Retired fat guy with a camera Loc: Colorado

I have both, a Canon 1D Mark lll with a 1.3 crop factor. I use this one for wildlife, and street. With 10 frames a second, movement is not a issue. A 1Ds Mark lll Full Frame, I use for landscapes, sunsets, slow moving elk. I live in Colorado and the scenery opportunities abound. So for me it made sense to own both.
Plus being "old" I got them both with really [under 10,000] low shutter counts, for next to nothing. 500 for the1D and 600 for the 1Ds. I laughed my "old" ass all the way tho the bank.
I take pictures, video has absolutely no appeal to me. So, old tech works for me. I researched every word written, on both these cameras before I bought them. Went to flicker and saw what kind of images they produced with different lenses.Do your homework, before you buy.

lwerthe1mer Loc: Birmingham, Alabama

I went full frame a few years ago. Admittedly I am an amateur photographer and still learning, but, for my type of shooting I haven't seen a noticeable difference between my Sony a7ii and my Canon 70D. I probably just displayed my ignorance but hope this comment is helpful.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Definitely go full frame if you can afford it.
I will once I have saved up for it.

Boris Ekner Loc: From Sweden, living in Guatemala

Cropped or full frame sensor?

Here’€™s my answer to a similar question at another location.

Some argue that there's no need, or very little use, for more than 20MP. Others disagree.

The sensor...
A cropped sensor is smaller than the size of a full sensor. A full sensor is 36x24mm's. The full frame sensor size comes from, is the same as, the era of 35mm film.

So if a cropped sensor has the same amount of pixels as a full size one it means that the full frame sensor has bigger/larger pixels, and vice versa, when compared.

This has an impact in some picture quality.

In general these two sensors have distinct differences. If the two sensors have the same amount of pixels, the cropped sensor produces a sharper picture as the pixels are smaller than a full frame sensor. This means that if you shoot full frame you might experience a higher level of grain in your pictures. However, with experience comes the better quality. So if you ever buy a full frame camera you will eventually learn to shoot without the grain disturbance.

On the other hand a full frame sensor responds better to light which means that you can shoot at higher shutter speeds without losing picture quality.

Furthermore, a full frame sensor has a smaller/shallower depth of field than a crop sensor. Sometimes this smaller depth of field is preferable, sometimes it is not.

So what you lose on the carousel you gain in the rollercoaster.

In order to answer your question; I'd say that Yes megapixel count is important to some extent. In general, the higher the amount the better the picture quality, but not without consequences...

From my point of view I no longer see the need for me to get a camera with more than the 24MP I got. I see no justification for the heavily increased cost.

No matter how much I want a Pagani Zonda, a Koenigsegg, or a MacLaren F1 I will never get one. Far more reasonable is getting a Fiat 500 Abarth. It's the same with the camera. No matter how I could crave for a professional Nikon I will settle with the D5300 I have. Because it's the best one I could find that suits my interest and economy.

Now, comparing your phone camera to a real one is another story. Your phone camera is very capable, there's no doubt about that. But it has its limitations. You can't print quality prints in large formats. This means that nor can you zoom in on it for cropping parts out. This is a consequence from the tiny sensor size, and from the amount of pixels it has.

More here:
https://www.slrlounge.com/the-truth-behind-the-megapixel-myth/

Comparing DX vs FX photos:
https://youtu.be/XFncHWMuWX0

The added picture of the ship is shot by Jim Stascavage, with a Nikon D7200, it's a 24MP cropped sensor camera.
- Seeing this ship covering an entire wall, I see no need for a full frame camera. Far better is to learn to use the one I have, and spend my hard earned money on lenses instead.

After camera purchase I recommend you read
- "your camera model" For Dummies.
- Stunning Digital Photography by Tony Northrup.
- Secrets To The Nikon Autofocus System by Steve Perry. If it's a Nikon you got.
- Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson.

Secrets To... is my favorite, with Understanding... coming up as second.

http://backcountrygallery.com/secrets-nikon-autofocus-system/

All are well invested pennies.

RichardSM Loc: Back in Texas

If you mean by full frame sensor the 36mm X 24mm is really the 35mm FORMAT. And the APS-C is it's own FORMAT and so on. The B/S that marketing is pushing is what it is B'S. a full frame really is 4x5 and larger. Ok I made a rant! BFF.

TriX Loc: Raleigh, NC

I agree - It does depend on what you like to shoot. For portraiture, candids, sports, journalism, etc., you may in fact, want a shallower DOF to isolate the subject, which may be more difficult to achieve with a crop body.

Another consideration is shooting with a wide angle lens. That 24mm on a FF will have the same FOV but less distortion than the 16mm on a crop, or in a more extreme case, compare the 16mm on the FF to a 10 or 11mm on a crop.

And then there are demanding low light, high ISO, high shutter speed situations where flash is not allowed such as night or indoor weddings, night or indoor sports, etc., and that is where the extra 1 - 1.5 stops of higher usable ISO with equivalent noise is worth its weight in gold (often the difference between the optimum shutter speed and one that’s too slow causing subject blur). At least once a week, there’s a question about shooting night sports, and the best answer is fast lenses and FF bodies.

ggudinkas

I did just what you are considering and I do not have one second of regret. As good as the70d is, the 6d MkII is that much better, especially in low light situations. The downside is the cost of the camera and the cost of possibly needing to purchase EF mount lens as the 6d Mk II cannot use EF-S lens. So you could be looking at a $5k investment.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

I have both a 7D and a 5D. The 7D is better (for me) with a long lens (more reach) the 5D is greater for wide angle. What do you want?

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

Sure, why not. It's your money. In most cases the more you spend on your camera, the better the camera is. But keep in mind, just because you have a better camera doesn't mean that all your pictures will be better.

It's like a cook. If the cook has old worn out pots and pans but their food tastes like shit, a better set of pots and pans isn't going to make the food taste any better. Nor will a better stove. LOL

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Jeffery, that is a beautiful image.

ORpilot Loc: Prineville, Or

Think of the upgrade like cars. Crop frame is like Honda CRV or Toyota RAV4 and Full Frame as being a GMC Yukon or Ford Explorer. There are things you can do better with each one. FF aka large SUV ...everything costs more. I happen to own both. Happy Shooting

Jim Will

At age 87, I have just sold my large format cameras. I have Nikon D100 and D200 but just bought a D750 so that my full format lenses will be taken advantage of. I plan to use the D200 in B&W mode and D750 in color. Does this make sense?

RickL Loc: Vail, Az

I photograph action nature, my D7000 did a good job,but it had limitations for what I do. My avatar of the landing owl is an example of my D810. I had already been purchasing FX lenses so there was no additional cost. The ability to shoot in low light as well as a higher ISO
With minimal grain is a benefit. While there is discussion of full frame being heavier, I find the difference is minimal. The D810 has a larger body so it is a better fit for my large hands.
I must caution you, getting a full frame does not automatically mean better photos. That takes time and experience.

Finally, with the D810/850 you can shoot in fx or dx mode. The dx at 24mp. Whatever the case, you will be more than pleased with the jump.

chasgroh Loc: Buena Park, CA

...heck, just go to the brick and mortar and *try* one. Then you'll know pretty quickly!

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

I shoot professionally, have both APS-C and full frame cameras, and do about 90% of my work with APS-C.

APS-C can use ALL the lenses in the system. Full frame cameras basically require bigger, heavier, more expensive full frame lenses.

Especially if you use telephotos a lot, crop sensor cameras RULE. You need MUCH bigger, MUCH heavier and FAR more expensive lenses to accomplish the same thing with a full frame camera.

For the vast majority of users, full frame is overkill and a relatively recent, crop sensor camera can meet all their needs.

The mistake that many people make is thinking their images are inadequate because they view them "at 100%" on their computer monitors. On most monitors that's like making a 40 x 60" print, then viewing it from 18 or 20" away. It's ridiculous and has little bearing on the "real world" uses of their images. While it's fine to highly magnify your images during post-processing for retouching purposes, it's pretty silly to evaluate detail, sharpness, focus accuracy at those huge sizes. Back off to a more sensible magnification that's close to the size the image will be by the time you size it for the planned use... such as a print or shared online.

By the time an image has been resized for its end use, unless it's something really big, there's not much difference between a quality shot with a good, recent APS-C camera and a full frame camera.

Full frame cameras are a little better at low light/high ISO work. And they are a little better for shallow depth of field or great depth of field effects. But you have to weigh those relatively slight differences against the advantages of a crop sensor camera.

Most people, most of the time, would be much better served upgrading their lenses and/or taking some photography or post-processing classes or buying some books to study or putting their hard-earned money toward a trip to an interesting place to photography... instead of sinking their money into a full frame camera.

If your images are not up to par from an APS-C camera... they will just be even worse with a full frame camera. The larger format doesn't solve problems. If anything it calls more attention to them!