"RichA" wrote in message
oups.com...
: With the release of the 30D, it does not appear Canon intends to
: migrate completely away
: from sub-FF sensors.
:
There's a reason for that.
Canon EOS cameras have the shortest back focus distance of all the popular
SLRs. This produces it's own unique assembly line tolerance requirements as
far as manufacturing a camera goes.

The FF DSLRs create some challenges in design which are not easy to overcome
and take people back to a place in time where critical focus did not include
using electronic sharpening aids post shoot, because of the fuzz of an anti
alias filter over the sensor. FF sensors may be or may not be a viable
proposition for all situations. Certainly those who went back to a 5D from a
20D have no doubt discovered some quirks that do not exist in crop factor
cameras.

Plenty of 5D owners have discovered that the f/2.8 lens which had an
acceptable depth of field wide open on their 1.6x sensors, have quite
critical DOF limitations compared to 20Ds. It's like stepping back in time
to use a 5D after you've been accustomed to a crop factor lens. The only
problem there is the different techniques you must devise to overcome the
fact that pictures are not as sharp when you put a filter over the sensor to
stop a moiré effect.

The same lenses on a film camera are considerably crisper in every respect
and this is due entirely to Canon's use of an aggressive anti alias filter
because they can't overcome the moiré effect with a Bayer sensor. Personally
I prefer the sharpness from a Nikon or Olympus DSLR - as compared to that
from film, that the artificial sharpness from a Canon. The 5D may well be a
unique creature going the way of eye control and all those other wonderful
Canon failures.