Poll: is 'full frame' for DSLRs a must-have feature?

[kevrayner]

Re: Poll: is 'full frame' for DSLRs a must-have feature?

after getting the d700 and using it at the last few weddings i defo would not go back !

low light capability is great !

kev

[Chris]

Re: Poll: is 'full frame' for DSLRs a must-have feature?

Hi Chris, do let us know if you take the plunge!

We have a hands-on preview article with some samples here:

http://dpnow.com/5166.html

I found the camera nice to use and it's not as big and heavy as I feared it was going to be.

There is a lot of noise visible on-screen from ISO 400 and upwards, and from ISO 800 upwards the noise is quite bad in terms of chroma noise.

However, the sheer number of pixels does tend to mask the noise when making prints.

Ian

Well I did take the plunge and buy the A900. The ergonomics and handling suit me very nicely, the camera and vertical grip are not light, but the balance and fit to my hands is just nice.

The pros and cons of the FF sensor in terms of lens criticality have been mixed. My KM 28-75 f2.8 for example has been found to be excellent at most focal lengths, but could be better at wider angles and apertures, while the Minolta 17-35 has proven to be excellent. The Minolta 100-300APO D is slightly out of its depth with this sensor, but can still make a good medium size print.

Having DOF control like the old days is nice (mostly) and the viewfinder is definitely a huge plus after shooting APS C for years.

Print output is staggering in its detail and tonality.

Noise, well I read all the comments about it, but I shoot RAW only and do not apply any in camera sharpening or contrast. Also, the metering is quite conservative, so I tend to expose around +0.7EV for higher ISO and have not had any issues with excessive Chroma noise even with Sony RAW converter. In prints, it is simply not an issue in terms of speckling. The one area where it is an issue is in the ability of Chroma noise to "colour up" grey areas sometimes. This is not an issue with non Adobe or Sony RAW converters. I think if you shoot in camera JPEG there is a setup that also keeps noise to a minimum.

Biggest plus is dynamic range. It is way better than anything digital I have used to date.

So is full frame worth the money, well having used the A900 for a while now, I have to say that, contradicting my previous statement, it would be worth list price to me. I don't think it is a must have feature, but if you are printing big it is very desirable.

Chris