D850 DXmode vs D500: Is there any benefit of carrying two cameras (D850 and D500), instead of carrying just the D850 and changing to DX mode if more reach is needed? What are the pros...

RahulKhosla

Is there any benefit of carrying two cameras (D850 and D500), instead of carrying just the D850 and changing to DX mode if more reach is needed? What are the pros and cons other than the ability to use two lenses without changing ?

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

RahulKhosla wrote:

Is there any benefit of carrying two cameras (D850 and D500), instead of carrying just the D850 and changing to DX mode if more reach is needed? What are the pros and cons other than the ability to use two lenses without changing ?

You don't get more "reach" - you just crop the D850 image to a smaller portion, roughly equivalent to the D500. You can always do that in post processing anyway. There is value, however, to carrying a second camera as a backup. But if my primary camera was a D850, I'd use either a second D850 or at least a D810 as a backup.

JR45 Loc: Montgomery County, TX

DX does not give you more reach, just a smaller field of view.
Personally, I do not like changing lens in the field.
Some do not agree with the use of zoom lens, but I like them.
I carry an 18-300 on me D500.

Bill_de Loc: US

If you were going to use the same lens on both the D500 and D850 than the D850 can handle it. If I take my D500 and D850 I have different lenses on them, typically one long prime and one medium telephoto. I try to avoid changing lenses in the field as it is often in dirty or dusty.

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RahulKhosla

Gene51 wrote:

You don't get more "reach" - you just crop the D850 image to a smaller portion, roughly equivalent to the D500. You can always do that in post processing anyway. There is value, however, to carrying a second camera as a backup. But if my primary camera was a D850, I'd use either a second D850 or at least a D810 as a backup.

Thank you. When you say “crop the D850 image to a smaller portion” do you mean to shoot in FX mode or DX ?

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

FX mode uses the whole sensor while DX mode only uses a portion of the whole sensor thus the Crop in camera vs in post processing.

RahulKhosla wrote:

Thank you. When you say “crop the D850 image to a smaller portion” do you mean to shoot in FX mode or DX ?

RahulKhosla

Notorious T.O.D. wrote:

FX mode uses the whole sensor while DX mode only uses a portion of the whole sensor thus the Crop in camera vs in post processing.

Got it thanks

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

RahulKhosla wrote:

Is there any benefit of carrying two cameras (D850 and D500), instead of carrying just the D850 and changing to DX mode if more reach is needed? What are the pros and cons other than the ability to use two lenses without changing ?

Why not just take FF shots with the 850 then crop as desired.
So much easier and more flexible than switching back and forth in the camera.

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

RahulKhosla wrote:

Is there any benefit of carrying two cameras (D850 and D500), instead of carrying just the D850 and changing to DX mode if more reach is needed? What are the pros and cons other than the ability to use two lenses without changing ?

Provided you are using the same lens on both camera's you get more EFFECTIVE MEGIPIXELS on the subject with the D500 using the same long lens to photograph a distant object.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

billnikon wrote:

Provided you are using the same lens on both camera's you get more EFFECTIVE MEGIPIXELS on the subject with the D500 using the same long lens to photograph a distant object.

The difference is not significant - 19.4 mp on the D850 vs 20.9 on the D500 - 1.5 mp or 7% fewer pixels is hardly going to make a difference in a finished image. Besides, shooting the D850 full frame (uncropped in camera) ensures that you get an active subject in the frame. With the narrower field of view, that likelihood diminishes with long lenses with a D500. Also the D850 is easier to hand hold with a long lens because of it's wider field of view. Effective Megapixels is written into the D500 description because the sensor is actually a little bigger than 20.9 mp, but the camera only uses the center 20.9 mp.

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

The DX sensor has greater magnification than the FX sensor. Have to experiment to see if the FX sensor in in the DX mode does the same. Has anybody tried that?

Bill_de Loc: US

BboH wrote:

The DX sensor has greater magnification than the FX sensor. Have to experiment to see if the FX sensor in in the DX mode does the same. Has anybody tried that?

Not true. The DX sensor just 'sees' less. Print two copies of a picture and cut the center out of one. That's the part you get when using a DX sensor. No magnification.

And yes, in DX mode the D850 sensor records approximately what the D500 sensor sees through the same lens.

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BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

Bill_de wrote:

Not true. The DX sensor just 'sees' less. Print two copies of a picture and cut the center out of one. That's the part you get when using a DX sensor. No magnification.

And yes, in DX mode the D850 sensor records approximately what the D500 sensor sees through the same lens.

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See Edmonds Optics - the formula for magnification is the horizontal width of the sensor (FX sensor is wider than the DX sensor) divided by the horizontal width of the angle of view of the lens in use is what presents the degree of magnification. As the width of the DX sensor is less than that of the FX sensor its quotient will be larger than that of the FX - the larger the quotient the greater the the magnification

Bill_de Loc: US

BboH wrote:

See Edmonds Optics - the formula for magnification is the horizontal width of the sensor (FX sensor is wider than the DX sensor) divided by the horizontal width of the angle of view of the lens in use is what presents the degree of magnification. As the width of the DX sensor is less than that of the FX sensor its quotient will be larger than that of the FX - the larger the quotient the greater the the magnification

Bob,

Could you provide a link? The only formula I could find on Edmunds pertaining to magnification had to do with focal length. I could have missed the one you referred to as there is a lot of info on that site.

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uhaas2009

Good question because I have the 810 and the 7000. When I crop with the 810 I feel like that still Beats the 7000 crop factor.