Originally posted by reeftool I'm not denying that FF cameras take great pictures, just that I don't think we , as amatuers and hobbiests need to buy one unless we have the money and choose to. I can understand Canon and Nikon making the FF cameras to compete with the large format (Hassleblad, Mamiya, etc) used by pros but there appears to be a trend starting that may force FF on everybody. Will the camera makers manufacture and inventory 2 lines of lenses? This is a cheap moneymaking way to improve cameras. Why spend R&D money on improving image quality of current size cameras and sensors when you can make FF cameras and sell new lenses too. Not everybody still has their old 35mm lenses. You can count on the fact the old lenses won't work in some way on the newer cameras, like no autofocus or different shake reduction. All of the current DSLR's will take great pictures. The photos I delete are due to my mistakes and not the fault of the camera. Most of the complaints we read in the forum are related to autofocus issues and exposure. A FF sensor camera won't focus any better and exposure is my choice as it has always been. I know the camera manufacturers must to constantly improve their camera bodies and systems but I don't want to HAVE to buy all new lenses. The question has popped up a couple of times already as to whether or not to buy DA lenses if FF cameras are going to take over in a couple of years.
First, you can be pretty sure that full frame 35mm form factor cameras are being bought by amateurs as well as pro photographers.
Truth be to tell, the pros don't have the money that amateurs have to buy stuff.
At some point, cropped sensor cameras will hit a technological wall. In many respects, the K20 is already at that wall, since sensor resolution is at or higher than lens resolution with the K20 sensor with many lenses, and bigger sensors will tend to have lower noise, given an equal megapixel count.
Most of the complaints that I've read on this forum really just relate to the cameras not having quite high enough performance levels. This is a situation easily resolved, though Pentax does have to do their part.
A full frame camera with better AF will focus better. The same goes for a cropped sensor camera. Pentax AF is just about the least effective on the market at the moment.
I won't speak to auto exposure, since I have learned not to trust it.
I suspect that shortly the market is going to be levered into full frame as being the norm for advanced cameras, with cropped sensor cameras being relegated to the Barbie Cams.
It will be interesting to see which way Pentax decides to go. They will have the choice of staying the course they are on now, watching their market base slowly self eroding, and fewer new users coming on stream, and eventually just ceasing to exist, or to at least attempt to compete in the market that is evolving above beginner cams.
Will they try and possibly fail, or will they not try, and definitely fail?