How sensor size affect performance...

Ok, this may be a long post, i have so much things in my head!

One thing i am doing is try to take control of the DOF+Aperture+Subject Distance+Background distance.

The compromise may be between having eough subject in focus, the background as blurred as i can but without having a huge background, keep the distance from the subject low since i may be shooting in places where i have not much room to step back.

I often use a 30mm, i already stopped it down at 2.8 with the idea that the head of the cat should always be completely in focus. But afeter all i like better when the whole cat is in focus: the texture of the fur should be defined and well contrasted in the whole body!

So i started reading about aperture and the jureny has begun...

I ended up reading this:

http://www.dpreview.com/articles/2666934640/what-is-equivalence-and-why-should-i-care/

i already readed this when it was published but i was missing something... I start reading the comments this time and it opened up my mind...

If you look to some ISO test around you will see that FF is being a whole stop better than apsc (being sensor similar in technology...). I always tought that it was due to the sensor size but now i understand that there is a bigger factor!

I assumed that iso 100 was "no signal amplification" to make it easy. iso 200 = 2x singnal amplification and so on... Totally wrong. If we assume that iso 100 is "no signal amplification" on a fullframe sensor, the same iso on a apsc sensor needs (and gets) a 2x signal amplification, 4x on a mft sized sensor, 8x on a point and shot camera. If you look at it from this perspective the P&S sensor is doing a really good job: getting an almost noisless image at iso 100 on a P&S camera is light getting an almost noisless image with a FF.

On the other side, it makes hard to go with the quality of a point and shot.

Where does this takes me?

No surprise that if the actual Iso/DOF performance (apsc samsung nx) is nearly fitting my needs there is no chance that actual mft sensor will do the same. On the other hand if one day i will choose to go for a FF i really will not need a stoped down lenses because DOF I need is simpliy provided by a standard lens (classic f3.5-f5.6 standard zoom).

From compact to mirrorless: video focusing

When i compare my hx5 with my nx1100 i notice that AF in video seems a lot better.

Since i recently started considering more factors i may have understood the cause and a way to fix it.

Both cameras uses CDAF but have a very differente DOF. When I use  the NX i tend to use the wider aperture i can to gather more light and take full advantage from the large sensor. This make AF harder and slower. Now, wherever i can, istop down by 2 and i get far better AF!

Consider that i am not a "videographer" by any means. All i do is document some family scene so no need for focus and bokeh techniques in my videos!

CDAF vs PDAF

One thing that i left back when i switched from Sony Dslr to Samsung Mirrorless system is Autofocus.

Orginal plan was to keep both system because of Af performance of my a200, but when i found myself never using the dslr anymore i understood that i already made my choice and AF performance gap was not so relevant for me.

So the dslr was sold but everytime you miss a picture because of AF you put in discussion the decision...

So i spent some time reading about CDAF and PDAF and how they perform.

One thing i discovered is AFMA: Auto Focus Micro Adjustment. A number of Pro and semiPro Dslrs have this feature. Why? Because PDAF is less accurate than you would expected so an adjustment may be needed.

So, to describe the situation:

CDAF focus better than PDAF

PDAF is faster than CDAF

CDAF allow live view

PDAF has higher hit percentage than CDAF (sometimes CDAF focus on the wrong object or in the background)

PDAF focus better in low light and in low contrast situation

Today Hybrid AF seems a valuable options, but many think that CDAF will catch up PDAF in the future.

My 2016 Path...

I am setting on the NX for the next 2-3 years. I started sorting out from the NX related licterature and reading some more "general photography". Now that i have a new system to grow with i have set my photography target for 2016.

I spent a lot of time reading about catshow photography and also did some experience. I used to think that it is like portrait photography but now i realized that is more like fashion photography.

The difference?

In fashion photography you have a staff: an assistant, some one for the makeup and someone for the dressing. This is the same with show cats: it is you, the photographer, someone who tease the cat and help you getting the pose, the owner that prepare the cat like makeup and dressing of a model.

So the new challenge is taking modern techniques in to cat photography, now that i know (more or less) how to shot a show cat i think it is time for me to try to find my way.

Actual gear:

NX1000 body
NX20 body
30mm prime (a good focal that allow my to shot a single cat with some crop or a group of cats... usually stopped down to f2.8 to get always the whole head in focus)
18-55 III for the NX20 (best handling with the flash)
16-50pz for the NX1000 (compact+zoom+is)
20-50 II (i love the edge to edge sharpness and handling, tryng to find uses for this lens)
50-200mm (mai reason i have an NX20, on the wide end must be an interesting tool)
Samsung GN42 flash
Bower 728 (remotely triggered)

Planned gear:
A new tripod
leather grip for the 2 bodies
a white reflector
45 or 60mm prime
16mm prime not for cat usage (!)