Camera review
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Full-frame mega test There are more full-frame options than ever before, but how do you choose between them? We get seven side by side to see how they compare
Words by Ian Fyfe
tones it can record – the sensor has a larger dynamic range. The other benefit comes in low light, because bigger pixels create less digital noise relative to the amount of light they collect. This makes for less noise and a superior high ISO performance. These benefits apply to any full-frame camera, but with such a big investment and with so many to choose from, deciding which to plump for can be difficult. What you really need is to get all the options in your hands and compare them side by side. And that’s exactly what we’ve done. Read on to find out all you need to know about seven full-frame cameras and see how they perform in side-by-side tests of resolution and low-light performance.
meaning that anyone looking for a full-frame camera has more choice than ever before. But why go full-frame in the first place? Well, in a nutshell, bigger is better. In the same way that a medium-format sensor delivers better quality than a full-frame sensor, so a 24x36mm sensor outperforms an APS-C sensor. This is down to the bigger surface area, which allows for either more pixels or bigger pixels. The benefits of having more pixels are obvious – higher resolution means more detail and bigger prints without software help. The advantage of bigger pixels is twofold. Firstly, bigger pixels can each collect more light, meaning a bigger difference between the darkest and lightest
Choosing to go full-frame means a significant investment in your photography, so deciding on the system to commit to takes some thought. In the last two years, the choice of full-frame cameras has expanded dramatically and the price gap between full- frame and smaller format cameras has been bridged by more affordable models. So the benefits of the 35mm format sensor are now within reach of more enthusiasts. It’s not just the prices that have shrunk either – gone are the days when full- frame was a pseudonym for bulky and cumbersome. Eighteen months ago, Nikon and Canon launched compact full-frame bodies similar in size to APS-C format DSLRs, the Nikon D600 and the Canon EOS 6D. At the end of 2013, Nikon replaced the D600 with the D610 and added its retro-styled Df, while Sony stirred things up with the introduction of the A7 and the A7R, the first ever mirrorless full-frame cameras. These added to the Nikon D800 and Canon EOS 5D Mark III, existing ‘prosumer’ models,
In the sameway that amedium-format sensor delivers better quality than a full-frame sensor, so a 24x36mm sensor outperforms anAPS-C sensor
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