DX lenses on FX bodies, are the manufacturers missing an opportunity?

[Dave Humphries]

Hi all,

It occured to me the other day, when viewing image circle patches of DX lenses used on FX sensors, that if an FX body has a DX lens fitted, why do we have to stick to 3:2 aspect ratio?

Why can't they offer 1:1 and make use of some more pixels?
This could give an "MF feel" (at reduced resolution) and suit Donald down to the ground

Or allow shooting in portrait orientation with the camera still horizontal?
(afterall, an FX sensor is as tall as a DX is wide, so why not)

May be someone already does this?

Cheers,

[jcuknz]

But you don't becuase there are other formats available than the DSLR FX or DX. It is very nice to shoot square and not turn the camera on its side but, in my case, the Rollei didn't normally have a long lens for portraits. I vaguely remember reading about how Panasonic used 'all' of the circle for each format it is capable of shooting in.

I'm not sure which came first the 36x24 format to print as a postcard or the other way around It is a wasteful format which frequently leads to loose shooting IMO.

[Kdfrank]

Dave, I just purchased a D800e. It has the option of a "DX mode" which reduces the effective pixel count accordingly ie: percent pixel reduction equal to the percent decrease in usable sensor size. The camera offers the added advantage of increased Frames per Second in D/X mode as well. This seems to be what your asking about, yes?

[pnodrog]

Why not make the sensor circular or a modified hexagonal, shoot RAW and crop later? Make composition and sports photography easier. Anyone for 60 mega-pixel files? View finder would remind you of a telescope.

I am greedy I would want to use all a FX lens's coverage. As Dave notes the pixels are already available for a DX lens on a FX sensor.

[Black Pearl]

Might not be the ideal solution but you could switch the Auto DX mode off and shoot the DX lenses using the full sensor - some of them are just about FX anyways - then crop off the dark bits.

[AB26]

Hi Dave,
You mean a little switch on the camera that alters between Landscape and Portrait mode whilst always holding the camera in Landscape mode? Makes a lot of sense if you are shooting portraits with a built in flash (and a hot shoe mounted flash) avoiding those harsh shadows. Think it would be great for Wedding Photographers. How about Landscapes in FX format and Portraits in DX format?

I think I like the idea. Maybe Nikon and Canon Engineers read CiC?