My first camera, a Kodak Brownie Hawkeye, was a Christmas present given to me when I was about 10 years old. My dad taught me how to develop film and make my prints in his makeshift dark room. It was a great introduction to photography and was the beginning of my ‘film days’.
A Yashika 44 twin lens reflex camera was my next camera followed by several Canon models. I used my Canon equipment until the emergence of the ‘digital age’ when I turned to Nikon equipment. I can’t say that one is better than the other but I’ve come to appreciate that the camera is only a tool to capture what the mind sees.
Currently, I use a Nikon D750 full frame camera. Nikon introduced this model about 10 years ago. In its prime it was used by serious amateurs and pros. My backup camera, a D300S cropped sensor model, is also an older camera and long out of production. I enjoy working with both despite their vintage.
Since Covid I have not been out with my cameras as much as I had in pre Covid times. I can’t explain why, except that while Covid was raging I spent my time working on images I had already made and reading. I guess that became a bit of a habit.
Late last summer the idea of upgrading my current D750 to a mirrorless model crept into my mind. I’d seen the advertisements. I had held and examined several Nikon mirrorless models that my friend and pro photographer, Michael Breakey uses in his business. I reasoned that using and learning about a new and technically up to date camera would get the creative juices moving again.
Finding a model that was technically better than my current equipment and would not ‘break the bank’ was my objective. Using some of my current equipment as a trade-in made sense. It didn’t make sense to change to another brand. I already had an assortment of lenses and other equipment that would be compatible with the Nikon models. And so began my research.
Starting with YouTubes I watched a number of videos that reviewed and compared the current line of Nikon mirrorless cameras. That enabled me to narrow my list of choices of the impressive new models.
Our local London Drugs has a camera department that takes trade-ins. In preliminary discussions, a sales representative surmised that my equipment could be valued fairly high. So I packed up my D750 and a Sigma 50mm to 500mm lens then asked for an evaluation.
Two days later I returned. I did not get the news I had hoped for. To my eyes my equipment was clean, in good shape and worked perfectly. The evaluator was not of the same opinion. I packed up my gear and headed for home.
Thinking about what happened I wondered about next steps. Should I modify my expectations and continue to pursue the idea of upgrading to a mirrorless camera or should I drop the idea and stick with my D750? I chose the latter.
In reality my D750 is a very good camera. I love it. So why even think about making a change? Why change when I’ve been very happy with the images I’ve been making?
Perhaps it boils down to me and not the camera. Yes, the camera is the means by which an image is made but one’s vision and imagination are more important. So now my challenge to myself is to get out and make images!
The images I’ve included below were made with my first digital camera, a Nikon E4300. It was a 4 megapixel point and shoot camera. In the twenty years since, cameras have improved tremendously. Now, cameras are on the market with sensors that record over 40 megapixels. These images were made in the Parksville, B.C. area in 2006. They include images from Cathedral Grove and Rathtrevor Beach.
