Crop Sensor: A crop sensor camera, like on many DSLRs (which use the APS-C size) or the Four Thirds sensor (used in Four Thirds DSLRs and Micro 4/3 mirrorless cameras), is simply a sensor that is smaller in physical size than a full frame sensor.Full Frame: A full frame camera has a sensor that is the same physical size as that of a frame of 35mm film.I have made some minor edits to the text in order to clarify some of the above.įirst off, what does it mean when someone talks about a sensor or lens in terms of 35mm or ‘full frame’ equivalence? Well, quite simply, it is a way to compare angle of view, and more recently, the look you’ll get with respect to depth of field, between a full frame sensor and a ‘crop’ sensor.This is about the use of full frame equivalence for people who have no reason to reference a format they don’t use, and against the far too often seen use of ‘aperture equivalence’ and how it relates to minimum depth of field as an absolute in determining the quality of a lens.This is not an argument about using ‘equivalence’ as a point of reference. I fully believe that using ‘equivalence’ calculations makes perfect sense if you ‘think’ in 35mm terms, and thus it is useful in your mind to do the math to compare focal lengths, or even for depth of field calculations.I am not debating or arguing in any way that full frame cameras don’t have a better image quality baseline that crop cameras…they do as a general rule (same generation, etc). This is not intended to show or imply superiority of any format over another.I’m going to try and give a clear view of what is truly meant when someone is talking about full frame equivalence, as well as dispel several myths about it, and ultimately tell you why, if you shoot with a smaller format, it mostly doesn’t matter.Īuthor’s Notes: This article has been up for a while now, and from several comments I’m seeing with some regularity, I feel the need to make a few points. This can often be a source of great confusion among new shooters, and it can also be a point of disturbingly odd derision for other people, especially with regards to ‘aperture equivalence’. With smaller than 35mm sized sensors, you will often hear talk of a camera’s or lens’ “full frame equivalent” focal length or aperture. 3Why Full Frame Equivalency Doesn't Matter.2Now, let me tell you why none of this matters: Next Page.1What does 'Full Frame Equivalent' mean?.

Aps c sensor vs full frame