[Leica] The myths of crop factor

[Aram Langhans]

I think you would need to compare a crop sensor and a full frame sensor of
the same vintage to demonstrate your hypothesis.  The D40x and D200 are
probably a few generations of chip/processor behind the D700, so there is a
lot more going on than just the difference in sensor size.  A good
comparison today would be the D7100 and a D600, as they are both about the
same vintage for their respective formats and are both 24mp.  

That said I do agree with your premis, Mark.  When I first started reading
your comments on sensors, I was shooting with a D7000, and thought you were
crazy, or snobbish, or some such adjective.  Then I got the D600 and went,
WOW.  There is quite a difference in tonality, dynamic range and low light
performance.  But even my situation is a sensor generational difference
observation.  The D7000 was almost two years old at that time.

Aram

Aram Langhans
(Semi) Retired  Science Teacher
& Unemployed photographer
 
“The Human Genome Project has proved Darwin more right than Darwin himself
would ever have dared dream.”   James D. Watson

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Rabiner [mailto:mark at rabinergroup.com] 
Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 10:03 PM
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: Re: [Leica] The myths of crop factor

I can tell you that when I was shooting cropped with nikon D40x and D200 I
could top off at a noisy iso 1600 but would have to set it down to iso 800
for critical work. In those low light levels I certainly tired not to crop
so much.
When I got my first full frame D700 walking home from movie shooting as I
walk my auto iso has always got me shooting at iso 6400.  That's two stops
faster than 1600 three more than 800. And my pix are near noise free and
very droppable.


This and the fact well know to everybody except it seems here that APS-C and
4/3's cameras  are clearly marketed to and used by amateurs. Not pros ore
serious armatures. They are just not pro level gear.
This is my quirky opinion this is a well known fact of photography life.
If you want to pretend your small format digital camera belongs in the same
conversation as a Leica M6, M7, or M240 you're in your own little dream
world. But your not going to argue any ideas or facts your just going to
sling personal insults. The idea being I'm looking bad as a result. I think
not.


On 1/5/15 11:06 PM, "John McMaster" <john at mcmaster.co.nz> wrote:

> From: Mark Rabiner
> 
>>  A 20% crop is nothing for me.
> 
> So getting close to a well composed APS-C size ;-)
> 
>> I used to balk when people would say a DSLR replaced a Hasselblad.
>> Now I half agree with it.
> 
> I have said that my handheld M9 shots were sharper than tripod mounted 
> Hasselblad B&W negs but lacked the same tonal range, then the 
> Monochrom was released...
> 
> John
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> Leica Users Group.
> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information




--
Mark William Rabiner
Photographer
http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/lugalrabs/