Comparison between DX and FX lenses
Discussion
Imagine someone who is not in the first flush of youth. Someone who has gone through 35mm (getting excited when FP4 came out) rangefinder cameras and then SLRs, 6cm x 6cm TLR and recently onto bridge cameras and is a wee bit confused by DSLR but gets the general drift. He might well come into a little money soon. Not much, but he's wondering if some might be diverted.
If he asked you what is the difference between DX and FX lenses, and the strengths and weaknesses of both, what might you answer.
This person doesn't mind being patronised.
Thanks,
Derek
If he asked you what is the difference between DX and FX lenses, and the strengths and weaknesses of both, what might you answer.
This person doesn't mind being patronised.
Thanks,
Derek
Derek, if your potential pot of money that might end up being spent on a camera doesn't stretch to an FX body, then you really don't need to know the difference between DX and FX, as you'll be on crop (DX) body anyway.
The difference between DX and FX depends almost entirely on the body, rather than the lens.
On a DX body you will be able to use both FX and DX lenses, but have to multiply the focal length by about 1.5 to get a true picture of the focal length - so a 50mm lens on a DX body is more like a 75mm lens on a 35mm film or FX body.
On an FX body you can use both, but the resolution of the final image will be reduce by a large amount if you use a DX lens.
The difference between DX and FX depends almost entirely on the body, rather than the lens.
On a DX body you will be able to use both FX and DX lenses, but have to multiply the focal length by about 1.5 to get a true picture of the focal length - so a 50mm lens on a DX body is more like a 75mm lens on a 35mm film or FX body.
On an FX body you can use both, but the resolution of the final image will be reduce by a large amount if you use a DX lens.
I was in pretty well the same position (Zenit E and FP4 to begin with), and now have a DX (F7001). Unless you are a professional photographer, its quality is absolutely fine, particularly if you go for a decent lens. The camera is way better than my ability. If you look at http://www.dpreview.com/forums/1034?utm_campaign=i... you will find this question being asked a number of times and the conclusion always seems to be that, if you need to ask, then DX is fine for you.
I have noticed two big changes on moving to DX. The first is the multiplication of focal lengths, as already mentioned. The second is that there is a third freedom of movement if you use auto ISO. Instead of picking ISO125, say, and then selecting an aperture and having the camera determine shutter speed, you can select both aperture and shutter speed and get the camera to chose ISO. Up to about ISO3200 on a F7001 works fine (although conceptually I find it difficult to push above about 800 still).
Oh, and make sure you budget for a copy of Lightroom and a nice big hard drive. RAW format pictures are huge.
I have noticed two big changes on moving to DX. The first is the multiplication of focal lengths, as already mentioned. The second is that there is a third freedom of movement if you use auto ISO. Instead of picking ISO125, say, and then selecting an aperture and having the camera determine shutter speed, you can select both aperture and shutter speed and get the camera to chose ISO. Up to about ISO3200 on a F7001 works fine (although conceptually I find it difficult to push above about 800 still).
Oh, and make sure you budget for a copy of Lightroom and a nice big hard drive. RAW format pictures are huge.
Thanks, guys.
I'm 'semi-professional', in the sense that I can claim a camera on expenses. I've been told I've been named in a will, a chap with few relatives whom I helped on occasion. It would be 000s if what he said about shares and savings was true.
I must admit to be favouring DX, size and weight is the main factor here, and also enough money for some quality accessories, such as lighting - flash and studio.
I was worried that I might be missing something but you have reassured me.
Thanks, guys.
I'm 'semi-professional', in the sense that I can claim a camera on expenses. I've been told I've been named in a will, a chap with few relatives whom I helped on occasion. It would be 000s if what he said about shares and savings was true.
I must admit to be favouring DX, size and weight is the main factor here, and also enough money for some quality accessories, such as lighting - flash and studio.
I was worried that I might be missing something but you have reassured me.
Thanks, guys.
Derek Smith said:
Thanks, guys.
I'm 'semi-professional', in the sense that I can claim a camera on expenses. I've been told I've been named in a will, a chap with few relatives whom I helped on occasion. It would be 000s if what he said about shares and savings was true.
I must admit to be favouring DX, size and weight is the main factor here, and also enough money for some quality accessories, such as lighting - flash and studio.
I was worried that I might be missing something but you have reassured me.
Thanks, guys.
Having just bought a new DX (F5500) and not doing much professional work these days, I would say you have to have a really good reason to spend the extra and put up with the additional weight of the FX kit. I'm 'semi-professional', in the sense that I can claim a camera on expenses. I've been told I've been named in a will, a chap with few relatives whom I helped on occasion. It would be 000s if what he said about shares and savings was true.
I must admit to be favouring DX, size and weight is the main factor here, and also enough money for some quality accessories, such as lighting - flash and studio.
I was worried that I might be missing something but you have reassured me.
Thanks, guys.
When someone else is paying or you get a job which you know will pay for some nice shiny new kit, it's tempting to get the most expensive pro gear but that's not always the best strategy and once the novelty has worn off you might find yourself suffering from buyer's remorse and wishing you'd gone for the 'sensible' option.
It's a compromise whichever way you go, but you can still take very good pix with a smaller sensor if you know what you're doing and are not specialising in subjects which require the features you'd get with proper 'pro' bodies/lenses/accessories.
FurtiveFreddy said:
Having just bought a new DX (F5500) and not doing much professional work these days, I would say you have to have a really good reason to spend the extra and put up with the additional weight of the FX kit.
When someone else is paying or you get a job which you know will pay for some nice shiny new kit, it's tempting to get the most expensive pro gear but that's not always the best strategy and once the novelty has worn off you might find yourself suffering from buyer's remorse and wishing you'd gone for the 'sensible' option.
It's a compromise whichever way you go, but you can still take very good pix with a smaller sensor if you know what you're doing and are not specialising in subjects which require the features you'd get with proper 'pro' bodies/lenses/accessories.
Did you say that just to depress me?When someone else is paying or you get a job which you know will pay for some nice shiny new kit, it's tempting to get the most expensive pro gear but that's not always the best strategy and once the novelty has worn off you might find yourself suffering from buyer's remorse and wishing you'd gone for the 'sensible' option.
It's a compromise whichever way you go, but you can still take very good pix with a smaller sensor if you know what you're doing and are not specialising in subjects which require the features you'd get with proper 'pro' bodies/lenses/accessories.
You are spot on, of course. I only take pictures of cars and bits of cars to illustrate ebooks. I went to a well-known high street camera/other stuff shop and came out confused. That said, I think the chap I asked was just as confused.
Most people didn't read the question!
FX lenses throw a larger image circle. For that reason they are generally bigger and heavier than their DX counterparts. Choose FX lenses for FX bodies or you'll get vignetting. A DX body can use either. Choose the body first - unless you take your photography very seriously, stay with DX.
FX lenses throw a larger image circle. For that reason they are generally bigger and heavier than their DX counterparts. Choose FX lenses for FX bodies or you'll get vignetting. A DX body can use either. Choose the body first - unless you take your photography very seriously, stay with DX.
Edited by Simpo Two on Tuesday 24th February 16:41
Derek Smith said:
Did you say that just to depress me?
You are spot on, of course. I only take pictures of cars and bits of cars to illustrate ebooks. I went to a well-known high street camera/other stuff shop and came out confused. That said, I think the chap I asked was just as confused.
That's because all the manufacturers insist on bringing out too many variations of their products. Trying to sort out which camera/lens is best for what you want to do is becoming increasingly difficult.You are spot on, of course. I only take pictures of cars and bits of cars to illustrate ebooks. I went to a well-known high street camera/other stuff shop and came out confused. That said, I think the chap I asked was just as confused.
BTW, have you already got the camera and were just asking about lenses or is it the whole kit you were asking about?
FurtiveFreddy said:
That's because all the manufacturers insist on bringing out too many variations of their products. Trying to sort out which camera/lens is best for what you want to do is becoming increasingly difficult.
BTW, have you already got the camera and were just asking about lenses or is it the whole kit you were asking about?
The whole kit. So a fair bit of money. I've got a bit saved up in any case.BTW, have you already got the camera and were just asking about lenses or is it the whole kit you were asking about?
As said FX lenses , or full frame 35mm ( fx and fx are nikon terms) have larger image circles to coevr the larger sensor.
You can use an FX lens on a crop camera, you have an oevrsized image circle, but you also use the (normally) better centre section of the lens.
All lenses in this market are marked with the true focal length in mm. But a lens on a crop(DX) sensor camera will 'look' like it has a narrower field of view. So a 50mm lens on DX acts like an 85mm lens would on FX. It still has the depth of field of the 50mm so subject isolation is harder to acheive on DX by a stop ( so you would need 50mm f1.2 vs 85mm f2.0 on FX for the same result etc)
DX has a general advantage of smaller weight, smaller lenses, shorter focal lengths needed , and typically pixel density for macro etc.
FX has advantages in image quality ( they tend to have better sensor filters for colours etc, and larger sensors produce sharper images), low light noise, subject isolation.
At the moment the crop sensor market has some very very good cameras , unless you are pushing boundaries ( serious isolated portrats, lwo light sports, astro etc) the crop cameras can deliver some incredible results.
You can use an FX lens on a crop camera, you have an oevrsized image circle, but you also use the (normally) better centre section of the lens.
All lenses in this market are marked with the true focal length in mm. But a lens on a crop(DX) sensor camera will 'look' like it has a narrower field of view. So a 50mm lens on DX acts like an 85mm lens would on FX. It still has the depth of field of the 50mm so subject isolation is harder to acheive on DX by a stop ( so you would need 50mm f1.2 vs 85mm f2.0 on FX for the same result etc)
DX has a general advantage of smaller weight, smaller lenses, shorter focal lengths needed , and typically pixel density for macro etc.
FX has advantages in image quality ( they tend to have better sensor filters for colours etc, and larger sensors produce sharper images), low light noise, subject isolation.
At the moment the crop sensor market has some very very good cameras , unless you are pushing boundaries ( serious isolated portrats, lwo light sports, astro etc) the crop cameras can deliver some incredible results.
Edited by RobDickinson on Tuesday 24th February 21:32
RobDickinson said:
FX has a general advantage of smaller weight, smaller lenses, shorter focal lengths needed , and typically pixel density for macro etc.
DX has advantages in image quality ( they tend to have better sensor filters for colours etc, and larger sensors produce sharper images), low light noise, subject isolation.
.
I'm sure you don't mean that DX has advantages in image quality ( they tend to have better sensor filters for colours etc, and larger sensors produce sharper images), low light noise, subject isolation.
.
Derek Smith said:
I went to a well-known high street camera/other stuff shop and came out confused. That said, I think the chap I asked was just as confused.
Not surprising. Given you're in Brighton you could do worse than go up to Park Cameras in Burgess Hill. You'll be able to look at and feel the differences, and ask someone who's much more likely to know what they're talking about than any of the high street lot. (No affiliation)Perhaps most importantly: try not to get too bogged down in which brand / model / system / sensor is theoretically better. The image quality differences are surprisingly marginal (once you're away from point-and-shoot and bridge cameras): it's better to have something that fits your hand, that you want to hold, and that you can understand. My MiL recently bought a Fuji XE-1, and uses it loads becasue "it feels like cameras used to", i.e. not plasticky, and has an aperture ring at the base of the lens so she understands it.
Norwegian Blue said:
Perhaps most importantly: try not to get too bogged down in which brand / model / system / sensor is theoretically better. The image quality differences are surprisingly marginal (once you're away from point-and-shoot and bridge cameras): it's better to have something that fits your hand, that you want to hold, and that you can understand. My MiL recently bought a Fuji XE-1, and uses it loads becasue "it feels like cameras used to", i.e. not plasticky, and has an aperture ring at the base of the lens so she understands it.
/\ This.I've not tried one so I'm NOT qualified to give my opinion of its good and bad points, but the crop sensor (DX in Nikon speak) Fuji XT-1 has an aperture ring on many of the lenses in its system and old fashioned wheels/dials on the top plate so you can see your settings and adjust them at a glance without having to dive into menus.
I just thought I'd let you know that your very helpful replies were wasted. It seems the source of the camera money had mortgaged his house to one of those asset realising companies, and some years ago. I've got 10% of not very much.
It's no problem. The bloke never even told me I was in his will. So for a while I was a fair bit richer. I've gone from £50-60,000 to a few hundred in an apologetic phone call. Even so there might be even less as his estate is in a bit of a mess financially. Could be more I suppose.
Still, from the reception I got from the NoK at the funeral, I think there might have been a challenge. It seemed they thought I would not be 'getting away with it' by supplying the old boy with meals and a bit of company at Christmas, the New Year and Easter.
I liked the old boy. Still do. It was a very nice surprise, even after the executor phoned the second time.
Thanks though. You were very helpful.
I'm back to dreaming.
It's no problem. The bloke never even told me I was in his will. So for a while I was a fair bit richer. I've gone from £50-60,000 to a few hundred in an apologetic phone call. Even so there might be even less as his estate is in a bit of a mess financially. Could be more I suppose.
Still, from the reception I got from the NoK at the funeral, I think there might have been a challenge. It seemed they thought I would not be 'getting away with it' by supplying the old boy with meals and a bit of company at Christmas, the New Year and Easter.
I liked the old boy. Still do. It was a very nice surprise, even after the executor phoned the second time.
Thanks though. You were very helpful.
I'm back to dreaming.
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