Lately, I’ve been wondering more and more if photographers have become spoiled by the technology found in their camera equipment. Over time, we’ve been treated so well by camera manufacturers that many of us fail to really appreciate the incredible image making power of the gear we hold in our hands every day. There really is no such thing as a ‘bad’ camera system today.
If we aren’t spoiled… does that mean we haven’t found the right equipment for our needs? Or, does it mean we’ve become so jaded that we find fault with everything photographic… regardless of how good the gear may be? Perhaps some of us will never be happy or feel spoiled, as we keep continually lusting for something that is incrementally ‘better’. Rather than fully appreciating what we already have.
NOTE: Click on images to enlarge. Photographs have been added to serve as visual breaks.
I purchased my first interchangeable lens camera in 1974, back in the film days. It was a Nikkormat with some off-brand lenses. These included 24 mm f/2.8 and 135 mm f/3.5 primes, and an 85-205 mm zoom lens. I also had a basic flash unit. In those days I wasn’t ‘into’ photography. The camera gear I bought was necessary for me to do my job as a commissioned newspaper advertising salesperson. I learned how to use it efficiently and effectively in the field as my income depended on it.
Like many people back then I dabbled with photography from time to time. I did not like film photography at all. It was expensive and inconvenient. My college studies in advertising had a basic course in photography. This included some darkroom work which I particularly hated. When on holidays I’d shoot some colour slides but that was about the extent of my typical photographic pursuits.
It wasn’t until the shift to digital camera technologies a couple of decades ago, that my interest in photography was energized. I loved the freedom and cost effectiveness that digital photography provided. The ease of use and the image quality that was possible from digital cameras amazed me… and still does today.
Over the past 20+ years I’ve owned a range of digital camera equipment including some point and shoot units. My digital interchangeable lens camera experience began with Nikon gear and included APS-C, full frame and Nikon 1 equipment. All of it was excellent and produced great results for me.
It was the compact size/weight, and performance of my Nikon 1 equipment that fully unleashed my passion for photography. I ended up using the Nikon 1 system exclusively for over 4 years, including for all of my industrial safety video work for my clients. I was beginning to get a bit spoiled. Depending on our own unique needs, we all have photographic priorities that make a particular camera system a great fit for us… or not.
Then, some clients began asking if I could do their video projects in 4K which was not possible with Nikon 1 equipment. That client request, along with the discontinuation of the Nikon 1 system in July 2018, necessitated a camera system change for our business.
That led us to invest in Olympus (now OM System) equipment in mid 2019. I did not know it at the time, but my journey to become completely spoiled by technology had begun.
Early on I learned that I no longer had to care about inclement weather and using rain sleeves. At first it felt quite strange and rather uncomfortable to keep shooting when other folks were covering up their cameras and running for cover from the rain. I learned that I could absolutely trust the weathersealing of my Olympus gear.
In the past when I was shooting client video projects I was a bit paranoid about keeping the sensors in my cameras clean. When shooting client video projects I stopped to clean my camera’s sensor at least three or four times a day during an onsite shoot. Dust specks on a photograph are easy to deal with in post. Not so with video. To make it quick and easy to keep my camera sensors clean I used sensor gel sticks… which worked like a charm.
In 2022 my wife and I decided it was time to close our corporate entity. Part of that wrap-up included addressing our depreciation schedule and selling some camera equipment. As a result we sold all of our Nikon 1 gear and most of our camera supports like tripods/heads, slider, jib and skater dolly.
I had no hesitation at all selling my two sensor gel sticks. Even though I had used them faithfully before each outing with all of my Nikon gear… regardless of sensor format. The reason was simple. I no longer needed them. The Super Sonic Wave Filter in our Olympus cameras have kept the sensors free of dust even after countless lens changes in a range of conditions. We’ve never needed to clean the sensors in our E-M1X or E-M1 Mark III bodies during the past 4 years of use.
Above all else, it is the imaging technologies in my E-M1X bodies that have spoiled me. I have come to rely on Bird Detection AI Subject Tracking to photograph birds in free flight. For my style of shooting, using it in combination with Pro Capture L has proven to be ideal. It allows me to respond rapidly to photographic opportunities.
I use Pro Capture H extensively to photograph insects and birds launching into flight, or coming in to land. I find this technology is incredible to capture precise moments of action.
Pro Capture H is equally powerful when used with an E-M1X or E-M1 Mark III body, and with a range of different telephoto lenses. I am totally spoiled by this technology and simply cannot imagine owning a camera without Pro Capture L/H.
The IBIS (in-body image stabilization) in my E-M1X bodies is superb. It makes shooting handheld up to a full second a no brainer. This helps to utilize all of the dynamic range potential from my camera’s sensor as regularly shooting at base ISO-200 is a practical reality.
With some practice I’ve been able to extend my successful handheld photography up to 4 seconds when using wider angle focal lengths with a number of my M.Zuiko lenses. Successfully shooting at very slow shutter speeds continues to amaze me.
I love technology that allows me to respond to unexpected photographic opportunities like using Live ND to create ‘smooth water’ effects without having a tripod or neutral density filter with me.
Being able to capture high dynamic range images by using the in-camera HDR1 function is liberating. Especially when I can avoid the time and hassle of combining multiple RAW files in post.
HDR1 can be used handheld with other types of subjects like flowers. It not only enhances dynamic range but can also help to reveal additional detail in an image. Again, being able to accomplish this handheld, while avoiding the need to spend time combining multiple exposures in post, is liberating.
For me, being spoiled by technology includes the use of handheld, in-camera focus stacking. I find this particularly useful when doing macro photography of flowers.
Using handheld hi res (HHHR) is another way that technology expands my photographic opportunities. I love to have options when I’m out with my camera gear.
Seeing an image opportunity… then being able to ask myself how I would like to create an image using a particular in-camera technology, adds fuel to my creativity. Should I shoot this as a standard macro exposure? Use in-camera focus stacking? Utilize Handheld Hi Res? Or, choose HDR1 to increase dynamic range?
After being spoiled by my camera’s technology for over 4 years, if my only option was a standard exposure… I think photographic boredom would soon set in.
Another option that is available is to use my E-M1X’s Digital Teleconverter. This works best when composing portrait-type images or when purposely trying to get in extremely tight on a subject. It isn’t a technology that I use everyday, but it is great to have in my photographic tool kit.
The smaller size, lighter weight, and increased affordability of M.Zuiko PRO f/2.8 zoom lenses allowed us to invest in these better quality, more capable lenses. The added flexibility these f/2.8 PRO zooms provides us with more creative latitude.
For example, being able to achieve deep depth-of-field using an aperture of f/2.8 can be very useful in lower light situations. When we appreciate our camera gear for what it actually is (i.e. ignoring efov), we are better able to more fully utilize its potential.
We can experiment for ourselves and dispel silly online assumptions such as “it is impossible to get shallow depth-of-field” with a M4/3 camera system.
Have I been spoiled by technology? I’m very pleased to unabashedly say… “Absolutely”. Being spoiled by technology has some significant benefits. First, we more fully appreciate the camera equipment we own, and as a result are more capable of putting its potential to use.
Second, we don’t waste time reading or watching gear reviews that serve little purpose other than to fuel personal dissatisfaction about what we currently own.
And most importantly, we are more likely to grab our camera gear with the goal of exploring our photographic potential and the world around us.
After 4 years of use, my wife and I have yet to use some technology in our cameras like Live Composite, or Starry Sky AF. Nor have we used the Art Filters and a few other functions. All of that will come with time.
I have one hope for all of the readers of this article. Regardless of the camera format/brand that you may own and use… I hope that each of you can become spoiled by the technology of your camera system as much as I have been with mine.
Technical Note
Photographs were captured using camera gear as noted in the EXIF data. Images were produced from jpeg or RAW files using my standard process. This is the 1,309 article published on this website since its original inception in 2015.
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Fantastic article, I think it’s all too easy to get wrapped up in the latest and greatest. I shoot both Nikon and OMD. By far my most fun system is my OM1. I always grab that camera first. There will come a time that I no longer shoot two systems and the one I keep will be my OM system. I really enjoy reading your articles.
Hi Steve,
Thanks for adding to the discussion. I’m glad you are enjoying the articles.
Tom
I’m rather sure that old time photographers appreciate new fangled stuff in modern cameras but I don’t think spoiled is the right word.
Hi Lewsh,
Folks may be impacted by technology in different ways and one verb may not be appropriate for another person. From a purely personal perspective I have been spoiled by the technology in my Olympus gear… i.e. I would not settle for anything less than all of the technology that I currently enjoy.
Tom
I concur.
As you say, we are spoiled by cameras today. Any ILC, with any sensor size built in the last decade at least is going to give you good images if you know how to use it to it’s potential. As an Olympus/OM Systems user these extra computational goodies are a real treat and like you I would not want a camera without them.
Funny though, sometimes if you just look at youtube, you would think ever camera from the past was terrrible, the camera that was good a couple years ago is now bad for various silly reasons, even though lets be honest, the pure IQ from the sensor has rather plateaued a while ago. It’s all AF, as if every need to shoot 20 FPS all the time with crazy tracking (which of course for niche things like birds or fast sports you do need speed…) or, the EVF is not as good, so much be a bad camera. I suppose if cameras don’t keep “improving” something they have nothing to talk about gear wise…
I remember once watching certain youtube influencer “review” the E-M1X and complain, the backgrounds aren’t blurry enough, I can see some grain in the photos at like iso 5000…
Of course then I saw him review an APSC camera from another manufacturer and he was like don’t worry about grain at high ISO…
Oh well, I love my M43 year and remember that I am spoiled with everything it can do
Hi Ben,
Thanks for adding to the discussion. I agree with your observation that many reviewers make it seem that cameras a few years old are now somehow bad today. I remember when my daughter got married, she hired a very talented wedding photographer for her wedding. That photographer was a fashion model earlier in her career and did an outstanding job directing the bride, groom and the rest of the wedding party. She was very professional and came to the event thoroughly prepared. Her assistant knew exactly which body and lens were required for each series of photographs. The photographer’s ability to see her desired compositions and adjust to lighting definitely had a huge impact on the quality of her work.
What I found interesting was that none of the three cameras she used were current models. Her 2 Canon full frame cameras were likely 3 and 5 years old at the time. And the APS-C Nikon body was close to 10 years old. Her work was superb… and the age of her camera gear had no negative impact on that at all.
I agree with your comment that sensor performance plateaued some time ago. Why some folks are so fixated on sensor size is a bit of a mystery to me since there hasn’t been very much improvement with image quality over the past few years. Cameras are image/video creating tools… nothing more… nothing less. The more we understand the capabilities of our gear, and learn to work around areas where it may be challenged… the more we can get out of our gear.
Tom
Great post sir. One in a long line of interesting and informative posts you’ve written.
I too bought my first SLR in the early 1970s and shot lots and lots of Kodachrome film. By the mid to late 90s I’d gotten tired of throwing away slides that were not worth keeping and eventually realized how much money had gone in the trash — with that I reduced my photography substantially. And then came digital cameras. I used Canon’s for a number of years and then purchased an Olympus E-M10 ii and haven’t looked back. I’s a wonderful system: small, light and relatively inexpensive compared to the alternatives with superb image quality and a wonderful array of lenses.
Hi Woody.. thanks for sharing some of your photographic experiences.
It is interesting how many folks drifted away from photography during the film days… then were reenergized with digital photography.
Tom
Good morning,
We live in two very distant countries, but it’s incredible how similar his photographic life path and photographic philosophy are to mine.
We are more or less the same age and I too, at 20, during a sports trip to Prague, bought my first camera (a Zenit E) without any real passion, but simply to get rid of the remaining local currency.
At that time I was a university student and I was preparing for the Agricultural Entomology exam, so it was natural to start using it to photograph insects.
Since then there have been numerous economic reflex cameras: Mamiya MSX 500, PentaX K1000, Pentax ME super. With the arrival of autofocus I bought a Minolta Dynax 7000i.
But I too, like you, have never loved the limits of film, so my photographic passion gradually faded. But then digital arrived and the fire smoldering under the ashes flared up again stronger than before: Nikon D80 and then Nikon D7000. In the meantime, the years passed and I began to want something lighter and less bulky: the Nikon 1 system was the perfect solution. Unfortunately Nikon’s unfortunate technical, commercial and communicative choices have condemned this beautiful system. A few months ago my 70-300 broke and I discovered that, at least in Italy, it is no longer possible to repair System 1 equipment. I realized then that the time had come to change again. And this is where your beautiful articles made me discover the wonders of the Olympus world. With some financial sacrifice and taking advantage of the opportunities that occasionally arise on the second-hand market, I am putting together a small system which currently includes an E-M1 II, a 12-45mm f/4 PRO, a 60 macro and a 75 -300mm.
I apologize for the errors that will surely be present in the automatic translation.
Thank you again for your commitment to disseminating your photographic philosophy which I totally agree with.
Hi Riccardo,
Thank you for sharing your photographic journey… it is always interesting to learn about the path that others have followed. As our shared experiences show, the Nikon 1 system was ideal for many photographers. Unfortunately it is becoming harder to get repairs done. I also had some issues with my CX 70-300 but was fortunate that the lenses were repaired under warranty. There is an issue with an internal cable that tends to break over time.
There is a person in Taiwan that apparently has a good reputation fixing Nikon 1 lenses. I don’t have any first hand experience with him, but I understand some folks on DPReview have had good experiences with him. Here is an email address that was posted on DPReview: repair@mydc.com.tw . Here a link to some additional information: https://shop.mydc.com.tw/en/nikon/76-nikon-1-lens-aperture-metal-gear.html.
Tom
Thank you. I’ll try to contact him.
Greetings.
Riccardo
I have also been spoiled. I came to Olympus from Canon with the first OM-D E-M5 for the in body stabilization. As the technology was added to Olympus cameras, I upgraded by camera models until I purchased my present OM-1. I don’t know what I could give up now, I need it all! Your articles have been helpful for utilizing pro capture (L and H) for birds in flight, as well as macro shooting with in camera focus bracketing and stacking! Now I leave my neutral density filters are home. I am spoiled and I have dismissed gear reviews because no one else has all these unique features. I am a spoiled, but I am a happy photographer!
Hi Tom,
Thanks for sharing your experience of moving to Olympus/OM System… and being spoiled. 🙂
Like you, there is nothing I would be willing to give up… I need it all.
Tom