We all suffer from Gear Acquisition Syndrome and spend a lot of time researching about the perfect camera.

And then we spend shitloads of money to get the latest and highest specced camera after convincing ourselves that we need that new camera.

Now take a look at this: a 14 year old Sony R1 (2004) equipped with a 20 year old Canon 550 EX flashgun (1999).

The Sony R1 is a digital classic that I recently purchased and reviewed here, whereas the Canon 550 EX flashgun I bought 20 years ago and still using it as it’s been working perfectly to this day.

I no longer own any Canon camera, so can’t take full advantage of the 550 EX’s advanced auto features. But I’m old school and still know how to operate a flashgun manually, so I can couple it to any non-Canon camera I use.

My 550 EX still has the plastic bracket attached on top for the Sto-Fen Omnibounce. You are probably too young to know what this is all about, but that’s fine. I’m nostalgic, so the bracket it’s still there.

Anyway… This is all about a portrait of my kids I take every month. I’ve been doing this for the past 8 years since my elder son was born, so I have a very interesting time lapse sequence. This time around I decided to use the Sony R1 with the Canon 550 EX flashgun. It worked perfectly.

I’m not showing the results because, as a matter of principle, I prefer not to publish photos of my kids here.

Let’s just say the results were very good. And the fact that I’d achieved it by using such old equipment puts a smile on my face.

So, again, if you really have a passion for photography, don’t waste too much time thinking about your camera gear and its limitations.

Whatever camera you own, let me tell you this: it has no limitations. You just have to work around it.

If not – if you are unable to find a solution for a problem you think the camera is creating – then perhaps you are the limitation.

Don’t blame your camera.