dak723 said:
In my opinion, go FF only if you need the following: much improved low light photography, custom settings, the need print large (over 24" approx.). Things I wasn't happy about with FF: less reach, too little depth of field for semi-macro shooting such as flowers, bigger, heavier camera. After getting the 6D, I ended up buying another crop (SL1) anyway!
Sounds like for the types of pics you take - general daylight stuff (aside from the lunar stuff) - your current camera may be plenty good enough.
The SL1/100D is a fantastic little camera - I've shifted my 70D and kept the SL1 as my only APS-C dSLR. (plus having the non SLR EOS M)
I've got to disagree with the above "only reasons" for going FF though... When you see an image and think "that FEELS professional, to observe" it's likely that it was captured on a larger-than-APSc image plane.
There are (otherwise) respectable contributors to this forum who will tell you that "identical" results can be achieved using any sensor size but they're wrong - our earth-physics does not allow for this and can be demonstrated by the following two experiments:
1) Stand still and look at something; anything. Let's use your thumbnail at arms length as an example... Move your head side to side slightly and observe whether the background shifts, moving different elements in and out of the path of obstruction of your thumb.
Now consider that the opposite corners of an imaging sensor (exposed film, plate etc) are looking out at the world and gathering focused or unfocused light from a subtle yet very different perspective than the other corners of the sensor. This distance is greater, obviously, with a larger sensor, thus is the perspective.
Point 1 is precisely why (particularly close-up, short focal length) Macro photography becomes more challenging with a larger image plane - each edge of the sensor is trying to capture the obscured, OPPOSITE side of that Bee's head!
2) The lame "adjusting aperture et al can give identical images" argument - that's b*llocks.
As stated above, the edges of the image plane are observing from further apart on FF than APS-C... and THIS explains why it looks like you're viewing from an Ant's PoV when you shoot P&S/Camera-Phone macro... because the "eye" we're peering out from is closer to the size of an ant's!
If we stop down lenses to the extent that everything is in sharp focus in front of FF, APS-C, M4/3 and sub-1/3" sensor types and shoot at "equivalent" focal lengths, you will NOT get identical images - and if you can figure from the above rant why this is, then great, my jawb is done!
In short - all things equal and with adequate skills and knowledge, you'll get much more beautiful shots with a larger sensor when shooting subjects of human & pet size, rather than shooting ants and bees. APS-C shots DO look like crops of larger format images in regard to perspective...
I hope, if you're already, or interested in becoming more, willing and able to shoot the most beautiful FEELING images possible of your children, pets and the world's wonderful offerings that you seriously consider the artistic and scientific benefits of shooting Full Frame over APS-C, Sean
