That’s not to say that the cost of a camera body is pocket change, but I’ve been through a hell of a lot of camera bodies over the past 15 years. If we cut off the dreary pre-digital era, my SLR history started with the Canon EOS D30 I saved up for for several months. After that, I had a D60, a 300D, a 350D, a 450D, a 400D and a 550D. In between all of that, I’ve also had several xxD and xD series cameras, but because I spend most of my time writing books aimed at beginners and intermediate photographers, I like to keep a finger on the pulse by (mostly) sticking to entry-level cameras. For the past four years, I’ve been shooting with a Sony A7 — the longest I’ve ever hung on to a camera body. Given that you can pick one up for under $800 these days, it’s an absolute bargain.

Each individual little step up the camera body ladder is an evolution rather than a revolution. Canon, Nikon, and all the other camera manufacturers keep making tiny little tweaks that make camera bodies that tiny little bit better for every iteration. I defy anybody to tell much of a difference between photos taken by two subsequent camera bodies, for example, but pick up a 2010 body and compare it to a current camera body, and you’ll be amazed how different the camera bodies are. Better sensors, better ergonomics, better controls, better photo quality, better battery life, and still around the same price point. It’s awesome.