There are a wealth of crop frame cameras on the market these days, and many of the bodies have as many features as full frame cameras, but with a much less hefty price tag. But full frame cameras have their advantages. The term "full frame" means that the digital sensor in the camera is the same size as an old strip of 35mm film. This therefore means that you don't have to do any clever magnifying on your lenses - whatever the stated focal length is, is what you get! File sizes and megapixel count also tend to be higher on full frame DSLRs, and the cameras come with a host of features. Full frame cameras also tend to have less problems with various artifacts as lenses don't have to cope with the crop factor. If you're serious about photography, and maybe thinking about making a career from it, these are the cameras to consider.
Here is my list of the best full frame cameras on the market at present.
1. Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Canon
I'll freely admit that this is the camera I use, as I've been a dedicated Canon user for quite some time! This isn't Canon's top of the range camera (that's the EOS 1DS Mk III), but the Canon EOS 5D Mark II has more than enough features to keep most photographers happy. It's lightweight and compact - yet has 21.1mp, and full HD mode. It is widely regarded as one of the best cameras on the market for shooting films, and its image quality is amazing. The 5D Mark II also considerably cheaper and lighter than the 1DS!
2. Canon EOS 5D
Canon
If you haven't got the budget for a 5D Mk II, then you can still pick up its predecessor for a much lower price. If you do a bit of research, you'll also find a lot of people selling them secondhand (usually because they've replaced them with a Mk II!). Granted - the original 5D only has 12mp, but the image quality is superb and color rendition is lovely. The camera also produces stunning results - even at high ISOs.
3. Nikon D700
Nikon
A little disappointingly, Nikon have shied away from very high mp counts in some of their FX cameras. The D700 only has 12mp, and to get a higher count, you'll need to invest in Nikon's flagship camera, the D3X (which has a mp of 24.1 and costs over $6000!). But in all other respects, the D700 is a fantastic camera - it's ruggedly built and has a fast frame per second rate of 5fps. Even though it has a slightly lower mp count, it will still outperform many of its crop frame rivals.
4. Sony A900
Sony
5. Hasselblad H4D-31
Hasselblad
And here's a suggestion for if you win the lottery! Hasselblad were the undisputed kings of film photography - their cameras were even taken to the moon! The H4D-31 is their enty-level digital camera with a whooping 31mp (they do cameras that go up to 60mp!). Because Hasselblad technology is based on medium format cameras, the sensors are much larger than in normal DSLR cameras, and image quality is quite simply amazing. However, you'll need around $13000 to buy one of these!
