By no means will I try to tell anybody else what to do, but
maybe my approach will help others carve their own path through
the Digital Migration Jungle.
1. Definition of Needs:
What is it that you shoot, how do you shoot and what is the
target "output"? Always start from the desired output and work
backwards. Just because you *might* someday want to print an
11x14 is not a reason to skew your decision making process yet.
Another thing to look at is typical ISO usage. If you are a
speed freak and typically buy ISO 800 film today, then this
*might* weigh in on the purchasing decision. What about
carrying the camera? Do you prefer a small lightweight camera
that spends its life inside a camera bag? Or do you carry it on
a tripod or around your neck exposed to knocks, bruises and the
elements? Do you sell stock images, wedding/portrait photos,
wildlife or sports? Do you basically just shoot your
kids/grandkids on Christmas and birthdays? Do you plan on
staying "hybrid" with film for a while yet?
2. Determine current resources. Do you have one or two
pedestrian-level lenses and an old OM-10, or do you have five
OM-4Ti/3Ti bodies and every Zuiko lens made? Do you have
top-level glass in other systems? Do you shoot other formats?
3. Determine your "work ethic". Pro, semi-pro, advanced
amature, or do you typically have two Christmases on one roll of
film? Be brutally honest here. If you are a Two Christmas kind
of person a purchase of a digital system will not turn you into
a Pro. You might progress one step up the ladder, but ownership
of a 4x5 doesn't make you Ansel Adams. This is a purely
business decision: Is the purchase of the camera system for
yourself or your business?
4. Determine your "budget". A good place to start would be "If
I was buying a film camera how much would I spend" plus 1/2 of
last years Film and Processing costs. For example, I can buy an
OM-4Ti for $400 and half my film/processing costs is $900. This
means that I can spend $1300 on a new Digital camera system. Why
1/2 of film/processing costs? Shooting digital isn't quite as
"free" as we think it is. Do you buy a new replacement film
camera every year? If the answer is "no", then each subsequent
year of "system ownership" allows you to spend 1/2 of your
film/processing budget on new componants.
5. Determine your "ego". Like it or not, we are emotionally
tied to our purchasing decisions. Personally, I'd have a hard
time purchasing a couple particular brands because of my ego,
but would lean towards a couple other ones because of it too.
If you are not emotionally satisfied and pleased with the
decision, you'll be cruising for a replacement system about two
weeks after the purchase of this one. I'll admit it, Olympus
satisfies my ego nicely. This is no different than buying a
car. If we make our purchase decisions based on the
recommendations of "Consumer Reports" then we'd all be driving
the same mushy, boxy minivan with 16 cupholders. You need to
totally ignore other people's recommendations here. This is
YOUR emotional state and preferences here.
Now, let's put the pieces in place.
1. Select pixel count and noise specifications based on your
CURRENT 90% rule. New toys/tools do open up new opportunities,
but for most of us the pattern is already set.
2. If you have an investment in glass that gives you great
satisfaction today? I'll give you a hint here, Modern Zooms do
not have the same "look and feel" as the old lenses. Don't pay
attention to the hype--old lenses do work very well. What does
this mean? Ignore the "brand-x has a bigger lens selection"
arguments. Use what you have and pick a system because of a
specific lens you ARE going to buy, not just because a
particular lens may exist. The bulk of my digital pictures are
taken with the kit lenses that came with the cameras. Again,
consider the 90% rule. Just because brand-x has a 600/4
stabilized lens doesn't mean you're going to buy it. If you
plan on staying hybrid (film/digital) for a while yet, you can
choose a system that allows you to minimize the duplication of
equipment.
3. Work ethic and purpose. A business decision is a business
decision made by ROI (return on investment) and satisfaction of
needs. If this is a business purchase you need to make it an
accounting excercise. Buy that which satisfies the need and
gives a good ROI. If the purchase is "personal", be brutally
honest with yourself. You are buying a "toy" or "recreational
item". If you're just taking snapshots, by all means just get a
pocket digicam and save yourself a fortune.
4. Budget. This goes with the previous one. Be honest with
yourself. You need to really determine whether or not you can
or want to afford this. If your use is personall or
recreational, the "want" will typically override the
"justification". Just take it out of your "home theatre"
budget.
5. Ego. Don't dismiss this. It really is serious. If you
don't satisfy the ego you'll be looking again in a couple of
weeks or months. Part of the ego equation is your "feel right"
preferences. Ignore the specifications and advertising
campaigns. Does this equipment *inspire* you to take
better/more pictures? Remember, for nearly all of use, we have
OM equipment not for the specifications and advertising
campaigns but because of our personal preferences. We chose film
cameras for that reason, why not digital cameras?
There are five categories here. I'm sure you can think of
others, but this is a guide to help you carve your path forward.
Before asking the question "Should I get a D350 or E-500 or an
E-1" consider these points. Be brutally honest and think about
your CURRENT uses. If you have aspirations of being a pro, do
not let that taint your purchases now. Cross that bridge when
you come to it. Otherwise we'd all be buying 1DsM2 cameras.
Just because you MIGHT take a picture SOMEDAY that warrents
getting an enlargement made is not a reason to select one camera
over another. Remember, if this was the defining reason to
select a camera we all would have been shooting medium and large
format film cameras. For those who DO shoot medium/large format
film cameras this will skew the selection, but for most of us it
is a "nice to have" but not vital feature.
AG
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