Well, maybe not a
real disease according to the Centers for Disease Control. But it is real for shutterbugs.
It begins when you elevate your craft and start taking better photos than just
snapshots. The quality of the composition goes up. You begin comparing your photos
to those by more advanced photographers. At some point in the comparisons, you
will notice that the difference is not the composition but the quality of the image.
The focus may not be as sharp. There are differences in many of the various
elements of the image. You become infected with equipitis once you realize that
the limitations of your camera and/or lens are what makes the difference.
My recurring bouts
of equipitis originally showed up 30-some years ago when I was shooting film with
a Canon Ftb and realized a better lens would improve my pictures. The new lens cured
me until the camera died on my and photography took a back seat to raising a
family, career, and many other things.
Eventually, my
interest in photography returned with the purchase of a digital camera. I had a
series of these early models because they were relatively inexpensive and the
quality improved quickly with each new advancement. Then I get serious and
equipitis struck again.
My first venture
into digital SLRs was a Canon EOS Rebel xTi kit. I was happy with the quality
but in a short time decided I needed a zoom lens and a wide angle lens. (see how
quickly it hits!) The Rebel served me well for a few years. But my interests in
sports photography highlighted the limits of that model. The best medicine for
my equipitis – A Canon 70D kit. Now I had better control of my settings, better
ISO range, and better focusing. I was cured, or so I thought.
My latest episode
hit about a couple years ago. A friend let me borrow his 70-200 f2.8L lens for
a basketball game. The improved sharpness of the images with this lens hooked me
and I just had to buy one. This was enough to scratch the equipitis itch for
another year but my drive for better quality in poor light conditions let it
surface again. After debating whether to go with the new mirrorless DSLRs, I purchased
a Canon 5D Mark IV with a 24-105mm f4L lens. My 70D provided good quality
images but the Mark IV is much better. I am very happy with it. My only concern
is when will my next bout of equipitis hit?
