Re-Evaluating Full Frame and "Budget Photography"

If you haven't noticed by now one of the biggest cores of this Blog is related to how you can get amazing photos on used equipment including those that are overlooked (Like the Nikon Z50).  

This is my major hobby: to buy camera equipment a lot cheaper then what marketing wants you to rush out and buy to become a "Better Photographer" and prove that you don't need it.

Since this is going to be a very long thought-dump post I am going to do the TLDR version of it up front. We are now in an age where Full Frame is no longer the sole driving factor of an "expensive camera" it once was. 

In 2024 I can quite easily put together a used Full Frame DSLR camera kit with lenses for it for $500-750 which is a feat which would have been pretty much impossible a decade ago. 

Infact I now have two Full Frame cameras in my collection myself, one of which I now consider one of my main cameras; which is something the past me ten years ago would ever think I'd do again considering I got burned the first time I bought into the "Full Frame infrastructure".

But before we get into the full story of my Full Frame journey I'd like to share a few examples from both of my Full Frame cameras in my collection: the Nikon D610 and Sony a99. Two cameras that can both be picked up used for a fraction of what they once sold for:

When I started in Photography some fifteen years the big De-Facto "Buy into to Get Good" thing to aim for was very prominently to have a Full Frame camera as your end-goal as a Photographer.  Almost everyone in the hobby you would meet would push to convince you to save up for "Full Frame" or else you couldn't be good at Photography as APS-C was only for Beginners. 

A younger more impressionable me fell into that trap in 2013 when I felt coerced into really stretching my camera budget and putting down $1500 for a Canon 6D and lens. But when I finally got this camera it felt slow, limited, stripped down and frustrating to use for what I paid for it. Suddenly that Full-Frame Appeal vanished and I asked myself  "Why do I need this when it doesn't feel like an upgrade?".  

I had bought it because everyone was saying I needed to have a Full Frame camera to get Better at Photography, but when I had finally got a Full Frame camera I felt like I had a worse tool then the premimum APS-C DSLR I had before.

This put a bad taste in my mouth about Full Frame cameras for years to come. (I would not put together that it was just that very specific camera that I did not enjoy shooting; so it was the camera itself not the format I really should show my dislike for).

Five years later in 2018 I decided I would give Full Frame another chance and buy (a camera I still own) a Sony a99 during a year when my finances were better IE I was making bank and not a home owner yet so taking another more expensive jump into photography was once again plausible. 

I specifically went for the a99 as I wanted something "Different" then all the Canon and Nikon Full Frame bodies everyone was shoving in your face to say "Look at this camera that makes me a Good Photographer!!!!".  

The Sony a99 seemed like that little outcast in the corner no one paid attention to so I felt a connection to it, and perhaps in a way I still do feel some connection for this Full Frame camera outcast no one knows or cares about which makes me hold onto it inspite of it being far from the best camera in my collection at this point.

This is a camera that I have been lamenting on selling or trading off several times but in the end decided to keep. 

It has some strange quirks like the shutter in A mode prioritizing to 1/60 of a second (which cannot be adjusted) regardless of the focal length or focus mode used. Additionally the camera control buttons are squishy and it is by far not the fastest camera either.  

But the nail in the coffin for it becoming sidelined as a main camera was that seven months after I bought it (one month after its warranty from Adorama expired x.x) the IBIS unit on the Sony a99 gave out.  

While the camera is still functional it nags at you every 10-30 seconds with a message you need to manually clear before taking another shot that the "Steady Shot has Malfunctioned".   

Occasionally this message will go away but it always came back.  I even tried to get it repaired once but the camera repair store sent it back to me because it worked for the short period of time he tested it. It's just a cursed camera.

The a99 shares a similar place in my collection to the Pentax Q10.  Both are weird, funky, picky and finicky cameras that frustrate me to no end to use but yet when I actually sit down and look back at the photos they take and how unique they are; I have second thoughts about letting either go so they sit on my shelf waiting for me to be in a very specific and patient mood to take one out again.

But at the time the Sony a99 and its broken IBIS was Strike two against myself and Full Frame cameras after I also found out that the "Great High ISO Noise" that I was told "Full Frame Cameras Had" wasn't actually that great and the a99 was on par or slightly worse for Noise then my Canon 80D which was a Crop Sensor. It didn't live up to the Hype, but it still took good photos and was fun to use in spite of its imperfections from time to time so it didn't get traded and I just moved on.

This personal outlook on Full Frame changed late last year when I fell for the Nikon D610. When I got ahold of it this camera was what really changed my perspective on the whole "crop vs full frame" argument.  

I used it for a few weeks before buying it and had a lot more positive experience with it then either the Canon 6D or Sony a99 out of the gate.  After two Strikes I finally managed to score a hit and drive the winning run across home plate.

Overall the D610 reminds me of a Full Frame sister to my D7200; which is a Good Thing as that camera was what got me to cling onto my DSLRs and not want to let go of em.

While I no longer have the general "distaste" for Full Frame as a general all-inclusive stereotype I once had I still hold a certain amount of this against people who "Buy Into" photography. 

It has shifted from "Full Frame" being the big baddy to a certain price point in my mind of "How much I think an Affordable camera kit should cost" regardless of the sensor form factor and shake my head at anyone paying over that price.

This mantra probably won't ever change. I will always be someone who looks for a Bargain when it comes to Photography; becoming a sort of strange used camera hypocrite of owning thousands of dollars of gear over dozens of cameras and an entire shelf full of lenses instead of thousands of dollars into one camera and a few choice lenses. The investment is likely the same, but I feel I get a lot more Value out of it.

When we really break my mentality down it no longer becomes the old standard "Crop vs Full Frame" battle as it was in the past. Now it shifts to "Used vs New" and "A Bargain vs Putting all your money into one basket and Going Broke on a camera you don't need when you can get something almost as good for a lot cheaper".

The first factor that changed my mentality and what this article is about is Full Frame is no longer an Exclusive to the high-end high priced market (especially used) as it once was. With Mirrorless taking front and center stage that is leaving a hole for Full Frame DSLRs on abandoned or Sunsetting mounts at very affordable prices now. 

While you still can't go out and buy a used FF body and lens under $70 as you can do with a used APS-C DSLR; you can get one with a lens for $300-700 which still puts it into that budget photography range I chase after and fits in what I have historically paid for my "serious" equipment. 

The second thing that changed is APS-C cameras are no longer the "Definitive Cheap Interchangeable Lens Camera" either. Enter Fujifim and X-Trans sensors: a high end professional camera body that make cameras like the Nikon D7200 and Canon 90D look like value kits. 

Fuji managed to make an APS-C camera for the cost of two arms and two legs: the X-2HS. No longer is the $2500+ camera restricted to full-frame.

Same can be said for Micro 43rds with the Panasonic G9 II and OM Digital OM-1 as the higher end lenses for these are no cheaper then their Full Frame counterparts either. 

It is now quite possible to be a Gear Snob and not even own a full frame camera; which is a wild concept that would have been completely foriegn a decade ago.

And then you have the Elephant in the Room: Medium Format Digital which throws a wildcard into the mix. Now if you want to be a "True Pro" you really should have something like a Fuji GFX 100 instead (an $8000 Medium Format Digital Camera).

The last factor in the viability of Full Frame for the average hobbyist now is the return of entry level Full Frame cameras which when you compare them to the cost of say a Fuji X2H becomes an argument of its own.  Something like a Canon RP or Nikon Z5 which retail for around $1,000 a piece.  This still falls out of my current price range but it is no more expensive then what my Nikon D7200 would have went for when it was new.

But enough about comparing New vs New as this blog is about finding cheap bargins which delves into the used market. 

Both of my Full Frame DSLR (or DSLR Like) cameras that I own have a "market rate" of $450-650 but if you know the right person or look at the right craigslist ad at the right time they can be found for up to half of that going rate as the market is filled with them and they don't have the popular nostalgia that Digicams demand (atleast not yet). 

As a result a lot of these older Full Frame DSLRs (anything short of say a Nikon D850 which can still go "toe to toe" with mirrorless) are stockpiling in used camera stores and on private sales on Craigslist or E-Bay as more and more people want to upgrade to Mirrorless.

The main lens I bought from a friend (The Nikon 24-120 F4 VR) for this camera for $300 and I got the body itself for $200.  So for $500 I managed to get a pretty versatile Full Frame kit that still to this day holds its own alongside the Nikon D7200, Panasonic G9 and Nikon Z50.  I could take any of these four cameras out for a serious outing and be very happy with the results.

While I've only had the D610 for a few months and the weather hasn't given me a lot of chances to seriously use it I am now considering this one of my "Primary" kits which consists of: 2 DSLRs (One Full Frame, one APS-C) and 2 Mirrorless bodies (One APS-C and one Micro 43rds).

Between these four cameras I can be ready for any possible photography situation; leaving the rest of my collection for fun when I plan on challenging myself or just getting out and using something different.

Before I conclude this really long thought dump and post as to why Full Frame is now a viable Budget photography option and tool in my box that I am no longer afraid of using; I will circle back and end with a Nod and Honorable Mention to the camera I ripped on earlier: the not-perfect camera with a unique personality Sony a99.

Like my Pentax Q I have very much a love-hate relationship with the a99. I almost sold it a few times, but the buyer in both cases backed down and I couldn't bring myself to sell it to a used camera store for what they would give me for it because of its major issue.  

In the end however the Sony a99 fits a very specific niche and to me that is not at all a bad thing. It is a cult camera highly prized by some very dedicated fans and as such has kept its value higher then most Full Frame cameras of its age (as opposed to say a Canon 5D Mark II which can be bought for a steal right now).

The biggest thing that makes me to hang onto the a99 is the lenses.  This is a camera where you can buy vintage Minolta Auto Focus glass from the 1990s and still use it at peak performance including having autofocus. 

Minolta made a few lenses during the 90s such as the 70-210 F4 "Beercan" which were built to last and can still provide vibrant sharp images on a 24mp Full Frame sensor. It's really impressive and a pleasant surprise to get quality like this on cheap lenses that are over 30 years old. Minolta lenses are often the diamond in the rough when it comes to vintage glass.

The a99 is great for the fact that you can slap on a vintage lens that you paid $40 for at a used camera store or thrift store and still get shots that look like they were taken with a lens that cost 15 times or more what you paid; and that what gets me to keep a special place in my collection for the a99.  

So while because its somewhat rare and sought after the a99 won't be as cheap or easy to find as say a Canon 5D Mark II/III, Canon 6D or Nikon D610 the fact that you can get away with spending around $100 for a kit of lenses for it evens the playing field of being another option for a budget full frame kit. 

Dedicated Photography: The Unknown Everywhere Hobby in Small Town communities

Living in a Rural area and having photography as a Hobby is an extremely rare thing. Especially if you use something other then just a Smartphone to do it.  Doing street photography in small towns unless they are specifically "Tourist Traps" often gets a me a lot of strange looks from people and 95% of the time I'm the only one doing it.  

Seeing another street photographer in an Urban downtown setting is fairly common. I manage to see someone else doing it almost every time I do photography in a major Downtown district on a nice day.  

A Street Photographer in a small town on the other hand is incredibly rare occurrence as in my 5 years of living in a rural area and ten years of doing street photography I have never run into another street photographer in a downtown area of a city of less then 19,000 people. 

Street Photographers are really missing out on a lot of really cool opportunities for Photography in small towns, however instead of going off the beaten path to explore most seem to be content on having their "usual route in their usual area in the busiest part of a big city".

To preface this: Small towns in the Midwest are my favorite venues for Street Photography for a number of reasons, even if I am the only one out doing it. 

First and Foremost small towns are often chock full of Historic 2-3 story buildings that were constructed in the mid 1800s to early 1900s. This type of architecture is a lot rarer in a large Urban Downtown district unless its a preserved "historical area" to make way for more modern office buildings and apartment complexes.

Next while you may have a lot more "confused" interactions of people on the streets in a Small Town overall it is a lot safer to be out in one alone.  I've had far less "hostile" encounters doing street photography vs inner city alone especially when I just avoid taking photos around the local "Watering Hole" which is where the few more in-your-face encounters doing Street Photography in smaller towns have been: Drunks.

And last but certainly not least, Small Towns make fantastic subjects during local Carnivals, City Days, County Fairs and Festivals.  Here you will get a mix of Car Shows, street vendors, Carnival Rides, live music performances and livestock exhibitions and events all in a much more reasonable sized crowd then events of similar type in large urban centers (IE a State Fair).  Taking photos during a Town Festival can make for some great photojournalism photos.

So having this aside of why I enjoy doing photography in small towns: the big picture of this blog post however is about how Hobby Photography which includes but is not exclusive to Street Photography is perceived and nearly non-existent in a Rural or Small Town community.

When you look at "Commonly accepted Hobbies" in Rural areas you can put them all into one of the following interest groups: Fishing, Hunting (which also includes gun collecting, range/trap shooting, etc), Agriculture (County Fairs, 4H, FFA etc), Cars/Automotive, Winter Sports and Powersports (IE Skiing and Snowmobiles), Summer Activities and Powersports (Golf, Camping, ATVs, Recreational Jet Skis and Boating) or "Crafts" which is a catch-all hobby for any sort of Handmade item including Crocheting, Soap Making, Baking, Bead-work etc.

If you have an interest in any of these hobbies in a Rural area no one will bat an eye and you will find large support groups where you can share your passion with others. 

So what do I mean by Photography being an "Everywhere and Anytime Hobby" well the catch with many of these listed "normal" hobbies is that they are also restricted to being applicable to only a certain place or a certain time of year as well.  Which makes Photography more special to me as it can be done Anywhere at Any Time of year.

Hunting and "Gun Hobby" for example has set seasons on when you can hunt for what and set places where you can go out and shoot.  (IE designated Hunting grounds, a Rifle Club or Private Shooting range)

Fishing needs to be done on a lake or river that contains Fish and for some type of fishing there is also a season, much like hunting, which restricts the When.  Additionally there is several weeks during both ends of the year, a "transitional phase" where open water fishing is not available or severely restricted and the Ice is not safe enough for Ice Fishing (though some die-hards into the Fishing hobby still try to go out and regret it later...)

Agriculture Hobbies relies on having access to a Farm, Ranch or County Fairground where you can raise and show your animals and/or crops. Crops also have a set season when they can be raised and a very narrow window during the summer and fall where they can be harvested and either sold or displayed as well.

Winter activities and power sports hobbies (Snowmobiling/ Cross country Skiing) have both a very short window of when they can be partaken in during the Late Fall into Early Spring and this season can vary from only a few weeks to at most 5 months out of the year.  They also have a restriction of where as well- needing to stay on marked Snowmobile or Ski trails.

Summer Powersports and summer hobbies such as Camping are the mirror of Winter outdoor hobbies; requiring either access to designated ATV trails, Golf Courses, Campgrounds or a body of water similar to fishing. The when is likewise restricted as well especially for water power sports as its kinda hard to move a boat across a frozen lake.

Of all these "Normal" rural hobbies the only "Anytime/Anywhere" hobby is Crafting. However this hobby is "most socially accepted" in a certain age demographic; and while there is no actual restriction of Age with crafting it is going to be harder to connect with that community if you are in your teens or early 20s then if you are over 60.

The reason I am so passionate and invested in Photography is because it is a hobby that has so much variety and no "restrictions" on when and where you can go out and do it.  You can take Still Life photography indoors right inside your house on a mid January day that it is -30F with a -50F windchill outside.  You can take photos of the night sky outdoors (something I struggle with but I digress) in the middle of the night.  With the right equipment (weather sealed camera or protective sleeve) you can even go out and do Photography in the pouring rain.

As the title of the post states Photography is also an anywhere hobby.  You can do it at a Nature Trail taking photos of Wildlife; it can be done from the deck of a boat, around a campfire, on the street of a small town (which is perhaps my favorite venue for doing photography) or during a Town Festival or County Fair.  

It boggles me to see events such as local fairs, car shows, etc go un-documented in photos minus the "selfie with a smartphone" or the "photo of my kid in the Marching Band (also done these days with smartphones)" during these events.

When I sit and reflect on this it is hard for me to understand why Photography is not more popular then it is in both Urban and Rural communities; but it is overwhelming Non-Existent in Small Town and Rural settings which really baffles me, because it really is such a neat hobby that anyone can go out and do regardless of where they live. 

As much as I hate to admit it sometimes, yes you can even go out and do Hobby Photography with your Smartphone.  And in rural areas I very rarely even see people going out and taking photos with their phones.  To them "Smartphone Photography" is still restricted to "Taking photos of the Family at a Family event or at a place where my Family is going and my Family is in the picture front and center".

The only exception to this seems to be On Vacation. The average person seems more willing to take a random photo of their cruise ship, the airplane they are boarding, the drink or food they are having, etc while "On Vacation".

This perhaps is what baffles me the most why more people don't do photography as a hobby: the gap between Vacation Photography and Street Photography is so small that all you have to do is put one leg length over to hop from doing "Photos to remember an exotic place we once visited on a cruise" to "photos of where I have been recently and seen Interesting Things I've come across close to home".  

That gap is so incredibly small yet... 99% of people are content just staying on the "I only take my phone or camera out when I am on Vacation" side of that incredibly short fence and it boggles me how they can't see the potential of doing more with it. 

For them bridging the gap between taking photos "once every five years when we go to Alaska/Europe/etc" and doing it every month whenever they go to a fun event such as a Local Fair or Carnival outside of getting "One photo of me and the family to show we were there" is impossible.

I think a lot of the resistance to hobby photography especially in rural communities comes down to public perception; and the only way to change that perception is for more people to do it. 

In the end it boils down to, especially in rural areas, that no one wants to be viewed as that "Weird creepy person going around taking photos" and while this is by far most applicable to Street Photography I have had encounters doing other types of photography where people just can't understand nor accept why I am pointing a camera or a phone at something that isn't related to me, isn't my Pet or my own Car, or isn't 3,000 miles away from where I live.

Many Street Photographers are very used to in general being approached and asked "What are you Doing?" or "What are you taking photos of?" by random people on the street.  Easily 1 in every 3 Street Photography outing I go on someone will come up and ask one of those two questions with a blank look in their eyes.

Occasionally it can lead to a positive encounter where it clicks with them after you give an answer; but 9 times out of 10 you just get a blank "Deer in Headlights" stare back a shrug and an "Oh..." and then they move on.  

Another odd encounter relating to my Hobby Photography out near where I live I had was at work (I work in IT; again Photography is a Hobby not a Profession). Said person came up to me with that tell-tale deer in headlights look "Uh I saw you on the way to work today why were you taking photos with a camera????"  

In this case, I wasn't even doing street Photography. I was doing Nature Photography of some ducks, geese and doves along a river on my way into work and just happened to be on a public sidewalk where they passed by and recognized me before they confronted me at work about it.  When I told them what I was taking photos of they did a dis-interested shrug and walked away.

Regarding small town Street Photography: it simply does not compute in most people who live in a Rural area that taking photos of random signs, buildings, art, Urban Wildlife and yes even people (but I make it a point that Street Photography is not centered on people for me.) can be Art. 

It doesn't register to them that Photography can be as valid as a Hobby as wetting a line in a river, going on an ATV trail to get muddy, taking a gun out to a range to sight it in or knit something at home to sell at the town craft sale.

I've shown up to small-town car shows before where I was the only there one with a dedicated camera. As in, Primo Photography outing material.  All other attendees were only taking photos with a smartphone and even then just taking a single quick photo of one car from one angle (probably someone they know who owns it) taking a quick wide-angle selfie with the car show in the background and then stuffing their phone in their jeans for the rest of the show. 

Another reaction I will get, primarily when I am out taking photos of a carnival, parade or local car show is dozens of overheard comments "Oh that guy must be from the Town Paper!!!!".  No...  

While technically when I am at a local event taking photos of a Parade, car show, etc I am doing a form of Photojournalism and I have a lot of fun doing it; I am no more a professional or making money off of it then someone's mother cooking dinner for the family without needing to be a Professional Chef at a Restaurant.  I think most people can make a distinction that not everyone who cooks a homemade meal for someone else is a Professional chef, right?  

The same applies to someone out taking photos.  Even with the Smartphone dominated "camera" market the vast vast majority of "people out with a camera" are still not professionals.

A second relatable example would be someone going to a car show, points to the owner of someone who has a car in it and says outloud "Oh man, I bet he drives for Nascar!".  I guess I don't see the connection at all. Having a collector car doesn't make you a professional driver any more then having a camera makes you a professional photographer for the Newspaper...

But I digress; maybe the reason more people don't have a hobby for photography in Rural areas, or atleast leave their own property with a camera unless they are on vacation is they've had too many people giving them the stinkeye for it that they never learned to embrace it.  

I can certainly see this.  What your Peers do both growing up and in your Adult life influences what you like and enjoy and it is really disheartening having a hobby or passion for something that no one else seems to care about. Hence this rant.

The communities for the "Accepted Hobbies" in a Rural area are all very tight knit.  I went to a funeral benefit for a late cousin in law of mine and it was all about trap shooting (I came late to miss the actual shooting portion of the benefit as firearms make me jumpy) but here was a memorial event of 200+ people all coming together to pretty much only talk about one thing "Getting Kids into Hunting and Trap shooting".

It made me pause for a moment and think "When that eventual day comes and I pass on or get diagnosed with a Terminal condition; if I decided to do or have my family do something to share my knowledge or passion of Photography with people would anyone who showed up actually care?  Or even have an interest in "Getting Kids interested in Photography"?  And the only answer I could come up with was "No".

My family may find and post up photos I've taken.  Or a photobook I made.  But almost everyone would maybe glance at a few photos and think "Oh that's kinda pretty I guess..." without making a connection of what Photography meant to me and yeah.  That kinda stings a bit to think about.

I'll admit out of the "Acceptable Rural Hobbies" listed above I do share one, and that is Fishing. I used to be obsessed with it as a kid and it is likely because I was heavily influenced by my Grandfather to enjoy it.  There is nothing wrong with this at all and I still enjoy wetting a line from time to time (Mostly in the summer.  Ice Fishing can be pretty miserable).

At the end of the day Fishing is now a passing hobby.  Its something I can enjoy but take or leave in most cases. I no longer pass by a lake on a road and go "Man I wish I had my rods with me..." though I did have this strong passion for it before I got into Photography fifteen years ago.  

The number of times I've said internally to myself "Man I wish I had packed a camera" or "Man I really wish I could pull over and get a photo of that but I can't..." are unmeasurable however.

I leave this post with a few of my favorite photos taken in the small town I live in, the town I work in, and other small towns I've actually went out of my way to visit because I thought they would be a neat place to take a walk with a camera in, and generally I have never been disappointed in finding something interesting to photograph on the street of a Small Town.