Which SLR should invest in this coming year ? (Semi-pro model)

[xavierclement]

Hello,

I currently own a Nikon D5000 and a Sigma 18:200. I do more and more photos and I am really addicted to it ! To the point that I would like to invest into a better camera in the coming year so that I could potentially expose some of my photos and potentially do some semi-pro work (wedding etc.). I love doing portrait and landscape pictures.

Therefore I am wondering which kind of camera I should buy in the coming year. My first question is whether I should go to a full frame camera? Then which model I should look at?

I realize that if I go for a full frame I will not be able to use my current lenses, but maybe I could find some nice camera + lenses second hand (either Nikon or Canon). However the full frame would allow me to print my photos in bigger format?

Any hints would be helpful?

Thanks
Xavier


PS : A French living in Switzerland

[GeoffWessex]

If it's only the print size, the D5000 should be able to manage a 20" x 16" perfectly well..... and probably right up to 30" x 24"...... so how big do you really want to print?

If you really want a full-frame camera (and who doesn't?) you'd be better off sticking with Nikon (more for the menu and other controls) and look for a used D700 or D3x.

[xavierclement]

HI Geoff,

thanks for your quick answer. I was thinking of printing canvas up to 50*76 or photos of up to 20*30 maybe...
That is a maximum assuming I am able to do some expo.

[GeoffWessex]

You have to bear in mind the distance between the viewer and the print...... the pixels/dimensions problem diminishes once you get to really big prints like the 50x76 you mention, particularly on canvas. You're right, though..... you'll get more success with a full-frame camera.

20x30 is about the limit from the D5000, and that would be with some stretching or with a less than ideal ppi, plus that distance between viewer and print again.

The ideal would be to have something like a Medium Format digital camera (like the Pentax 645) but that's way out of the reach of most people. Still, you could pick up a Medium Format Film camera quite cheaply - even Hasselblad 500s go for under 500 quid now - if you really want to get the fine details and don't mind the developing and scanning costs!

[Trackend]

If its quality of image for large prints etc medium format is the next step bigger format is still better, shame they dont make a 10 X 8 Gandolfi with a digital back

[michaelb104]

Watch out for the Sony A77 which is supposed to be released later this year and the rumour is that it will have a 24mp APS-C sensor which I guess would allow you to print with ease the sizes you mentioned.

Just a thought I’d throw this into the mix

[chris-p]

Hi Xavier, welcome to the forum...

This could very easily degenerate into a full frame vs sub-full frame argument so before it does... (!)

Geoff makes a valid point about already knowing a system. It's certainly something to consider although, personally I would go wherever the best system is (given that you've only got a single lens with your camera).

Currently the Nikon lineup is looking rather long in the tooth. The D300s was only a minor update of the D300 and the D700 has been around for a while now. The rumour mill is going mental with theoretical spec sheets for the new "D800".
When the D700 replacement will arrive is anybodies guess but the rumours suggest this spring (and they're usually fairly accurate).
I suspect the D300s is probably also due an update.

Given that, at the moment, the best all round top end APS-C and full frame packages are Canons 7D and 5DII, I would suggest it's worth holding on to see what Nikon do.

Mike also mentioned the A77 (I didn't know that's what it was going to be called) but I know it'll have the "SLT" pellicle mirror and a "much improved" electronic viewfinder. As far as I'm concerned it's out of the running thanks to that.

With regards to the APS-C vs full frame thing, this always interests me. Most people seem to aspire to a full frame camera and I often wonder if this is simply because the top of the range cameras from the biggest 3 makers (in descending order: Canon, Sony & Nikon - yes Sony overtook Nikon recently) are all full frame.
Personally, I don't really care if it's full frame or not. The classic disadvantage of there not being enough wideangle optics isn't really valid any more. And while the requirement for even shorter focal lengths to maintain a broad field of view does restrict optical design, these ultra-wide lenses are much better than there were a few years ago.

[KeithT]

I have used full-frame getting on for five years now. Whilst I like using the format, being that it is as near as damn it like using film in my opinion, I have to say that it is not for everybody. Frankly, the choice of whether to go FF or stay with 'Crop' should be based on your needs (as well as budget), rather than what's best between the two. Full frame sensors are very unforgiving where IQ is concerned, and will demand high quality lenses. It's not a snob value when using L series lenses with Canon's FF cameras, it's a necessity. Using a so-called 'crop' camera will produce great images. But it is only a 'crop' camera if used with lenses that were meant for the 35mm format. Otherwise it is an APS format, or Foveon format, or Four Thirds format. My advice is to sit down and think of what you want to do with your camera, how far you want to take your hobby, and how much money you have to spend on the kind of lenses you want now and in the future and go from there. There is no value in hankering after something because you think it might seriously improve your photography. Only practice and technique will do that.

EDIT. Yes, FF will give you an advantage when printing large, but there isn't a formula for maximum print sizes. I personally would not print larger than 20 x 30 with files from the 5d MKII for exhibition work, even though you can probably double that and some for its max. You would really be taxing the resolution of the lens by printing to its maximum I feel. It depends on how much clarity you require in your finished print and at what distance it will be viewed at I suppose.

[chris-p]

Originally Posted by KeithT

EDIT. Yes, FF will give you an advantage when printing large, but there isn't a formula for maximum print sizes. I personally would not print larger than 20 x 30 with files from the 5d MKII for exhibition work, even though you can probably double that and some for its max. You would really be taxing the resolution of the lens by printing to its maximum I feel. It depends on how much clarity you require in your finished print and at what distance it will be viewed at I suppose.

I'm always unsure about this. When it comes to prints, if you assume a fixed quality (for simplicity), the thing that allows for greater enlargement is resolution. If you have the same number of pixels on a full frame sensor and a "cropped" sensor and print the shots at 72dpi (or any other resolution) the prints would be the same physical dimensions.
So the difference comes down to point resolution of the two prints. The smaller the pixels in the original image, the smaller the points that can be differentiated.

As far as I see it, you've got 2 identical 18MP images, just that one is from full frame, one APS-C. You print them at the same print resolution and they're the same size. But, you get more detail in the one from the APS-C sensored camera.

I know that this is somewhat academic, but it's something that people fail to consider when they make the automatic assumption that full frame is better than APS-C with respect to printing.

I also grant you that you don't get two identical resolution sensors, and also that there is much more to image quality, and I've not taken into account viewing distance but it's still a vaild point.

[HinFrance]

The technology here moves so fast that it can be hard to keep up with. I've just upgraded to a Pentax K5 APS-C although I was looking at the Canon 7D and 5Dll.

The 5D is about to be replaced and the 7D is not in the same league as the K5 (sorry Chris, but it isn't, things move so fast).

Upshot - buy the camera you feel most comfortable with; cameras are only tools, buy the one you like, they're all pretty good and it's your skill as a photographer that matters the most. The lenses matter more than the body - whatever you chose, buy the best lenses you can afford.