Crop factor - silly question probably

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Ellekes

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There's much to do about having a full frane camera, but I don't really see why? OK, there's a crop factor to take into account if you don't have a FF, but what is the difference?

It has to be more than just a difference in actual focal lenght?
 
Ellekes said:
There's much to do about having a full frane camera, but I don't really see why? OK, there's a crop factor to take into account if you don't have a FF, but what is the difference?

It has to be more than just a difference in actual focal lenght?
Click to expand...

In a word, quality. The sensor has about 2.5x the area compared to crop format, and 4x the area of the 4/3rds format. It's much more about size than number of pixels.

There are other minor differences but that's the big one. Better sharpness, less noise, more dynamic range, richer shadows. Lovely :)

But you need to print big to see it, like A4 and above. Crop format today is really very good indeed and the gap appears to be closing.
 
blow up a pic from a camera phone (sensor is about 1/6 of an inch) and youll know, the larger the sensor the better the quality. the pixels are bigger more room for the light to get in. hth mike " i think i mean photosites".
 
Also you tend to get a shallower depth of field for a similar framing at a similar aperture. This can be useful for subject isolation but the technicals of why this is the case tend to tie my head in knots!

Phil
 
The picture from ryans link explains it better than words.

full-frame-crop-factor.jpg
 
Full frame handles noise at ISO's better.
 
philthejuggler said:
Also you tend to get a shallower depth of field for a similar framing at a similar aperture. This can be useful for subject isolation but the technicals of why this is the case tend to tie my head in knots!

Phil
Click to expand...

Look at the example picture above, to get the same coverage from a crop body you would have to move back away from the subject matter, for the same aperture on the same lens as distance increases so does dof. So to get two identical images, subject matter wise on a crop and on a FF the FF will have less dof if using the same lens/aperture combo as a crop body camera.
Simples.

Matt
 
MatBin said:
Look at the example picture above, to get the same coverage from a crop body you would have to move back away from the subject matter, for the same aperture on the same lens as distance increases so does dof. So to get two identical images, subject matter wise on a crop and on a FF the FF will have less dof if using the same lens/aperture combo as a crop body camera.
Simples.

Matt
Click to expand...

Yes, I think that is a good way to think of it. Another way would be - standing in the same position you'd need a longer focal length on FF to get the same framing & longer FL's decrease dof.

Phil.
 
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