#Crop vs full frame upgrade

When we talk about full frame or cropped cameras, we’re actually talking about the sensor. The sensor is the light-sensitive area of the inside of your camera which reads the image coming through from the lens and captures the pixel data there as an image. Please note that the links are affiliate and it helps me keep the blog up and running at no cost to you.Let’s start at the beginning. If you want to know what else you’ll need to buy when starting photograph but you really are on a tight budget, I list a beginner photography kit that cost under $1k > HERE << I hope you were able to grasp what a full frame and crop sensor camera is. If you have an unlimited budget and are thinking of pursuing photography as more than a hobby then I would get a full frame camera like the Sony a7C, Sony a7iv, Sony A7riv, Sony A9 ii or the Sony A1 (one of the most expensive cameras out there at the time of this posting).

#Crop vs full frame upgrade

You can always upgrade later on as there will be new cameras released every year. If you haven’t bought a camera, are new to photography, and are on a budget I would start with a crop sensor camera like the Sony ZV-E10 or the Sony A6000 series.

I’m leaned more towards full frame being the better one in the end but that is because photography and video content are what I do as a professional. If you can’t tell from just the name of the lens, look for the description and it will state whether the lens is for full frame or crop sensor. On other brands like Tamron and Sigma it gets a bit more complicated. Sony has FE in front of every lens that is full frame and just E if it is for crop sensor. To be able to tell what is a full frame or crop sensor lens, each branding has lettering that helps in identifying what it is for, and in the product description, it usually states that information. Crop Sensor Camera has a visible black curve on the edges with a 50mm full frame lens

It is better to use a crop sensor lens on a full frame camera rather than a full frame lens on a crop sensor. You can still use the lens but you will need to make sure to crop the black edges in an editing software. On the right focal length is more of an 85mm with the same full frame lens.Īs for the other way, using a crop sensor 50mm lens on a full frame, you will see a black curve on the edges. On the left an exact focal length of 50mm. That is because it has now turned into an 85mm focal length. Put this same lens on a crop sensor and you will notice it is way zoomed in. What that means is, for example, take this 50mm lens that is made for a full frame. So when you start buying lenses you will need to check if the lens is made for full frame or crop sensor to make sure the focal lengths are true. Paired with the right lenses you wouldn’t even be able to tell the difference with a photo. The main difference is the size of the sensor. Crop sensor cameras have come a long way to be developed just as good as full frames. It isn’t to say that a full frame is better than a crop. On the right is Crop Sensor.įull frame cameras tend to be more pricy and aimed at advance to professionals while crop sensor cameras are more affordable and marketed to beginners. While at the same distance an apsc camera will look zoomed in and cropped due to the smaller sensor. On a camera that is full frame, you essentially have more to work with because the sensor is larger.