Is My Camera Full Frame

You must exist equipped with knowledge virtually crop frame and full frame sensors and lenses considering not all lenses work on all DSLRs, even within the same brand.

DSLRs accept either full frame or crop frame sensors. Whichever y'all have will make a big difference on how you should go about choosing your lenses. Here, you will learn what the difference is and what it means for your photography.

"I got a new DSLR and I want a new lens. What should I become?" This was my aunt and, after a serial of questions, I was able to narrow down what lens would probably brand her happy based on her photographic camera model. If you lot're unhappy with the lens you have (or don't have one at all) and you lot don't know what you should use, find guidance in my straightforward suggestions below for new Canon and Nikon DSLR shooters. You lot must exist equipped with this knowledge because not all lenses work as intended on all DSLRs, fifty-fifty within the same brand.

Narrowing downward what lens you demand can be divided into 3 steps:

Pace ane: Identify Your Camera
Step 2: Identify Your Lens Type
Footstep 3: Pick a Lens (With Some Recommendations)

Let's become started!

You must be equipped with knowledge. Observe out if you own a crop frame or full frame sensor photographic camera.

Step 1: Identify Your Camera

The model of your photographic camera is important to knowing what lenses yous should and shouldn't use. Not every Nikon lens works well with every Nikon camera. At that place are some Canon lenses that merely will not work at all on certain Catechism cameras!

Ignoring a few rare exceptions, Nikon and Canon DSLRs fall into 2 camps: APS-C Crop Sensor Cameras and Full Frame Sensor Cameras. There are lenses designed only for crop sensors and lenses that work fine with both. Here's some Q & A to assist explain the difference.

What are full frame sensors?

Every DSLR has an image sensor within information technology. It is hiding behind a mirror and looks like a green rectangle. This is what conveys information that results in an image. It is what we popularly use at present to make pictures instead of film. In fact, that is what a full frame sensor is – information technology is a digital version of a 35mm moving-picture show frame. They are the aforementioned size!

Same concept, different commitment. 35mm film next to a full frame 35mm sensor from a D800 camera.

What are crop frame sensors?

It's a smaller sensor – smaller than 35mm. That's it. That's all information technology is. Imagine a 35mm piece of picture, crop the edges down, and that's your ingather frame sensor.

Why would anybody crop a sensor?

The contemptuous answer is money. Yous tin can fit more cropped sensors on a silicon wafer during production than total frame-sized sensors so the yield is higher, making the toll lower. Merely at that place are other benefits. Crop sensors are smaller, which ways the cameras they go into tin exist smaller. Crop sensors also have a narrower angle of view (they simply aren't as broad as total frame sensors), which enhances the telephoto outcome while reducing the wide bending affect. Nosotros'll talk more near that afterward.

If full frame sensors match 35mm film, so exactly how big is a ingather frame sensor?

Most crop sensor DSLRs use the "APS-C" format, which is a three:2 ratio, every bit is full frame, but approximates the size of Avant-garde Photo System Classic moving-picture show, which is closer to 24mm rather than 35mm. Information technology was pop in the 90s in point-and-shoot cameras. In the digital historic period, APS-C sensor cameras occupy a formidable presence amongst pros and amateurs alike.

I heard crop sensor cameras accept crop "factors". What is a crop factor?

In the digital photography world, the 35mm size is our reference betoken for all imagery. We accept all of these lenses available that are designed to work specifically on a standard 35mm frame size. Only not all cameras have 35mm size image sensors! Many DSLRs have the APS-C sized sensor, which is closer to 24mm. When y'all mount a lens that is congenital for a 35mm size and stick information technology confronting a sensor that is 24mm size then the edges of your pictures are going to get cropped off. How much they get cropped is different on Nikon and Canon. Nikon APS-C sensors crop your image by 1.5x. Canon crops information technology a hair more, past 1.6x. This crop reduces your field of view through a lens by a cistron proportional to the ratio between the 24mm size and the 35mm size.

Ok, so I'k going to see less on the edges of my scene through a lens on a crop sensor camera than on a full frame sensor camera. But how does that affect my lens choice?

When yous cut off the edges of a scene, your field of view is narrower. If you're a big fan of wide angle lenses because y'all like shooting wide scenes, you are going to lose some of that width on a ingather sensor camera. How much? Simply multiple the length of the lens by the amount the sensor is cropped. In Nikon's case, information technology is one.5x – for Canon, one.6x.

Let'south say you lot want to employ a Nikon 16-35mm lens on a Nikon crop sensor DSLR:

xvi x i.5 = 24
35 x 1.v = 52.l

Your 16-35mm lens will produce imagery on your crop sensor camera that looks more than similar what 24-52.50mm would look like on a total frame sensor camera. This is your focal length multiplier. You take your crop gene (in this case i.five) and times that by the focal length you desire to utilise. The result is how your ingather sensor camera sees the scene in a world dominated by lenses designed for full frame fields of view. This volition assist yous better choose a focal length that matches what you lot intend to see through your photographic camera and not only what'south printed on the lens barrel.

Full frame sensor image on the left and ingather frame sensor image on the right. Same lens and position on both.

I'm still a piddling confused.

Another mode to think nearly crop factor is this:

Full frame sensors mensurate approximately 43.5mm diagonally. And then a baseline lens for full frame sensors, one with as "normal" of view as possible (not overly broad, not overly telephoto) is about 45mm-50mm. But for the smaller crop frame sensors, the diagonal is only about thirty.5mm.

So a quick style to recollect well-nigh it is if y'all have a crop frame camera and your friend has a full frame i, you will take to use a 30-35mm lens to get the same approximate field of view equally they exercise using a 45-50mm lens. If you are both using 50mm lenses, then your friend'southward focal length is 50mm. But your apparent focal length is closer to 80mm. This is why information technology is really of import to know what you're shooting with before choosing a lens. You don't want to buy or hire a wide bending lens only to learn that your field of view isn't going to be equally wide as your expectations.

A visual approximation. This dad is using a 50mm lens on a full frame photographic camera. His view is represented by the red box (his result is on the right). If he were using that same lens on an APS-C sensor camera, his view would exist narrower (cropped) – which is resented past the blue box. If he wanted to get the same result you lot come across on the right with an APS-C sensor camera, he'd take to either A) step astern or B) use a wider lens.

How to Tell Full Frame from Ingather Frame Sensors

The specs will ever say what kind of sensor you have. It will say either Full Frame or APS-C. Information technology will normally tell you lot the crop gene, too. (1.0x, or no multiplier, for full frame and either ane.5x or 1.6x for ingather frame – there are likewise cameras with 1.3x crops, merely they are uncommon). Our own camera body listings on BorrowLenses.com will as well note the sensor size. Here is a list of the most popular models for you lot:

Photographic camera	APS-C	Full Frame
Catechism 7D & 7D Mark II	X
Canon 5D, 5D Marking II, 5D Marking Three, 5D Mark IV		X
Canon 60D, 60Da	X
Catechism 70D	X
Canon 1D X, 1D Ten Marking II, 1D C		X
Catechism 5Ds, 5Ds R		X
All Rebel Series Canons	X
Catechism 6D & 6D Marking II		X
Nikon D3*, D3s*, D3x, D4*, D4s*	*Crop Fashion	X
Nikon D5*	*Crop Mode	X
Nikon D500	X
Nikon D7000, D7100, D7200, D7500	X
Nikon D700, D750		X
Nikon DF		X
Nikon D300, D300s	X
Nikon D5100, D5200, D5300, D5500, D5600	Ten
Nikon D3200, D3300	10
Nikon D800*, D800E*, D810*, D850*	*Crop Manner	X
Nikon D600*, D610*	*Crop Style	X

Step two: Identify Your Lens Type

At present that you know what kind of sensor you lot're using yous tin begin to choose the right lens for what you desire to shoot.

For the most function, modern lenses (like their camera counterparts) fall into 1 of 2 camps: lenses for total frame sensors and lenses for ingather frame sensors. One of the benefits of shooting with a crop frame sensor DSLR is that you tin use total frame andingather frame lenses. Simply if you have a full frame sensor camera yous should avoid using ingather frame sensor lenses. Full frame cameras should only apply full frame lenses. Crop frame sensor lenses are designed specifically to match the smaller size of ingather sensors. The image coverage on these lenses is designed for a sensor smaller than total frame. If you try to pair a lens built for crop sensors onto a full frame camera then your images volition have blackness edges around them. Total frame lenses piece of work simply fine on ingather sensor cameras because the prototype coverage is 35mm, which is more than than plenty to cover the ingather camera's gauge 24mm sensor. You lot go epitome cropping, sure, merely you can nevertheless shoot slap-up images!

Here is an analogy to assistance yous think of this in a dissimilar way:

Imagine you have a flick frame. If the frame is larger than the picture you desire to put inside it, then y'all're going to have weird empty space surrounding your pic. This is like the blackness vignetting y'all get when trying to use a lens designed for crop sensors on a full frame photographic camera. Conversely, if yous try to utilize a frame that is smaller than your picture, y'all have to ingather your photo down – but at least you fill the frame!

Q & A time:

Ok, and so crop sensor lenses accept image coverage that is likewise small for full frame cameras then I should only use them with crop sensor cameras. But total frame lenses piece of work just fine on both. Why would I e'er use a crop sensor lens?

You nevertheless have to consider your focal length multiplier even on crop sensor lenses. Whether you opt to shoot with a lens designed for total frame sensor cameras or a lens designed for ingather frame sensor cameras, the effective focal length of that lens will be either 1.6x more than or i.5x more when paired with a crop sensor camera. Lenses designed for crop sensor cameras don't do the math for you and list information technology on the barrel. You still have to do your own math to go your effective focal length.

The major benefit of using lenses congenital for crop sensors is their size, weight, and toll. Because they use a smaller image circle, it takes fewer materials to brand long-range zooms. This is neat for traveling and keeps these lenses relatively affordable.

Crop sensor cameras come with a lot of "lens math". Exercise I have to do this with total frame cameras?

No. Total frame lenses are built for the 35mm size sensor then what it says is what you lot'll get. You don't accept to compensate for cropping. This is why some people adopt full frame cameras (amongst other reasons non pertinent here). While full frame sensor cameras can't utilize crop sensor lenses, they also don't come with any demand to calculate your focal length multiplier so long as yous stick to the full frame lens inventory.

How can I tell if a lens is for crop sensors or for total frame sensors?

For Canon, full frame lenses are expressed as "EF" lenses while crop frame lenses are expressed as "EF-S". If a lens has "EF-S" in the championship, it is for crop frame sensor DSLRs and cannot be used on full frame cameras. If the lens' title has "EF" (no S) in it, then yous can use that lens on either full frame or crop frame sensor cameras.

For Nikon, if y'all see "DX" in the title, the lens is for ingather frame DSLRs only. If information technology has "FX" in the title, the lens was designed for full frame (simply can likewise be used on crop frames). Some Nikon cameras, like the D800 and D810, take a "DX Mode".  These are total frame cameras that tin mimic crop frame sensors when yous attach a ingather frame lens to the body. Sensor modes are becoming more common, which is slap-up news for people who encounter the virtue of both modes and don't want their lens choices to be limited.

The major benefit of using lenses congenital for crop sensors is their size, weight, and toll. Because they utilize a smaller image circle, it takes less material to make long-range zooms. This keeps these lenses relatively affordable and their small size is great for travel.

Footstep 3: Pick a Lens (Some Recommendations)

This is a lot of data to process. I recall my heed being diddled at the discovery that some lenses read differently on different cameras because of sensor size. If you've come this far and understand virtually of what y'all only read but still feel a bit out-to-sea, fearfulness not! I have some lens recommendations for new full frame and crop frame sensor DSLR owners. The first list is for zoom lenses, or lenses that embrace a range of focal lengths. The second list is for prime lenses, or lenses that only have ane length and practise not zoom.

Introduction to Full Frame vs Crop Frame Sensors Plus Great Sensor Comparison Resources

My Zoom Lens Recommendations for Full Frame and Crop Frame Sensors

Think, everything I recommend for total frame cameras can also be used on ingather frame (or APS-C) sensor cameras. If you take a ingather sensor camera, the APS-C recommendations below will emphasize portability and affordability while the total frame counterparts provide ultimate quality but are larger, heavier, and spendier. A few lenses I recommend in the APS-C category can also be used on full frame cameras, especially among primes since there aren't as many crop-dedicated primes equally in that location are primes already compatible with both. Be certain to click on the item to read more details well-nigh it before committing.

Subject	Nikon APS-C	Nikon Full Frame	Catechism APS-C	Canon Full Frame
Wide – Interiors, Vistas, Crowds, Landscapes	Nikon x-24mm f/3.5-4.5G (15-36mm Equivalent)	Nikon xiv-24mm f/two.8G	Canon EF-S ten-22mm f/three.5-four.5 (16-35mm Equivalent)	Catechism EF xi-24mm f/4L
Normal – Events, Landscapes, Traveling, Family, Products	Nikon 17-55mm f/ii.8G (25.5-82.5mm Equivalent)	Nikon 24-70mm f/2.8E VR	Canon EF-Southward 17-55mm f/2.viii IS (27.two-88mm Equivalent)	Canon EF 24-70mm f/ii.8L II
Long – Sports, Events	Nikon 55-200mm f/iv-five.6G ED VR II (82-300mm Equivalent)	Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G VR Two	Catechism EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM (88-400mm Equivalent)	Catechism EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS Ii
Super Long – Safaris, Stadium Events, Birding	Nikon eighty-400mm f/4.5-5.6G VR (120-600mm Equivalent)	Nikon 200-400mm f/4G VR 2	Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS Two (160-640mm Equivalent)	Canon EF 200-400mm F4L IS

The benefit of using a zoom is that you lot get to have many lenses in 1. This is neat for traveling and events where you might non take the room to carry around, or the time to change out, multiple lenses.

My Prime Lens Recommendations for Full Frame and Crop Frame Sensors

Subject	Nikon APS-C	Nikon Total Frame	Canon APS-C	Canon Total Frame
Broad – Interiors, Vistas, Crowds, Landscapes	Nikon 20mm f/ane.8G (30mm Equivalent)	Nikon 24mm f/1.4G	Catechism EF 20mm f/2.8 (32mm Equivalent)	Catechism EF 14mm f/2.8L Two
Normal – Events, Landscapes, Traveling, Family unit, Products	Nikon 35mm f/i.8G (52.5mm Equivalent)	Nikon 50mm f/1.4G	Catechism EF 35mm f/2.0 IS (56mm Equivalent)	Catechism EF 50mm f/1.2L
Long – Sports, Events	Sigma 180mm f/ii.eight HSM (270mm Equivalent)	Nikon 300mm f/2.8G VR 2	Catechism EF 180mm f/3.5 (288mm Equivalent)	Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II
Super Long – Safaris, Stadium Events, Birding	Nikon 300mm f/4E VR (450mm Equivalent)	Nikon 500mm f/4E VR	Canon EF 300mm f/4L IS (480mm Equivalent)	Catechism EF 500mm f/4L IS Ii

The benefit of using prime number lenses is that they are designed to produce beautiful out-of-focus backgrounds when using wide apertures. They also, generally, have wider maximum apertures, which lets in more light. While you're limited to only 1 focal length, your are forced to actually physically move your body in order to change perspective. This goes a long fashion toward instruction beginners some of the fundamentals of skilful image making.

I recommend zooms to people who plan to shoot a lot of family unit events, vacations, or a larger variety of subject matters. I recommend primes to people who have a stronger fine art interest, or who plan to shoot the aforementioned subjects over and over, and want to teach themselves the fundamentals of composition through restriction while nonetheless using a high quality lens.

This blog mail service is dedicated to all my friends and relatives who only got their first DSLR. If you're besides a beginner, I hope this helped. If you lot are a seasoned shooter, please share this with anybody you lot experience would benefit from it, along with your own lens recommendations based on your ain feel.

Tags: Cameras for Beginners, Ingather Sensor Cameras, Full Frame Sensor Last modified: Jan nineteen, 2022

Source: https://www.borrowlenses.com/blog/new-dslr-owners-what-you-must-know-about-full-frame-vs-crop-frame-sensors-before-choosing-a-lens/#:~:text=If%20the%20lens'%20title%20has,be%20used%20on%20crop%20frames).

Posted by: baileyteplongues1974.blogspot.com

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