Seems that photography company's seem to think the way they survive is to convince the photographer's that the newer more expensive camera's will make them better, I don't believe they will. And unless you are really good at understanding how camera's work, you'll never figure out all a newer one might have to offer. So you end up stepping out of something you might, probably don't, know how to use into something you don't and have to start all over just figuring out how to take photo's and soon as your getting photo's you like your there! Shoot I shot film a long time then stepped up to digital and had to start all over. Did I get better photo's? To my eyes, no. What did get better was my ability to process and print my own photo's. Took a long time but gave up on the idea getting more expensive equipment was gonna make me better. It won't but then I get stuff I like, process my own and print all my own. Lot less expensive that way! I also picked up on making my own frames and that really got less expensive! My frames I cut out of wood from scrap piles and they work for me. Bunch of other's around here also, ranch community and pretty much all of them have a number of my frames hanging in their house.
If I was to go looking for a new camera I'd need a better reason other than it will make me a better photographer because it won't. There is only one thing that will make a better photographer and that is learning to take better photo's, and learning to see what might have made them better. Then your old stuff will bring you up a long way. One of my favorite photo's is a buck deer I did with a D70 when I first started digital and printing my own stuff. Had a few good 8x10's but discovered the 13" printer and learned how to better my stuff and that old entry level has now given me a 12x24 photo that I dearly love. Couldn't have done that that long ago and up grading the camera just wasn't necessary. Get a new one, get something your reasonably familiar with.
Some of my favorite photo's to do are pointing dogs and started that I think with my D7000, maybe my old D5000. Discovered it takes more than a well exposed photo to make a special shot! DSLR got in the way a lot in the field and I went through several different Point and Shoots looking for a better way. All of them took better photo's than I could at the time. They also had a short life span and went in the garbage way to soon. Today I have what I believe to be a much better Point and Shoot in a Panasonic that has a fixed 25-250 lens and it goes everywhere with me. Wish I could afford a multi thousand dollar Lecia but cant and don't know that it would be much improvement over my $600 Panasonic. Keep in mind while your looking, it ain't the wrench, it's the mechanic!
Dog photo taught me a lot I think!
Two things I got wrong here for sure. Dog should be higher and butt back more toward that side of the photo. It's a learning process and I learn slow!
Same dog about a year ago. Notice he's pointing into the photo and bird is actually in line with where he's pointing. He's coming into the photo! [url=https://imgur.com/cOYcML4]
My computer skill's leave lot's of room for improvement!