Why Full-Frame?

[keith204]

What are the benefits of Full-Frame sensors?

 

[Alex_B]

+ in principle larger sensors are capable of less noise (given the same number of pixels, and comparing sensors of the same generation)

+ an ultrawide angle is an ultrawide angle

+ at least these days still: larger image in the viewfinder, which makes composition easier, and also manual focussing



of course there are also advantages of smaller sensors on the other hand ...

 

[table1349]

+ in principle larger sensors are capable of less noise (given the same number of pixels, and comparing sensors of the same generation)

+ an ultrawide angle is an ultrawide angle

+ at least these days still: larger image in the viewfinder, which makes composition easier, and also manual focussing



of course there are also advantages of smaller sensors on the other hand ...

Alex_B is right on all three points but I would add that not only is the image in the viewfinder larger, but usually it is brighter. A real boon when shooting low light stuff.

 

[Alex_B]

forgot one more ... if you also shoot film, you do not have to adjust your brain to two different media sizes when using the same lenses (as I do).

 

[Sw1tchFX]

to get the same angle of view, you need longer lenses, which in turn mean thinner DOF, so if you're doing portraits for example, a 50mm gives a bout the same angle of view on APS-C as an 85mm does on 35mm (50x1.6=80) however an 85mm f/1.4 has much thinner DOF than a 50mm f/1.4, so isolating your subject is much easier.

 

[astrostu]

Because I want a 14 mm lens to be a 14 mm lens, not 22.4 mm.

 

[Alpha]

to get the same angle of view, you need longer lenses, which in turn mean thinner DOF, so if you're doing portraits for example, a 50mm gives a bout the same angle of view on APS-C as an 85mm does on 35mm (50x1.6=80) however an 85mm f/1.4 has much thinner DOF than a 50mm f/1.4, so isolating your subject is much easier.

Thinner?

Does that mean increase or decrease in DOF?

 

[Sw1tchFX]

Thinner?

Does that mean increase or decrease in DOF?

lol, you know what i mean.

 

[skieur]

One disadvantage to larger sensors is larger, more cumbersome telephoto/zoom lenses. If you want to shoot handheld with a telephoto/zoom, then I would choose a smaller sensor with a low noise reputation and a smaller size telephoto for the same range.

skieur

 

[Alpha]

lol, you know what i mean.

No I don't, actually. My intuition tells me that when you say thinner you mean shallower, but longer focal lengths flatten depth perspective, effectively increasing the depth of field.

 

[Helen B]

No I don't, actually. My intuition tells me that when you say thinner you mean shallower, but longer focal lengths flatten depth perspective, effectively increasing the depth of field.

I guess that Sw1tchFX is referring to two pictures taken from the same place, one with an APS-C sized sensor and one full frame. To get the same picture angle a longer lens is used on the full frame picture. Therefore the perspective and angle of view is identical in each picture.

The focal length of the lens does not affect perspective - only the lens location affects perspective, and perspective compression or expansion depends on the relationship between the taking angle and the 'print' viewing angle.

At the same aperture and for the same viewing conditions (ie both images viewed at the same size) the picture taken with the longer focal length will have less depth of field than the one taken with the shorter focal length. This is sometimes an advantage and sometimes a disadvantage. This effect is very obvious to photographers who use 35 mm and large format - in those cases the difference in depth of field is dramatic.

Best,
Helen

 

[DSLR noob]

Another reason is to brag about having full frame. Taking the lens off to see that huge 35mm mirror is a good feeling (I have to do it on my film camera though, I don't have a FF DSLR) and the viewfinder is amazing. I know somehting like that is no reason for an investment, but it really does feel so good.

 

[Garbz]

Alex_B is right on all three points but I would add that not only is the image in the viewfinder larger, but usually it is brighter. A real boon when shooting low light stuff.

Nothing to do with the sensor and everything to do with the camera construction. But typically the expensive FF cameras do have expensive pentaprisms and expensive focusing screens/mirrors which make for a brighter viewfinder.

 

[Bobby Ironsights]

to get the same angle of view, you need longer lenses, which in turn mean thinner DOF, so if you're doing portraits for example, a 50mm gives a bout the same angle of view on APS-C as an 85mm does on 35mm (50x1.6=80) however an 85mm f/1.4 has much thinner DOF than a 50mm f/1.4, so isolating your subject is much easier.

An f/1.4 50mm on a full sensor is not an f/1.4 on a smaller size which crops to 85mm, it's f/2.4.....guess you forgot about that EH?

 

[Steph]

An f/1.4 50mm on a full sensor is not an f/1.4 on a smaller size which crops to 85mm, it's f/2.4.....guess you forgot about that EH?

That's wrong! The maximum aperture depends only on the lens, not on the sensor/film you put behind it.