Last Updated: February 15th, 2020

If you are like us, you probably have had an immediate reaction to looking at the prices of professional grade camera equipment that could be summed up in a single question: why is this so expensive?

When we decided to start our photography business, this was one of the big factors we had to cope with ourselves. We looked at our inexpensive Canon Rebel camera, and started to realize that it just wouldn’t cut it for what we were aspiring to do.

After much research on this topic ourselves just a few years ago, we came to see a pretty consistent trend among photographers who were using their gear for the purpose of driving towards a current (or future) career aspiration. We would read posts where they detailed the equipment in their camera bags, and would see again and again thousands of dollars worth of things. It’s a little scary to say the least, and fundamentally drove the question for us – do I really need all of this high end camera equipment to take good pictures?

Since seriously examining these questions for ourselves, we’ve ended up spending tens of thousands of dollars on camera bodies, camera lenses, backpacks, flash setups, and so on. It’s all been worth the expense as it has enabled us to translate costs into a higher quality product for our clients. This quality, in turn, has enabled us to raise our prices again and again – which helps offset the cost of the gear over time.

For this article, we are going to specifically be honing in on camera bodies, and whether or not it is worth it for you to upgrade yours. We have a lot of thoughts on this topic – and will be exploring them by breaking them down into simple lists. The first will explore 10 reasons why you should upgrade your camera body, and the second will look at 5 reasons why you shouldn’t upgrade your camera body.

Before we begin, you should know we include links to Amazon in the following sections of this article. We only do this for gear we have used, or that are highly regarded in the photography industry and through consumer reviews. Any purchase made through these links provide us a commission, but in no way are you required to do this -we just ask that you consider using these links if you find the content of this article useful, and you decide you’d like to make a purchase.

10 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade Your Camera Body

1). You want professional quality images.

One of the most significant reasons we decided to upgrade our equipment early on is because we took a look at our competition. In the professional world of photography, there are so many photographers out there – some coming into the market and charging a low cost for their services – that it is necessary to be competitive in any way possible.

Of course, we don’t mean to suggest you should be “mean” to other photographers in an attempt to get some new clients – but you need to be able to offer value to your clients that is, at least, similar (ideally better) to the value being offered by other photographers already established.

Having come to this realization ourselves, and seeing the photo quality being put out by photographers in our area, the decision to upgrade was a simple one for us.

We wanted to produce similarly beautiful images.

More expensive camera bodies allow this out the gate once you know how to use them correctly. At it’s simplest form, you will have sharper and crisper images (assuming you focus correctly that is), and this will come through even better then your best exposed images on a budget camera due to a higher number of mega-pixels and ability to shoot in camera RAW format.

2). You want better control and quality when shooting in low light.

Another major reason we had for upgrading our camera body (initially to the Canon 5D Mark III, and later to the Canon 5D Mark IV we now use as a staple in our kit) is being able to have better control over our images when we have to shoot in low light environments.

While we absolutely prefer shooting during Golden Hour, or in well lit spaces, it’s not always in the cards. This is especially true during wedding days, when our shooting environments can change in an instance – and in some situations, we have no control from the start – as is the case often when shooting ceremonies in Catholic churches where flash photography is prohibited and we are forced to depend on our camera bodies abilities.

In these environments, a professional camera body will enable you to shoot at higher ISO levels before images become unusable due to the artificial grain that comes with this. On budget cameras, even shooting at ISO 400 can end up with poor quality pictures – whereas with our Canon 5D Mark IV we can shoot upwards of ISO 6000 without a significant hitch.

Want some other recommendations? Check out our article: What is the Best Camera Body for Low Light Photography?

3). You want a full frame camera.

Just what is a full frame camera? This type of camera body utilizes a sensor that is equivalent in size to old 35mm film (26 x 24mm). Full frame sensors are found in higher end DSLR cameras, as well as on some newer mirror-less bodies such as those produced by Sony (the A7 III being a popular option).

These cameras also enable a wider selection of lenses to be utilized, and allow you to capture more in your frame even if using a comparable focal length lens as what you might find on a budget crop sensor camera. These differences really become the fundamental reasons for wanting a full frame camera body vs. a crop sensor camera body.

4). You want a faster auto-focus function.

While your average consumer may not always pick up on all the nuances of more advanced technologies in certain products, there is a reason for this. Tech that performs like we expect it to, or better than we expect, don’t often get a whole lot of our attention. In the case of a camera’s auto-focusing abilities, this is a pretty significant component that leads to increased costs as you get into higher end bodies because of the role it will play within your day-to-day photography experience.

In the fast paced photography styles you will find with wedding photography and sports photography, having a solid auto-focus is key to getting consistent shots even in difficult environments. Travel photographers looking to snap quick shots while maintaining a low profile, such as when walking around a marketplace, will also benefit from this sort of thing.

5). You want a camera body that can sustain poor weather conditions.

Pro grade camera bodies are designed to be able manage poor weather conditions due to water resistant materials. This doesn’t mean all camera bodies are waterproof, let this be a significant note for you to keep in mind – so you will not want to go swimming with your new Nikon D5 wrapped around your neck, but if you get caught in some rain while on location – it won’t be the end of your $5,000 dollar camera.

Of course, this isn’t meant to replace some pretty simple knowledge that you should always take steps to avoid conditions like this when possible. If you want to go out and shoot in the rain, just buy some cheap plastic camera rain covers.

Oh, and if you actually want to take photos underwater without damaging your camera, you can always purchase underwater housing.

6). You want a larger sensor so as to take advantage of shallow depth of field.

When your camera’s sensor is larger, it contributes to a more shallow depth of field in your images. This is one factor (the “crop factor”) that contributes to the overall DOF-feel in your images. This paired along with your lens focal length and aperture setting (your f-stop number).

The beautiful portraits we are able to take are the result of full advantage being taken of this higher end equipment. Combining a Canon 5D Mark IV with a Canon 85mm f/1.2 prime lens (shot at f/1.2) allows us to significantly blur out the background, while keeping our subject(s) nicely in focus and as the center of attention. This is something that can simply not be replicated on less expensive equipment. Not even photo editing can effectively simulate this look. It is a stunning attribute, and for ourselves, one thing we look for when reviewing images taken by others to help better identify professionals from non-professionals.

7). You are frustrated with your current camera.

Maybe one of the most obvious reasons for upgrading to a better camera body is because your current one is just not cutting it. We know this feeling from experience, and recently have revisited it when showing a friend around her new Canon Rebel camera she received as a gift. While a great starter camera – it has qualities that make it more difficult to use. Slower menus, the crop sensor, kit lenses starting at f/4 aperture, and so on.

We do think that frustration shouldn’t itself be the only reason for you to consider upgrading, but knowing what a better alternative would be – and how an upgrade would fix your frustrations – can lend to it being a serious contributing factor.

8). If you find a good deal, take advantage of it.

Every once in a while, we’ll see more expensive camera gear drop in price. Outside of the normally expected sales that go on around Black Friday and the Christmas holiday season, any serious discounts are pretty rare. Occasionally, you can find an expensive camera body drop a couple hundred dollars (or more likely – have a mail in rebate).

More frequently still, often we see pro gear remain at the same price – but packaged into a kit with a lot of other useful and sometimes expensive accessories such as large format SD cards, battery grips, and even decent lenses. It’s pretty funny we mention this too, as we’ve made it a habit to always by kit packages like this. Often these are found through respected third parties selling through Amazon. As a result, we’ve come to collect about 6 camera backpacks, 10 monopods, a bunch of lens cleaning kits, and so on.

We can admit – sometimes the deals aren’t worth it, but other times they can be. You just need to watch out for the right ones.

As an extra note, sometimes going the used gear option is also a way to get the camera body you want without the huge price tag!

9). You want to shoot video in addition to still photographs.

As photographers first, it can sometimes be a less obvious reason to buy a professional camera, but having the ability to shoot video at high resolutions is an excellent added reason to own better gear. We are not videographers or filmmakers by any stretch of the imagination, but we do enjoy dabbling from time to time. Having access to 4K and 60fps video recording is really great.

10). You just want to!

We could give you a hundred reasons why you should buy a pro camera body, but at the end of the day, you will just do what you want. We’ve spoken to the logical brain up to this point – showcasing technical specs and applications to shooting professionally that we have considered before buying several expensive cameras ourselves – but the reality is that you probably know a lot of these things already! Ultimately, if you want to upgrade your camera body and you have no reason not too – just go for it. If the goal is taking better images, a better camera body will definitely be a significant tool in this process.

Once you’ve got the right photo gear and your business underway, check out Honeybook for contracts/invoicing and Pixieset to host client galleries!

5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Upgrade Your Camera Body

Now that we’ve laid out plenty of reasons that could warrant a camera upgrade, we’re also aware that the expense may not be worth it for everyone. For sure, you need to evaluate your specific situation, and don’t just jump into a multi-thousand dollar commitment if you don’t really need it. After all, we want you to have the best gear you can have, but not at the expense of your sanity or wallet if it doesn’t make sense for you.

Our thoughts on why you wouldn’t want to upgrade your camera body:

1). You’re a hobbyist and are happy with the quality of images you currently produce.

As people who are accustomed to higher end gear now, it’s hard for us to go back. With that said, we still see plenty of beautiful images captured on inexpensive cameras. In capable hands, any camera body can really be pushed in a way that gets great images. The pro gear helps in the area of consistency, but if you are just doing photography as a hobby – every shot you take isn’t “life or death” (to be dramatic). What we mean by this is: you are creating photographs for yourself, whereas a professional takes them for paying clients – who come to the table with certain expectations regarding the quality. There is no room for error, thus better quality gear is a necessary thing.

Hopefully this makes sense. For hobbyists, the investment may just be that – an investment.

2). You have budget restraints.

Talking about investments, not everyone has a large income that can be put towards photography equipment. We are in a unique scenario to have a collection of great camera gear because we use these items as tools to perform the duties of our photography business. Without a doubt, if we weren’t using this gear to make money (let’s be honest here), we wouldn’t have dropped $50,000 on it all in the past 2 years. Do you know how many beaches we could have been sitting on with all that?

Only you can dictate the limits of your budget.

If you have expendable income and want to put it towards a camera body, go for it!

If not, don’t feel you need to splurge and put yourself in debt. You’d be better suited to continue using what you have, and how to better take advantage of light and other factors to get the best shots possible on your current gear.

3). Your specific need might be better resolved by upgrading your lens.

While the camera body is important if you are looking to get better quality images, it is not the only factor. If you are currently using kit lenses (a lot of these on their own run 50$ – 350$), it might be worthwhile considering upgrading the lens you are using. This may be even more the case if you have just been limited to shooting with a single focal length (people shooting with just a 50mm lens their whole life is not unheard of – seeing as we were those people for much of the time we were into photography due to budget limits through our early lives). Even getting a cheap 85mm can do wonders for portrait headshots, while a cheapo 24mm can help you see the world in a different way as a photographer.

4). You don’t take photographs frequently enough to warrant the expense.

Let’s face it – if you are only going out and taking photos once a month (or less), it’s probably not the hobby you want to drop thousands of dollars into.

5). You’re just starting to learn about photography.

Finally, the last reason we have that comes to mind for why you might not want to upgrade your equipment is because you are just starting out. In the early stages of learning how to take photographs, gear isn’t all that important.

In fact, a lot of the best learning experiences comes from figuring out how to make things work with “lesser” equipment. If you can make an image in low light work with a budget camera, you will be better set when you do feel ready to upgrade.

Our Thoughts – Summed Up

There are many valid reasons to upgrade your camera body, and plenty of reasons not too. You ultimately need to judge what your specific needs are, and how having a new camera body will help fill them.

As professional photographers now, we have a serious need for high quality gear. The costs make sense and are easier to budget for – especially considering they end up being tax deductible. If you are a photographer running a business, having pro gear is more a baseline expectation than even just a “recommendation” from us.

Over the years, we have come to see the serious value our camera bodies add to our images. The quality is unsurpassed, and when paired with good compositions and technical understandings, these devices can really help produce some truly great photos.