nikon DX format lenses on FX body

Hi !

I am new to this Nikon forum; I am considering to switch over from pentax system to nikon system; but the biggest dilemma and confusion and frustration, I am facing at this moment is whether to go with D7000 body + DX lenses and later on upgrade to D4 straightway !.... OR, D800 body +FX lenses now itself ? ...... Of course, these question I am running behind due to funds factor to setup a FX format system ...

My question to you guys :

1. If I buy D7000 with DX lenses now, will I be able to use later on FX body ? .... How does the FX to DX switchover mode work on FX body ?

2. Is the FX lenses compatible to D7000 DX body ? .... then I could invest on FX lenses at the beginning itself and later on I could upgrade to high end FX Nikon body....

Any advice welcome.

Thanks.
--
apentaxian

FX lenses will work on D7000 without any limitations, but you must remember that DX format is 1.5x crop. For example your 24 mm FX lens will became effectively 36mm on your D7000.

A pentaxian said:

Hi !

I am new to this Nikon forum; I am considering to switch over from pentax system to nikon system; but the biggest dilemma and confusion and frustration, I am facing at this moment is whether to go with D7000 body + DX lenses and later on upgrade to D4 straightway !.... OR, D800 body +FX lenses now itself ? ...... Of course, these question I am running behind due to funds factor to setup a FX format system ...

My question to you guys :

1. If I buy D7000 with DX lenses now, will I be able to use later on FX body ? .... How does the FX to DX switchover mode work on FX body ?

2. Is the FX lenses compatible to D7000 DX body ? .... then I could invest on FX lenses at the beginning itself and later on I could upgrade to high end FX Nikon body....

Any advice welcome.

Thanks.
--
apentaxian

Click to expand...

DX lens on FX body only utilize a portion of the FX sensor therefore, there is a reduction of pixels by a factor of 1.5x. It really makes no sense to use DX lens on a FX camera.

FX lens is compatible with DX camera since you are taking the sweet spot of the lens on to a smaller sensor. All digital FX lens will be compatible with the D7000.

Ask yourself why you want DX or FX. FX will be much more expensive in both cameras and lens. I shoot FX, but I keep a DX body (D90) for extra reach with my 300mm f2.8 lens during daylight shooting.

This isn't going to help a whole lot, but if you're curious, I borrowed my wifes 35mm F1.8 DX lens and tried it out on my D700, here are the results:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonsiegel/5710168296/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonsiegel/5135444748/

There was some heavy vignetting, but it was actually quite nice looking. The lens performed well. I used to have a Sigma 10-20mm, but sold it after upgrading to the D700 because I had to crop it way too much. If you have the means to do it, I would start at FX.

It makes no sense to me to buy into a dx lens system if one intends to go full frame in the very near future. If you really do intend to go full frame soon, get the appropriate lenses now. I shoot dx but most of my lenses are full frame. If someone handed me a D4, I could start using it right away.

--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brev00

Thanks for your advice .... exactly I have been waiting to get D4 by chance !! .... but you know budget is a concern to me... I cannot afford D4 right now .... but I can afford D7000; therefore I was thinking to buy Nikon DX 70-300mm and Nikon FX 16-35mm to start with ...what do you think... any other suggestion .... I know it doesn't make sense, neither I want to buy DX lense, if my intention is upgrade ultimately to D4 !

--
a pentaxian

There is a difference between upgrading ultimately to the D4 and upgrading almost immediately. What is the expected time span?
Why do you want the D4?

If I were you, I would get the best camera I could afford and then settle in and use it as if no other camera existed. If you get the D7000, don't think you are settling. Enjoy it. Get to know it. You might find you prefer it to the D4 for a possible variety of reasons. The fact that you would get the 70-300 over the highly desired 70-200 tells me that your finances are not as fluid as you might wish. I shoot with the D90 and a 70-300. I would love to have the D4 and the trinity (14-24, 24-70, 70-200). Since that is not going to happen anytime soon (my lifetime), I will just enjoy what I have. Some who have the funds still stick with dx cameras.

I would hesitate before getting an fx wide angle for dx. Better to get a true dx wide angle and sell it when the time comes. Because we don't know when that time will be.
--
http://www.flickr.com/photos/brev00

Your details show you live in India, where I have heard camera equipment is relatively expensive, and in relatively short supply.
You imply you are on a budget limitation.

If you were in the UK and the purchase of an FX body is perhaps two years from now I would suggest a D7000 now plus buy some DX lenses second hand from reputable dealers, and then sell them without much loss if you eventually go FX only.

If you get a D800 later there is an argument in favour of keeping a D7000 as it gives the D800 in DX mode a close call for resolution, it will give you extra reach if you cannot afford long lenses, it will give you the more depth of field option when needed for the same angle of view, and having a back up body for an emergency is useful.
--
Leonard Shepherd

Many problems turn out to be a lack of intimate knowledge of complex modern camera equipment.

I regularly shoot with the D700 (fx) and the D300/s (dx) with pro dx and fx lenses, I have the full gamut as its my passion and can afford the expense.

The D300.s provide reach and excellent quality for shooting birds, planes, etc. Have no problems with quality, the real matter is the subject, the framing, the light and post processing. The 500mm with a Nikon tx 1.4 for a 700 magnification is unbeatable in FX, in my opinion for birds in flight.

Fx is nice since it gives you a wider frame but the pixels are larger so, all in all, the quality boost is not that evident unless you print large sheets for customers, which I don't.

Sometimes I shoot with the D700 in DX mode with a FX lens such as the 28-300 f3.5-f5.6 to obtain reach. You can find examples on my gallery. The result is quite satisfactory but the pictures are reduced to 5 megabytes or so. No problem at all on a computer screen on in medium prints.

Frankly the fx/dx problem is fine for pros that need to impress their customers, the latter often insist on the best equipment available, the magazines really push post processing to the limit and want lots of pixels. If you do not belong to that league I would stay with dx and be happy, don't get carried away with box or lens lust.

For instance, I do not intend to move up to the D800, for me, the D700 is just fine. But if I were a new customer, I would probably go for it if I really wanted to go FX. One of the problems with the high resolution D800/D4 is the size of the images. You must really have a large hard disk and lots of free memory and processing power.

I bought the Nikon 1 v with its small processor and find that very often the quality of the pictures cannot be distinguished from its bigger brothers. Great box but, of course, the bigger boxes are easier to use and offer fast changing parameters.

Just my amateur two cents worth...Peter

--
http://www.pbase.com/peter55/galleries

1. Yes , DX lenses work on a FX body. But by doing so, your FX body will act just like a DX body with a smaller megapixel sensor . Inside the camera, this is called "Auto DX Crop". A FX image sensor is (about) 36mm x 23.9mm and a DX image sensor is (about) 23.5mm x 15.6mm. When you use a DX lens on a FX body, you are only using the DX center part of the image sensor and you are reducing the megapixels by some factor. On a D700, FX produces a 4,256 × 2,832 (12MP) photo. But in DX mode, that changes to 2,784 × 1,848 (5.1MP) -- a factor/reduction of 2.34! Not ideal.

2. Yes , FX lenses work on a DX body, but with an effective 1.5 focal length multiplier. But be aware that on DX, you are only using the center portion of the lens. Only after you switch to a FX body will you notice the true nature/quality of the lens at the edges.

The bottom line: I have seen a DX D300/lens combination blow away a FX D700/lens combination -- only because the DX used a higher quality lens. So FX/DX body is only part the story. Lens quality is a big part of the story.

A pentaxian said:

1. If I buy D7000 with DX lenses now, will I be able to use later on FX body ? .... How does the FX to DX switchover mode work on FX body ?

2. Is the FX lenses compatible to D7000 DX body ? .... then I could invest on FX lenses at the beginning itself and later on I could upgrade to high end FX Nikon body....

Click to expand...

It's impossible for anyone to give meaningful advice if they don't know what the OP intends to shoot or why he is even interested in a D4. So we have yet another meaningless thread . . .

A lot depends on what you plan to shoot and if making money with your equipment is in the possible future. The reason I say that is that you mentioned you are on a budget. If you don't plan on making money with your equipment, but want excellent image quality. I suggest glass over body, good glass on almost any Nikon DSLR will give you excellent image quality. Then when you get a D4, D5 or the latest single digit flag ship, you will have your money in the right place.

When I switched over to Nikon I started out with a used D90, 18-200 and a 35 1.8G. I am now shooting with a D700, D800 and D4 using 28mm 1.8G, 50mm 1.2, 85 1.8G, 16-35 f4, 24-70 2.8, 24-120 f4, 70-200 vrII, 70-300, 300 f4. I had all my glass before I purchased my D4 and D800.

Glass is for years and bodies are for the time being until technology improves. Start collecting quality glass that fits your shooting style now.
--
All the best and keep on shooting

Terry Anderson
Boston West Photography

Sometimes I shoot with the D700 in DX mode with a FX lens such as the 28-300 f3.5-f5.6 to obtain reach. You can find examples on my gallery. The result is quite satisfactory but the pictures are reduced to 5 megabytes or so. No problem at all on a computer screen on in medium prints.

Interesting idea, but I taking the image on a FX camera with the 28-300mm may give better result when it is cropped to DX size?

A pentaxian said:

Thanks for your advice .... exactly I have been waiting to get D4 by chance !! .... but you know budget is a concern to me... I cannot afford D4 right now .... but I can afford D7000; therefore I was thinking to buy Nikon DX 70-300mm and Nikon FX 16-35mm to start with ...what do you think... any other suggestion .... I know it doesn't make sense, neither I want to buy DX lense, if my intention is upgrade ultimately to D4
a pentaxian

Click to expand...

What do you mean upgrade? Is a 18 wheeler better than a pickup truck? What will you be using a FX camera that you cannot do with a DX camera? You need to answer that question first. You mentioned D4, why not D800? Get the point? I think a lot of the posts are trying to figure out what you want to shoot. Is burst rate and extreme low light shooting requirements?

A pentaxian said:

Thanks for your advice .... exactly I have been waiting to get D4 by chance !! .... but you know budget is a concern to me... I cannot afford D4 right now .... but I can afford D7000; therefore I was thinking to buy Nikon DX 70-300mm and Nikon FX 16-35mm to start with ...what do you think... any other suggestion .... I know it doesn't make sense, neither I want to buy DX lense, if my intention is upgrade ultimately to D4 !

--
a pentaxian

Click to expand...

The 70-300 is FX, not DX, though this could just be a typo. If you buy these two then you'll have quite a large gap in the middle, so you could pick up a 50mm prime.

Also, despite confusing info elsewhere here, be aware that it is the sensor that produces the 1.5 crop, not whether the lens is DX or FX. Focal length is focal length! A 35mm 1.4 FX will give the same field of view on a DX camera as will the 35mm 1.8 DX. But, to get this same field of view on an FX camera you will (roughly) need a 50mm lens.

Chris

You are correct; I live in India; I own PENTAX gears; whose worth is aprox. 20,000.00 pounds ..... therefore, poverty is not my problem, as you tried to point out.... I am just CAUTIOUS BEFORE further investment as I have already invested such huge amount ! ....

"Your details show you live in India, where I have heard camera equipment is relatively expensive, and in relatively short supply." .... .... Next time you should better get appropriate information before you comment such thing in black & white !..... I don't want to rectify you.

I am trying to sell my Pentax gears and to purchase to Nikon gears because I am trying to be a pro, where, Nikon has good reputation, compared to Pentax ! ....

....... In my first post, I have already mentioned that my knowledge about the system of Nikon photography is limited.

.... as everybody knows there are couple of issues with Pentax system such as AF; noise in high ISO; shortage of lenses; shortage of desired lenses etc... etc... the question you could ask why did I go for Pentax ? ... well, Pentax photography is in my gene.... I inherited from my uncle; I purchased all these Pentax gears over past 10 years ! ... but at the end of the day, I noted I am in the wrong track, I am not able to do what I want to do with pentax !.... that is why .... Nikon .... why not canon ? ... It is my personal choice.

.... I found somebody tried to "figure out" what I want to shoot .... why not D800...why D4 etc.... It is my personal choice and I have made this decision after seeing th. the eyes of many Nikon professionals.... after reading their worthy reviews...

I am trying to be a wedding and event Nikon photographer ....

I am here to get all different opinions from you people, who have been using Nikon system over years and I trust this forum that I will get honest opinion about Nikon system, as I am new in this area. I thank you all for your time, you spent to clarify my doubts ....

cheers

--
a pentaxian

Thank you Terry for very useful advice !
--
a pentaxian

wasserball said:

Sometimes I shoot with the D700 in DX mode with a FX lens such as the 28-300 f3.5-f5.6 to obtain reach. You can find examples on my gallery. The result is quite satisfactory but the pictures are reduced to 5 megabytes or so. No problem at all on a computer screen on in medium prints.

Interesting idea, but I taking the image on a FX camera with the 28-300mm may give better result when it is cropped to DX size?

Click to expand...

Perhaps, but I never tried, Peter
--
http://www.pbase.com/peter55/galleries