Low end full frame or high end crop sensor for a beginner?
Trying to get my head around this but I just can't.First off I'm beginner. I have a point to shoot and I've been always praised for the pics I shoot.I've shot birthday parties and few Christening party of my cousins, newborns pics. I will most probably do a portrait and fashion photography course.In addition to that i will be doing some low lights and a bit video. I won't be changing my gear or glasses for at least 2 years or 3.Apart from the money for the body that is $1700-$1800, I have $1000-$1200 separate for lenses and other accessories. The big hurdle which i'm stuck on is should I go for a low end full frame or high end crop sensor.Low end full frame Nikon D610 or Canon 6D.High end crop sensor Nikon D7100 or Canon 70d.Want advice from someone experienced.
It might be worth your while holding off for a month or two… Nikon are rumoured to be releasing a D9300 model which would be placed above the D7100… It's suggested to be a replacement for the D300… Nikon D300 users have been waiting for the update for a while now… Here's hoping it is worth waiting for… Also rumoured is a D7200 which might tempt you… I'd be tempted to go for the crop sensor… Rather than the low end full-frame. Take your time though and work out what is best for your own needs.
Check 'You Tube' for comparisons and reviews of the D7100 and D610… Some are pretty decent.
http://www.youtube.com/...00+vs+d610
Here's a link to Nikon Rumours… Just to give some substance to these rumours: http://nikonrumors.com/category/nikon-d9300/
Nikon D7100, get a refurbished one for right at $1000 and spend the rest of your money on good glass. I had to make the same decision, I went with the D7100 and I'm glad I did. However, your not going to be disappointed with a 6D if you choose that route. Lens choise is so critical in photography and going with a refurb 7100 will allow you to get some nice lenses. The Camera is very capable and will keep you happy for years to come. Use DX0mark and DPreview to do some of your research, they can help you a lot.
If you took pictures with an APS-C sized sensor and a 35mm sensor and looked at 8x10 prints side by side, you would not be able to tell which camera took which picture. The major difference is that it is easier to get a shallower depth of field on a 35mm sensor. This makes it easier to get blurred backgrounds in portraiture. However, it's not impossible to do with an APS-C sensor. A 35mm sensor might have slightly better dynamic range. But do you even know what that is?
There's a snob factor to large sensor cameras, as if the camera makes one a better photographer. It does not. Nevertheless, after one drops hundreds of dollars more, however, there's a need to rationalize the purchase. (Sweet lemons is the psychological term.)
Why wait for the latest and greatest? If you did the same 8x10 test between the current Nikon and it's rumored "upgrade", you probably still could not tell the difference. The pace of technological advances has slowed considerably and there's little difference between current models and new releases in terms of image quality. That's one reason why sales have slowed recently.
By the way, the Canon 7D is the high end Canon APS-C camera, not the 70D. The 70D is in between the entry level Rebels and the 7D.
Both full frame and cropped sensor cameras have their pros and cons.
Full frame: larger sensor, less noise at higher ISOs, better dynamic range [in some cases], easier to achieve shallow depth of field, but a telephoto lens doesn't have as much reach on a full frame sensor, as it would have on a cropped sensor - for obvious reasons - it's cropped. Also the cameras tend to be a bit bulkier.
Cropped sensor: you can get more magnification [more crop] with a telephoto lens, lenses designed just for cropped sensor cameras are generally cheaper. Wide angle can be problematic, you need an ultra wide 10mm to get something approaching the same angle of view as a 16mm on a full frame camera. But then again ultra wides designed for cropped sensors are not very expensive.
So which ever way you decide to go, you win some, you lose some.