Should you upgrade a 5-year-old point-and-shoot camera by default?
Asked 12/25/2012
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2 answers
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I have a Canon PowerShot SD750 that still works fine, but it’s about five years old. With computers, older models often become effectively obsolete after a few years. Does the same apply to compact point-and-shoot cameras? In other words, will almost any newer point-and-shoot automatically deliver better image quality than a 5-year-old model, or does it mainly depend on what features and performance I actually need?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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What's obsolete?
Does it do the job for you? Yes, then it isn't obsolete. No, it might be. My laptop is now around 4 years old - and still doing well. OK, I got a more powerful desktop this year but it is still a perfectly capable computer (even for photo editing if you ignore Adobe's performance issues).
The same works for nearly any other piece of technology. Most compact cameras up to as much as 6 years old are still very much capable cameras. There is an old PowerShot at home, from December 2005 - 5MP but otherwise it works perfectly fine and shoots perfect images (in good light).
Companies want you to think you constantly need something better, but the truth is that most of the "equipment" nowadays is overkill and 90% or more of the people do not need (!!) the equipment they have - be it a computer, phone, camera or car. Now "need" is the key word here - because you might want a new piece of equipment, but you might not need it.
I.e. to sum it up: If it does the job for you then it is fine and you do not need anything new.
Originally by user7736. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user7736
13y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Not by default. A point-and-shoot isn’t “obsolete” just because it’s 5 years old if it still does what you need.
Newer compact cameras may offer improvements such as higher resolution, better high-ISO performance, improved flash, better lenses, and more flexibility. But that doesn’t mean every newer model will produce dramatically better photos in all situations, especially in good light.
The real question is whether your current camera limits you. If you’re happy with the image quality, size, and ease of use, there’s no urgent reason to replace it. If you regularly want cleaner low-light images, more detail, better overall image quality, or features your current camera lacks, then upgrading makes sense.
Also, for casual everyday shooting, smartphones have replaced many older compact cameras, so that’s worth considering too.
Bottom line: upgrade based on your needs, not just the camera’s age.
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