Making a camera in 2025 is no longer about photography, videography, or filmmaking.

Because every month, it seems like a new camera or lens is released.

It’s to the point where I don’t even understand the difference between the models anymore.

Even Fujifilm, which is what I shoot, I’m only barely keeping up with the XH2, X-H2s, X-M5 - whatever.

There’s so many names!

Furthermore, with every incremental upgrade it seems like another useless or unnecessary feature is added to make the camera “new and exciting” again.

One camera company does it, everyone talks about it, and then all the other companies scramble to release their own version to “keep up”.

And thus, camera companies are trapped in a never ending rat race with their competitors.

Today we’re going to explore some reasons why this happened, and what we can do as photographers.

Let’s begin.

The Spec Race

Camera companies have always been in competition with each other, but never has it been quite as fierce as now.

With the advent of YouTube, a thick community of people who watch, read, and keep up with the latest gear has emerged.

Videos reviewing the latest cameras, videos comparing cameras between companies, and videos telling you whether you should buy or not.

Because these videos can easily get clicks up to hundreds of thousands, or millions of people, what an online personality thinks can heavily dictate sales and whether people buy a camera or not.

We saw this with the Fujifilm x100v, the internet blowing this camera up to sky high popularities, inflating the price and sales of the camera.

You’ll see this in how camera companies build their cameras as well.

They know with each subsequent upgrade they need to bring video from 4k up to 6k, 6k up to 8k.

Raise the bit rate, up the megapixels, make the processor better so it’s faster.

It’s no longer about actually making the best camera - or even a better camera for the consumer experience.

It’s about having a camera with better features because “we can’t fall behind”.

So over the decades, cameras have become more “tech” than anything - kind of like how apple and android releases new phones every year.

It’s all about the features.

Again, we saw this with Fujifilm as well.

They’ve been doing “film simulations” for years now, but it was only recently that this concept became really popular.

And now a bunch of other camera companies also have a “film like” emulator now.

Which at the end of the day are just fancy color profiles.

To make it worse, we know camera companies have the capabilities to create something cool or different.

But few are willing to take such a gamble.

An example of this was the Fujifilm X-Pro3.

It’s one of the few modern cameras that took a gamble with a controversial build - it’s unorthodox screen.

So although this camera was, and still is, highly popular with many photography enthusiasts, it definitely didn’t do as well with the general consumer base.

Why?

Because it was too niche.

Most entry photographers would be better suited with something standard, like the X-E series.

And for sure an X-Pro4 would be out or at least announced by now had the X-Pro3 been a bigger success.

So cameras like the X-E4 take the cake and make more money for the company.

Meaning that although there may be companies willing to try and make something different, the lack of mainstream appeal makes it tough to compete and stay alive.

At least back in the day with film, you’d still buy the film and companies would have a recurring customer.

But now that things are mainly digital, companies need to make their money somehow.

Which means making a camera more people will buy, which can in turn ruin some camera lines.

Let’s explore the downside effects of this rat race.

The Downsides

The result of this never ending rat race between camera companies hurts both the cameras and the consumers.

For the cameras, it can lead to worse products, sometimes even ruining the camera.

Wanting every camera to have 4k 10bit 4:2:0 as a requirement to even be considered in this day and age is objectively crazy.

Especially when the camera will rarely be used for that feature.

For example, take the Fujifilm x100vi.

When making this camera, they added plenty of features.

A 40mp sensor, 6k video, IBIS, etc.

A bunch of features to keep this camera relevant.

And I’m not arguing against making this camera better.

It makes sense because, who would want to buy a new camera without any upgrades?

However, if you look at the camera itself and what it’s meant to be used for, much of this is overkill.

The ability to record video in 10 bit 4:2:2 in a camera like this is awesome, but who actually needs that?

And I believe that many companies cram their cameras with these features and upgrades so they can be comparable to other top cameras, even though it can ruin the camera itself.

There is only so much you can put into one camera, and adding one feature removes the option for another.

So it may mean each individual component not functioning as well as it could.

So although the x100vi can do so, recording at such a high quality for an extended period of time will overheat the camera.

Once you begin to notice this, you’ll use the feature less and less so the camera doesn’t overheat.

Until eventually, you don’t even use it anymore.

Which makes the feature almost pointless.

That’s what happened in my case.

I rarely ever record video with this camera anymore because it’s just more convenient to keep this as a photography specific camera.

So it may be better to not have the component than to have it and it suck.

But alas, I understand why they do this.

You can’t improve the component without first starting it.

The reason 8k exists is because they crammed a shitty 4k into a camera ages ago and improved upon that.

And starting this process of adding higher video specs and IBIS into the VI will make it so the next iteration will be that much better.

Furthermore, you don’t always have to shoot at the maximum quality - cameras like the VI still work great at 4k (which is all you really need).

So I get it why, I just have mixed feelings about it currently.

In addition to potentially ruining the camera, this can also ruin the consumer.

Why?

Because consumers will look for and buy the newer cameras thinking they’re that much better.

Plus, they will disregard many older models, despite them still being good, because they’re not “new”.

Furthermore, they’ll continue to prioritize the wrong things about cameras, thinking it’s the quality or resolution that makes the difference, when it doesn’t really matter as much - the companies are just marketing that.

Many experienced photographers already know this.

How?

Because many of us still use old cameras that we bought years ago.

We’ve made the mistakes of trying to keep up with the new lenses and cameras and have realized it doesn’t actually matter.

You buy a new camera, then another one comes out even though this one just came out.

And within a few months or year it feels like this “new camera” you have is all of the sudden irrelevant.

But it’s not, it’s the same camera as when it came out and works perfectly fine.

Knowing that, you’ll begin to shift your focus onto more important things: like actual photography.

Let’s talk about that.

We Don’t Have to Partake

At the end of the day, understanding the rat race of camera gear is important for any photographer, videographer, or film maker.

Why?

So we don’t get caught up in it.

This whole rat race can not only ruin the cameras they’re building but also us as consumers.

Because the reality of it is: if camera companies released perfect cameras, people would stop buying their products.

There would be no need to upgrade because you already have what you need.

Therefore, less than perfect cameras will always be released to keep the market buying.

So what can we do as consumers?

It’s simple: don’t buy into it.

Now that we understand the rat race of camera gear, we don’t have to participate.

Start with the best camera for you: which is whatever camera you have.

Use that day in and day out to learn more about photography and yourself.

The funny thing is, many people will get their “photography fix” in here, and then stop taking pictures for months.

Meaning, you didn’t need that new camera, you were just itching to take photos.

And going out and taking photos, scratching that photography itch, and not buying that new camera can save you a ton of money.

Second - if you do this and fall into photography again, you’ll learn more about which gear suits you.

Because chances are, there are some limitations to the gear you have.

By understanding that, you’ll know what your next camera or lens will be.

When you understand the features that matter for you, you can ignore all the other “fancy” upgrades you don’t need - like newer processors, more megapixels, and higher video specs.

Those I’ve found to be the features I care less about and are irrelevant for my photography.

Then maybe you’ll spend your money on an older model that does exactly what you need, and you don’t need to waste your dollars on the newest thing.

Or maybe you’ll find that it was the focal length that wasn’t clicking and you can just buy a second hand lens and experiment with that.

Understanding this process of our relationship with cameras and photography can help us escape the rat race.

Camera companies over there can compete and do whatever they want with their fancy tech upgrades.

Maybe we’ll buy a new camera every 5 years if it suits our needs.

But otherwise we can let them have their battles, not get caught up in it, and enjoy more of what we got into this hobby for in the first place: photography.

That’s my solution at least.

So I hope you found this interesting or valuable - let me know in the YouTube comments your thoughts on this.

How do you handle the race between gear and not let it ruin your relationship with the craft?

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Thanks so much for reading, have a great day.