#APS CAMERA MEANING FULL#

One of the big advantages is that APS-C systems are normally smaller and lighter than full-frame equivalents. When it comes to image quality, it’s a general rule of thumb that a bigger sensor equals better performance, with less noise in low light and sometimes better dynamic range – but there are plenty of advantages to APS-C, usually depending on what exactly it is you want from your camera. It also works with bigger than full-frame sensors too – medium format has a 0.79x crop factor, which would make a 100mm lens equivalent to 79mm. A Micro Four Thirds sensor has a 2x crop factor (100mm becomes 200mm), while a one-inch sensor has a 2.7x crop factor (100mm becomes 270mm). Other sensor sizes have different crop factors. Therefore, the 100mm lens mentioned above gives you an equivalent of either 150mm or 160mm on an APS-C camera – you simply multiply the focal length by the crop factor for the camera sensor. Nikon, Fujifilm, Sony and Pentax APS-C sensors have a 1.5x crop factor, while Canon APS-C sensors have a 1.6x crop factor. It would make more sense to talk about lenses in terms of their angle of view, but focal length has become so entrenched as an indication of angle of view or magnification, it’s easier to stay with that. However, when you use a smaller sensor, you’ll need to apply a “crop factor” to get the equivalent focal length. When using a full-frame camera, whatever focal length is printed on the lens (for example 100mm) is what you’ll get when you shoot with it. What is a crop factor?Ĭrop sensors have a crop factor that you need to take into account when using lenses with your camera.

#APS CAMERA MEANING FULL#

The term ‘crop sensor’ comes from the idea that if you put the same lens on both a full frame and an APS-C camera, the smaller sensor in the APS-C camera will effectively ‘crop’ the image area. It’s a term which is most commonly applied to APS-C, but it can also be used to describe even smaller sensors, such as Micro Four Thirds, or even the smaller sensors that you find in compact cameras and smartphone – though it’s rare to hear those described as such.

You might hear the term crop sensor from time to time, which simply means something which is smaller than full-frame. The physical size differences lead to both advantages and disadvantages, which we’ll discuss in more detail below. Again, occasionally there are APS-C sensors found in high-end compacts. APS-C sensors are used by Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm and Pentax. You’ll find an APS-C sensor in many of the best mirrorless cameras too, and they’re also commonly used in DSLRs. Full-frame sensors are used by Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, Pentax, Sigma and Leica. You’ll even occasionally find a full-frame sensor in a high-end compact camera. There are benefits and drawbacks to each sensor size, which we’ll also walk you through.įull-frame, APS-C, Micro Four Thirds sensor sizeįull-frame sensors can be found in the best full-frame mirrorless cameras, as well as many of the best DSLRs. Other than the physical size differences, there are some other differences to take note of between sensor sizes, which we’ll be exploring in this piece. Outside of these two, you also have medium format (larger than full-frame), and Four Thirds (smaller than APS-C, also known as Micro Four Thirds or MFT). In 2023, probably the two most common sensor sizes you’ll see on the market are full-frame, which is the same sensor size as 35mm film, and the smaller, APS-C format, similar in size to APS-C film. For example, the Canon EOS R7 (APS-C) has 32.5 megapixels, while the Fujifilm X-H2 and X-T5 (also APS-C) have 40 megapixels, so all three have technically higher resolution than many full frame cameras (typically 24-26MP at this price level). But when you factor in resolution, or megapixels, the boundaries become blurred. All other things being equal, a full frame camera will give better quality than an APS-C model. Just as bigger negative sizes give better quality with film cameras, the same is true of sensor sizes. The image sensor is the fundamental element of any camera, but with several different sensor sizes available, it can be a bit confusing to know the differences – and to decide which is best for you. In terms of APS-C vs full-frame Amy Davies lets us know the key differences, pros and cons. Do you need to buy a full-frame camera in 2023, or is APS-C good enough? A lot has happened recently, particularly some new, higher-resolution APS-C cameras that appear to close the gap to full-frame cameras and even overhaul some base models.

Aps camera meaning