Do I need a Full Frame?

[runnah]

Short answer: No.

Relevant article to many posts here as of late. Photography Tips: Do I Need a Full Frame Camera? | Photography Tips, Photography Tutorials, Articles and Videos

Article raised many good points. I've seen lots of posts here as of late with people saying they need a FF camera without fully understanding why. I feel like the obsession over the latest and greatest "it" tech clouds lots of people vision and stifles their work. Yes some people would benefit but the vast majority wouldn't.

 

[Braineack]

Well I used to shoot film, so looks like it's okay that I bought a D600; since that's the only reason to get one.

 

[Steve5D]

"Need" is such a dirty word.

Did I "need" it? No, I didn't. The reality is that I made a lot of money with crop bodies.

But I do see benefits of shooting with a full-frame, and I decided to go for it.

But "need"? Nah...

 

[runnah]

Reminds me of the car forums i was on. Everyone was obsessed with HP and the latest parts, yet very few drove well enough to utilize what they had already let alone any upgrades.

Just bragging right I think.

 

[rambler]

Ah...yes. So often it comes down to the issue between "want" and "need".

Just a thought on the first image in the article that shows the "cropped camera " image inside the full frame image. To get close to the view of the full frame image, just back up a few feet. Sure, that is not always possible or safe, but in this example of a beach scene, how far back would one have to move to create the same look? Not very far.

 

[SnappingShark]

I would like a full frame camera to a) take advantage of lower light situations b) make the most of my lenses and c) enjoy it like HD. yipikaye mother.....

 

[runnah]

I would like a full frame camera to a) take advantage of lower light situations b) make the most of my lenses and c) enjoy it like HD. yipikaye mother.....

How so?

 

[table1349]

One needs to keep in mind what the term "full frame" really means. Full frame 120 years ago was in the area of 8" X 10". While I have a "full frame" cherry wood view camera, it rarely gets used these days.

Full frame has changed with times, just as in the digital age the quality of sensors has changed. If one is considering a change in sensor size one needs to ask themselves what the value of that change would be.

 

[SnappingShark]

I would like a full frame camera to a) take advantage of lower light situations b) make the most of my lenses and c) enjoy it like HD. yipikaye mother.....

How so?

Well, most of the FX cameras I've looked at upgrading to (D600, D800) are so much better than my D7100 in lower light.
I am now in the process of switching out my DX lenses for FX lenses, so I wish to take advantage of them when I upgrade.

I was talking for my own reasons for wanting full frame, not technical reasons why people buy them in the first place

 

[astroNikon]

 

[Majeed Badizadegan]

Just like anything, eventually I hit the ceiling of what my gear was capable of and outgrew it. I couldn't have shot an indoor wedding with the 60d, given the files are iffy at ISO 1600 and garbage after that.

Many of my lenses are much more useful now too, given the full frame field of view.

It would be hard to argue "need" for any type of modern high-end consumer electronic, but that doesn't stop us from buying the latest and greatest stuff to make things better.

 

[table1349]

:thumbup:

 

[runnah]

Just like anything, eventually I hit the ceiling of what my gear was capable of and outgrew it. I couldn't have shot an indoor wedding with the 60d, given the files are iffy at ISO 1600 and garbage after that.

Many of my lenses are much more useful now too, given the full frame field of view.

It would be hard to argue "need" for any type of modern high-end consumer electronic, but that doesn't stop us from buying the latest and greatest stuff to make things better.

But did you let the fact that you didn't have the latest and greatest stop you from going out and shooting?

 

[ronlane]

I would agree that I don't need anything else in photography, specially a camera body. But the fact is that I want a lot of stuff and because of that I make up all kinds of "excuses" as to why I need it.

I want a 5D mkIII and my excuse is the low light that most site. Also, I just feel that it produces a better photo than my T3i. Even if I could afford one, I don't really want a 1D.

runnah does bring up a good point and no, it doesn't keep me from going out and shooting. I am still learning and am producing better and better photos as I learn. (I was just noticing some higher ISO photos that I took this week that turned out pretty good.) I'm going to keep practicing and getting better so that when the day comes that I can move to a 5D, my main concern will be learning the camera and not having to worry about my skills getting in the way.

 

[astroNikon]

:thumbup:

hehehe - hehehe

I was going to say a couple things:

1 - I love my 85mm lens. But doing portraits in my basement I need to take few more steps back, but unfortunately there's a wall there.

2 - I love wide angle for architectural / nature shots. But the $1,400 14mm Nikon lens costs more than just getting a $1,300 d600 and using my $100 Vivitar 17-28 lens.

3- I'm really curious taking pictures of an object 386,968,323 miles away and whether a crop sensor or a FF sensor does a better job.

4 - I bought my crop camera as my backup camera

5 - I used to shoot film.

6 - it would be another neat toy to learn

7 - what's better than having to clean one sensor every so often?
Having to clean TWO

10 - It's our money