Posted by John Vaughan on November 23, 2009 at 12:34 PM
Hello All,
I should introduce myself on this forum so here goes! My name is John Vaughan and I'm an Old Guy trying to learn some new tricks in the Digital World. I live in North Branch Minnesota and have been actively involved in photography from the age of 8. I started with a Brownie box camera and progressed to 35mm while in the service. I have experience with both 35mm and 2 1/4 format film cameras and still have a Nikon N70 which rarely comes out of the bag anymore. I made the plunge into digital about 3 months ago with the purchase of a Nikon D60. Didn't want to rush into anything!! I am specializing in Fine Art Landscape photos and have started my own business (small but fun). I have some questions in regard to an upgrade to my digital system. I am thinking about upgrading to a Nikon D300s DX format or a Nikon D700 FX format for the larger sensor. I'm sure this has been addressed on the forums a lot but I need to know if I go to the larger FX format will I still be able to use my DX lenses. My maximum print sizes so far are in the 16x20 area and I have had no problems with the 10.1 meg sensor with TIFF files from Photoshop CS4. Any comments or help with a direction would be greatly appreciated.
Posted by Toni Lankerd on November 23, 2009 at 7:50 PM
Hi John and welcome to the Midwest forum!
I don't have Nikon equipment myself, but I'm sure someone else in this forum will be glad to step forward and give you some advice. In the meantime, you might want to check the Digital forum here at NPN and see if you can find a few answers there.
Posted by Ken Bachofer on November 23, 2009 at 9:56 PM
Welcome John. We have some things in common. I've been photographing since childhood and I spent some time in the Navy (1967-1975). If you ever get over by St. Cloud or Clearwater let me know so we can get together.
I'm sorry I can't comment on your Nikon question. I switched to Canon when I transitioned to digital.
Welcome! First off, I like the layout of your site. If you're taking suggestions, I might think about downsizing the photos on it quite a bit though, for a couple of reasons. First, even with my (moderately) fast internet, a 4000x2500 pixel image takes forever to load! Second, no point in having a nice big file laying around for anyone to download and possibly use without permission if a more modest 600x800 photo will work just as well Very nice images though, I'm looking forward to seeing you post a bit on here.
I'm afraid I can't help you with your Nikon questions...I'm a Canon user myself. Hope to see your posts around the site!
Posted by Steven M Kahn on November 24, 2009 at 2:29 AM
Hi John, and welcome. Seems you are getting replies from people who capture with Canon gear. And I am one too. Before turning pro (operated a portrait studio) as a second career, I was a Nikon shooter, but converted. Not sure about the camera body lens question, but with Canon glass I learned with a friend the difference between capturing with L glass and non L glass, and there is one! Try and invest in the best glass you can. Not in every case, but in most cases involving scenics. I upgraded to full frame when the 5D came out and really enjoy the return to 35mm full frame capture for scenics. Unlike the film days, with digital, the "film" is built into the camera and having two different cameras with two different sensors might yield two different captures at similar ISO's, especially in regards to noise. In the good old days of film, one could use an older camera body as a back up and get the same results from the same film as with the newer camera. Not so anymore with digital. Welcome to digital John. I cannot see myself going back to "analog", but the digital capture cameras do have some issues that one didn't have with analog cameras. Looking forward to your posting John. And if you are ever in the mid-Michigan area, would love to visit with you.
Posted by Paul DeCesare on November 24, 2009 at 10:57 AM
Hi John,
Welcome to NPN!
No, DX lenses don't work on full frame Nikons, the glass diameter is smaller to fit the smaller DX sensor. But to be honest, consider ditching the DX lenses on eBay and getting better Nikon glass (as was mentioned above), because even if you DON'T go to a full frame sensor, using "full frame lenses" (for lack of a better term) let's you utilize the sweet spot in the center of the glass. Then if/when you go to full frame, you have your lenses ready to go. The only time you really NEED a DX lens is if you stay with the smaller APS-C sensor and want to shoot super-wide, then you'll need one of the 10mm DX lenses (or whatever Nikon offers) to get the 16-18mm range of a full frame camera.
OK, having said all that, may I suggest you walk, no run, no FLY to your dealer and get the full frame Nikon! The bigger sensors are just better for lower noise, rich images. The cells on the sensor are bigger therefore capturing more light. I have the Canon 5D Mark II and the image quality is nuts (as was my 5D, both are FF sensors). Canon just released the 7D which is a smaller sensor at 18MP, and my first thought was, won't cramming 18 million cells on a smaller sensor introduce trouble shooting low noise? And that's exactly what's happened. My point is that since you are focusing on landscape which means longer exposures on a tripod, go full frame and be a happy camper...er... shooter! You won't regret it. Have fun!
Posted by Deb Little on November 24, 2009 at 1:04 PM
Hi John,
Welcome to NPN. A great bunch of folks here.
Nothing but Canon and Macs for me. Looking forward to seeing some of your images here.
Posted by David Shaw on November 24, 2009 at 3:51 PM
If you go to the Nikon USA web site it says that you can use the dx lenses on the d700. It just outputs a smaller sized photo, less pixels. They do this by using a smaller area of the sensor. For landscape I would recommend the FX format due to the wide angle lenses being so prominant in landscape photography. I shoot a lot of bird photos so the dx sensor with its 1.5 lens factor makes more sense for me. You can never have enough lens when shooting birds.
Posted by John Vaughan on November 25, 2009 at 2:04 AM
I want to thank everyone for their responses and help. It seems everyone is shooting with Canon and I actually owned a 35mm EOS for awhile and liked it a lot. I am thinking the larger image sensor on the D700 will probably be best for me and the landscape photography. Another advantage is that I can actually print 8x10, 11x14,etc. instead of the 12.8x16.1 format that I have to reduce at 75% now. Thanks again and I do feel welcome in the group. I will be uploading some images soon and will also see what I can do about reducing the size of the images on the website
I moved from a D200 (DX) to a D700 about a year ago. I've been extremely happy with the performance of the camera and the ability to fully reclaim the wide end of the shooting continuum. The only negative part of the move was the need to convert part of my lens lineup (and the expense associated with doing so ).
If you specialize in landscapes--as I do--I think you'll find the move to a 35mm sized sensor beneficial. This is not to say that it's impossible to produce excellent landscape imagery with an APS-C-sized sensor camera because it certainly is. But the primary benefit to a DX sensor camera is to put more pixels on the subject when using long lenses. If your primary interest was birds/wildlife, for instance, you'd likely be getting a bigger bang for your buck by staying with the DX format.
Since you specifically identified landscapes as your principle interest--and assuming that the cost of moving up (both camera and lenses--more on the latter below) to FX isn't going to be a huge issue for you, I'd recommend moving to FX.
As someone mentioned, you can use DX lenses with the D700; the camera will automatically enter a crop mode to compensate for the smaller image circle...but this isn't a desirable solution, IMO. You're losing the advantage of a full-sized sensor this way, so you're really looking at lens upgrades...and that's expensive. Nikon makes some excellent wide angle lenses, but you're going to pay for them. The only good thing about this is that this is effectively a one-time purchase (believe me, that's what I kept telling myself ) because the lenses, if well-maintained, will last indefinitely...and of course you can use FX lenses on DX cameras (should you choose to return to that format) without penalty...other than the crop factor.
Best of luck and if you have any questions about the camera or lenses or anything else, don't hesitate to drop me a line.
Posted by Mike Leakey on November 27, 2009 at 5:32 PM
Good advice above. The D700 is a wonderful camera but you'll be disappointed if you don't invest in FX glass first. Over the last few years Nikon has updated their pro zoom models and they are now best-in-class. I own the 14-24 f2.8 and the 24-70 f2.8 and the new 70-200 f2.8 VR II is on the way. For landscape photography these three lenses will do it all....at a price around $6000!!! However, the upside is that since these lenses all use Nikon's latest technology they should be good for years to come.
Discussion
10 repliesI should introduce myself on this forum so here goes! My name is John Vaughan and I'm an Old Guy trying to learn some new tricks in the Digital World. I live in North Branch Minnesota and have been actively involved in photography from the age of 8. I started with a Brownie box camera and progressed to 35mm while in the service. I have experience with both 35mm and 2 1/4 format film cameras and still have a Nikon N70 which rarely comes out of the bag anymore. I made the plunge into digital about 3 months ago with the purchase of a Nikon D60. Didn't want to rush into anything!!
I don't have Nikon equipment myself, but I'm sure someone else in this forum will be glad to step forward and give you some advice. In the meantime, you might want to check the Digital forum here at NPN and see if you can find a few answers there.
I'm sorry I can't comment on your Nikon question. I switched to Canon when I transitioned to digital.
I'm afraid I can't help you with your Nikon questions...I'm a Canon user myself. Hope to see your posts around the site!
Welcome to NPN!
No, DX lenses don't work on full frame Nikons, the glass diameter is smaller to fit the smaller DX sensor. But to be honest, consider ditching the DX lenses on eBay and getting better Nikon glass (as was mentioned above), because even if you DON'T go to a full frame sensor, using "full frame lenses" (for lack of a better term) let's you utilize the sweet spot in the center of the glass. Then if/when you go to full frame, you have your lenses ready to go. The only time you really NEED a DX lens is if you stay with the smaller APS-C sensor and want to shoot super-wide, then you'll need one of the 10mm DX lenses (or whatever Nikon offers) to get the 16-18mm range of a full frame camera.
OK, having said all that, may I suggest you walk, no run, no FLY to your dealer and get the full frame Nikon! The bigger sensors are just better for lower noise, rich images. The cells on the sensor are bigger therefore capturing more light. I have the Canon 5D Mark II and the image quality is nuts (as was my 5D, both are FF sensors). Canon just released the 7D which is a smaller sensor at 18MP, and my first thought was, won't cramming 18 million cells on a smaller sensor introduce trouble shooting low noise? And that's exactly what's happened. My point is that since you are focusing on landscape which means longer exposures on a tripod, go full frame and be a happy camper...er... shooter! You won't regret it. Have fun!
Welcome to NPN. A great bunch of folks here.
Nothing but Canon and Macs for me. Looking forward to seeing some of your images here.
http://www.nikonusa.com/Find-Your-Nikon/Product/Digital-SLR/25444/D700.html
David
I moved from a D200 (DX) to a D700 about a year ago. I've been extremely happy with the performance of the camera and the ability to fully reclaim the wide end of the shooting continuum. The only negative part of the move was the need to convert part of my lens lineup (and the expense associated with doing so
If you specialize in landscapes--as I do--I think you'll find the move to a 35mm sized sensor beneficial. This is not to say that it's impossible to produce excellent landscape imagery with an APS-C-sized sensor camera because it certainly is. But the primary benefit to a DX sensor camera is to put more pixels on the subject when using long lenses. If your primary interest was birds/wildlife, for instance, you'd likely be getting a bigger bang for your buck by staying with the DX format.
Since you specifically identified landscapes as your principle interest--and assuming that the cost of moving up (both camera and lenses--more on the latter below) to FX isn't going to be a huge issue for you, I'd recommend moving to FX.
As someone mentioned, you can use DX lenses with the D700; the camera will automatically enter a crop mode to compensate for the smaller image circle...but this isn't a desirable solution, IMO. You're losing the advantage of a full-sized sensor this way, so you're really looking at lens upgrades...and that's expensive. Nikon makes some excellent wide angle lenses, but you're going to pay for them. The only good thing about this is that this is effectively a one-time purchase (believe me, that's what I kept telling myself
Best of luck and if you have any questions about the camera or lenses or anything else, don't hesitate to drop me a line.