Full Frame for Pros?

AC016

AC016

Senior Member
[SIZE=+1]Ken Rockwell's Photography UpdatesFull Frame for Pros? [/SIZE]I'm always amused at how comfortable it is to rationalize paying more for the full-frame DSLR you want by dreaming that "you're going to go pro in about a year, and want a camera that will work well in dark churches for shooting weddings."Myth 1: Going pro. It's not happening. Pro photographers have already gone the way of milkmen. Yes, we still have plenty of milkmen (one comes to my street twice a week), but with digital and iPhones, everyone can get the photos they need and want without having to hire some other kid with a DSLR to come screw up your wedding photos while he learns about color profiles on your dime.Myth 2: Needing full-frame. This was 2007. Today, full-frame's biggest benefit is that it uses the entire image field of legacy lenses. If you're a geezer-brain like me with a load of thrift-store purchased 35mm camera lenses, sure, guys like me love using a $3,500 Mk III, A99 or D800E just so our $25 lenses are used to their ultimate. The other reason for full-frame is to get a slightly bigger viewfinder. That's it.As far as low-light, the latest crop of DX cameras already see in the dark. The Nikon D7100 is absolutely incredible.Yes, full-frame is slightly less noisy, but what many forget is that the latest round of cameras all work so well at five-digit ISOs that there isn't any significant difference since levels are so low already at any ISO worth using. Myth 3: Interchanging DX and FX lenses. It's always a waste to use one on the other kind of body. Use only DX lenses on DX cameras. Using an FX lens on a DX body wastes most of the lens' performance — and you still have to pay for and carry the big FX lens. Use only FX lenses on FX cameras. DX lenses waste most of an FX camera's performance — and you still have to pay for and carry the FX camera. A 35mm f/1.8 DX on a D7100 makes cleaner images in low-light than your f/3.5-4.5 zoom on a D800.Get a D7100. It's awesome. Full frame is just to get a bigger finder and pay more money — and if you want to use old lenses.
 
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Geoffc

Senior Member
I must own up and admit that I chose my D70 all those years ago because ken thought it was sooo much better than the Canon 350. As it turns out it was the right decision, however I've been making my own mistakes choosing cameras ever since :)

One point about using FX lenses on a DX body. I've used my 16-35F4 on my 300s a number of times because i sold all my DX glass and last night I did again for my grandsons birthday. Each time I do it I reckon they are the sharpest pictures of any combo I have including the 800. I think the sensor size is just a sweet spot for sharpness when combined with nice glass.
 
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STM

Senior Member
Take everything Kenny boy says with a grain of salt the size of the Utah salt mines. He really does not have a whole lot of credibility amongst most photographers. When you read his reviews for the first time you get the impression that wow, this guy really knows what he is talking about. But after reading a dozen or so of his "articles" you begin to realize that he really is just another overly opinionated knucklehead masquerading as an 'expert'.
 
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