Cropped vs full sensors?

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What do people mean when they go on about cropped vs full frame sensors? What is the difference/how do they compare? Which Canon SLRs are full frame?
 
full frame refers to a 135 sized sensor (same as 35mm film) a crop sensor refers to the APS-C sized sensors which are 1.5-1.6x smaller.

135 sized sensors are found in canon 1ds and 5D series cameras, crops sensors are found in the rest with the 1d series having the APS-H type which is 1.3x smaller.

This difference in sensor size affects the field of view for any given focal length. eg 16mm on a 135 sensor has the same field of view as a 10mm lens on an canon APS-C sensor.
 
depending on what you shoot both have some big advantages.

crop sensor = more equivalent focal lenght (ideal birds and wildlife) cheaper.

Full frame=better in low light(generally) no crop factor (ideal for portraits or landscapes) narrower DoF, much more expensive
 
Canon cameras with full frame are the 5D (MkI and MkII) and the 1Ds series.

The 1D series is sort of halfway between full frame and APS-C crop cameras, having an APS-H sensor which is 1.3 times smaller than full frame.
 
The size of the digital imaging sensor, that's all that's meant by it. The smaller the sensor generally the worse the picture will become.

A Full frame sensor is the same size as the bit of film was in a 35mm SLR, nice and easy, all lenses correspond to the same focal lengths as old 25mm SLRs.

APSC has a crop factor of 1.6x - meaning it's a smaller sensor, and the lens focal length has to be magnified by 1.6x in order to get it's 'equivalent' on a 25mm camera. Means a 100mm lens on APSC feels like a 160mm lens.

4/3 is the smallest sensor in DSLRs and has a cropfactor of 2x, bing half the size of a full frame sensor. A 100mm lens now acts as a 200mm lens.

Having a cropped sensor is great if you want to use big lenses, because a smaller lens costs a lot less and gives you a lot more reach. 4/3 gives you a lot of options to use old manual lenses from many other manufacturers cameras, so you can get some really cheep telephoto lenses, but because super wide angle lenses of 24mm and smaller are not wideangle on the crppped sensor, you're tied into the manufacturer to get your hands on the modern equivalents.

Crop sensor cameras are therefore much easier on the wallet, and as long as you're not after shooting in very low light hand held, will give some very good results.
 
Alan Clogwyn said:
The size of the digital imaging sensor, that's all that's meant by it. The smaller the sensor generally the worse the picture will become.

A Full frame sensor is the same size as the bit of film was in a 35mm SLR, nice and easy, all lenses correspond to the same focal lengths as old 25mm SLRs.

APSC has a crop factor of 1.6x - meaning it's a smaller sensor, and the lens focal length has to be magnified by 1.6x in order to get it's 'equivalent' on a 25mm camera. Means a 100mm lens on APSC feels like a 160mm lens.

4/3 is the smallest sensor in DSLRs and has a cropfactor of 2x, bing half the size of a full frame sensor. A 100mm lens now acts as a 200mm lens.

Having a cropped sensor is great if you want to use big lenses, because a smaller lens costs a lot less and gives you a lot more reach. 4/3 gives you a lot of options to use old manual lenses from many other manufacturers cameras, so you can get some really cheep telephoto lenses, but because super wide angle lenses of 24mm and smaller are not wideangle on the crppped sensor, you're tied into the manufacturer to get your hands on the modern equivalents.

Crop sensor cameras are therefore much easier on the wallet, and as long as you're not after shooting in very low light hand held, will give some very good results.
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Thanks very much, that helps a lot :). Thanks also to Dogfish_magnet for the link! Are lenses compatible between lower end Canon SLRs and the full framed bodies? I think they probably are and that thats a stupid question but I'm just checking :p.
 
Dogfish_magnet said:
how do you explain the EF-S 55-250mm then :thinking:
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Erm ??:thinking: The exception that proves the rule. :nuts::exit:

Your right of course. But as a general guide and where Canon started the EFS range was to produce wide angle lenses for aps c sensors. Although as you point out, for their own reasons they have started to increase the EFS range to include longer focal lengths. :shrug:
 
As I undserstand it EF-S lens construction intrudes more into the body of the camera and hence would collide with the mirror operation on a FF camera. I did see some shots of an EFS lens that the user had cut some of it away to use on a FF body
 
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artyman said:
As I undserstand it EF-S lens construction intrudes more into the body of the camera and hence would collide with the mirror operation on a FF camera. I did see some shots of an EFS lens that the user had cut some of it away to use on a FF body
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Just looked at my 10-22 Ef-s and compared it to my other lenses. It has an additional black ring protruding beyond the metal bayonet fit that my other lenses have.
 
EF-S lenses exploit the fact that a smaller image circle is required for a crop sensor and therefore for an equivalent (range of) focal length and speed (max aperture) can be more compact in design, and hence cheaper to produce, than EF lenses.

Compare for example the EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM and the EF 24-70 f/2.8 L. The 17-55 is equivalent to a 27-88 on Full Frame yet it considerable more compact in optical design than the 24-70 despite it also incorporating image stabilisation.

As others have mentioned it is not normally* possible to mount an EF-S on a full frame camera due to a addition element on the mount. This is because there is a risk of the rear element colliding with the mirror at some wider focal lengths.

*As Artyman has posted, it is actually possible to modify an EF-S to allow mounting on a Full Frame body. However, there is the possibility of mirror damage (as described above). Also sever vignetting will also likely occur due to the reduce size of the image circle.
 
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