Full frame cameras
 

What is ment exactly by full frame camera, the canon 5D is a full frame but the 20D is not, with the 20D, to shoot a person from head to toe you have to turn the camera sideways, is this the same with a full frame like the 5D ?

ok... i thought this was going to be easy then reallized i've been shooting too long. But i'll try anyway.

Full Frame means that the image sensor in the camera (which takes normal 35mm lenses) is actually 35mm diagonally measured. Most of the early single lens reflex digital cameras came out with a smaller chip and this greatly affected the field of view of the lenses.

My 10d was so bad that a 14mm fisheye, which is a really extreme wide angle was equivalent in field of view to a 24mm on a real 35mm format camera.

Full frame doesn't change the fact that the format is still horizontal and unless you back way off from a subject you will still need to turn the camera to vertical position to get them to fill the frame.

After reading this... i don't know if it's really any help.

I knew the answer until I read your reply ...... :1orglaugh

yes it helps, plus I have been up trying to study the difference in the 5d and 20d and full frame cameras...
what nothing has explained so far why its better to have a full frame camera....
for image quality is the 5d really much better?

Basically, the sensors capturing the image are smaller than what you would capture if using film. The sensors crop x-amount off the edges of what you are seeing thru the viewfinder and what you would have showing on a film/photo. Kind of pulling the subject closer-multiplying effect. :2 cents:

remember full frame can be both bad and good.. lets say..

you have a 200mm / 2.8.. with a camera that has a 1.6x zoom factor it will shoot ( or zoom) like a 300mm lens.. but look at the price different between lens..

cost.. ( about 650 dollars)
http://www.abesofmaine.com/viewprodu...smii&l=Froogle

300mm 2.8 over 3,000
http://www.abesofmaine.com/viewprodu...susm&l=Froogle

so if you use zoom it can be your best friend.. however if you shoot a lot of wide stuff.. it can really mess things up..

SO in general the 5D would be a better camera then a 20D ?

in general the more expensive one is better

I'm not sure if 20D is still made but they should have them still in stock. I have a 20D and now I believe the new model is 30D which i believe is basically the same camera. The 5D is a better camera but that being said if you aren't sure what the differnce between a 20 and the 5 you should buy the 20 because it is an awesome camera and if you can't make your photos look good with a 20 or Rebel they sure aren't going to look any better with a 5. Buy the rebel or 20 , get used to it and when you feel comfortable move up if you want.

The 5D is a more professional camera. Your image quality will be better, but only if you are shooting with good glass. I often see a lot of dicsuusion about the bodies, but not the lenses. The acutance (sharpness) and abberration (color) are in the GLASS.

A 20D with L-series glass will take better pictures than a 5D with a $200 Sigma zoom lens.

Full frame means the sensor is the same size as a piece of 35mm film.

Previously, most sensors were smaller, so when the image was reflected on to the film plane, the sensor would only capture the middle part of the image where the sensor actually covered.

Because the edges were cut off (not in the viewfinder though, the viewfinder showed an accurate representation up to 97% usually), it made the subject appear closer than it was. This created a "zoom effect."

This could be a factor of anywhere from 1.8x to 1.3x depending on the camera. The 20D has a factor of 1.6x, so you would have to multiply the focal length of your lens by 1.6 to get the "real" focal length.

All that being said, I found that depth of field suffered from the magnifciation and I finally have it back on my 5D. However, unless you have good glass, it doesn't matter. :2 cents:

I already have the 20D, I have had it for just over a year, I do not want to move to Nikon or other brand because I do not want to have to buy new lenses

thanks, I have L series lenses also

after looking at this article on how the 5d is on skin tones made me start researching it a bit more
http://www.shootsmarter.com/DSLRshootout.html

Ahh ok sorry I misunderstood and ya it's best to hang onto those lenses because all that L glass is expensive :upsidedow

if you want lenses to act the way they were designed to be used then yes full frame is better. More pixels, more field of view. Your wide angle lenses will actually be wide. Got a camera shop somewhere near you that stocks canon? If so have them put a lens on a 20d and look through it at it's widest zoom setting then try the same thing on the 5d... you'll be amazed.

Hell yes... unless you just shot hack content then the large files would be a waste of space and time. You look like you are after the quality so stick to it, bite the bullet and buy the 5d... it just KICKS ASS!