I don't see why I'd ever need to upgrade from my Sony A7 III

I'm going to tell you a secret: my camera body doesn't really excite me any more. I used to think things like 4K video and full frame image sensors were essential, and cheerfully abandoned Canon when the Sony A7 III came along. It was the camera body that made that decision for me. I'd have to sort the lenses out after the fact.

Nowadays the A7 III isn't as exciting, but I don't feel any need to replace it – and there are two main reasons for that. Firstly, there are all the factors that made it so exciting when I bought it. It was an excellent camera, well ahead of its time in terms of specs, and it's still darned good.

The other main reason, though, is that I've matured a bit and I understand that the camera body is just a box helping me get the job done. That – in these difficult economic times – means it's wise to think about just how much you invest in a box when its functions are just part of the process.

It's also true that my needs haven't really changed. I take most of my pictures for use online (in these hallowed pages, in fact) and, as I put it to my colleagues, "The resolution of the internet hasn't really changed, so why should I buy a new camera?"

Frankly, 24MP – amounting to 6,000 x 4,000 pixels – is enough to slow me down when I'm uploading news images remotely in the field.

When it comes to making video, 4K is still a sensible maximum – and there is a lot more to be gained from investing in a good bit of glass if you're looking to add variety to your shot list.

Admittedly Sony's camera design does annoy me, now that I've spent time with a lot of competitors – the fact that the articulation on the LCD is limited to a tilt, not a full hinge, which might help with video creation feels like the biggest weakness. Though in exchange, you get a compact camera.

I can also say, thanks to many years of ownership, that the camera is stunningly robust. My A7 III does not look well looked after because, if I'm honest, it isn't especially.

It's been dropped from the back of cars with the kit lens on (and no cap on) and still no sign of damage. There is plenty of salt residue in the focus grip – enough that other journalists have made sneery remarks – but if it works, it works.

Moreover, the A7 is something of a bargain these days. It's comfortably below the $1,800 mark because there is a Sony A7 IV as a newer model.

Realistically, though, am I going to buy a whole new camera body for one significant improvement in my day-to-day life: a more practical hinge on the screen? Probably not.

The increase to 33MP will not have the slightest impact on my day-to-day work, and I personally have no need to shoot 4K at 60p or in 10-bit 4:2:2. I can see that others might – and that Sony made some great features available with the next generation again, too – but I'm worried that for me, at least, technology has come to a bit of a stop.

Phones (where we tend to look at a lot of images) aren't likely to get a lot bigger, and human eyes are unlikely to change, so I'd say for a little while the need for higher camera resolutions is going to be limited. Yes, there will be a premium pro tier, but cameras like mine are 'mid'. And perhaps that's where a hybrid journalist / photographer is likely to stay.