DX to FX

[tazio]

Hello there
I am hoping for some advice , i am an architectural designer mainly photographing my own projects however in the future i would like to start doing some more work on a professional basis , but currently i am still learning lighting techniques to develop my own look !.
Anyway over the years i have built up quite a good kit of DX gear . D300+grip ,D90+grip , nikkor 10-24, nikkor 16-85, 50mm 1.8D, tamron 60mm macro F2, Sigma 50-150 APO F2.8. So a reasonable DX kit.
However i am now thinking of going FX but on a limited budget .... So am considering a D700 , 24mm PCE , and maybe a 14-24 if funds permit .
I suppose the question is will i see a large increase in image quality by going this route .. or is it better for me to wait for a time when i can afford to purchase a D800 , the reason i do not want to go D800 is purely budget simple because my D300 grip plus really right stuff bracket fits the D700 whereas on top of buying the D800 i would have to purchase those items!.
Any advice most welcome ?.

 

[MIKEROPHONICS]

Why? Do you print big?

 

[Pookeyhead]

Hello there
I am hoping for some advice , i am an architectural designer mainly photographing my own projects however in the future i would like to start doing some more work on a professional basis , but currently i am still learning lighting techniques to develop my own look !.
Anyway over the years i have built up quite a good kit of DX gear . D300+grip ,D90+grip , nikkor 10-24, nikkor 16-85, 50mm 1.8D, tamron 60mm macro F2, Sigma 50-150 APO F2.8. So a reasonable DX kit.
However i am now thinking of going FX but on a limited budget .... So am considering a D700 , 24mm PCE , and maybe a 14-24 if funds permit .
I suppose the question is will i see a large increase in image quality by going this route .. or is it better for me to wait for a time when i can afford to purchase a D800 , the reason i do not want to go D800 is purely budget simple because my D300 grip plus really right stuff bracket fits the D700 whereas on top of buying the D800 i would have to purchase those items!.
Any advice most welcome ?.

Why is the D300 grip so important? You'll be on a tripod for architectural shots any way won't you? It's not as if you need the grip.

You'll only really notice if you print big. There won't be a large increase in quality at most normal print sizes of up to A3, no. The only advantage for you will be using the 24 PCE as a genuinely wide angle lens. For that reason alone it may be worth doing, but you'll not notice a large improvement in quality at normal print sizes by going from a D300 to a D700. At A3 you wouldn't really notice much going from the D300 to a D800. Greater dynamic range, and lower noise at higher ISOs would be noticeable, but not necessarily sharpness.

 

[psenior1]

plus there'll be better, more accurate colour rendition and depth, which I guess isn't as important for the type of pics you are looking to take. If you like the idea of a grip then look at a used D3, a low mileage one of those will last you forever.