Moving from cropped sensor to FF - 9 months later

[goodguy]

Late November I moved from a cropped sensor camera to a full frame.
I was sitting and thinking about what really changes for me, how happy I was with the move.....etc

Like everything else in life everything has its pro's and con's
So when I moved to full frame how did it effect my photography ?
I think main 2 things that changed are
1.My self confidence grew with this sensor, its all in the head I know but I do feel more confident with it.
2.Low light performance improvement is significant and very noticeable.
3.DOF changes are not important for me, I mostly shoot around F4-F5.6 so the ability to get shallower DOF is not important for me
4.Didnt change sharpness but shots are cleaner due to better ISO performance across the board starting at 800ISO
5.Bigger view finder is a very nice plus but honestly not such a big deal for me
6.AF points all bunched up in centre of view finder compared to crop sensor, that's a relatively big minus as it forces me to recompose more then I used to do with crop sensor.
7.I do miss the crop factor so I get less range from my lenses but on the other hand now a 24-70mm lens is actually good for landscape photography (for me that is), overall I would trade the 1.5 crop factor for the wider landscape shots so overall its a small minus for me.

Overall for me this was a very good move, also like it or not when you are starting to rub elbows (is that the right expression ?) with pro photographers or serious hobbyists you are being taken more serious with a FF and the attitude changes, I didn't buy FF for this reason but it is my impression some people will treat you better, more serious!

 

[Derrel]

You make some interesting points, most of which I agree with, since I have experienced some of them myself. This is really a great time to be involved in photography: the equipment is really GOOD! And we no longer must pay for expensive film and expensive processing if we're shooting digitally. We can choose different ISO levels on a shot-by-shot basis if desired--no more waiting to finish a roll, or needing a second camera whenever the light level dipped a bit. Great flash units, with good metering of flash, powerful rechargeable batteries that can be put on the charger at any stage of discharge! AMAZING zoom lenses that are really, really good optically, not just "Oh, it's okay," level of quality. Autofocus that really, truly works, 95% of the time or more.

 

[JacaRanda]

also like it or not when you are starting to rub elbows (is that the right expression ?) with pro photographers or serious hobbyists you are being taken more serious with a FF and the attitude changes, I didn't buy FF for this reason but it is my impression some people will treat you better, more serious!

I am very glad I have not experienced this at all. Maybe it's the wildlife / birdography thing, where people are just out enjoying nature with whatever gear they have. I am often 'rubbing elbows' with folks using $10k plus lenses and sometimes $7k cameras - there is no snobbery about gear whatsoever. Thank GAWD I don't have to avoid people because they would treat me 'more serious' because I had a full frame camera. YUCK, the thought that someone would have that kind of attitude over camera gear....wow.

I believe you, I'm just glad I have not seen it and would do my best to avoid it.

 

[sm4him]

also like it or not when you are starting to rub elbows (is that the right expression ?) with pro photographers or serious hobbyists you are being taken more serious with a FF and the attitude changes, I didn't buy FF for this reason but it is my impression some people will treat you better, more serious!

I am very glad I have not experienced this at all. Maybe it's the wildlife / birdography thing, where people are just out enjoying nature with whatever gear they have. I am often 'rubbing elbows' with folks using $10k plus lenses and sometimes $7k cameras - there is no snobbery about gear whatsoever. Thank GAWD I don't have to avoid people because they would treat me 'more serious' because I had a full frame camera. YUCK, the thought that someone would have that kind of attitude over camera gear....wow.

I believe you, I'm just glad I have not seen it and would do my best to avoid it.

Jaca, I actually HAVE seen it in the wildlife/birdography arena as well. Not often, but it's definitely there. I can think of two guys, right off the bat, who are fairly local, very experienced nature and/or bird photographers who have very expensive equipment and pretty much look down their noses at anyone who doesn't have at LEAST a FF and 800mm of reach, without a TC.
On the other hand, fortunately, I can think of a lot MORE people, who have just as good equipment, who are just the opposite of these two. And also fortunately, I know who these two guys are, so they only see ME if I don't see THEM first.

 

[Designer]

I do miss the crop factor so I get less range from my lenses

What camera do you have?

Doesn't your camera offer a "crop mode"?

 

[JacaRanda]

also like it or not when you are starting to rub elbows (is that the right expression ?) with pro photographers or serious hobbyists you are being taken more serious with a FF and the attitude changes, I didn't buy FF for this reason but it is my impression some people will treat you better, more serious!

I am very glad I have not experienced this at all. Maybe it's the wildlife / birdography thing, where people are just out enjoying nature with whatever gear they have. I am often 'rubbing elbows' with folks using $10k plus lenses and sometimes $7k cameras - there is no snobbery about gear whatsoever. Thank GAWD I don't have to avoid people because they would treat me 'more serious' because I had a full frame camera. YUCK, the thought that someone would have that kind of attitude over camera gear....wow.

I believe you, I'm just glad I have not seen it and would do my best to avoid it.

Jaca, I actually HAVE seen it in the wildlife/birdography arena as well. Not often, but it's definitely there. I can think of two guys, right off the bat, who are fairly local, very experienced nature and/or bird photographers who have very expensive equipment and pretty much look down their noses at anyone who doesn't have at LEAST a FF and 800mm of reach, without a TC.
On the other hand, fortunately, I can think of a lot MORE people, who have just as good equipment, who are just the opposite of these two. And also fortunately, I know who these two guys are, so they only see ME if I don't see THEM first.

Oh no doubt they exist. I'm just super lucky I have not run into it. Give me a few more outings and I am sure I will find some snobbies .

 

[goodguy]

I do miss the crop factor so I get less range from my lenses

What camera do you have?

Doesn't your camera offer a "crop mode"?

I have a D750 (you can see my gear in my signature), it does have a DX mode but only 10MP which means a much limiting cropping ability as I like cropping from time to time.

 

[Peeb]

I really really REALLY wanted to buy a FF camera this go-around but concluded that both budget and portability required I get at least one more cropped-sensor camera. The dream is to have at least one of BOTH at some point.

As far as the 'placebo effect' of upping your game by upping your gear, IDK, whatever gets you out capturing images, I suppose.

 

[astroNikon]

I really really REALLY wanted to buy a FF camera this go-around but concluded that both budget and portability required I get at least one more cropped-sensor camera. The dream is to have at least one of BOTH at some point.

As far as the 'placebo effect' of upping your game by upping your gear, IDK, whatever gets you out capturing images, I suppose.

I think a FF has increased flexibility, thus it increases your confidence. Thus the placebo effect. But it's a nice kickstart to get your photography juices going some more. There's many example on TPF where someone has gone to a FF then all of a sudden their skill just took leaps forward.

 

[sashbar]

What I am going to write is probably a bit off topic, but in my view it is an interesting aspect of upgrading photo gear.

I do think that a "pro" camera has some psycological effect and raises self-confidence, but it is a double-edged sword, because it may soon turn into frustration if not supported by better end results. And I do not mean just cleaner or sharper images. I mean better ones. Better visual impact, better artistic ideas, not just wider angles, but better angles etc.

The more I spend on my gear, the more I expect from myself, and so often these expectations are not met. Or maybe I am all wrong and it is just the way I feel. Maybe there is a lot of guys who are really happy shooting the same old simple, boring, safe stuff with their new pro cameras and think: "oh, great, now it is even cleaner!" I actually think that this brave new world of modern digital equipment that Derrel has written about is rather merciless and to some extend even scary.

You have this wonderful image making machine that does almost all technical things for you and all you need is just to apply your vision. Isn't it simple? Then even if you fail to execute it properly there is PS that can fix things for you. Missed by two stops? Not a problem. Want to pull highlights, adjust colors, sharpen it, add drama, clarity, contrast? Easy peasy. You can now even change the light in post prosessing, add a side light source, shades etc. There is no place for you to hide anymore. So all you needed was to apply your vision and put a bit of yourself in it. And in the end you produce an image that is dead. Isn't it scary?

Just in case, I am not about goodguy, not at all, I am about us all guys and girls.

 

[waday]

1.My self confidence grew with this sensor, its all in the head I know but I do feel more confident with it.

I hear you on this one. I recently rented a 5DMkIII with a 70-200 f/2.8 and a 16-35 f/2.8. Jeez. Just ask my wife how depressed I was when I had to give those back and shoot with my Rebel XSi and kit lenses again... I literally didn't touch my camera for 3 weeks.

 

[gossamer88]

Pretty much the only thing I miss is the reach I had with my Tamron 70-300 VC. TCs are not that reliable so I just crop in post.

 

[astroNikon]

1.My self confidence grew with this sensor, its all in the head I know but I do feel more confident with it.

I hear you on this one. I recently rented a 5DMkIII with a 70-200 f/2.8 and a 16-35 f/2.8. Jeez. Just ask my wife how depressed I was when I had to give those back and shoot with my Rebel XSi and kit lenses again... I literally didn't touch my camera for 3 weeks.

Fun wasn't it ?

But like Sashbar stated .. with good equipment you no longer have a limit, or an excuse, not to improve your photography skills, at least to your satisfaction.

 

[robbins.photo]

Oh no doubt they exist. I'm just super lucky I have not run into it. Give me a few more outings and I am sure I will find some snobbies .

I guess my experience has almost been the polar opposite, the guys I've run into carrying the best gear seem to be more often than not total beginners. The vast majority of them have almost no idea how to use their gear at all and wind up asking me for help/advice. I run into a ton of that at the zoo, folks shooting with really expensive full frame cameras and lenses who just aren't getting good results and can't figure out why - and it's usually just simple technique that is lacking.

I think a lot of them wound up at a camera store before leaving on vacation and the salesmen sold them all top of the line stuff because they could afford it. Really nice people, and I have to admit it is kind of fun when they stop and ask for a quick tutorial or two. I've met some really great folks that way.

I've run across a couple of guys who were very serious hobbyists who really did know their stuff, but they seem to be a minority at least in my experience. Thankfully though I haven't run across any camera snobs.

 

[goodguy]

1.My self confidence grew with this sensor, its all in the head I know but I do feel more confident with it.

I hear you on this one. I recently rented a 5DMkIII with a 70-200 f/2.8 and a 16-35 f/2.8. Jeez. Just ask my wife how depressed I was when I had to give those back and shoot with my Rebel XSi and kit lenses again... I literally didn't touch my camera for 3 weeks.

That is a bummer, the 5D III is an great camera, going back to an XSi must be a pain
Save up and get a used or referbished 5D III