FX or DX? Thoughts?

[andy153]

Hi All - has anyone any thoughts about the above? Full Frame or Cropped Frame Digital sensors? Because I find the Nikon D3 so good I am seriously thinking of getting rid of all my crop frame gear - D300; D200; D2X; D2H - to be replaced by a D700 - and all my DX lenses. Has anyone any thoughts on the matter? All opinions will be appreciated.

[Canis Vulpes]

All depends on the type of photography that you specialise in. I believe that DX cropped sensors would be advantageous for the wildlife and aviation photographer. However wedding and portraiture styles would benefit from full frame FX sensors due to better wide angle performance and low light characteristics.

Personally as I specilise in aviation photography I would have to get close to the subject as for safety reason I cannot do that. FX is the only option for me.

Technically there would be more vignetting on a full frame FX sensor and the DX benefits from any lens central sweet spot.

Horses for courses!

[Don Hoey]

Andy,

I will go away and put down my thoughts, but in the mean time let me throw this one in your direction.

Full frame 35mm or full frame 6 x 4.5 ( a la Hasselblad H3D ), or Leaf or Phase backs on old mechanical Mamiya RZ, or Hassies 501 or 503.

Its a similar sort of question.

Don

[andy153]

Thanks Steve, Don, appreciated - What you say strikes a particular cord - I suppose I'm at the digital stage I reached with 35mm many years ago - I then started using a Rollei TLR and a Mamiya TLR plus the Nikons - as you say Steve - Horses for courses. In those days I owned PC lenses and my main subjects were Landscape and Architecture - Thanks again both of you - more thinking to do!

[Birdsnapper]

Andy, I think that your best course would be to keep to full frame only and make me a present of the D300 and that excellent sigma 12-24 lens. Think how good you'll feel knowing that you have made an old man so happy; and there's the bonus that you will have converted me from Canon to Nikon - no mean feat. Think on it and you'll see how much sense that it makes. Let me know when you're ready and I'll come and collect.

[Canis Vulpes]

Originally Posted by birdsnapper

Andy, I think that your best course would be to keep to full frame only and make me a present of the D300 and that excellent sigma 12-24 lens. Think how good you'll feel knowing that you have made an old man so happy; and there's the bonus that you will have converted me from Canon to Nikon - no mean feat. Think on it and you'll see how much sense that it makes. Let me know when you're ready and I'll come and collect.

LOL

Andy did set himself up for that

[andy153]

Hi Mike - sorry - no coconut - its a Sigma 10-20 and a Nikkor 12-24 DX - mind you - in my calling - as you must be aware - the thought of a "convert" is a very big carrot!!

[yelvertoft]

I'll say 10 'hail mary's' and convert, can I have your D300? I'll even renounce my days as a baby eater (Mike knows).

[miketoll]

Why the D700? You would be better off buying some top class glass. Mind you as soon as I saw the announcement of the D700 I thought of you and wondered if a) you would regret buying the D3 when you could now get the same performance IQ wise in a smaller lighter body much cheaper and b) if you could resist one. Looks like I won the bet with myself on b). I also wonder if you have both D3 and D700 if the D3 will mostly remain at home as it is so much heavier, in which case I will be first to put my name down for your D3 so it is not wasted! There, and I am a Canon man too!

[Joe]

A D3 isn't heavy.....try lugging around a 10x8 large plate Linhof around with a tripod looking more like an over grown car trolley jack...because your tutor "wants it pure" (kinda put me off landscaping)..
I will quite happily sling a much older (but a similar weight and size) D1h (or F5 for that matter), one fitted with 80-200 2.8 and the other with 300 2.8 over each shoulder...size and weights are only perceptions...which is what I kept telling myself walking around in the heat recently!

I'd echo exactly what Stephen posted RE; fx vs dx formats.

Andy, definately ditch your dx gear. It's nothing to do with Mike getting the D300 as a pressy or if I can bagsie the D2h