Hello students of photography:

It is my opinion that there has occurred, over the past decade or more, an alarming trend for overkill in technology.  Whether it be computers, cell phones, cameras, lenses, etc..Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.  Sometimes less is more.  In regards to photography, I find that there is this constant push by the major camera brands to pump out the next greatest camera to the consumer.  In many cases, these camera models are only slightly improved -- maybe in a few more megapixels or the addition of a few more focus points, etc...What we do see is a price jump and just another camera brand model on the market and pasted on magazine page ads for the consumer or prosumer to try to digest and decide if this is the camera they should buy?  

One of the negative drawbacks to the digital age has been and continues to be the flooding of the market with all things digital because this type of technology makes it easy to produce and tweek and mass produce.  I find with many of my students much confusion with digital technology in general never mind all the countless varieties of camera brands and models and designs.  The introduction and push to mirrorless cameras and also cell phone cameras had added even more confusion and mind-boggling choices.

During the age of 35mm film and the fully mechanical SLR, we didn't have these issues due to the type of technology involved and therefore visual artists could concentrate more on the art and science of photography and how to use their simple light boxes to capture and create great artwork.  It is unfortunate, today, that much of what we see on the market, I consider "overkill", is being motivated by profit and competition.

Remember students, what is most important in photography is to learn the art and science of 35mm photography, buy a descent 35mm DSLR but also invest your money in the optics (lenses).  The rest is up to you.  It is the violinist and not the violin.