Crop sensor and impact on lens focal length

[Juga]

Wow...some people on this forum can making changing the subject into an art form.

 

[PJM004]

Thanks for all the input. This is an interesting topic with a variety of issues to consider. I think I am ok now with the concept of FOV, geometrty, etc. What I lack is a FF and the opportunity to compare pictures side by side from a crop taken in a controlled environment. Maybe I will get there some day. This is a great forum. For those of you with years of serious experience, thanks for your help and patience.

 

[480sparky]

Thanks for all the input. This is an interesting topic with a variety of issues to consider. I think I am ok now with the concept of FOV, geometrty, etc. What I lack is a FF and the opportunity to compare pictures side by side from a crop taken in a controlled environment. Maybe I will get there some day. This is a great forum. For those of you with years of serious experience, thanks for your help and patience.

If you need to 'compare' what they see, samples abound all over the innernets.

 

[minhhich]

Using a 50mm lens on crop sensor 7d will give you the field of view as shot from 85mm but you will never get the same depth of field (sharp or blurred background quality)

 

[480sparky]

Using a 50mm lens on crop sensor 7d will give you the field of view as shot from 85mm but you will never get the same depth of field (sharp or blurred background quality)

Yes you can, but it may take a different aperture to do so. Never is a long time.

 

[minhhich]

Using a 50mm lens on crop sensor 7d will give you the field of view as shot from 85mm but you will never get the same depth of field (sharp or blurred background quality)

Yes you can, but it may take a different aperture to do so. Never is a long time.

I meant when shooting at the same aperture

 

[EDL]

If higher pixel density equated to sharper pictures everyone would be wanting tiny P&S type sensors. It doesn't quite work that way.

It works if you are displaying a good picture on a device, like a monitor compared to a smaller, but equal resolution phone screen...obviously smaller pixels will look cleaner and sharper, but we are talking capturing an image and it all depends on how sharp the camera lens can resolve the light onto the sensor.

Beyond that there are technical issues with the sensor that vary when you change density and size that impact IQ. Full frame sensor at or near the same resolution as a crop sensor will generally have better low light capability, less noise at higher ISO, for example.

If you've never shot 35mm film then as mentioned it is kind of a moot point, but since 35mm became a standard and modern DSLR's are more or less replacements, it's a good idea to have a basic understanding of FF and crop sensor sizes and the effect. I wouldn't worry to any great deal about how the differences impact your shooting as any lens choices you make are going to be based off what you currently have and what you are trying to do.