Are Other Areas In My Life Being Affected By My Purchases?

This is probably one of the most serious questions I will be asking you, and you should ask yourself. How are other areas in your life being affected by your upgrading purchases. Are you noticing you don't have the money to do other activities? Is your entire day more concerned with getting the latest technology offering by a camera manufacturer? Are you jealous of other friends and acquaintances because they have the latest toys? Are you correlating the quality of your photographic experience by what you own, versus what you produce? Are you noticing you have less time for your friends and family, and spend more time scouring the net for the latest gadget?

Let's pause for a moment so you can think about this.

If you are nodding your head to at least one of those questions to the above, upgrading is probably not the issue. The issue, is why you think you need to purchase something when all the signals are going in the opposite direction.

Will Your Photographic Life Change?

If you were to get that new and improved digital camera, do you expect your current photographic situation to change? Can you honestly say that once you spend another chunk of money on the latest camera, you will suddenly be transported to the photographic world of fame and fortune? Probably not. Many of us who upgrade, have this little "Lottery Logic" in the back of our minds that we are going to be escalated to new heights and adventures if we upgrade. The only time I would agree is if you've owned a pinhole camera for your entire life and are upgrading to digital. But I am going to assume, and you should as well, that your life is not going to change. It will stay the same. This isn't a bad thing, it's just the way it is, as it relates to your potential upgraded camera purchase.

Upgrade Your Skills, Not Your Camera

Don't like your current photographic situation? Try something new. Ever went to a high school sports event and just took a few pics for the heck of it? No? Well, do it then. Ever went to a local political event that was controversial? Go there and take some pictures. When you do things like this, you will come to realize what your needs of photography are, and you will be much more qualified to make a decision on upgrading. In addition, you will begin to have CONFIDENCE in yourself. The more photographic situations you put yourself in, the more experienced you will become. In fact, you may come to realize that upgrading to a different camera is not what you need, but more accessories FOR YOUR CAMERA, which will enable you to become a more experienced photographer.

Make A Pros/Cons List

Nothing is better for clearing up fuzzy thinking, than a pen and paper. If you have doubts as to whether you should upgrade, make a list of the pros and cons. When I upgraded from my Olympus E-10 to Nikon D100, I made such a list. Include not only the mechanical advantages and disadvantages, but also include the issues and subjects we have discussed in this article. You will be surprised how the real motives and assumptions come out on paper. When you keep your justifications in your brain, out of sight from your conscious, it's much easier to believe misinformation and be misguided with emotional buying.