Author Topic: do medium format sensors earn more money than full frame? (Read 7201 times)

unnonimus · « **on:** May 20, 2018, 22:19 »

I am currently shooting with an APS-C camera. I am going to buy a new camera, full frame or medium format.

does anyone have any experience or knowledge as to whether medium format images earn more money on stock photo web sites as compared to APS-C or full frame?

keep in mind my best selling images right now are on a 1" sensor at 8mp, and I just started doing photography 1.5 years ago. does anyone have any longer term sales numbers to compare sensor sizes?

pancaketom · « **Reply #1 on:** May 20, 2018, 22:38 »

I know my stitched panoramas don't make any more than downsized APS-C images at most (or any?) sites. There are advantages to a full frame or medium format camera, but I don't think more sales from microstock is very high on the list.

Easier workflow and the ability to crop and downsize with impunity might be the biggest advantage.

hatman12 · « **Reply #2 on:** May 20, 2018, 23:28 »

Don't waste your money unless you are able to upload to Macro agencies who sell to the big advertising world.

Years ago some agencies such as iStock gave search priority to XXXL images but that was when the largest sensor sizes were 16-21mp. Nowadays most APS-C sensors exceed those sizes. And the quality of APS-C is now similar or better than the full frame sensors of seven or eight years ago.

Bear in mind that the market has changed and many web sites, newspapers etc actually use a huge number of shots taken on mobile phones - the quality and size issue seems to have been replaced by 'modern approach and style' considerations.

I recently sold my Canon full frame gear and changed to Fuji X-T2. The quality from RAW is as good if not better than my old Canon and I am delighted with the change.

Spending more money on better equipment is tempting, but it is the content of the image that will make the sale regardless of size.

tätarätä · « **Reply #3 on:** May 21, 2018, 05:16 »

The higher resolution doesn't matter.
It depends what you are shooting. For people SLR APS ist better. Its just faster.
For still life the bigger medium format sensor give you a better control of sharp / unsharp adjustment.
But i don't think they sell better. The workflow can be more comfortable for you if you like it. But i would prefer a tilt shift lens.

NeonRobot · « **Reply #4 on:** May 21, 2018, 17:11 »

Quote from: unnonimus on May 20, 2018, 22:19

I am currently shooting with an APS-C camera. I am going to buy a new camera, full frame or medium format.

does anyone have any experience or knowledge as to whether medium format images earn more money on stock photo web sites as compared to APS-C or full frame?

keep in mind my best selling images right now are on a 1" sensor at 8mp, and I just started doing photography 1.5 years ago. does anyone have any longer term sales numbers to compare sensor sizes?

I have 645D. It is utterly impractical for microstock purposes.
Good modern APS will be sufficient. Their payments way too low to buy MF camera for content delivery.

I even push pictures from Nokia N808, but heavily processed of course.
And not ashamed of it, they totally deserve it.

Chichikov · « **Reply #5 on:** May 25, 2018, 00:33 »

I think that today mobile phones earn more money than full frame…

unnonimus · « **Reply #6 on:** May 25, 2018, 05:31 »

I don't understand why.

if you have a 25mp photo, it is going to have a certain lifespan before people will no longer buy it due to poor resolution. a photo with 50mp should last longer in the market. although I do make a lot of money with 9mp photos.

in regards to the sensor, I notice an improvement from 1" to APS-C. surely a camera that is full frame or medium format must have an improved dynamic range that produces higher quality photos, which should mean less rejections on stock sites. in addition, I think Alamy is rejecting APS-C photos now.

I have tried contacting stock agencies to determine if they believe a better sensor is worth being and they never give me any information.

dpimborough · « **Reply #7 on:** May 25, 2018, 08:42 »

Quote from: unnonimus on May 25, 2018, 05:31

I don't understand why.

if you have a 25mp photo, it is going to have a certain lifespan before people will no longer buy it due to poor resolution. a photo with 50mp should last longer in the market. although I do make a lot of money with 9mp photos.

in regards to the sensor, I notice an improvement from 1" to APS-C. surely a camera that is full frame or medium format must have an improved dynamic range that produces higher quality photos, which should mean less rejections on stock sites. in addition, I think Alamy is rejecting APS-C photos now.

I have tried contacting stock agencies to determine if they believe a better sensor is worth being and they never give me any information.

and that really shows how little you know.

An image will last as long as the subject matter is desirable.

It has nothing to do with tech stuff like how big it is.

99% of Joe Public have no clue what a pixel is and more likely don't give a chit

As to Alamy rejecting APS-C photos they do not.

Pauws99 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 25, 2018, 08:47 »

Quote from: unnonimus on May 25, 2018, 05:31

I don't understand why.

if you have a 25mp photo, it is going to have a certain lifespan before people will no longer buy it due to poor resolution. a photo with 50mp should last longer in the market. although I do make a lot of money with 9mp photos.

in regards to the sensor, I notice an improvement from 1" to APS-C. surely a camera that is full frame or medium format must have an improved dynamic range that produces higher quality photos, which should mean less rejections on stock sites. in addition, I think Alamy is rejecting APS-C photos now.

I have tried contacting stock agencies to determine if they believe a better sensor is worth being and they never give me any information.

You think wrong about Alamy. If you are getting rejections on an APS-C or similar sensor size then its down to user competence not the sensor except in very rare circumstances.

BaldricksTrousers · « **Reply #9 on:** May 25, 2018, 10:34 »

The bigger the file the more storage space you need for it, the more chance there is of a logo or face being visible and the longer you spend checking it for any unwanted blemishes. It all costs you money, time and effort on top of the cost of the camera. And 99% of the images will be used for something where a 6MP file would be quite sufficient. I still regularly sell files I shot 14 years ago on a 6mp Canon 300D ... if the shot is good it will sell (well, might sell), if it's bad it won't.

Oh, and the bigger the sensor the greater the risk of rejections for focus or camera-shake.

I'd advise you to stick to what is good enough, which in my opinion is 12 to 20MP range, rather than wasting a lot of time and money on 25-50MP.

MysteryShot · « **Reply #10 on:** May 25, 2018, 11:36 »

This guy has no clue what he is talking about

mj007 · « **Reply #11 on:** May 25, 2018, 11:51 »

Now with the internet you really don't need big images. Even printing prints or big billboards you don't need that big of file because of digital technology getting so advanced these days. I shoot with Nikon D810 and always downsize for the stock photo sites. My images sell very well as still do some of my first Nikon D1 images which I think was a 6MP camera. In stock for my experience size really dose not matter that much. Spend your money on photo ideas not the biggest cameras....W. Scott McGill

jonbull · « **Reply #12 on:** May 27, 2018, 13:32 »

i don't know if they earned more money but if i had to choose one camera to take me forever it's my 645d. i use even format, mostly pentax, have some other brand also but now i use pentax k1 mostly.
I BOUGHT Pentax 645d many years ago at a bargain, and have practically all lenses made in film era.
i use mostly k1 cause if easier, output is easier, and the sony sensor cmos is super generous. but when i use the 645d for pad job, mostly fashion, an some landscape, is a joy, the big viewfinder is like a cinema screen, the body is ike a tank and till iso 400 the output is superb.
but 645d is ccd old sensor. it has less latitude in shadow but a more gentle roll of f of highlights who makes for more natural photos, i shoot on the left of histogram with 645d while tie k1 i shoot mostly to save detail and push shadow. but the output of the sony cmos sensor, is more digital, i like it but for me a good ccd sensor at base iso well exposed is still unbeatable.
all said i won't buy a fuji gx50 or hassy mirrorless at this point. well maybe fuji yes, but their sensor is just a cmos 35 mm sensor bigger, the output is the same, just more megapixel, but not that more, the lens are very good, but with 35 mm you have more choice and faster lens.
so if i suggest buy a 645d used or skip the medium format cmos, and buy just a full frame.

sharpshot · « **Reply #13 on:** May 27, 2018, 18:28 »

Quote from: unnonimus on May 25, 2018, 05:31

I don't understand why.

if you have a 25mp photo, it is going to have a certain lifespan before people will no longer buy it due to poor resolution. a photo with 50mp should last longer in the market. although I do make a lot of money with 9mp photos.

in regards to the sensor, I notice an improvement from 1" to APS-C. surely a camera that is full frame or medium format must have an improved dynamic range that produces higher quality photos, which should mean less rejections on stock sites. in addition, I think Alamy is rejecting APS-C photos now.

I have tried contacting stock agencies to determine if they believe a better sensor is worth being and they never give me any information.

I still make money from my 4mp camera that I bought back in the early 2000's. 12mp is more than enough. Alamy only reject if there's something technically wrong with the photo. I doubt they will ever reject just because the sensor was APS-C.

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Author Topic: do medium format sensors earn more money than full frame? (Read 7201 times)

unnonimus

pancaketom

hatman12

tätarätä

NeonRobot

Chichikov

unnonimus

dpimborough

Pauws99

BaldricksTrousers

MysteryShot

mj007

jonbull

sharpshot

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