A crop sensor DSLR and a standard 70-200mm 2.8 Lens will run around $3,000 – $5,000. For enthusiasts or non-professional sports photographers, plenty of budget-friendly options exist. While a crop sensor DSLR doesn’t provide the same level of image quality as a full frame DSLR, it does offers major advantages when it comes to cost. This is going to depend on your intended use, budget, and so forth. With a crop frame body, a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens effectively transforms into a 112-320mm lens! Let me also clarify that this is simply a benefit, it doesn’t mean that you SHOULD use a crop sensor DSLR when shooting these types of photography. The added reach comes in handy when shooting sports, wildlife, and other types of photojournalism. Telephoto Photographyįirst, the extra reach gained from the crop sensor multiplier works especially well for telephoto photography. Crop Sensor Advantagesīelow are the advantages of a crop frame camera. As a result, the additional focal length creates a shallower depth of field. The larger the sensor, the longer the focal length required to create the same field of view. Now, a 31mm lens doesn’t exist of course, but you get the idea. For example, using a 50mm lens on a full frame Canon camera gives the equivalent focal length or field of view as using a 31mm lens on a crop sensor Canon camera since it has a 1.6 crop multiplier (31mm x 1.6 = 50mm).

This is because the larger the sensor, the longer the focal length of the lens needs to be to capture the same field of view. When shooting at the same EFFECTIVE focal length, using the same aperture settings and shooting from the exact same angle/distance to the subject, the full frame camera will have a shallower depth of field (more bokeh) than the crop sensor camera. Full frame sensors are also preferred when it comes to architectural photography due to having a wider angle which is useful with tilt/shift lenses.įull frame DSLRs also have a shallower depth of field than crop sensor DSLRs. Generally, a full frame sensor can provide a broader dynamic range and better low light/high ISO performance yielding a higher quality image than a crop sensor. Full Frame Advantagesīelow are the advantages of a full frame camera. We are going to avoid the technical details and just give you the most practical and general information. There are several advantages and disadvantages to each sensor size. Advantages and Disadvantages of Full Frame and Crop Sensors When a Nikon 50mm f/1.4 lens is attached to that Nikon DSLR, the focal length is multiplied by 1.5x and effectively acts like a 75mm lens on a full frame DSLR. The amount of difference in the field of view or focal length with a crop sensor is measured by its “Multiplier.”įor example, a Nikon APS-C crop sensor has a 1.5x multiplier. This effectively increases the focal length. If you use a crop frame camera, the sensor will crop out the edges of the frame. In other words, if a full frame DSLR and a crop sensor DSLR take the same photo from the same distance, with the same lens and point of view, then the crop sensor will capture a tighter field of view than the full frame.įocal length measurements on lenses are based on the 35mm standard. The smaller sensor’s field of view is a crop of the full frame. In fact the term “crop” implies just exactly that. The most visible difference between full frame and crop sensor is their field of view. Crop Sensor Field of View and Focal Length

While the video below is an older one, the concepts have not changed over time.įull Frame vs. For a full breakdown of the different types of cameras, see this article on 14 Different Types of Cameras or this article on DSLR vs Mirrorless Cameras.

The common types of crop sensor include APS-C and micro 4/3 systems. A crop sensor refers to any sensor smaller than a full frame sensor or a 35mm film frame. The differences between the full frame vs crop sensor are not limited to size, but it’s a good place to start. The Difference between Full Frame Vs Crop Sensors

Crop sensor vs full frame mm comparison