Silverman Loc: Michigan

Please explain the difference between the DX and FX Cameras, I just bought a used Nikon D3300 with a Nikon DX 18-55 VRII and a DX 55-200 VRII Lens, I am a newbie to DSLR Photography, having only used Point & Shoot cameras prior to my newest purchase of the DSLR Nikon D3300.

BebuLamar

The DX cameras have the sensor of 23.5x15.6mm. The FX cameras have larger sensor about 36x24mm.

Silverman Loc: Michigan

So the Larger sensor will produce a much higher quality image, but obviously will cost more Money.

Silverman Loc: Michigan

Besides FX Cameras and lens costing more Money, any other negative aspects to a FX Camera package.

Fotomacher Loc: Toronto

I realize that you are new here, but this topic has been beaten to death here and almost everywhere else. My suggestion is to use google to get your answers. Both DX and FX formats have advantages and disadvantages.

DRG777 Loc: Metro Detroit

The larger sensor of the FX also gives a wider field of view, which may or may not be what you want.

CLF Loc: Raleigh, NC

Silverman, there is no real difference in the overall IQ between the two. That also goes into the lenses, external flash units, etc. "The Larger sensor will produce a much higher quality image" is not true. Depending on what you intend to photograph you may not even see a difference. If you are only going to print up to 8x10 enlargements, etc again no difference until you magnify it to a much larger size. As consumers and not professionals you maybe better off with a crop sensor camera. I am a Canon user but I could have been a Nikon user just as easy. When I bought my first SLR back in the late 60s I bought a Canon but was also looking at a Nikon. I bought the Canon for some reason now lost in my grey matter. You already have Nikon lenses.

Just my $.02. The best advice you got was to go to a camera store or even big box store and handle both. Remember what you intend to grow into and also consider the cost of quality crop lenses compared to full lenses.

Greg

WayneT Loc: Paris, TN

Many of us use DX cameras here including me (d72000). I shoot outdoors and Macro predominately and for me the DX is a better format plus not only the body is a little less expensive but the lenses tend to be lighter and less expensive, but I also use some FX lenses for certain things. The camera you have is an excellent starter DSLR and can do a lot more than you think it can.

To get a 35mm equivalent using a DX camera just multiply the focal length by 1.5. If you are using a 50mm lens on a DX camera your equivalent 35mm focal length will be 75mm. Better yet that 200mm lens you have is equivalent to a 300mm lens on an FX camera.

Cwilson341 Loc: Central Florida

Greg and Wayne are right on point! You have purchased an entry level DSLR camera and since you got it used the investment shouldn't be too great. That is an excellent place to start. You will be able to take some amazing shots with that outfit. When you feel that your skill as a photographer begins to be limited by your equipment, that is the time to study and consider your next step. You should also come up with a plan for post processing so you can take full advantage of the captures you get. There are advantages to full frame but there are also advantages to crop sensors and it takes a lot of reading and evaluation to know which is best for you.

blackest Loc: Ireland

The key difference is sensor size where an fx sensor is about the same size as 35mm film 36 x 24mm and a crop sensor is about 24mm by 16mm

These are both much bigger than the typical point and shoot.

when you view a photo at a particular size made with the fx sensor it is not magnified as much as with the dx sensor, and much less than with a point and shoot. If you take a photo with a particular lens focal length focused at the same point and magnify them both to the same extent you would see the image of the dx sensor would be exactly the same as the central area of the fx sensor. which is why the dx sensor is often referred to as a crop sensor. since if you cropped the image from the fx sensor to show the same view as the dx sensor the 2 images would be identical.

This leads on to something known as a field of view and the field of view is wider on the fx sensor for a given focal length. The longer the focal length the narrower the field of view you can calculate an equivalent field of view between the 2 sensor sizes using the crop factor which is about 1.5
so with a 50mm focal length lens, on a fx sensor it looks like 50mm. On a dx sensor it has the same field of view as a 75mm lens on the fx sensor.

As a general rule of thumb the longer the lens and the more light that it lets in the more expensive it is to buy and produce. With a lens designed to produce an image circle which covers the fx sensor the lenses have to be physically bigger than a lens designed to cover the dx sensor. With a point and shoot camera the sensor is really small and the crop factor can be much larger which makes for smaller lens elements and shorter focal length lenses which can give an equivalent field of view of that of a much longer focal length lens on an fx sensor size body.

right now you are probably thinking the smaller the sensor the better for me because i can use cheaper lighter smaller lenses compared with the fx sensor camera.

However there are drawbacks with these smaller sensors since the image has to be magnified so much more for a given image size and flaws are also magnified in both the lens used and the sensor. Lets keep it simple and just say image quality is better with the larger sensor size. If you only want small images this isn't really noticeable but with larger sizes it will be.

Depth of field also appears to change with smaller sensors appearing to give greater depth of field for a given aperture and focal length. Really it looks greater because of how much more you are enlarging the image. In practice photo's with the subject nice and sharp and a nice out of focus background is much harder to achieve with the smaller sensor size. There is also something called diffraction which comes into play with smaller apertures. Generally smaller apertures give greater depth of field and makes everything sharper but diffraction comes into play sooner with small sensors and starts to make the image fuzzy.

So really its down to image quality, control of depth of field, and low light performance, and noise which is where the fx sensor wins. With the drawback of heavier more expensive lenses and a more expensive sensor.

Dx Sensors makes photography more affordable and for long distance work as is often the case with birds the crop factor is quite useful. However you also need faster shutter speeds and or a good tripod. It's easy to become obsessed with long focal length lenses but really if you can get closer you will have better IQ.

Silverman Loc: Michigan

Thanks to all for your patience with a newbie, just getting educated, not wanting to Overkill a subject as was mentioned above, but hoping to gain more Photography Knowledge. I do enjoy the UHH, and I must admit, most all UHH members have been very informative, respectful, knowledgeable, patient, with all of us Newbies.

FiddleMaker Loc: Merrimac, MA

Greg, I bought my crop sensor Nikon D7000 back in April of 2012. Then in March of 2015 I bought a full frame (FX) Nikon D750 thinking that I would get images in my computer screen. Wrong. I would get a better image if I was to make wall-size prints but I am not. So.........buying a D750 was a total waste of my $$. I find myself using the smaller, lighter, and older D7000 with crop sensor more than I do the large and heavy D750. And if I could turn back the calendar, I think I would opt for Canon over Nikon. ~FiddleMaker

repleo Loc: Boston

Size and weight.

BebuLamar

The smaller sensor isn't a problem but since we are talking about DX and FX and that mean we're talking about Nikon. There is a disadvantage in the Nikon DX format is that they don't make many good lenses for this format and also while the sensor is smaller the flange distance is still the same.

Notorious T.O.D. Loc: Harrisburg, North Carolina

Every camera is pretty much a compromise in one way or another. Today most all of hem can take a decent photo especially for someone who is new and learning. Take what you have and learn with it. Then with more knowledge and experience you will better understand what you want to do and the equipment to do it. Welcome aboard!

Best,
Todd Ferguson
Harrisburg, NC