Full Frame Ahead

With the advent of full frame sensors in the upper echelon of DSLR has anyone else noted the intense desire amongst the non-professionals to acquire its “magical powers”? I would argue that full frame may be even usurping megapixels in terms of desire for most of us enthusiasts.

There’s a good reason for this of course. Cameras like the Canon 5D have long been know to have amazing IQ (image quality) thanks in large measure to its full frame sensor. The full frame sensor is larger, giving more rooms for pixels to be larger in size (and more in number–there’s only so much room on that smaller sensor) which provides cleaner, crisper, better image quality ala the 5D with the added benefit of removing the conversion factor for lenses (typically x1.6 for APS-C sized sensors). A lot of photographers also feel they get improved DOF (depth of field) with full frame. The end result is that even today, photographers rave about the 5d, and for the most part that IQ and lack of competitors have driven it through a long product cycle. Full frame sensors have taken their place now in the major flagship models and Nikon has even responded with a 5D competitor, the Nikon D700–which you can be sure will boast amazing IQ (it is after all a D3 in a D300—the classic “fat guy in a little coat”).

Currently the benefits of full frame over APS-C come with a catch, cost. Cost after all is why we’ve all been using APS-C all these years, it’s not as if there’s some technical advantage per se to using a smaller sensor, but those costs are coming and going down with improved sensor manufacture etc. In addition demand is going (we’d forgotten/or didn’t know what we were missing) up. All of us look at the pro models and expect feature sets to trickle down. Full frame sensors are clearly high on that list. In addition, just as with the megapixels, and image stabilization before it, the manufacurers will soon be selling consumers on the benefits of full frame sensors, and it will make its way further down the product lines.

So what does the future hold? I’d bet each successive product cycle full frame sensors move down a rung. The next D300, the uh, D400 will be full frame. Canon will have a full frame camera between the 40D and 5D mark II. In all likelihood by the end of next year we will have $1500-$2000 full frame DSLRs.

With that in mind, the smart consumer ought to be thinking ahead now. I would be very, very hesitant to spend large money on APS-C lenses right now. Your next camera could very well be full frame. You might already be toying with the idea of a 5D Mark II, A900, or D700 right now, and by next year you’ll be so sick of reading the reviews of the above that you’ll be more than ready to purchase one, and that will mean: new lenses. It’s going to happen and I’ve warned you. Because there’s no doubt in a couple years time, most of us will be shooting full frame, hell our Canon G11’s will be full frame. As I said before…full frame ahead.

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