…I am just so nervous because I NEVER spend that much money on myself! I just need to do it…but I can’t get over the fear that right after I do I will need the money for some other thing. Who knows-can’t wait to hear what you decide!

    Reply

Leave a Comment