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Conversion to full frame

Conversion to full frame

There's a point where you can push your equipment to the limit. I decided to invest in a new camera. Well... that turned out to be a change to full frame. Why again new lenses were necessary....



The reason for this was the following: My Nikon D7000 as an APS-C camera, especially in terms of noise behaviour at high ISO values, is inferior to the current camera models. The Nikon D7000 is from 2009 and I had to look with envy at how other photographers produced aurora borealis at values up to 8000 ISO. What I could only dream of. With the Nikon D7000,6400 ISO is the end of the line. But these pictures are no longer usable. I have set my personal limit at 1600 ISO.

In the end I chose the Nikon D750. Thus, taking pictures at ISO 6400 is no problem. But more about that later.

Of course, the D7000 is still a great APS-C camera even after 7 years on the market. The functions are completely adequate. Only with night photography one reaches the limits of technology.

Whether the change is worthwhile, everyone has to know for themselves. It is not only the features of a camera that are important, but also the personal ambitions. For me, photography is more than just a hobby.


Why not a new APS-C camera?

1. I mainly photograph landscapes. The effect of the APS-C sensors, i. e. the smaller image section, which results in a larger focal length, is not needed for landscapes.

2. landscapes usually look better when you take pictures in soft light. That is to say, at sunrise or sunset or at dusk. And I often want to take pictures at night as well. For example, the Milky Way or Northern Lights.
For this, a camera must be able to handle high ISO values well. Due to the larger sensor, full-frame cameras therefore have advantages over APS-C cameras.


Why not the D500?

The D500 is the new flagship APS-C from Nikon. In the meantime, the sensors are so good that this camera comes close to the D750 in high ISO ranges.
Good. I'm comparing apples and pears here. APS-C with full frame. You don't actually do that. But why is that? Because the D500 is much more expensive than the D750.

In addition, the D500 has a lot of new and great features. Up to 10 frames per second! 153 focus points! The new Expeed 5 processor, touch screen, 4K-HD video and more.
Without a doubt, the D500 is a new milestone for APS-C cameras and other manufacturers are allowed to fasten their seatbelts! A great camera for wildlife and sports photography, where the focal length is favoured by the crop factor, where you need 10 frames per second! Unfortunately, I don't need it for landscape photography....


Why not the D800/D810?

The D810 has no swivelling display. It's much more expensive than the D750. It's bigger and heavier. The D750 fits better in the hand. And I don't necessarily need 36 megapixels...


Why not another manufacturer?

There's Canon, Sony, Pentax, Fuji and whatever they're called.
But my Nikon lenses don't fit. I'd have to buy all the lenses again.


Considerations on the part of objectives

However, wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses are often used in landscape photography. The ultra-wide-angle lenses for APS-C cameras (e. g. the Nikon AF-S DX 10-24mm) cannot be used on full-frame cameras because they provide shadowing (black edges) in the image.
For this reason, a new ultra wide angle lens had to be purchased.

At first, I wavered between the "Nikon 14-24mm f2.8" and the "Nikon 16-35mm f4". It should be an ultra wide angle lens with high luminous intensity. Of course, the price also played a role. I decided to use the Nikon 14-24mm. Not least because I've read only good things about this glass. Yeah, it's expensive. But it also has an aperture of f2.8 and a bit more wide angle.



The question is: Do you take better photos with the D750 and the 14-24mm f2.8 than with the D7000 and the 10-24mm f3.5 - f4.5? As far as image quality is concerned, I can answer this question with "Yes". But it depends on many factors. In any case, taking photos at dusk and at night has some advantages.

Whether this step has been worthwhile or not remains to be seen. So far, I'm very satisfied.

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