I don't know why this didn't dawn on me before tonight, but consider this... The Nikon D3 has a "DX" mode so you can use all of your existing DX lenses on the new camera. If you attach a DX lens, it just crops down to 5 MP to allow for the crop. If you WANT to, though, you can select the DX mode while using a non-DX lens and the camera will still activate this mode.
Why is this cool? You get the 1.5X magnification factor. Suppose you have a 400 mm lens... You can select DX and all of the sudden, you have a 600 mm lens. Yeah, I know that it's the SLR equivalent of "digital zoom," but we are dealing with a 36x24 mm sensor here - not a teeny point and shoot sensor. You end up with a very useable 5.1 MP image at the cropped zoom and that's not bad.
We are all accustomed to this "feature" in our DX sensor (or Canon 1.6X) cameras, but now it is a useful feature in the D3.
Can you do this with a Canon 5D? It would be a very useful feature, in my opinion...
2007-12-22 15:36:29 · 5 answers · asked by Picture Taker 7 in Consumer Electronics ➔ Cameras
cabbiinc - DX is the Nikon term for digital-only (cropped) lenses. There are no issues with DX lenses and the mirror in the D3.
electrosmack - This is a menu option, so it's a bit cumbersome, but maybe you can set the Fn button to do it with one press...
Vienna - Why is my logic wrong?
JBT - I have spoken against digital zoom long and loud in this forum. Yes, this is an in-camera crop, but it might be of value in the field if you know that you are going to crop the image anyhow. You would be able to see the subject better in the viewfinder. I think the full format sensor would make out just fine. If you want to know my position on this for point and shoot cameras, see the bottom three images here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/tags/zoom/ AND - welcome to the section!
2007-12-22 18:56:20 · update #1
Piano Man - I agree that it's just a "digital zoom," but read my comments above to JBT. Here you go. This is a 3.2 MP crop of a 10 MP image. I knew at the time I took it that I was going to do my "zoom" in the computer, because I was just not close enough - even with 300 mm in front of a DX sensor. It would have been nice ot go ahead and admit that it the field so I could compose a little closer to the final image instead of saying, "Oh well... I can fix this in Photoshop anyhow." It puts more control of the image in the camera. http://www.flickr.com/photos/samfeinstein/535497558/
Mind you, this is NOT the same as using digital zoom in a P&S with a sensor only 5-to-10% as big as the D3 sensor.
2007-12-22 20:59:23 · update #2
If you think about it, why not just shoot full frame and then crop later in PS if you desire that "zoom"? Haha
EDIT: Re: Mind you, this is NOT the same as using digital zoom in a P&S with a sensor only 5-to-10% as big as the D3 sensor.... now you mention it, not it's not like digital zoom at all. It's cropping, not enlarging via interpolation like digital zooms do in point and shoot digis.
2007-12-22 20:44:46 · answer #1 · answered by Piano Man 4 · 2⤊ 2⤋
No, you can't do this with the Canon 5D. Nor would you want to.
If I understand correctly what you're proposing, it's really the same thing as a digital zoom. You're not gaining magnification, you're simply restricting the size of the sensor.
I'd much rather take a full 12.8 megapixel image and then crop out the middle 50% of the image (leaving me with an approximately 6.4 megapixel image that would be the equivalent of a 2X focal factor) than restrict the sensor's ability to capture the image in any way.
An interesting thought ... but I don't think you'll be pleased with the final image.
2007-12-23 02:14:54 · answer #2 · answered by The Former Dr. Bob 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
That's right, the full frame Canon cameras cannot use the EF-S lenses, from what I'm told. Though, they'll probably add this feature to the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III the Second tomorrow...Just kidding, but their long names get annoying to say.
You bring up a good point with the 1.5x magnification factor with a DX lens. I had no clue that you could manually switch from full frame to DX mode on the D3. For wildlife shooters, that means the new 600mm f4 VR will be a 900mm. Put on a 2x teleconverter, and you've got an 1800mm lens. Granted, you'll lose the VR, but still.
2007-12-23 01:15:16 · answer #3 · answered by electrosmack1 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I dont think that the 5D can do that. But you could crop it in the computer for basically the same effect.
Is Nikons digital only lenses the DX lenses. You cant put an EF-s lens (digital only) on a 5D because of issues with the mirror hitting the back of the lens. If you could put all Nikon lenses on the D3 that would really be a selling point.
2007-12-23 00:59:41 · answer #4 · answered by cabbiinc 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
"You get the 1.5X magnification factor. Suppose you have a 400 mm lens... You can select DX and all of the sudden, you have a 600 mm lens."
Sorry... that's just wrong, and so everything you typed after it is also wrong.
2007-12-23 01:39:14 · answer #5 · answered by V2K1 6 · 2⤊ 3⤋