Professional Gear vs Modest Gear
Today I got to borrow my best friend’s D750 paired up with her 35mm f1.4; gear with a MSRP of $3620. I decided to pair it up against the old favorite D5200 utilizing a 35mm f1.8; MSRP $700.
The question at hand: is it worth it to spend 5 times more than necessary to take beautiful photos?
A little tech spec comparison for you.
D750 is a full frame body, meaning it utilizes the standard 35mm sensor, 51 auto-focus points, and can shoot up to 12800 iso before becoming too noisy.
D5200 is a crop sensor body, meaning its sensor is not standard 35mm but rather a 2:3 ratio. 39 auto-focus points, shoots up max 6400 iso before becoming noisy.
Here are 3 comparisons:
D750 - 1/160 f1.8 iso100
D5200 1/160 f1.8 iso100
First thing you’ll probably notice is the crop factor. The D5200 makes it so the 35mm acts as a 52.5mm, thus zooming in on the image more. As you can see, both are nice and sharp focused on the tree. However the D750 offers more sharpness because it isn’t wide open where as the D5200 is shot wide open. Bokeh on the D750 is more noticeable as well.
D750 - 1/320 f1.8 iso1600
D5200 - 1/320 f1.8 iso1600
Another comparison to show vibrance and bokeh. The D5200 delivers nice bokeh.
D750 - 1/20 f1.8 iso6400
D5200 - 1/20 f1.8 iso6400
And here’s a low light photo. As you can see, the D5200 has a slightly harder time capturing photos in the dark at its max ISO.
In conclusion: The short - full frame offers more vivid colors, low-light performance, larger image view, bokeh.
However the D5200 still delivers dank photos.
