You have a camera that you use regularly, that you can operate blindly and that you are technically satisfied with. Therefore, you are not interested in what newer models have to offer. Envious! Then you can skip this blog entry.
I always have to slow down when I read camera reports and remember that it's actually about taking pictures. Anyone who has ever studied the technical part of a photo magazine knows what I'm talking about: overturning laboratory values, ISO numbers in the five-digit range and megapixel madness. Comparisons are staged, system cameras against the classic SLR, or superlatives are put into the field, compact cameras with megazoom or so-called luxury compact cameras with enlarged sensor and powerful optics, often paired with retro look and playful turning wheels. Every camera manufacturer looks for its niche, and since the technology is similarly good above a certain price threshold, marketing is decisive for success with the customer. On some days I am susceptible to this - yes, mostly somehow serious-looking - advertising.
My antidote to get me back on the ground are "dry walks", strolling without a camera, but with full attention for my reactions. When my senses jump on something, I imagine how I would design and expose the picture. This shows me in the truest sense of the word that it is first and foremost about my perception and only in the next step about the device with which I want to capture my view of things and people. With an expensive writing instrument from Montblanc you don't suddenly write wonderful poems or exciting short stories. Photographing with an analogue film camera has a similar calming effect. Already for 50-100 Euro one can get classical models on the relevant Internet market places.
I like to use an Olympus Trip 35, which I bought for 20 Euro. I don't even need a battery, because this 30 year old camera automatically measures the exposure with selenium cells distributed around the lens. Usually I insert a black-and-white film. I only have to adjust the distance, the aperture selects the camera itself and it always triggers with 1/400. Everything is very simple and you can concentrate on your environment and your own feelings. After the shutter release, there is also no preview image on the display, so that you can no longer deal with the recording. You stay in the flow and don't distract yourself with ratings. Take a step back and take a few film rolls, preferably color and black and white. Just waiting for the development is an experience with aha-effect. Because with enough distance you evaluate your own pictures differently and more critically, sometimes you almost rediscover them. Try it out!
After such attempts at simplification you will probably notice how good your current camera is and that you have everything you need. If you're still looking to buy a new camera and are sure that your current model is really out of date, take some time to find out what's important to you - and forget about the specifications for a moment.
You will quickly realize that quite different factors lead to a good image than high-tech devices. Free yourself from test results and lab reports! Develop a feel for cameras. Go to a photo retailer or electronics store, look at as many models as you can and pick up the ones you like spontaneously. Pay attention to haptics, ease of use and - your gut feeling. Are you a guy who prefers to look through a viewfinder or someone who sets the viewing angle with a tilting display? Does the camera sit comfortably in your hand and does the material feel comfortable? Check whether your favourite settings are quickly accessible or whether they are cumbersome, branched in the menu. Is the battery capacity sufficient? Choose a size that fits comfortably in your hand and that you like to carry with you when you're on the go.
Because only if you really take a lot of pictures will you learn to use the camera in such a way that your very personal perception is expressed. Then you'll take good pictures that you'll enjoy again and again - and that's all that matters.