Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1
Canon IXUS 240 HS
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Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ30
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Olympus OM-D E-M5
Sunday Morning Photographer: Thoughts About “Full Frame”
The latest Sunday Morning Photographer column from Mike Johnston discusses the future of full-frame DSLRs:
“Nikon, meanwhile, with the introduction of its professional uber-kamera the D2x, has shown its firm allegiance to the APS-size sensor that gives a 1.5X effective crop. Its digital “format” is uniform, from the entry-level D70 to the D2’s (yes, there’s the choice of a further crop with the D2x, but that doesn’t count because the whole sensor is still 1.5X). Nikon has also quietly begun building up a collection of its DX lenses, made expressly for its digital format.
Not to beat around the bush: I firmly believe that what Nikon is doing will prove to be smarter in the long run.”
Website: Sunday Morning Photographer: Thoughts About “Full Frame”
Interestingly this week, Luminous Landscape’s Michael Reichmann has issued a rebuttal to Mike’s column and given his own view!
“I’m no prophet. My crystal ball is fuzzy, and I rarely pick the right stocks. But it doesn’t take a clairvoyant to see that chip sizes and chip prices are headed in opposite directions – the first one up, and the second one down. At some point the marginal cost differential between putting a full-frame chip in a 35mm format camera vs. putting in an APS-sized sensor will have diminished to the point that it won’t represent a significant manufacturing cost factor.”
Website: Luminous Landscape - Some Further Thoughts on the Full Frame Issue
Which viewpoint do you agree with?
Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1 Review
Canon IXUS 240 HS Review
Canon PowerShot SX240 HS Review
Nikon D800 Review
Samsung DV300F Review
Nikon Coolpix P510
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ30
Canon PowerShot SX260 HS
Fujifilm X-Pro1
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX200V
#1 John
I agree with the SMP: the smaller sensors are the better way to go in the long run. They allow for smaller and less expensive cameras and lenses. 35mm-sized sensors are a waste, considering the image quality that has been achieved in the smaller APS-C sensors.
4:31 am - Wednesday, October 27, 2004
#2 Steve Ritchie
Full frame sensors are the logiical choice for people who already have a collection of wide lenses for the Canon, which currently crop with the small chip. I'm dying to get hold of the Canon EOS 5D, so that I can actually now 'use' the whole of the lens field of my lenses.
It's been worth the wait
I bet there's thousands out there with Nikon or Pentax or Minolta (etc) lenses who wish their camera manufacturers had followed Canon's move towards full-frame sensors.
An 'affordable' full-frame chip from Canon has got to be great business sense. Even my mate with his Nikon is thinking of 'dumping' his gear now on eBay to purchase Canon.
9:33 pm - Saturday, November 19, 2005
#3 GARY POGODA
It's like asking DVD Player manufacturers to include 12" trays so you
can play your Laser Discs as well. Of the 100s of DVD players on the
market, I know of only one manufacturer, Pioneer, that ever did that,
and it was only on one of their models (which was really a Laser Disc
Player to which they added DVD capability).
This is not really a fair comparison, since full-frame lenses are a lot
more plentiful than Laser Discs ever were, but something tells me it
still would not be great business sense.
10:39 pm - Saturday, November 19, 2005
#4 Mark Wiliamson
I'll vote for full frame every time! As a press photographer with 20 years behind me Canon's decision to pursue full-frame has seen me desert Nikon. Depth of field control, far better wide angle impact are just two reasons why I have switched, and two very important aspects of day to day photojournalism. Picture impact and background clarity can be controlled more effectively. Hail the EOS-1D Mark II and EOS-5D......in my mind, and many other press photographers I work alongside, there is now no competition, it's Canon every time!
1:22 pm - Thursday, January 12, 2006