I went out last night to shoot the sunset and do some long exposure shots.One of my favorite places is Hopewell Virginia.These were shot at Hopewell marina and the Benjamin Harrison bridge. On one of the shots I stacked 2 filters those filters were Hoya variable neutral density filter and my FLW from Adorama. I know some of you do not like the variables but I use mine all the time. The only other one own is a 9 stop Hoya. I did not use that one last knight. I hope you enjoy them. On the last shot if you download you will also see the light trail from the cars going across the bridge. A pretty cool shot?

The answer is that you will NOT get the same shot. The photograph will have the same perspective but on the DX camera, the photo will be sized as if you used a longer lens.

Lens focal length is a measurement of the lens. A 50mm lens is always a 50 mm lens. But, on a DX Nikon, the field of view has been reduced from what you would expect from a full frame camera by about 2/3. Why does that happen? It's because the sensor (think film negative if that helps) is only about 2/3 the size of a full 35 mm negative.

Try thinking of something old school. Set up a picture screen that measures 36 inches wide by 24 inches high. Now, take a slide projector and project an image that is 36 inches wide by 24 inches high. It will fill the screen.

Now, take another screen that measures 18 inches high and 24 inches wide. Obviously, the projected photo will not fill the screen. You have used the same projector lens, the same slide, and the same distance between the projector and the screen. BUT only about 2/3 of the slide will show up on the screen.

This is exactly what happens with a DX camera vs. a Full frame camera.

I hope this explainaton helps.