Format choices

[Jarrod268]

Should you choose between DX and FX early before you get too far in with one format before realizing it?

I have a D90, have two Dx lenses and two Fx lenses. The wide angle Fx lenses just seem to be much better quality. Lack of bracketing more than three frames, ISO and weather sealing (plan on doing more in bad weather) are on my mind as to why I'm thinking I should make the decision soon.

Thoughts?

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[Rkee]

I think one its expence , I have a d200 and got a d7000 , One so that my lens I had will work , the cost of the body , but after looking at the ISO and the other factors I think I made the right choice fo rme , Also if you do alot of landscapes the FX might help but on my DX I got a Tokina 11-16 2.8 lens that is great . Now I still serveral nice prim lens I use and looking at an 80-200 or 70-200vr and in time once Ihave sevreal lense I can uses for Fx I might get another body .

Rkee
A Southern Rose Images

 

[KmH]

The FX lenses have to be higher quality (and more expensive) to match the increased resolution the FX image sensor is capable of.

The DX lenses have sufficient quality so the DX image sensor is not the limiting resolution factor on DX bodies.

So, the issue is tied to what you shoot, and why you shoot it. Anyone being paid to make retail portraiture, or commercial images, should be using at least an FX body and FX lenses.

 

[Overread]

Anyone being paid to make retail portraiture, or commercial images, should be using an FX body and FX lenses.

But I thought it was the photographer that takes the photos and also makes a business professional - not the camera gear? Besides if its a gear choice surly a medium format setup beats fullframe 35mm for those situations anyway



As for which format I agree that choosing between the crop sensor and fullframe is something you want to make as early on as possible. Most people opt to go down one line majority for their work and then have the other either for a second line of interest or for backup (typically the latter is having fullframe as main with crop as backup).
Also both sensor formats can do pretty much any kind of photography you want them to, from sports through to landscape. The key is working out which format (and also camera bodies) meet the requirements you have to enable you to be a free as possible to create the shots you want, whilst also fitting your style of photography. There are conventions you can use within the industry and hobby groups to get an idea of what people choose, but also look at the "why" of those choices so that you understand what benefits they are going for.
Experience, as said, also comes into play and whilst you can use conventions to help you choose, you've also got to get some experience shooting with the different formats to finally decide if its fullframe or crop sensor that you want go for.

 

[Derrel]

What are you on about overread? Just being smart-alecky? About the only thing you wrote that made any sense was. "you've also got to get some experience shooting with the different formats to finally decide if its fullframe or crop sensor that you want go for."

Crop-sensor digital people photography (weddings, portraiture,events) typically looks MWAC-ish to me...deep depth of field...lots of apparent perspective distortion from shooting too close with wide-angle lenses on tiny sensors...FF digital and medium format digital images have a different "look" to them...a look that sophisticated image buyers (both customers and editors and image bank evaluators) know,recognize, and value.

Amateurs who use a crop-frame cameras often make a lot of excuses as to how "capable" it is, but honestly, it's not. That's why one never brings a knife to a gun fight. Or sends a boy to do a man's job.

 

[KmH]

Anyone being paid to make retail portraiture, or commercial images, should be using an FX body and FX lenses.

But I thought it was the photographer that takes the photos and also makes a business professional - not the camera gear?

Sort of . I have edited my post and added the words at least, so it now reads - "should be using at least an FX body and FX lenses."

 

[Overread]

What are you on about overread?

This:

Crop-sensor digital people photography (weddings, portraiture,events) typically looks MWAC-ish to me...deep depth of field...lots of apparent perspective distortion from shooting too close with wide-angle lenses on tiny sensors...FF digital and medium format digital images have a different "look" to them...a look that sophisticated image buyers (both customers and editors and image bank evaluators) know,recognize, and value.

My 3rd paragraph and one of the main points I wanted to get across was that the choice between the format one chooses to use (35mm, crop sensor, medium format, large format etc...) is not based alone upon what everyone else is using; but instead upon observations of the advantages/disadvantages of the various formats for the intended use.
You've supported this by outlining your views on why you would choose a fullframe format over a crop sensor format in the chosen fields of weddings and general portraiture shooting. Those views are yours and the reasoning you use to defend the use of fullframe 35mm over crop - that is the key. It's not just seeing that the majority are using one tool over the other, but understanding the why for those choices (and thus working out if those reasons are valid for the individual to make)

Amateurs who use a crop-frame cameras often make a lot of excuses as to how "capable" it is, but honestly, it's not.

what about pros?
1DMIV is a 1.3 crop format and a pro series camera body and I've seen several studio pro videos and setups where they are using the likes of 40D, 50D and 7D bodies (respectfully through time as the bodies have upgraded in the market)

 

[Patrice]

Relatively affordable 135 sized digital cameras have only become available fairly recently. Only a few years ago an average professional wedding and portrait photographer barely earning $30k a year would hardly consider a $40k camera and digital back as being affordable. (It's good that there are now choices available within the economic reality of more than the top elite echelon of photographers.) Thus crop sensor cameras were by default the tools of choice for the majority of wedding/portraiture professionals. As professionals they learned how to produce unique, imaginative and sometimes strikingly beautiful images nonetheless. Generalizing crop sensor images as "Mother With A Camera-ish" is a bit rash.

 

[Jarrod268]

Thanks all. I think I'll most likely move to FX but it will be a planned move and not a knee jerk reaction to a new product. Even if this turns into nothing more than I hobby - I am typically ambitious and try to do everything to the best of my ability. I would like to be able to get to the point that I could sell some nice prints when I have the shots worth selling.

I was looking at an initial purchase of a refurb D700 with a 16-35 VR - thats my most used focal range on DX right now. Still might do that this summer, we'll see.

 

[fokker]

If you can afford it, do it. You won't regret the full-frame advantage.