What is the relationship between the sensor full-frame and the photographic film?

DSLR cameras use a digital sensor to capture images, replacing the old photographic film. Because they are an evolution from analog cameras, most of today’s cameras have sensors based on the 35mm film. When a camera says owning a sensor full-frame (frame-full), it means that your sensor is the same size as a 35mm film. The majority of the other sensors derives from this shape (there are also some other variations that are beyond this ratio, as appropriate sensor medium format, which is equivalent to 120mm film, but here only treat format full frame and its derivatives).

Amy Green from Photography To Remember noted that the vast majority of cameras have APS-C sensor (Advanced Photo System Type C), such as the Canon 7D on the image above. This is the sensor most commonly found to be smaller and much cheaper, which is directly reflected in the final price of the camera. In the example above, both cameras work the same way, but as a full-frame captures a wider part of the scene, sometimes we can finish with two slightly different photos not just on the size of the image, but also the clarity and amount of blur the background, even using the same settings and lenses.

Depth

Imagine you are photographing a flower using a camera with APS-C sensor. You approach the flower so that it fills the whole picture, but behind is the lawn, and he takes some of the flower of attention, to solve this you decide blur the background by opening the diaphragm, reducing the depth of field. Now with the featured flower, you get the picture and ready, the grass is blurred and is no longer a distraction.

Now you take your other camera, even with the same lens and the same settings, but this has a sensor full-frame. Standing in the same position where the first picture was taken, so you put your eye to the viewfinder already realize that the difference is huge, you can see all parts of the scene that had been cut, the flower seems much further and does not fulfil most any photo. Now there are two options, either take the picture from the same place and then cut during editing, to get the same result as the previous photo, or you can approach the flower.

When approaching flower, it again fills the whole picture, but as you are “physically” closer, the prospect of the flower seems a bit extreme. You are now also focusing more closely and in doing so the depth of lower campofica. That is, the background is blurred even more! Same flower, the same lens, the same opening, and to the same composition, but the result camera full-frame is different.

Macro

Now you decide to take a macro picture, cameras caught the two and goes in search of an insect. You see a butterfly in the same flower before, but if they get too close it can fly! In this case then it is best to use the camera with APS-C sensor, since with it you can work at a greater distance from the insect. But that’s not all, is macro photography in very difficult to get sufficient depth of field, so a little more room to focus on is better. As we said before, the greater the distance from the template, the greater the depth of field.

Distant objects

Having a sensor that captures only the centre of the scene can be sometimes advantage. For those who shoot birds, for example, have an APS-C sensor is like having a longer lens.

Canon APS-C cameras usually have factor crop (crop factor) of 1.6, as Nikon APS-C (also known as Nikon DX), is 1.5 crop factor. The crop factor is sometimes called the “multiplier” because you can use this figure to calculate how the lens works in relation to its sensor.

For example, a 100mm lens with a camera photo sensor full-frame behaves like a 100mm lens. But if we put the same lens in a body that has a sensor crop factor 1.6, the composition will be 1.6 x 100mm = 160mm, or would be almost the same as using a 160mm lens.

Doing so is almost like increasing the size of telephoto lens. But as I said earlier, the APS-C sensor does not magnify the image, it just cuts the edges giving the impression that the model is closer. Despite being a huge advantage for shooting sports or wildlife, you can also hinder rather how much you want to take pictures of landscapes or places where there is little room.

Full-frame VS APS-C

Cameras full-frame

PROS:

• Takes full advantage of the wide angle;

• It allows the photographer to approach more of the model / subject, reducing the depth of field, leaving the more blurred background;

• The largest photo sensor ensures pictures with less noise;

• Great for landscape photography, street art, architecture and products.

CONS:

• More expensive than APS-C;

• More difficult to “fill in” a photo when shooting distant subjects.

APS-C cameras

PROS:

• Cheaper;

• Telephoto lenses behave as longer lenses yet;

• Great choice for wildlife photography, sports and macro.

CONS:

• Decreases the viewing angle of the wide angle;

• The fund can get a little more in focus, and counterargument more distracting;

• The smaller sensor can sometimes result in images with slightly more noise.