David Pierce on the rise of the full-frame camera:

“The DSLR is becoming much more important for people,” said Nikon Product Manager Sander Van Velzen. “The market is growing, and we have a lot of enthusiasts… they want to step up, they want to make even better pictures.” In today’s market, if you’re buying a camera you expect a huge upgrade in quality over the devices you already carry, and you want it for a price you can afford. Those two things — affordability and quality — have long been diametrically opposed, but at this year’s Photokina in Cologne, Germany, they’re coming together inside a series of small, affordable, decidedly consumer-friendly full-frame cameras.