Full Frame or APS-C DSLR

[Lawrence]

So last night I was reading a mag and one of the things that came up is using a "Full frame or APS-C DSLR" - at 11.00 pm this is Greek to me and in the cold light of day it still seems to be Greek to me. No offence to our any members from Greece.

Can someone explain what APS-C DSLR means (I get the last part )?

And is the D5100 a full frame or one of those other things?

 

[RockyNH_RIP]

So last night I was reading a mag and one of the things that came up is using a "Full frame or APS-C DSLR" - at 11.00 pm this is Greek to me and in the cold light of day it still seems to be Greek to me. No offence to our any members from Greece.

Can someone explain what APS-C DSLR means (I get the last part )?

And is the D5100 a full frame or one of those other things?

Simple Terms, APS-C is also referred to as a Crop sensor, it is smaller than a full frame. Nikon also refers to Crop sensor cameras as DX and full frame as FX

Your D5100 is a Crop or APS-C... Full frame cameras will be larger... If you do a bit of searching you can get a lot more technical details.


Pat in NH

 

[pedroj]

This gives you a pretty good description...The D5100 is a DX it's not FX...

APS-C - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Lawrence]

Thanks Pat. When reading the article I was almost certain that full frame was the FX but wanted to make sure. Another bit of info sinks in for future reference.
​

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

Also don't think about your DX camera as inferior. It may have a smaller sensor but you can get some fantastic photos from it. "It not the size but how you use it" There are some photographers that use the latest and biggest cameras around and their photos just aren't that good and there are some some shooters here that shoot with some of the CoolPix cameras that aren't even DSLRs that consistently get wonderful photos. If you are shooting for a living then yes you probably need a full frame (FX) camera but I can tell you that all pros out there are not shooting FX and some so a great job.

 

[Lawrence]

Also don't think about your DX camera as inferior. It may have a smaller sensor but you can get some fantastic photos from it. "It not the size but how you use it" There are some photographers that use the latest and biggest cameras around and their photos just aren't that good and there are some some shooters here that shoot with some of the CoolPix cameras that aren't even DSLRs that consistently get wonderful photos. If you are shooting for a living then yes you probably need a full frame (FX) camera but I can tell you that all pros out there are not shooting FX and some so a great job.

Hey Don - I don't feel inferior at all. Having seen some of the images the D5100 is capable of I would be more than happy if I can learn the skills to get to that level.

I was only interested as I was reading an article on lenses and they were discussing a "once lens for all purposes" type scenario when you want to go out and not take a bag of lenses with you (for e.g. the beach). The article suggested a 50mm for full body and a 35mm for APS-C DSLR. This is good stuff to know - not for when I go to the beach but for when I decide to buy a lens of any description.

​Things are slowly falling into place and a lot of it is thanks to the helpful members here.

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

Hey Don - I don't feel inferior at all. Having seen some of the images the D5100 is capable of I would be more than happy if I can learn the skills to get to that level.

I was only interested as I was reading an article on lenses and they were discussing a "once lens for all purposes" type scenario when you want to go out and not take a bag of lenses with you (for e.g. the beach). The article suggested a 50mm for full body and a 35mm for APS-C DSLR. This is good stuff to know - not for when I go to the beach but for when I decide to buy a lens of any description.

​Things are slowly falling into place and a lot of it is thanks to the helpful members here.

We have a number of members here that subscribe to that theory. 50 or 35 for everything. I have done that in the past and I find it really limits you in what you can do in so many instances. My new walk around lens is the 18-105 and I don't know what I did before I got it.

 

[Lawrence]

LOL More information to absorb. You wouldn't believe it but every time something like this is mentioned I am off to do some research - usually starts at Amazon. Thanks Don

 

[BackdoorArts]

Sensors are so good nowadays that it's becoming all about your style of shooting. My brother, a news pro, shoots nothing but cropped sensor Canon cameras for his personal stuff. "It's not worth it for me to pay the difference for full frame" is the gist of his argument. That said, with what D600's seem to be going for it's becoming even less of a cost factor issue.

 

[Philnz]

We have a number of members here that subscribe to that theory. 50 or 35 for everything. I have done that in the past and I find it really limits you in what you can do in so many instances. My new walk around lens is the 18-105 and I don't know what I did before I got it.

​The 18-200mm does it for me.

 

[Lawrence]

What I really like about this forum is contained right here in this thread.

I asked what may be considered a real basic question and the response has been that I have learned far more than the answer to just that question.

​Thanks guys

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

Now you are legally required to pass some knowledge on to someone else.

 

[Bill16]

Lol Good one Don! Lol

 

[Don Kuykendall_RIP]

We are still waiting @Lawrence

 

[Lawrence]

We are still waiting @Lawrence

I did to the fellow (alfoholic) with a D7000 and 10 kilos of gear plus a gorgeous wife and over active 2 year old. May have been the wrong lens I advised him it seems.

 

[dramtastic]

Still a bit off topic but a lot of bird shooters use DX bodies including pro's such as Tony Northrope(spelling). Crop factor of 1.4 and a higher concentration of pixels towards the centre of the shot, or really centre of the subject as I shoot straight for the body or if viable, the eye. That's the theory anyway. I agree with Don though, I've seen great shots from all sorts of camera's but there can be limitations to what subjects and in what motion you can shoot with something like a CoolPix or Lumix etc.

 

[SkvLTD]

For birding, quite useful, but I do wish that all my old lenses had true field of view instead of crop. That and well, that I at least had D7000 or something with more technical features...