Do you ever get buyers remorse?? I get it before I make any large purchase. I don't know why, but I'll decide I need a new something, do some research about pros and cons, go to a shop and try it out. Decide I really like it, but don't buy it. Go and have a think about it, and then decide I don't need it and go home. And then get disappointed because I didn't buy it, but tinged with relief that I didn't buy it. Been like this for 40 years at least. Wife not happy because I'm disappointed, but secretly glad that I haven't spent any money.

Great stuff James. I had my wife watch the bit about buying cameras as a hobby separate from photography. She laughed, but I now feel totally validated. No more guilt for me.

This is such good advice. I just upgraded for the first time in 15 years myself, and even that didn't feel super necessary... My 5D MkII was still more than capable for the work I do and was still meeting or exceeding my clients' expectations. Most of my photography friends upgrade to the latest top of the line camera every 2-3 years, paying thousands of dollars for features they'll never need before they ever even came close to reaching their last cameras limitations. I think some do it just to project an image of accomplishment / professional status. Others fall into the trap of thinking their photography would be better if only they had that better camera when in reality they need to devote more energy to learning / skill development.

Solid advice. When I bought my first camera in 1983 a Nikon FE2, I was advised to buy the best lens I could afford. The Shop owner used the analogy, "you marry the glass and have an affair with the body".

Two things I have to say. First, I agree 100% with all points. Second, yes, it sounds like James Popsys speaking, absolutely.

Entire reason I bought a G9 a few years back was after watching your channel. And no regrets, it is ridiculously comfy in the hand even with bigger lenses.

Love this! Spent a lot of time thinking I needed a full frame mirrorless camera after the autofocus on my 7D died after 12 years. Watched a LOT of vidéos and got disheartened that I couldn't afford anything like what I thought I needed. Then after seeing your xpro3 video I got excited and intrigued by the idea of fujifilm and the more I delved into film simulations and recipes, I realised I was longing for some sort of retro-ness that this might provide! Settled on the xt-30ii and the 35mm xc lens. Couldn't be happier with my choice! It's literally changed my life and reignited my stoke for photography. So thanks a lot, James!

I own Leica cameras, Sony, Ricoh, Olympus but one I love the most is the little 16mp Panasonic GX85. It's a brilliant small camera I don't mind taking everywhere with me. Pop a small Leica lens on it and the results are wonderful.

Very good observation! Buying cameras and photography are related activities but not the same! What a liberating way to put it.

I use a Sony A7RIV and Fujifilm XH-2 but on my shelf is my favourite camera and it's a 12mp Nikon D700. Such fantastic images coming from that camera.

james the colour grading on this video looks amazing

Best advice on camera buying EVER. This chimes with my experience perfectly.

I'm a would-be wildlife photographer with a Canon R5. I keep trying to convince myself that I "need" an R7, for the extra reach. What I should really do is get off my backside, stop reading reviews and get out there and take photos.

Great stuff James, Defo one of my favorite youtubers. Here's my confession, (have owned Canon, Sony & Olympus cameras) I wanted the best bang for buck do it all camera (with prefered lenses) I brought a new X-T5, love it !!! I've always wanted a Leica (one day dream) I brought a M10 plus lenses, I love it !!! The last of my I wants and ultimate indulgence was a digital Hasselblad with lens, I now have one, I love it !!! I probably do need some serious help because I never needed any of them. However your passion for your wants and haves has inspired me to follow my dreams and passion for acquisition and usage. I'm no better a photographer for looking or wanting for the dream images but I do feel I have the dream machines to accomplish my desire, possibly.

I’ve used several Canon cameras, Nikon D500 and a range of Panasonic LUMIX MFT cameras. I completely agree with you on the G9. I’ve recently used a Canon R7 with three RF lenses and I’m a bit disappointed. I thought the 31MP and AF would put shame to my LUMIX gear, but I was wrong, at least where stills are concerned. The AF of the R7 (again, for stills) is not as good as the G9 or even the GX9. It’s slower and not quite as reliable. The focus area of the R7 does not have the variability of the G9. It’s a point or too large an area for decisive focus. When viewing photos it takes too many steps to view, enlarge and zoom in on an image. With LUMIX cameras it’s just a button and a scroll wheel. Why does it need to be more complicated? I’ve grown to appreciate my older MFT cameras even more now that I’ve used a brand new Canon. Even the RF lenses seem just okay (or even worse) compared to all of my Olympus and Panasonic lenses. Sensors are only a small part of camera satisfaction. Thanks for this video.

A brilliant video James. I hope you recover quickly. I need more of these videos to stop my GAS ( gear acquisition syndrome ).

You are so right about how the camera feels in the hand, I love the ergonomics of my G9 and if wildlife photography wasnt my main thing at the moment I wouldn’t want to change. I’ve been trying out the Fuji X-H2S + 150-600, it’s a really good set up, loved the results and the AF modes, bird/animal recognition etc, BUT it does not feel like my G9, it does not feel as comfortable. I’m going to wait a while and see if the long anticipated G9 ii materialises, but if not I know what I’ll be getting. Hope you feel better soon 🤧

Great advice JP!

Totally agree with 5: Lenses first, I made the investment on fast primes and zoom lenses for the past 4 years. Try before buy, that depends if my camera store has what I'm interested in, sometimes they don't get the flagship cameras or the newest lenses.

Yes, the wanting vs needing, that gets me so often! Not as much with cameras, I'm very happy with my Nikon D7100. But I've bought lenses that I've sold again because they were not at all what I wanted or needed, even though I was convinced that I did. And also with stuff for my horse I have this problem many times, buying stuff I actually don't need 😅 Get well soon!

I have recently discovered your videos and have been watching many of them. This one in particular was very useful in saving me from getting swept up into buying a camera that I do not need right now and to instead focus on improving and spending my money on software. Honestly, the single most helpful photography video I have watched recently.

I also had the G9 once in my hands; the grip being so comfortable and the viewfinder so big, I wanted to buy it. Only thing which held me back was m43 format.

Feel for me is everything. I main a D700 that I bought with under 8k actuations a few months ago. Under half the megapixels of a modern unit, but the feel of that monster, combined with the button layout is really going to make it hard to choose another camera in the future. Especially when you factor in the diminishing returns.

Thanks James you have saved me from spending money on an lumix S5 as there is nothing wrong with my G9 and as you said it feels great in the hand and all the buttons are in the right place. So better off spending money on travelling to new places to take photos. Keep up the great videos👌

Great points James. Could save a lot of people a lot of money! I especially liked the point about ergonomics. If the movements to get to the controls aren't natural, things will go wrong at the wrong time. I have three buttons turned into no-ops on the back of my camera for this reason.

Good call on camera collecting being a separate hobby than photography itself. Both are fun. Just received my GX1 (your fault! lol) and am looking forward to taking it out for a spin this weekend.

Great timing on this video. I shoot a Hasselblad X1DII for all my color work, and Leica Q2 Monochrom for all my black and white. At the moment, I do feel temptation to trade in my Q2M toward the new M11 Monochrom, so your video is at least giving me some food for thought as I decide whether to go through with the M11M purchase. The struggle is real.

Excellent video!! I purchased my Olympus precisely because the size fit my really small hand, and nothing else did.

Good message. Get well! 👍🥂

As an amateur I'm only interested in the experience. Every camera is good nowadays so I'm looking for how it handles and looks are also important. I dare saying that, haha.

Great video. I've been debating upgrading to full frame for some time, but the bigger more expensive lenses are a deterrent. I'll probably stick with APS-C and get that new Sony that is supposedly coming, even though an used A6600 would probably be more than enough for me.

thx, James. get well

Great advice, particularly about lenses and 'wants vs needs'. One other aspect I think is learn the camera you have thoroughly so you can make key adjustments in the field quickly and efficiently. I would add, don't listen to gear reviews much as the reviewers often don't factor in that a feature like IBIS in a mirrorless camera is nice to have but not absolutely necessary.

Get well soon James! Would love a video about that little Pentax Optio... My first digital camera was of a similar era - but Fujifilm....

One of your best, James. I couldn't agree more with all of it. Some of my very best pictures have been taken with old film cameras and used M43 equipment. And, as a fellow sinus sufferer, you have my sincere sympathy.

I shoot with cameras a few generations back, Fujifilm X-E2, X-T1, X-T2, Olympus E-P3. The old school way I shoot (don’t give a hoot about video or action photography) leaves me without much of a reason to want to or actually upgrade. Consequently, my “outdated” cameras cost me between $200-$500 each, all mint condition with very low shutter actuations, all together costing me less than it would for a new Fujifilm X-T5! I buy what I need, not what I might want for anything other than just that 👌

I think this is one of your best videos you have ever done. I, like you, have gone through a bunch of gear and options. I have shot Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Full Frame, APS-C, Micro 4/3, and 1 inch sensor, and film (I bought a camera from the year I was born "for some fun"). My musing is as follows: There is no perfect camera (or system) - It's just that certain cameras/lenses/systems are better in certain situations. Realistically we grow as photographers and we migrate from "making do" to WANTING the thing that helps us in that specific situation. Our focus also changes over time (or season, or mood) and this can lead to gear accumulation. I envy people who focus in on one genre and can just narrow down gear... but that's not most of us... we like to expand... we like to try new things... Its ok to accumulate gear if you have the money for it. BUT if you can't afford to... you can probably find a way to get by. Just look at your journey... you used to shoot composites and I assume sell those, you had very specific shots you wanted to get and you had full frame because I assume it helped you get pictures that would fit together and you shot full frame. Once you started youtube you transitioned to being M4/3 because you wanted to be light and nimble. Then video AF and low light then became more important - so to Sony. Then you started missing some of the light gear options (especially with the family / holidays) so enter the Ricoh, GM1. Your latest interest seems to be about feeling connected to photography.... it is meaning you shoot "normal" focal lengths, that you want a human element in your photos, that you are starting to like manual focus, that you have started to like range finders, and that you are liking the "magic" of being conscious of settings (because you cant just see in the view finder how it looks). It's been a journey. Given where you are... Isn't it weird that where you are started with "things that can't possibly be real". As someone who has been there from the start... is been fun to watch.

Idk going from a Nikon D3100 to a Nikon Z5 was life changing.. I think it makes sense to upgrade the camera every 5-10 years when the tech changes. But as you mentioned it won't make you better, just make it easier. I was struggling a lot less to get sharp photos with the back screen from odd angles with a mirrorless (have to wear glasses to see, which plays a factor in this). Also how much bigger an EVF vs a standard DSLR viewfinder. Again so easy to see the subject vs the D3100.

I have big issues with the want vs need thing. I start with something on the edge of sensible/ overkill then convince myself that spending just that bit more yields a better experience for multiple iterations. At some point i do realise what i see is waaaay too much, what i initially looked at isn't sensible either and end up getting something completely different that suits me better but i initially wrote off. This is not just for camera stuff, its for everything and its quite annoying sometimes.

I'm a Fuji fanboy but the Ricoh GRIII is a great camera. Set up right and you can get to any setting manually or automatically in a heartbeat.

I love my Canon G10 for all the reasons you stated about your G9. Good thoughts about camera buying. Hope you're feeling better soon. Thanks !!

This is the very sensible video that you made , Thanks

It’s all a very personal thing. Until recently my favourite camera was a Nikon D700 with a 35/2.8 MF. That’s been recently eclipsed by a Panasonic GF1 with a 14mm (lens owned for years). Also own a GRII that I am not getting on with. And that replaced an original GRD, that I loved. The GF1 just seems to hit all the boxes. Big enough, small enough, good enough. Cheap enough! One of your best recent videos, I think. Hope you’re feeling better.

Great insights.

I think the differences between cameras is more about features and ergonomics than image quality. Lenses have as big or maybe bigger impact on image quality than the camera body. But the biggest impact on image quality is post processing, after the photographer.

James. Brilliant. I have, after making a bunch of (big) mistakes, settled on a some rules very similar to yours about purchasing cameras and lenses. First is what do I want to shoot and how do I want to output? Do I want to crop heavily and print big? I do. Which system has the best best range of glass for my preferred genres? Wildlife, street landscape etc. etc. Do I need the best A/F or subject tracking? Weight. When one gets to a certain age the ability of joints to function etc. makes weight a real issue. A mate of mine in his late 60s doesn't use his much loved Nikon gear anymore. Because of the weight so he has gone all in on OM Systems. Anyway top effort. Plus I've had man flu for a week and I'm still feeling crap plus my is a flaky sore thing. So get well soon.

Brilliant insight and musing’s - very worthwhile taking into account 👍✅👍

First, hope you feel better soon. I’m in the process of changing camera systems. Looks like it’s going to be Leica. (So much for the sage advice.) I think my brain’s “want” overruled its “need”. What do you think about new cameras you “want” breathing new life in your photography and bringing inspiration?

This was a terrific video. So much good food for thought.

I purchased a nearly new Fuji XT3 for £699 after selling some fishing gear. Just an outstanding £4£ camera purchase so far.

I just ordered my first camera, which is a lumix g85. I reaearched for a week straight. I considered the sony zv e10, sony a6400, the canon m50 mark ii, and canon r50, but i ultimately decided on the g85. 1. The lens prices, 2. Its splash and dust proof, 3. It has unlimited 4k video recording, 4. IBIS, 5. the image quality is on par with all the others. 6. Its a jack of all trades for a budget camera. I have yet to receive or use one, but im very excited to get started. My wife is not excited, she keeps complaining that im hyperfocusing, which i tend to do on new things im excited about 😂

such a good point about needing vs wanting wow

I have a gx1 and a gx85. Buy the gx85. It’s the sweet spot for usability. The gx85 upgrades are solid and worthwhile: evf, ibis, and a shutter sufficiently damped so that all shutter speeds are usable.

This is one of the first videos I’ve seen of your s. I subscribed after the first few minutes of the first video. Just wanted to let you know you do this very well and I was just wondering how you get to the conclusions you get to ???? possibly the years of thinking about photography I recon. Anyway, the nose situation didn’t deter me… 😊

The lens will add as much to the image as your skill devotes to it. Any sensor over 16mp will give you workable results and reasonable prints given creativity and composition. From back in the day with Contax I’ve loved Zeiss lenses, which play well with Sony A7r cameras, so that’s where I’ve parked much of my money along with Sony mount lenses… thanks again for these great reminders that our images endure when the camera body breaks down (or gets sold.. 😊).

Thanks

It’s funny you say that about people wanting to get an M11 on the back of one of your earlier videos and I agree for the most part- but I will say I did think at the time those images had a certain something, even beyond some of your other great shots I’ve seen in the past. It could have been the combination of the glass, the location and the light, but when brought together with the Leica it did seem to just work to deliver a stellar set of images.

Very good points. Glad you included lenses at the end. Because you buy into a system, not just the cameras. No worries about frivolous spending on unneeded cameras here. Can't afford it. Although it would be nice to try a Leica for a day. The only cameras I own that I don't use are nonfunctioning copies of the first cameras I ever owned which just sit on a shelf.

An other entertaining video, well done. I updated my A7RIV for an A7RV. Did I need to? No. Am I glad I did? Yes. Same sensor, but lots of features I fox lac n the ARIV. Focus bracketing is so convenient. Who knew they “needed” bird eye AF before the A1/R5?

Whew ! Thanks James. I now have the perfect excuse to keep buying cameras - it’s my hobby! 🤣🤣 Seriously though, I tend to use 2 or 3 most of the time, but still enjoy spending a day or so (very occasionally) with another one from my,, er, “hobby” - just for the fun of it.

A bit late to this party, but I've been using a second hand X-T1 since years now and it still performs great. I'm only now starting to notice the downsides in autofocus speed and fps which defintely would be better with newer cameras. Besides that I'm always have to invest in new lenses:)

How they feel 100%, my latest camera a fuji xs100 is a fun no frills camera ibs and one lens with stability in built as well, hand hold 100% of the time, love it and ergonomics are fantastic for me. I have a Nikon and Sony that at very low level do all work horse cameras as well . Put your money into travel, petrol is my biggest expenditure and invest in yourself ,you are the biggest asset. 😊

I think it's really about finding a camera the sees the world the way you do. Where you fire off the shot and go: yup thats what I was going for. That looks the way I saw it. For me that's my Fujifilm X-E4 in a way that I've never experienced before.

Not a good video to watch as someone who took delivery of a Canon EOS R3 yesterday 😱 But it is a fabulous thing 😁

Another great video James. Does anyone ever have a great meal and think. "Wow that was the best food I ever ate, I bet the chef used the finest cookware that money can buy". The camera is just a tool to help you create.

My SO knits and buys yarn. And they are definitely different hobbies. Like no correlation at all, it seems. So I can appreciate the GAS / photography are two different things, both for me enjoyable.

Great vid, any chance we can get your presets for capture one 😂

Yes second hand cameras. Great! I just purchased a GX1 for £45 and the 14 to 42 lens for £60 and they even threw in a usb charger too! Well happy.

The first SLR lens I was blessed to own, was a Yashica 50mm 1.9 DSB. I still have it, and use it on my Nikon Z5. It was a birthday present for me in 1976. Lenses are the "truth". Many of my best images were taken with that lens. Pretty sad, really.

An old dslr with old lenses is a great way to have fun with photography with completely different look. Been going out with a Sony a230 with Minolta lenses from the 80’s. Cost me a little over $100 and I’m getting great image quality and having lots of fun.

You should definitely make a video with that little Pentax Optio A20, let's see what colour quality its CCD sensor can achieve 😀

a good camera is the one that when you see something and look in the viewfinder, click the shutter, and look at the result, takes the picture you saw in that moment. the make is unimportant, as long as it does that simple task.

"Photographing the eye of an eagle, ...from 2 miles away". Fantastic!

I don’t know if I’ll call it “buyers remorse” but I tend to over think my purchase. I needed a new camera as my last purchase was a Nikon D50. I also have a film camera Nikon N90s plus several lenses. I was hesitant about the mirror less cameras so I bought a D7500. Well in January Nikon ran a special on mirror less cameras and lenses and I bought a z5. Very pleased with my purchase but could have done it sooner.

IN early 2020 I bought the Olympus Em1 MkII with the 17mm F/1.8 and then soon added after the 12-40 F/2,8 and the 40-150 F/2.8. I see no reason to change that setup as it delivers fabulous images across a huge range of focal lengths. I do want the Monochrome Leica though, just because.... ;)

That nearly 14 minutes flew by. Great video.

Great advice James, however get a new camera is so so cool. I have even stopped myself travelling through Colwyn Bay.

A good camera is one that allows me to borrow any of my son’s lenses. At least I have not gone through as many cameras as I have guitars.

Bought the Sony RX1, Mainly for the excellent photo quality, Great Camera. Canon SX730 Carry around, shoot anything camera. Also trusty canon G7X. Sony A6000 mainly for the dogs when they're running about, 11 FPS. A6000 has interchangeable lenses to, which is great.

im very lucky that someone early on told me that you don't need gear until the gear is what is actually preventing you from getting a shot. so I still shoot on a canon 6d mark 2 and 7d mark1 with just 3 lenses. that's usually it. I recently bought strobes because I wanted to shoot things that literally can't be shot in that style without them.

Just wondering, what is that lens light you have in your left background. Very nice looking

The best camera is the one you have with you‼️✌️

Thank you for reminding me of what I actually should know well enough already - and still won't follow through! However, I don't seem to be the only one, at least some comfort ;) There are obviously bigger forces at play than reason, "gear greed" for example - a fun but very expensive indulgence ...

I know exactly what I need compared to what I want. My problem is whether any company wants to make it. 😂 My needs: Comact size, nice jpegs out of camera, good AF, flip up selfie screen (not side swivel out transformer), 35mm + 24mm + 85mm lenses at most f2.8, available to buy at MSRP or used for less. My wants: Exposure comp dial, aperture ring lenses, great battery life, nice aftermarket grips with arca swiss bottom and detachable L plate, a nice 28mm + 40mm compact prime, fast 24 and 35f1.8 lenses, excellent P mode exposure triage with minimum shutter speeds and max ISO options in 1/3 stop increments, ~24MP, I usually get screwed on one of those. I've had my eye on the Fujifilm X-E4, Canon M6II and M200. I think I could technically forgo buttons for changing WB, ISO, Shutter, and Aperture - As well as custom modes. However, the X-E4 is priced through the roof second hand due to trends on TikTok, and the EOS M system has no lenses. If Canon were to rehouse the M6II into the RF mount like they did the M50 I'd be a day one preorder. 💪 Currently I own a GRIII as I wait for this unicorn.

James still use my old 6 megapixel CCD cameras from 2005 and 2006 with modern editing software my pictures are everything could want in a picture

Being in the right place at the right time. With a descent lens maybe

Well timed for me was the message in this vid James, as I am in the process of breaking my wallet open for a new camera. Good suggestion to try before the buy as I can hire for a week to get the feel of it first.

That is a great video! Far too many people indeed buy cameras, where they could have gotten a camera that would better suit them if they had done better research. More megapixels rarely mean better photo quality. I once started photography with a 5 megapixel Nikon Coolpix 5900. A great little camera, but it unfortunately died and I got a Nikon Coolpix P5000 with 10 megapixels. The Coolpix 5900 took better pictures though. Pictures had similar contrast and dynamic range, but the 5900 had way less noise and had more detail. Right now I got the Lumix S1, not the S1R. I don't need that extra resolution. I think more people should instead think about what they really need first, and then try what camera will suit them best, instead of just buying what others say is good. Bottom line: of course I want FujiFilm to succeed, but not in the way the X100V is too successful right now...

Lenses is what I did. I started with Canon EF lenses. My first DSLR camera was a XTI. Then I got a SL2, eos-m and M6II. I use an adapter and a speedbooster with the EF lenses. I also have a couple EF-M lenses. I don't use the XTI anymore. The EF-S 24mm f/2.8, the EF 50mm f/1.8 II and the EF 75-300 f/4-f/5.6 are my Canon lenses. I also have a Kamlan EF-M 50mm f/1.1 and TTArtisan EF-M 35mm f/1.4. The Question: What's a good camera? My Answer: Any camera that is handy, even my Samsung phone. Whatever I can quickly post a picture with online if I need to. Obviously my M6II for anything I want to create a better picture with an editor on my computer before posting. They all get the job done.

I see you now own a GR IIIx. In the course of a normal day on the street, how many photos are you getting before the little battery depletes? And thanks for the video, be well. - Loren

Going through this right now regarding the DJI Mini 3 Pro. Should I get it???

Cannot emphasize trying first, but I lucked out with my A7IV. Sony was doing a trade in event and I got my A7IV for what I paid used for my A7iii. I no longer fight or get frustrated with gear. I'll probably shoot the A7IV until it completely dies which makes me happy. Sony is going to have to pull some major punches to convince me to upgrade again. Also lenses are underrated! James is very on point. You can take my 14mm GM from my cold dead hands. I make excuses to use that lens.

“Try before you buy”, I wish I’d have done that, well, more so been able to do that as I bought my Fuji Xt3 blind and online, never even picked one up. Basically, just before a complete lockdown in 2020 I’d had an accident and all my Canon gear was ruined ( water damaged ), I was able to borrow a camera for the short term and the insurance company paid out very quickly as I’d sent all my gear to them to test, which I doubt they did, and as I’d bought an “old for new” policy I got back much more than I paid for the gear I’d lost. Now though I’m wanting to change systems entirely, I’ve not got along with the Fuji system since I bought it but I’m not in the position to change, doesn’t help that the price of used Xt3’s has dropped, plus I dropped my camera too making it now good not excellent.

Thank you James, I only shoot with a Bridge camera, which I have 2, one a Kodak AZ652, the other a Cannon SX70HS, all distances covered, no lens to by, "no wants or buys" Happy as a pig- in- ****, My Retirement Hobby, I shoot what I want that makes me happy, It all works 4 me - from Theoldgit

Well you could have done this before you did the Leica video a few weeks ago to save us all from suffering from FOMO!! :-)It also made me chuckle that this one wasn't sponsored by MPB. Jokes aside, great video. I constantly have to talk myself out of my gear obsession. Reminding myself what the greats had to work with. This quote from Henri Cartier Bresson sticks with me; “The camera is for us a tool, not a pretty mechanical toy. … It is enough if the photographer feels at ease with his camera, and if it's appropriate to the job he wants it to do.”

It's interesting, isn't it? Many of the limitations of slightly older cameras can be worked around. Limited DR? Bracket! Lower MP/less detail limits crop capability? Use your feet! Etc.. Understanding how to use a camera properly covers up a lot of a camera's limitations.

The one you have with you in the moment (of course).

4:37 😂 words of wisdom

Hi James, what are your thoughts on the Q2 Monochrom? Also costs a pretty penny, but the fact that it has a monochrome sensor sets it apart from 99% of other cameras but is it worth it?? There has been some hype on that sensor but I really don't know if it's just hype or actually worth it!

I think your chair has something to say as well! 😀