Full-frame sensors

I was wondering just which DSLR's in current production have full frame sensors?

(I know the Nikon D3 is one )

R

Canon 1DSMkIII and Canon 5D

HI Ralph,

do I sense a new camrea coming??

More expense

Andy

HI Ralph,

do I sense a new camrea coming??

More expense

Andy

It's a possibility!

But I really want to research all available full frame sensors first - hence the request for a list!

R

D3X is a possibility (or not) depending on who you listen to. If so it is probably 'due' autumn time.

Surely Nikon will feel the heat of the 1DsMk3.

Having said that if I was to do all of this again I would go Cannon. Nikon seem to lag the cannon offering consistently.

What is your plan Alex ? You sticking with the D2x and waiting for a D3x or......

Paul C

My plan is to wait for the D3X. The D3 doesn't offer me much as I do not shoot high ISO and I see no point in FF for the sake of it. Indeed I'd be sad to say goodbye to the Tok. Not getting the D3 also allowed me to buy a new car over Christmas!

My wish list for the D3X would be 18MP - which I think would be a real sweet spot - although I think it may well have the Sony 24MP sensor.

I also hope that the D3 and hypothetical D3X fit in the same housing. Then I would certainly get (when I can afford it) a D3 too. It would be great to have two cameras that fit in the same housing, but have different abilities. It is something that pro canon users have had for a while with the 1D and 1Ds models.

Ralph the other camera to consider is the forthcoming Canon 5D replacement. I was very impressed with Eric's Canon 1D and 1Ds Mk3s on the Wetpixel Socorro trip.

Alex

Makes a lot of sense Alex ( as expected ).

One of my acquaintances over here runs a commercial studio and recons that the 1DS Mk3 is all but indistinguishable from his Hassleblad in the studio, (FWIW I think he has the 24M pixel version).

I did ask about taking the Hassleblad out of the studio and he went a bit white and spluttered a lot.

Take that as a 'NO' then.....

Paul C

"I also hope that the D3 and hypothetical D3X fit in the same housing. Then I would certainly get (when I can afford it) a D3 too. It would be great to have two cameras that fit in the same housing, but have different abilities. It is something that pro canon users have had for a while with the 1D and 1Ds models. "

That is also my feeling. In my case, with the airlines having lost all my underwater equipment, I had to choose either a switch to Canon, housing the D300, or housing the D3 in anticipation of the D3x.

The Tokina can be used with a 1.4x converter but I'm not convinced the IQ will stand up. I believe the D3 has higher potential macro IQ than DX. There is the 14-24 as well. My 70-180 won't have the macro power it used to but the Inon 330 will become more useful with it and I will be able to shoot larger subjects more easily. Overall I do believe that FF offers an advantage, though probably not enough underwater to justify the price at 12MP. If it were just the D3 and the D300, I'd probably prefer the Tokina and the smaller size of the D300.

It's a possibility!

 

But I really want to research all available full frame sensors first - hence the request for a list!

 

R

You may consider the upcoming sony flagship model. I think the 24 megapixel sensor will debut first in it. It's without built-in handgrip, which allows smaller housing design.

It will have, on the other hand, built in sensor-based shake-reduktion (SSS, VR, IS, AS etc.). Sony will announce some nice Zeiss glass as well.

You may consider the upcoming sony flagship model.

Yea but I don't see the housing vendors queuing up to support it.

Maybe Ike could or would as they can adapt at a pretty low cost but even then I can't see many other vendors jumping in to support it. Volumes are really thin out here on the bleeding edge.....

Forced to guess the two players will be the 1DS Mk3 and a candidate Nikon D3x based on the Sony chip.

Which chips are Nikon using at present ? Craig ?

Paul C

Yea but I don't see the housing vendors queuing up to support it.

 

Maybe Ike could or would as they can adapt at a pretty low cost but even then I can't see many other vendors jumping in to support it.

Paul C

Probably, you are right on this. Ike seems to support sony. Some smaller company in Europe, like UK-Germany and Bruder, Dahna as well.

If sony had better market share, others would follow.

But it won't be a major player in the UW world.

But we are considering now all options.

D3X is a possibility (or not) depending on who you listen to. If so it is probably 'due' autumn time.

 

Surely Nikon will feel the heat of the 1DsMk3.

 

Having said that if I was to do all of this again I would go Cannon. Nikon seem to lag the cannon offering consistently.

 

What is your plan Alex ? You sticking with the D2x and waiting for a D3x or......

 

Paul C

I think we've reached the point where the two manufacturers are pretty close to being on a par and we are likely to see ongoing 'one-ups' from each company on an ongoing basis. It's only in the high megapixel full frame area that Nikon is yet to release a 1DSMkIII equivalent. With the release of the D200, then the D300 and D3, Nikon arguably have the 'best-in-class' cameras. In the end it's great for us, because once they are truly on a similar level, we will get better and better cameras, and the the cost for increasing quality and features will continue to come down.

Makes a lot of sense Alex ( as expected ).

 

One of my acquaintances over here runs a commercial studio and recons that the 1DS Mk3 is all but indistinguishable from his Hassleblad in the studio, (FWIW I think he has the 24M pixel version).

 

I did ask about taking the Hassleblad out of the studio and he went a bit white and spluttered a lot.

 

Take that as a 'NO' then.....

 

Paul C

24MP version? Have I missed an option for 21MP or 24MP?

Thanks.

Nikon say the D3 sensor is of their own design and do not say who manufactures it. They say the same about the D300 sensor although it appears physically related to the Sony sensor. It wouldn't surprise me of Nikon derives a D3x sensor from the newly announced Sony one but they could certainly design one themselves from their D3 technology. Those two paths could be one in the same.

Given existing sensor technology, I don't think it takes much time to design new sensors with varying pixel sizes. Solving manufacturing and IQ issues is probably what takes the time and don't forget that microlens assembly is where Nikon put a lot of their R&D effort. A sensor is more than a CMOS or CCD part.

I would imagine Nikon have been developing high resolution versions of the D3 in parallel. From a business standpoint, the PJ version that they have released simply makes much greater business sense. At this point it's clear that Nikon is capable of producing a 20+ MP FF camera. It has finite resources, though, and must prioritize new products within the capabilities it has. It's easy to understand that getting out the D3 and D300 plus the new lenses they have introduced is more important financially than a flagship, low volume 1Ds3 competitor. Canon and Nikon should respond more to their customers as much as to one another.

When Canon release a new pro body, they release the PJ version first and follow it around 9 months later with the high res version. Nikon hasn't done that before but it could well be switching to that approach now.

Thanks Craig,

Interesting that the PJ market is 'bigger' than the hi end enthusiast & pro mag shooter market combined - guess there is a local rag on most city corners that all sink images.

Sorry if I mislead you Stephen - it must be the 21MP - I just remember it is not the full on, what is it 39MP? Or something.

I know he has shelved the idea of upgrading it, there was even loose talk of selling it and moving to only using the 1DSMk3. One of the reasons for holding back on that was that the punters are impressed with the Hassleblad - right or wrong.

Expensive PR but there you go.

Whatever, my mate has kittens any time there is talk of taking it out of the controlled environment of the studio, On the other hand he is planning to abandon the Cannon on a local beach unattended overnight to take time lapse pictures of the tide coming up!

PaulC

On the other hand he is planning to abandon the Cannon on a local beach unattended overnight to take time lapse pictures of the tide coming up!

 

PaulC

Hey Paul - Let me know which beach, because I still need a 1DsMKIII when my Seacam arrives

Thanks for the clarification on the 21 vs 24MP. I had caught mention of 24mp in a couple of other forums recently, and wondered if there was some mid-term upgrade I wasn't aware of.

OK, so far we’ve got:

Canon 1DSMkIII

Canon 5D

Nikon D3X[

Sony flagship model

Any more?

R

Don't forget the Kodak ProSLRn and the ProSLRc - both have full-frame 14 megapixel sensors.

Cheers

James

And the Contax Digital had the first full frame sensor at 6 mp James, but the original post ask what is in production now.

Phil

Hmm...I think you can still get the Kodak's (they didn't sell them all lol) and you can even get a housing for the SLRn

Cheers

James