More than perhaps any other category of hobbyist or indeed professional, a photographer is, if it’s not too much of a generalisation, a sucker for gear. There’s always another lens to buy, or a better camera, a more powerful flash, a new light modifier, a more creative filter. It’s all too easy (and too expensive) to get caught in the upgrade trap of constantly moving on to the next best thing, which of course soon becomes outdated by the next next best thing. It’s a trap most photographers fall into at some stage, but it tends to be a particular weakness of the beginner photographer. There may be two reasons for this. Either the beginner thinks that a better camera will make them a better photographer (or a better lens/flash/insert accessory of choice here), or the beginner photographer doesn’t know what they should and shouldn’t buy, what they will and won’t need, and plays it safe by acquiring a little bit of everything. A better approach is to understand what you need from your gear to undertake the type of photography you are interested in, and to then map out a plan for bits and pieces that might prove useful to your photography in the future. But always the best starting point is not the newest camera in the shops, but the camera you already own.
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