Camera Thread- Attn Ebbs, PC, etc....

[goof2]

Originally Posted by eBBs15

you missed the part where I said I wish I had... or hell yes... I'd be rock'n the D700 Full Frame goodness

At the rate things are going just hold off for a few years. By that time the $1,000 camera bodies should be sporting full frame 20+mp sensors. I have a Canon body and while they are cheaper, I'm staying away from their EF-S mount lenses because they aren't compatible with full frame sensors.

[Mr Lefty]

Nice! FWIW... the black tie warrenties through best buy are fucking AWESOME! I know two people (one is my brother) who have broken their camera's (brothers fell out of his truck at 25mph wheeling) took it in... they gave them what they paid for it in credit... and both upgraded. my brothers camera was 2 years old at the time he did this. no questions asked...

makes me wish i bought my D300 from them... could upgrade to a D700 when I break it... lol

[Papa_Complex]

Then there's something that most people don't consider; the resolving power of the lens. I'd wager than most decent quality lenses don't resolve past 16-18 MPix, so anything above that just gives you a larger file, not a better one. I've been told that the best lens in my case can't resolve past 20 or 22 MPix.

[Mr Lefty]

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

Then there's something that most people don't consider; the resolving power of the lens. I'd wager than most decent quality lenses don't resolve past 16-18 MPix, so anything above that just gives you a larger file, not a better one. I've been told that the best lens in my case can't resolve past 20 or 22 MPix.

very true.


as with everything there are limitations. the faster technology grows, the faster we reach them. however, new technology can surpass them, but that drives prices up again.

[goof2]

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

Then there's something that most people don't consider; the resolving power of the lens. I'd wager than most decent quality lenses don't resolve past 16-18 MPix, so anything above that just gives you a larger file, not a better one. I've been told that the best lens in my case can't resolve past 20 or 22 MPix.

I sort of understand the limitations of lens resolution in abstract but don't really understand how it works. I'm not trying to quiz you or anything but I do have a question. Are resolution limits for lenses absolute? To expand, say I have a Canon EF lens (they work with both full frame and APS-C camera bodies) does that resolution limit for the lens stay the same or would it drop since the usable field of vision has been reduced?

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by goof2

I sort of understand the limitations of lens resolution in abstract but don't really understand how it works. I'm not trying to quiz you or anything but I do have a question. Are resolution limits for lenses absolute? To expand, say I have a Canon EF lens (they work with both full frame and APS-C camera bodies) does that resolution limit for the lens stay the same or would it drop since the usable field of vision has been reduced?

That's a very good question. The ultimate resolution depends on the total light taken in and the quality of the optics. Less light, less to work with.

[Amber Lamps]

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

That's a very good question. The ultimate resolution depends on the total light taken in and the quality of the optics. Less light, less to work with.

This is sort of what I was trying to explain to my gf at the store... Because the Sony line only uses a 55mm lens it suffers in this dept verses some of the other cameras in this "zone" BUT again because of our limited use of the camera, I'm sure that it will be sufficient for our needs.

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by Amber Lamps

This is sort of what I was trying to explain to my gf at the store... Because the Sony line only uses a 55mm lens it suffers in this dept verses some of the other cameras in this "zone" BUT again because of our limited use of the camera, I'm sure that it will be sufficient for our needs.

The light path in Olympus cameras is smaller than in other manufacturers, because of the 50% crop factor, and yet the lenses generally test as excellent quality. It's only an indicator; not a conclusion.

[goof2]

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

That's a very good question. The ultimate resolution depends on the total light taken in and the quality of the optics. Less light, less to work with.

Being able to take advantage of the wider field of view with a full frame sensor I would think there is more light being taken in. Using your earlier example of the best lens in your case (I'm assuming Olympus) not being able to resolve more than 20-22MP, I would think (but do not know) that would be an indication of the glass but only as a function of the light it can place on the sensor. Say you are the same lens on a full format sensor, which has roughly 4 times the area as a four thirds sensor, I would think the additional light from a wider FOV would increase the resolution the lens is capable of putting on the sensor.

[Papa_Complex]

Originally Posted by goof2

Being able to take advantage of the wider field of view with a full frame sensor I would think there is more light being taken in. Using your earlier example of the best lens in your case (I'm assuming Olympus) not being able to resolve more than 20-22MP, I would think (but do not know) that would be an indication of the glass but only as a function of the light it can place on the sensor. Say you are the same lens on a full format sensor, which has roughly 4 times the area as a four thirds sensor, I would think the additional light from a wider FOV would increase the resolution the lens is capable of putting on the sensor.

The lens I'm talking about is the "Top Pro" model Olympus/Zuiko 35-100 F2.0. You won't find many lenses out there, that can match it.

Possibly, but not necessarily. One of the issues is what angle the light strikes the sensor. When Olympus created the Four-Thirds standard, this was one of their considerations. They weren't trapped by a 35mm film standard, but instead built it from the ground, up. Canon and Nikon based their digital efforts on their original 35mm platforms.

The wider the element, the steeper the angle that light hits the sensor from the outside. That creates a whole pile of physics issues, that need to be dealt with. For example if the light wells in the sensor are deep, then you'll find considerable drop-off in levels from the outer edge. Diffraction also becomes a significant limiting factor, the more that you have to bend the light.