FX Format Vs DX Format DSLR

I have got many requests from the readers to talk about FX vs DX format DSLR camera. They also asked me to briefly discuss whether the FX and the DX camera bodies and lenses can be used with each others or not. In short, FX is a full-frame camera which uses bigger censor (36x24 mm) like in the film camera to produce lower pixel density or high quality pictures. This kind of camera is used to produce highly pixelated full framed picture under the low light condition by increasing ISO sensitivity without affecting much on the picture quality. In the current market, Nikon D3X, Nikon D700, Nikon D3S and Nikon D3 are FX format camera from Nikon. Whereas DX format DSLRs use censors that are usually 2/3 of the size (almost 24×16 mm) of the FX censors. That is the main reason DX cameras are cheaper than the full framed FX camera and also they are more sensitive to lights than the full frame camera. Nikon D40, Nikon D60 and Nikon D90 are the examples of DX format camera.

Now the question is, can I use the FX format lens with the DX format camera body or the DX format lens with the FX format camera body? The simple answer is, in case of Nikon, you can use either DX lens or FX lens on the DX camera or the FX camera but same is not true for Canon cameras. You have to have a FX format lens for the FX format Canon body. Lots of photographers think this is the strength of the Nikon camera that you can use either FX lens on DX body or DX lens on FX body (even though there are some limitations on cross combination). You may not want to use DX lenses on the FX camera because, since the lens won't fill the entire frame, the corners of your picture will come out dark. Similarly, if you mount the FX lens on the DX camera body which has a smaller sensor size, only the center of the lens's image circle is captured. The edges are cropped off,  which is equivalent to zooming in on the center section of the imaging area. To be more precise, 1.5 x crop factor will be applied when you use the FX format lens with the DX format body. That means if you mount the 50mm FX format lens on the DX format camera body, it will work as a 75mm (=50mm x 1.5) on the DX body. Actually, this technique is very much popular among the wildlife photographers to reach the long distance subjects by taking advantage of this crop factor.

There are also other pros and cons of both body types. The main advantages of DX sensors are compact wide-range zooms, and you can reach farther with the FX telephoto lenses. You will also have a greater working distance for the close-up or macro shots with the DX sensors. The advantages of the FX sensors are you can shoot with the less noise even at the higher ISO and get the good wide-angle shot with certain type of lenses. If you have something to add or comment, please let me know using the comment box below.

Happy Shooting!

Digital SLR Photography Book For Nikon D90

It is always confusing to find the book which is the best guideline for us to walk through. This creates more confusion when we are totally new to the field and trying to learn something new however possibly we can. When I bought my first DSLR almost 15 months ago, I didn't bother to get a book as a guideline. I learned many things from internet, went to the forum and asked to the experts. I learned myself by playing around with it and seeing other people's work. I took almost 10,000 photos from my D60 and learned from my mistakes. I wish I could have kept that camera but I had no choice but sell it to upgrade to Nikon D90. When I got Nikon D90, it was not totally foreign to me. What I learned with D60 helped me quickly navigate through it’s control and settings. But given the many added features and options this camera came with, I felt the need of better guide than my past experience with less powerful camera. I wanted to get the best result out of it which force me to search for more detailed and descriptive guide for Nikon D90. Soon after, I started searching on Amazon for a good book. I found quite a few books on Amazon but the top two books based on it’s popularity and review were David Busch's Nikon D90 Guide to Digital SLR Photography and Mastering the Nikon D90. After reading lots of reviews from amazon, I decided to go with David Busch's Nikon D90 Guide to Digital SLR Photography.

I am reading this book for a while now and already learned so many new things about DSLR camera that I didn’t know before. This book not only describes about the camera and it's features but also deals with different kind of accessories that fits with the camera. It also talks about various types of lens you can use with camera and it’s pros and cons. Knowing about different kind of lenses is so much important to the beginners. It helps you to get the best possible lens for your photographic genre. I am hoping to learn many more tips and techniques about digital photography and particularly about D90. If you are also reading any book or guide that you find helpful, please do not forget to share with us so that we all can learn from our collective experience.

Keep learning and keep shooting!

I'm Loving My New Nikon D90

Since the beginning of this camera launch, I was very excited to own it. When it was first launched, I still had Nikon D60, my first DSLR camera, and was still learning different menus, camera settings and doing experiment with different settings and features. But at the beginning of this year, I bought the Nikon D90 along with the 18-200mm VR II lens. It is my second DSLR and probably one of the most expensive gadget I have ever owned. I sold my D60 on eBay and purchased D90. I was planning to film the unboxing of D90 and post it on YouTube but I was so excited to take it out of the box and start shooting with it and forgot the video recording, LOL! When I first bought D60, I bought the body and the lens separately. But this time, I bought the whole kit instead of buying separate units. I realized that it is a lot cheaper buying kit rather than buying bits and pieces. So, inside the package, it came with 16GB memory card, lens cleaning kit, extra Nikon Li-ion battery pack and standard Nikon gadget bag. I loved the kit because I didn't have to worry about buying these items separately and I wouldn't have known which brand accessory should I be buying for the memory and the cleaning kit (this might not be a problem as I start getting more experience using them).

I think I am missing an external flash unit to complete my setup. In near future, I am going buy either SB-600,  SB-800 or SB-900 depending on which works best for my need and also comes under my budget. I think I will be going to be stuck with this camera for a while now. It is one of the most top-rated entry level DSLR camera ever because it is the first DSLR to shoot HQ video with 720p resolution. As I learn more and more about this camera and digital photography, I will keep on posting them on my blog and please be sure to comment or drop your question using the comment box below. If you would like to get the update on my blog posts, you can subscribe to the newsletter as well!

I welcome you all to the digital photography club. Let this artistic journey begin!