PHOTOGRAPHY

 What is the difference between Full Frame and Crop Sensor?

  Full Frame or Crop Sensor? Whether you're a beginner preparing to buy your first DSLR, or an advanced photographer thinking about swapping your camera for one with advanced features, this is one of the decisions you need to make. What is the difference between Crop Sensor and Full-Frame? What are their advantages and what are the reasons that would make you choose one over the other?

In this article, I will share with you my personal experience as I tried both types of DSLR cameras, so you will find everything you need to know about the Full Frame Sensor and Crop Sensor.

   What is the difference between full-frame and crop sensor?

   1. Volume Sensor

  First, what is a sensor? A sensor is a device that captures the light from the lens and uses it to create an image (see image below).

  The terms “Full frame” and “Crop Sensor” refer to the size of the sensor in the image above. Whereas, the Full Frame has the same film size as the old cameras, meaning it's 35mm in size. While Crop Sensor, it is any sensor smaller than 35mm as shown in the image below.

  Common types of Crop Sensor include APS-C and micro 4/3 systems.

  Now that we have seen the difference in the physical size of the sensor, let's now see the other two differences between Full-frame and Crop sensor.

   2. Field of View and Focal Length

  • field of view

  The other most obvious difference between Full-frame and Crop Sensor is the field of view.

  The field of view of the crop sensor is smaller than that of the full-frame sensor.

  I will explain more; If you take a picture with a full-frame camera such as the Nikon D800, and you take the same picture from the same distance, with the same lens but this time with a cropping sensor camera such as the Nikon D7100, the image captured by the cropping sensor camera is cut off or small compared to the image captured By the Nikon D800 full-frame camera. The example is shown in the image below

  From the image above, the Crop Sensor camera's field of view is smaller, because the grass, sky, and other edges are cut out. Reverse the field of view of the full-frame sensor camera, where the captured image is taken at its normal size.

  Well to continue, if we take the image captured by the camera with the Crop sensor, and compare it to the image captured by the camera with the full-frame sensor, as shown in the images below:

  So the other difference between the full-frame sensor and the crop sensor, is the focal length, let's dig deeper into this point.

  • Focal Length

  Focal length is a characteristic of Lenses, they are named according to the focal length, and you can find this information on the lens nozzle. For example, a 50mm lens has a fixed focal length that does not change 50mm.

  Another example, the 70-24 lens is a telephoto lens with a variable focal length of 24 to 70.

  This is the meaning of the focal length in a nutshell, but if you want more information about it and about the types of lenses and what is the appropriate camera lens for each type of photography, here is this comprehensive article.

  

   What is the relationship between sensor size and focal length?

  When you shoot with an 85mm focal length lens on a Full Frame camera, you take your picture or your subject at an 85mm focal length and nothing changes.

  While it is different when shooting with a crop sensor camera because the sensor, as we saw previously, cuts the edges of the frame, which effectively increases the focal length (meaning it brings the target closer), and the amount of this increase, whether in the field of view or in the focal length, is the so-called Crop Factor.

  For example, Nikon APS-C (also stands for APS-C crop sensor camera) The crop factor of this camera is 1.5x.

  When we put a 50mm lens on this camera, this focal length will increase by 1.5x, meaning that your subject will be zoomed in 1.5x, so we will multiply 50mm by 1.5, so we will have a focal length of 75mm.

  Whereas if we put a 50mm lens on a camera with a full-frame sensor, your photos will be taken at 50mm focal length, meaning you will capture your subject as it is (you won't zoom in).

  So in simple terms, a 50mm lens will “behave” like a 75mm lens on a Crop Sensor APS-C camera, while the same 50mm lens on a Full Frame camera will “behave” like a 50mm lens. Nothing changes.

  Another thing, the bigger the Crop Factor in the cameras, the smaller the sensor. For example, a camera sensor is a factor of 1.5 larger than a camera sensor by a factor of 2.

  The most common Crop Factor include:

• 2x: This scale is used by the Micro Four Thirds system. You can find 2x cropping sensors on Panasonic and Olympus cameras.

• x 1.6: This parameter is only used by Canon. It is also called Canon APS-C.

• ×1.5: This scale is a widespread, APS-C standard. All brands, except Canon, manufacture their own APS-C cameras with a factor of 1.5x

• x 1.3: This scale is almost gone, but you can still find it on Canon in the original 1D series (not 1Ds or 1DX, these are full-frame cameras).

  This image shows the clear difference between the sensor sizes in all types of cameras and includes the phone's camera as well.

  After knowing the difference between a cropping sensor and a full-frame sensor, let's now know about the advantages and disadvantages of each sensor.

   Advantages and disadvantages of  Full Frame Sensor and Crop Sensor

  Features of Full Frame Sensor

  1. High ISO performance and improved low-light capabilities

  We know that the better a camera can capture light, the more useful it is when we need to shoot in low-light conditions.

  This is what a full-frame camera does, cause of the larger sensor size in these cameras, more light is captured, thus achieving easier focusing in dark environments.

  A full-frame camera also has larger pixels, which reduces noise when ISO is raised.

  For example, in a camera with a full-frame sensor such as the Canon 5D Mark II, the sensor will capture a lot more light in low-light conditions, compared to a camera with a cropping sensor. This enables you to shoot at a lower ISO level, unlike a camera with a crop sensor.

  Full frame cameras also allow you to shoot at high ISO without much digital noise.

  Full-frame cameras are outstanding when it comes to image quality.

  2. Depth of field control

  The full-frame camera enables you to get images with a very shallow depth of field, compared to a cropping sensor camera.

  Shallow depth of field is where the background is out of focus or blurry, while the foreground or subject is as clear as the image below.

  For portrait photography, full-frame cameras are preferred, as you can get rid of distracting backgrounds, giving a strong artistic effect to your photo and drawing attention to your subject.

  3. Color depth and wide viewing angle

  The full-frame sensor can register more of the tonal range within shadows and highlights, improving the detail and color of your image.

  In addition, these cameras offer a wider viewing angle when compared to the crop sensor camera.

  For example, if you are going to use a 24mm lens on both a full-frame camera and a crop sensor, the full-frame camera sensor will provide an angle of view of 84 degrees; While the crop sensor camera will only provide a viewing angle of 62 degrees.

  That's why the full-frame sensor is especially useful for landscape photography, or any type of photography that needs a wide field of view, and also needs to bring out the colors in the image.

   Disadvantages of Full Frame Sensor:

  1. Size

  Because of the larger sensors, full-frame DSLRs have a larger and heavier body.

  2. Price

  The biggest drawback of Full Frame cameras is the price.

  A full-frame camera is usually a more expensive option, when compared to a crop sensor camera, not only that, but even professional lenses for Full Frame cameras, are also more expensive than most lenses designed for crop sensor cameras (APS-C).

  These are the main advantages and disadvantages of a full-frame sensor, what about the advantages and disadvantages of a cropping sensor? Let's find this out together!

   Advantages of APS-C Crop Sensor

  1. Price

  One of the main advantages of buying a camera with a cropped sensor is that it is cheaper compared to a full-frame camera.

  There is a common misconception that just because a camera is cheaper, it cannot produce high-quality shots, but quite the opposite.

  A high-quality crop sensor can provide an image similar to full-frame sensors, at a minimal cost.

  2. Telephoto capabilities

  The cropping sensor can be very effective for shooting at a distance, as this sensor gets close to the subject as we saw earlier.

  This feature is useful for some types of photography where you need to take a close look at what you are photographing, such as sports and wildlife photography.

  For example, if you have a camera with a crop sensor like the Canon 80D, and you pair it with a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, it can work effectively as a 112-320mm lens with the help of the cropping sensor.

  Let me clarify that this is just a benefit, it does not mean that you should use the crop sensor when shooting these types of photography. Rather, it depends on the purpose of shooting, budget, etc.

  For people on a budget (and I think many of us), the low cost of the APS-C Crop Sensor camera is a great plus. But, for professionals, a full-frame DSLR paired with a longer telephoto lens is best.

  This is why you usually see professional sports photographers, using cameras like a Canon 1D X paired with a 300mm (Canon | Nikon), or 400mm (Canon | Nikon) lens but this is very expensive.

  For the enthusiast or non-professional sports photographer, it is best to pay a budget-friendly amount for a crop sensor camera, and a standard lens of 70-200mm f/2.8 (Canon | Nikon). It is affordable on the one hand, and more compact and portable on the other.

  3. Size and weight

  Because the crop sensor cameras have a smaller sensor, they are light in weight to be travel friendly and carry them on any photography adventure you want to live on.

  Additionally, lenses for crop sensor cameras are usually lighter than most other lenses, making the weight of your camera gear bag easier to travel with.

   Disadvantages of APS-C Crop Sensor:

  1. Trim the actual size of the image

  The biggest drawback of the crop sensor is that it cuts off the actual size of the image. If you're using an APS-C Crop Sensor camera with a wide lens, this lens applies the cropping factor, although it can display a wide scene; You can't because of the sensor. In the end, it captures a central part of the image and ignores the perimeter.

  Also, due to the small angle of view, the background control is reduced.

  2. Poor low light performance

  To take a photo with a camera with a cropping sensor in dim light, you may need a flash or an external lamp, because the cropping sensor due to its smallness does not absorb light enough.

   So which camera do you need, APS-C Crop Sensor or Full-Frame?

  Now that we know the basic difference between full-frame cameras and crop sensor cameras, we have also seen the advantages and disadvantages of Each type, what camera do you need?

  When thinking about buying a camera, you must first answer the following questions:

1. Am I a paid photographer or just a hobbyist?

2. What kind of photography do I shoot?

3. What is my budget?

  Let's analyze these questions to determine if you need a full-frame camera or a cropping sensor.

  Are you a paid photographer or just an amateur photographer?

  If you are just someone who loves photography as a hobby and not as a profession in the sense of not getting paid for photography, then you can directly jump to question number 3 and let your budget decide which camera to get.

  But if you are a paid photographer, then you should consider question number 2 in the sense of what kind of photography you do.

  What kind of photography do you shoot?

  If you are a wedding photographer, you will constantly have to shoot in low light conditions out of your control, in this case, you will need a high ISO level. So a Full Frame camera with high ISO performance can surely help you to do your job better.

  If you are a newborn photographer who sets up photo sessions on location or in the studio and your subject is very steady, then high ISO performance and focal length probably won't be a big concern for you compared to a wedding photographer. In this case, the APS-C Crop Sensor camera will do the trick.

  If you are a sports or wildlife photographer, you may actually prefer a crop sensor camera instead of a full-frame sensor camera, because the “cropping factor” will help give you a narrower field of view and also will bring your subject closer.

  What is your budget?

  In the end, budget is what will play an important role in your decision between a full-frame camera and a crop sensor, as we mentioned earlier that full-frame cameras are more expensive than others with a crop sensor.

  Professional lenses for full-frame cameras are also more expensive than most lenses designed for crop sensor cameras, so be sure to take that into account as well.

   Conclusion

  In conclusion, full-frame sensors and crop sensors have advantages and disadvantages. While a full-frame camera offers slightly better quality, they both have their uses. So when deciding whether to buy a camera, the type of camera you "must" get depends on the type of photography you take and the budget you have.

  Our advice is to invest in a camera that inspires you to want to go out and shoot. Whether it's a cropping sensor or a full-frame camera, as long as it pushes you to get out there and explore your creative freedom, that's what your decision should be based on.