Full frame advantages?

Riggaberto

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What the advantages of having a full frame sensor, other than the obvious basic fact that you dont have to take the cropping into account? Is there more to it than that? I do no digital whatsoever, I'm still all film, so I dont really know. I was looking at the Xti, versus whatever the cheapest full frame model is, and it was more than twice as much.

So my basic question is are there significant advantages that make it worth the extra cost considering it will mean extra months of saving for me?
 
depending on how much photography you do, and whether its professional of just a hobby, the full frame might be worth it to you, and it might not be. I think a full frame sensor will usually produce higher quality images because of its larger size. Also, like you said, there's no conversion factor, so all your 35mm lenses will work exactly the same as they did on the film camera , assuming you got the same brand. I dont have a full frame sensor, and i am fine with that. I wish i could get wider lenses for less money, but i almost have to go into fisheye to get really wide shots with the smaller sensor. just all things to think about
 
Another advantage of full frame cameras is the larger viewfinders, which make manual focusing easier.
 
I think a full frame sensor will usually produce higher quality images because of its larger size.

Not wholly correct... larger images (more megapixels) helps but it's mainly better because of the larger sensor and larger pixels which receive more light therefore reducing noise - providing cleaner images.

The FF camera will have a bigger brighter viewfinder

And shooting at the same effective focal length, I believe the FF camea will also have a reduced depth of field.

Disadvantages are you need good lenses. The image shows the edges of the lens circle which is normally the poorest in terms of IQ.

It's more expensive to purchase and more expensive to keep (if you have to buy better lenses :)
 
For me, the only important advantage of a 35mm sensor would be the ability to get the right angle of view from wide angle lenses. This is a very big advantage for me and I will buy a 35mm sized sensor digital as soon as Nikon decides to make one. The other advantages for me are minor.
 
I've recently upgraded from a Canpon 20D with a 1.6 crop factor to a full frame Canon 5D.
Apart from the differences already pointed out, ie larger viewfinder, wider angle from existing lenses, the first thing that i spotted was the quality.
I don't mean the increase in resolution - it was the quality of the image on my pc monitor that straight away was so much better. It's almost like 3D. It's difficult to explain but i know it's not all down to resolution because 8.2mp to 12.8 isn't such a massive jump. A decent size but that coupled with the full frame sensor gives my images a more realistic look.

I realise the above might be difficult to imagine (it's difficult to describe!) but if you saw it you'd know what i meant!

I used the same L lenses on both cameras so the lens quality was a constant on both cameras. It could be that the full frame is now taking full advantage of the quality of the glass i have.
 
I've recently upgraded from a Canpon 20D with a 1.6 crop factor to a full frame Canon 5D.
Apart from the differences already pointed out, ie larger viewfinder, wider angle from existing lenses, the first thing that i spotted was the quality.
I don't mean the increase in resolution - it was the quality of the image on my pc monitor that straight away was so much better. It's almost like 3D. It's difficult to explain but i know it's not all down to resolution because 8.2mp to 12.8 isn't such a massive jump. A decent size but that coupled with the full frame sensor gives my images a more realistic look.

I realise the above might be difficult to imagine (it's difficult to describe!) but if you saw it you'd know what i meant!

I used the same L lenses on both cameras so the lens quality was a constant on both cameras. It could be that the full frame is now taking full advantage of the quality of the glass i have.

same here.

my favorite benefits are the larger and brighter viewfinder, the more 'film like' the pictures are (For some reason), how the photos process (they process more easily than with my 20d...i can get great results a little faster), how my lenses are at their intended field of view (17mm is actually 17mm, like on film), and the DoF difference...

...now it is important to not that the DoF difference has nothing to do with the technical aspects of the FF sensor. It's just that with a full frame sensor you will most likely scoot up closer to your subject or zoom in farther in order to get the same framing you would get with a cropped camera. so if you were shooting at 10 feet away with a 100mm for a headshot of someone with a cropped camera, you might move up to 6 or 8 feet with a FF camera, which of course will give you a shallower DoF. since you're already used to a 35mm film camera, you won't notice a difference here. BUT if you like to do shallow DoF portraits, you'll have a harder time with the XTi.


you seemed surprised the the 5d was twice as much as the XTi. first off, the 5d has much more to offer than the XTi - not including the sensor. It's more of a pro/prosumer camera, whereas the XTi is a consumer dslr. different build quality, AF (i think), exposure abilities, etc.

what film camera are you using?
 
Agreed with all of the above. Sole advantage is the width (or length) of the lenses as we have all come to know them from 35mm film. A 16-35mm wide zoom is 16mm at the widest, with no cropping.

A cropped image from a smaller sensor IS THE SAME IMAGE, just that it is a little cropped. It does NOT change how the light comes through the lens, just that only a small part is not captured.

The 5D is much more expensive for a couple of reasons: certainly the sensor costs more, and the overall build quality of the 5D is a pro-level camera, though it is not water-resistant, and the buffer is large but not huge. Another factor is that Canon can get a certain price-point for the camera, so it will continue doing so until a competitor introduces a full-frame sensor. Then there will be an adjustment in the market. Keep in mind that Canon is the only brand that manufactors its own sensors. Everyone else relies on Sony, Kodak, and a few other brands to provide sensors - which means when FF sensors finally arrive, ALL brands will move into that space pretty quickly. At first they will hold the price-point that Canon has introduced, but expect full-frame sensors to show up toward the bottom of the product line around a year or so later.
 
A cropped image from a smaller sensor IS THE SAME IMAGE, just that it is a little cropped. It does NOT change how the light comes through the lens, just that only a small part is not captured.

I understand exactly what you mean but I disagree with how you put this. It's not the same image. It can't be the same image if it's a crop. the smaller sensor captures a smaller area than the larger sensor would and also depending on the scene the exposure may be affected.

Another thing that makes it more expensive is the better AF system.

Cheers
Jim
 

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