Do Pros Use Crop Sensor Cameras?

<p>Just wondering. Are you taken seriously by clients if you don't have a full frame camera? Do they even know or care? If you use a crop sensor and are a pro, do you feel limited by it?</p>

<p>"Do they even know or care?" - most don't and even fewer do.....</p>

<p>Recently flipped a 1DS II that was owned by a guy that used it exclusively for macro work. He bought a 7D because it does better macro work. Said he waited for canon to come out with a cropped sensor that was 16 megapixels or above. Something about the DOF on the cropped working better for macro work. He shoots jewelry pint ads.. So yeah, some pros prefer a cropped sensor. </p>

<p>There are millions of professional photojournalists and sports shooters using Canon 1D series camera that have a 1.3x "crop."</p>

<p>*shrugs* Define "crop sensor camera". The EOS-1D Mark IV is one of Canon's $4,999 flagship pro bodies but still has a 1.3x APS-H crop sensor.</p>

 

<p>Regardless, I wouldn't consider myself a pro because photography is no longer my day job, but there are basically three types of customers/spectators I run across when shooting events:</p>

 

<p><ol><li>I don't know or care. It's the job of the guy who bought the big heavy camera to take prettier pictures than the camera I bought at Best Buy.</li>

<li>Hey! My camera looks just like yours! I'm now going to follow you around all day and chimp over your shoulder because I own an expensive camera too and want my pictures to look just like yours!</li>

<li>Oh. That's a nice camera. I'll get out of your way and let you get the shot and then tactfully chat you up occasionally to talk shop when it looks like you're not busy.</li></ol></p>

 

<p>I shoot with an EOS 40D (1.6x APS-C crop) with BG-E2N and EOS-1v HS with PB-E2 and, with the exception type #2 above who gets <em>really</em> confused when they look at my EOS-1v and wonder why it doesn't have an LCD, I've never had anyone question my choice of equipment in a negative way.</p>

 

<p>Now I'm not shooting weddings or fashion so maybe the clientele is a bit different but I've found that the average person doesn't know what model camera I'm carrying but instead only cares that it looks big, mean, and heavy thus making it professional. As long as the battery grip is attached and the flash is pointed straight up with the bounce card pulled out I'm the pro of the group.</p>

 

<p>This has been illustrated time and time again where event coordinators or emergency workers will push back people with point and shoots and small consumer DSLRs but let me through because my camera looks like it could bludgeon an elephant to death and has a huge lens.</p>

 

<p>Oh, and the short answer is what Sheldon Hambrick said. ;)</p>

<p>No real pros use Leica s2, nikon d3x, EOS 1Ds and any other more than 3K camera out there. Artist on the other hand can use a pinhole camera made at home from cardboard if they really wanted too.</p>

<p>If they know the difference between a crop sensor and a full frame, then they would know enough about photography to do it themselves. Also, yes pros use crop sensors. Sports Illustrated photogs use the 1D and its an APS-H sensor (1.3x crop factor). I'm sure lots of pros use the APS-C cameras as well like the 40D and 50D and now that the 7D has been released, I'm sure lots of pros will add it to thier arsenal. Its not the camera that makes pro quality photos anyways, its the photographer. </p>

<p>I shoot sports with a 1DMk3, which is a crop camera. I don't know any sports shooters working my beat (professional boxing, MMA) who use a full frame camera. Quite a few use 1.6 cameras. Clients don't ask and don't care. I suspect most clients wouldn't know what the phrase meant.</p>

 

<p>Any pro looks to work with the best camera/functionality/fit with the work that they do. So, certainly, there are millions of Pro's that work with a crop sensor. You most likely wont find them in the hands of the upper level of advertising and commercial photographers, there you will most likely find MF digitals (rented in many cases)--oh, and almost all of those are crop sensors, just bigger that full frame 35 dslr's.</p>

<p>You have to look at what you do and choose what is the most efficient for you and your budget/market. If you get that really big job and don't have the right gear--rent it and charge the client--if they have issues, it's with fee not expenses it seems!</p>

<p>Yes, absolutely. A full-frame DSLR is a cropped sensor MF camera... ;-)</p>

<p>NO<br />Professionals use 8" x 10"<br />Some wannabees try to use 4" x 5" for photojournalism and such trivia, but they are not taken seriously by real photographers</p>

<p>No Wayne, you're wrong! REAL pros use Polaroid 20" x 24".</p>

<blockquote>

<p>NO<br /> Professionals use 8" x 10"<br /> Some wannabees try to use 4" x 5" for photojournalism and such trivia, but they are not taken seriously by real photographers</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Good grief...</p>

<p>See many pro wildlife, sports and journalism shooters use that stuff on your planet?</p>

<p>Chuck Norris uses a crop body.</p>

<p>Yes. And who is going to challenge Chuck Norris?</p>

<p>Keith, funny thing is that, at one time, the 4x5 was the standard for photojournalisim--The Crown and Speed Graphics! And I remember in High School shooting sports--Football and Basketball--with a Yashica TLR with a fixed 80mm lens. A little history for you!</p>

<p>LOL. Thanks so much for your answers. Even though some of those acronyms left me in the dust I get the idea and it makes sense to me about using the right camera for the job. I was curious because I read so much "stuff" on the internet where opinions are a dime a dozen but I seem to always come back here for the right answers. </p>

<p>I'm not a pro, just a serious enthusiast who may some day (who knows?) be able to make some money at this, or at least some retirement income some day. I'm ready to get a new camera and have been going back and forth on whether I should get a full frame or what I really want to get which is the 7D. It will absolutely fill my needs since I do just about everything right now and haven't picked any style and it would be great to have the video also. It's versatile enough to explore lots of things and a good upgrade for my Rebel xTi. I'd also love to have two bodies for those times when I want a prime and a zoom.</p>

<p>Anyway, enough of my rambling. Thanks!</p>

<p><blockquote>Even though some of those acronyms left me in the dust</blockquote></p>

 

<p>Sorry, APS-C and APS-H are types of <a

href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_sensor_format">crop sensors</a>. BG-E2N and PB-E2 are

large battery grips and power boosters that, in addition to doing their intended jobs, also make your

camera look bigger and meaner. The HS in EOS-1v HS stands for High Speed (10 FPS or frames per

second), and the EOS-1v is Canon's last flagship 35mm film body which, sadly, was removed from

their EOS products page this month.</p>

 

<p>1DS II, 1DMk3, etc. are shortened Canon models. Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II, Canon EOS-1D Mark

III, etc.</p>

<p>Thank you Sean. That fills in some of the gaps in my knowledge. </p>

<p>I heard Jay Maisel uses a crop camera and I think he knows what he is doing.</p>

<p >Let's rephrase the question a bit; would a pro (or serious) <em>landscape </em>photographer use a crop sensor camera?</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Keith, funny thing is that, at one time, the 4x5 was the standard for photojournalisim--The Crown and Speed Graphics! And I remember in High School shooting sports--Football and Basketball--with a Yashica TLR with a fixed 80mm lens. A little history for you!</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Oh, no history lesson needed, John.</p>

<p>But<em> at one time</em> , they'd cut your leg off and give you a stick to bite on for the pain; and for a "performance upgrade" to your personal transport you'd harness up a second horse..!</p>

<p>Some folk just seem unable to comprehend that things change...<br>

<br /> <em></em></p>

<p>(Keith, I think that John's point was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. At least that's how I read it.)</p>

<blockquote>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Someone wrote:</p>

<blockquote>

<p><em>Let's rephrase the question a bit; would a pro (or serious) <em>landscape </em> photographer use a crop sensor camera?</em></p>

</blockquote>

<p>In general, landscape is one of those types of photography in which the larger sensor is most likely to provide real advantages. Here it is often the case that:</p>

<ul>

<li>complex and detailed scenes benefit from the added resolution available from the larger sensor.</li>

<li>the photographer is more likely to be working one shot at a time from the tripod, thus the lack of fast frame rates isn't generally a big deal.</li>

<li>the issue with needing slightly larger/heavier lenses is often less of an issue here.</li>

<li>the availability of a greater range of ultra wide angle options may be desirable.</li>

<li>the larger range of useful apertures is useful - you can get narrower DOF if you need it and you can get the same larger DOF by stopping down with less negative impact on the print from diffraction.</li>

</ul>

<p>It is not accident that among the users of MF digital backs (and even LF film... still!) you'll find quite a few landscape photographers.</p>

<p>Does this mean that one can't do fine landscape work with a cropped sensor body? Of course not, though in really large prints you'll see the effects of the smaller sensor sooner.</p>

<p>Dan</p>

<p>Thanks, Dan. Your opinions mirror my own (just a little photography pun). I'm more interested in landscape photography than any other kind, so when I scrape together enough money to upgrade my 40D, I'll go for the 5DII (or it's replacement) instead of the 7D. Cheers.</p>

<p>Short Version: Pros use the camera that delivers the goods.<br>

If they brought out a 1Dx camera that use a "2.5" crop factor, and it can deliver a image that looks the same as the current 1Ds Mk3 at half the price, then the pro's would propably fall over their feet to buy it. But it would be impossible. There are real reasons for it.<br>

So the pros get the camera they can afford that does the best for what they want to do. It is not always about the sensor size. There are other factors that affects what a given pro use. Often the faster frame rate wins over IQ.</p>