FX vs DX lenses

[benlonghair]

Good morning all. Just purchased a Nikon 70-300 AF-S VR for my D60. I was just thinking about it and am wondering how a non-DX lens performs in the viewfinder.

Since the lens produces a bigger frame than the DX sensor, I'm wondering if I will have to crop in my mind so as to not end up cropping out my subject accidently.

In other words, does the viewfinder show what the sensor sees or what the lens sees?

Thanks in advance.

 

[RONDAL]

the FX is a full frame lens, as opposed to a DX which is not. you won't have to do any cropping.

The only time you get stuck cropping is when you put a DX lens on a full frame camera.

Great purchase, no matter where you go body wise that lens will be great. You could move up to a full frame D700, D3, D3x and that lens will run fine

 

[Dao]

A 50mm lens made for cropped body should look about the same as the 50mm lens that made for full frame / flim body when used in a cropped body. (sensor and viewfinder)

 

[benlonghair]

You could move up to a full frame D700, D3, D3x and that lens will run fine

That's the plan. Everyone tells me to spend my money on glass so I can move up to a better body someday and not have to replace lenses.

A 50mm lens made for cropped body should look about the same as the 50mm lens that made for full frame / flim body when used in a cropped body. (sensor and viewfinder)

So I don't have to worry about missing stuff on the edges of my viewfinder because the sensor is smaller than the projected image. Cool.

I'm super excited to get this lens... should be here tomorrow or the next day.

 

[Dwig]

...Since the lens produces a bigger frame than the DX sensor...

Incorrect! The "frame" is produced by the sensor (or film gate in a film camera) and not by the lens.

What's different about a FX lens, comparted to a DX lens, is that the FX lens illuminates a larger area. This larger illuminated area is necessary so that the image covers the whole of the larger FX sensor. The smaller illuminated area produced by a DX lens, while is covers the smaller DX sensor, doesn't cover the whole of the larger FX sensor.

The focusing screen in the viewfinder of an SLR is matched in size to the sensor or film. The fact that the lens may illuminate a larger area is of no consequence. The VF will only show what the sensor will see.

 

[Joves]

You could move up to a full frame D700, D3, D3x and that lens will run fine

That's the plan. Everyone tells me to spend my money on glass so I can move up to a better body someday and not have to replace lenses.

A 50mm lens made for cropped body should look about the same as the 50mm lens that made for full frame / flim body when used in a cropped body. (sensor and viewfinder)

So I don't have to worry about missing stuff on the edges of my viewfinder because the sensor is smaller than the projected image. Cool.

I'm super excited to get this lens... should be here tomorrow or the next day.

Nope what you see in the viewfinder is what you will see on the image. Actually you should or, will see more depnding on how much of the image plane is shown through the viewfinder. Some finders only show 95-99% in the finder.

 

[kundalini]

In other words, does the viewfinder show what the sensor sees or what the lens sees?

The D700 is a bit of a different animal because it has a 95% viewfinder rather than the normal 100%. This was done so that the 'guts' of the D3 could be squeezed into the D300 body. A compromise I can live with. But basically on all others, WYSIWYG (unless others know better).

A 50mm lens made for cropped body should look about the same as the 50mm lens that made for full frame / flim body when used in a cropped body. (sensor and viewfinder)

To my knowledge, Nikkor doesn't build a 50mm lens for a cropped body. So the result is that you will see the Field of View of a 75mm lens (Nikon's 1.5 crop sensor) when viewing through a D300 and less. Unlike the newest 35mm lens which was made specifically for the cropped sensors (and particularly for D40 & D60 for AF).

 

[Dao]

In other words, does the viewfinder show what the sensor sees or what the lens sees?

The D700 is a bit of a different animal because it has a 95% viewfinder rather than the normal 100%. This was done so that the 'guts' of the D3 could be squeezed into the D300 body. A compromise I can live with. But basically on all others, WYSIWYG (unless others know better).

A 50mm lens made for cropped body should look about the same as the 50mm lens that made for full frame / flim body when used in a cropped body. (sensor and viewfinder)

To my knowledge, Nikkor doesn't build a 50mm lens for a cropped body. So the result is that you will see the Field of View of a 75mm lens (Nikon's 1.5 crop sensor) when viewing through a D300 and less. Unlike the newest 35mm lens which was made specifically for the cropped sensors (and particularly for D40 & D60 for AF).

haha .. I know. That was just a make up lens for comparison only. I do not think there is one for Canon neither ..