D750 D810 quandry

Squaredoch

Senior Member
Hello, I am trying to decide whether to upgrade from my D7100 to either a D750 or D810. I have a mix of DX and FX lenses but the DX lenses are more recent. One of my reasons for the move from the D7100 is low light noise. It seems that the D750 is the best option in this regard. What will be the effect on image quality for A3 prints if I use my DX lenses on the D750. I think the DX crop will result in a 10 megapixel image whereas the crop mode on the D810 will allow 24 megapixels. Would the lower resolution on the D750 exaggerate the noise? That is, if the crop modes exaggerate the noise would the problem be worse worse in the 10 megapixel D750?
Thanks for your opinions
Mike
 

Marcel

Happily retired
Staff member
Super Mod
Buying an FX camera planning to use it with DX lenses is like buying a Ferrarri to use as a golf cart.
 

Squaredoch

Senior Member
Firstly, Thank you Marcel for that REALLY useful reply.
Mikew: Thank you for your reply but as I said, I already have Fx lenses, including a Sigma 150 600 and a nikon 105 mm and a 50mm and a 50 300 but that one is a bit long in the tooth now.
What I want to know is the effect on quality of using DX lenses regarding the exaggeration of noise in crop mode. That question also applies to the effect on quality of selecting DX mode while using Fx lenses in order to achieve extra reach (if that can be done)
 

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
I cant give you any exact answers but Geofc on here who knows what he is doing had d810s and got the 150-600 tamron,he bought a DX to use it on instead of the crop mode,J-see who is missing at the moment has the D810 and D750 but uses the 150-600 on a D7200,I have the D750 but will be buying another D7100 for my birding as ime not happy with the crop.
 

Bill16

Senior Member
I would not use DX lenses on your new FX no matter which FX you decide to get! If your top priority is cropping ability the the D810 is the one to go for, between the choices you mentioned! Between the two the D810 would suit me best, but a lot of people have fallen in love with the D750, so I think either choice would be well worth choosing! :)

But get FX glass for it even if it is older glass like the af-d Nikkor lenses I've chosen to go with! Even great DX lenses are going to disappoint you in comparison to good FX lenses on a FX Nikon in my opinion!

I recommend choosing the model that best suits what you like to shoot! Then get say one lens when possible to get you started in lenses that work for your subjects you like shooting!:)
 

Bill16

Senior Member
I cant give you any exact answers but Geofc on here who knows what he is doing had d810s and got the 150-600 tamron,he bought a DX to use it on instead of the crop mode,J-see who is missing at the moment has the D810 and D750 but uses the 150-600 on a D7200,I have the D750 but will be buying another D7100 for my birding as ime not happy with the crop.

Like my buddy Mike, I found for reach the DX is preferred! So even with my D800E I still got a D7100 for those times where reach is needed! :)
 

MartinCornwall

Senior Member
It shouldn't exaggerate the noise using DX lenses as the same amount of light is hitting the sensor, the camera just crops out the image circle from the DX lenses. Some DX lenses are worse than others for the image circle. For example the Tokina 11-16mm 2.8 can cover the whole sensor at 16mm. I was experimenting with a few of my DX lenses and came to the conclusion that if for some reason that I was going to use them then I wouldn't use DX crop mode in camera. Crop in post as the size of the image circle changes with the lens/zoom and you can get an image larger than 10Mp cropping in post.
 

Horoscope Fish

Senior Member
Hello, I am trying to decide whether to upgrade from my D7100 to either a D750 or D810. I have a mix of DX and FX lenses but the DX lenses are more recent. One of my reasons for the move from the D7100 is low light noise. It seems that the D750 is the best option in this regard. What will be the effect on image quality for A3 prints if I use my DX lenses on the D750. I think the DX crop will result in a 10 megapixel image whereas the crop mode on the D810 will allow 24 megapixels. Would the lower resolution on the D750 exaggerate the noise? That is, if the crop modes exaggerate the noise would the problem be worse worse in the 10 megapixel D750?
I'd have to test my camera to be 100% certain but it seems to me lower resolution would result in LESS visible noise, not more; assuming all other things being equal. I say this because with less resolution comes less detail, less detail would show less noise. Not that the image IS less noisy from a technical standpoint but you would SEE less noise because of the lower overall resolution of the image.

But it's also really early here, I'm on my first cup of coffee and I probably shouldn't be posting yet..
.....
 

Blacktop

Senior Member
I'd have to test my camera to be 100% certain but it seems to me lower resolution would result in LESS visible noise, not more; assuming all other things being equal. I say this because with less resolution comes less detail, less detail would show less noise. Not that the image IS less noisy from a technical standpoint but you would SEE less noise because of the lower overall resolution of the image.

But it's also really early here, I'm on my first cup of coffee and I probably shouldn't be posting yet..
.....

This is my thinking on this.
The amount of noise is the same weather in FX or DX mode. The difference is, that in DX mode it is more visible. (cropping out the middle and enlarging it to fit your monitor)
 

jay_dean

Senior Member
I cant give you any exact answers but Geofc on here who knows what he is doing had d810s and got the 150-600 tamron,he bought a DX to use it on instead of the crop mode,J-see who is missing at the moment has the D810 and D750 but uses the 150-600 on a D7200,I have the D750 but will be buying another D7100 for my birding as ime not happy with the crop.
Good point Mike, where is J-see?? As for the OP's question, as I've said before, if you're heavily cropping, the D7200 is slightly better than the D810, but not by much
 

mikew_RIP

Senior Member
Good point Mike, where is J-see?? As for the OP's question, as I've said before, if you're heavily cropping, the D7200 is slightly better than the D810, but not by much

He has gone walk about for a few months,well drive about,packed his stuff in a van and headed off.
 

Whiskeyman

Senior Member
The D750, even when used in crop mode, should be capable of nicely rendering an A3 print. As long as the DX lens is a good performer and your techniques and procedures are good, you should be good-to-go! There are, however, circumstances (very low light values for the subject and using higher ISO settings) where it would be extremely difficult or impossible to capture an image worthy of being an A3-sized print.

WM
 

ShootRaw

Senior Member
Don't get the reasoning to buy such awesome FX cameras to use in crop mode..Waste of money. If you go fx sell your dx lens and invest that $$ into fx glass.
 

J-see

Senior Member
Did he pack a guitar? Can't go off into the world without a guitar!

I ain't got no hippieblood in me. ;) I got several knives, an axe and machete with me however.

On the noise thing. I don't think it makes much difference whether you put a DX lens on the D810 or D750; noise-wise. The pixels on the sensors remain the same size whatever lens so the photon count remains identical which deliver the same accuracy of signal. Your noise will be the same whether FX or DX lens on FX or DX cam. Also; more pixels delivers more noise but not a noisier image.

But it gets old news fast using DX lenses on FX cams. I did it for a "short" while and got the FX versions faster than I expected.

I'm back for some days; family stuff. Then I'm gone again.
 
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aroy

Senior Member
Using DX lenses on FX sensor is simply not worth it
. You are getting smaller Image in DX mode. Pros use it mainly to get a faster burst rate and a smaller file. For most of us who are not time constrained and have no deadline to meet, cropping in post makes more sense.
. If you use FX mode them there will be severe vignetting
. In general DX lenses are not as sharp as FX lenses, they were mostly made to a cost to reduce price

As others have suggested, better sell off all the DX lenses, unless you get another DX body. The receipts can finance FX lenses. There are a lot of older "D" lenses which are as good if not better than the DX versions, and quite a few excellent MF AIS lenses.

Regarding body, if you do not need the 36 megapixels, then get the 750, it is better at high ISO.
 

J-see

Senior Member
Regarding body, if you do not need the 36 megapixels, then get the 750, it is better at high ISO.

The D750 is better indeed but not dramatically. What does make a difference is battery life, burst shooting and file-sizes/transfer time/editing time. The D810 is a bit of a resource hog at those. At least when you shoot at max quality. If you don't do that, you really should have bought the D750.
 
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