Full Frame vs Crop Sensor - Which Should You Buy?

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If you have ever wondered which was better, full-frame or crop, then this post is for you. Even if you have no understanding of what each one is, that does not matter because we will explain that all for you. This is perfect if you’re just entered the photography game and are wondering which type is better to invest in. 

If this comparison does not interest you and just want to know what camera you should buy, then check out my guide to buying your first camera.

Camera sensor

Let’s start with what a camera sensor even is. It’s a device that can translate an optical image into an electrical signal. It receives light through the lens, which turns it into an image. On the sensor, it has countless pixels that are light-sensitive, which can record light when its hit by it. Sensors have various sizes, which can affect the outcome of your images.

You may be thinking the smaller the sensor, the less of the image you will get in the frame, but this is not the case. That is only affected by your choice of the lens, not the image sensor. The size of the size only affects how much light is captured. 

Here it shows the sizes of the full-frame and crop sensor.

Full-Frame:

• Sensor size (mm) - 36 x 23.9

• Sensor area (mm2) - 864

• Aspect ratio - 3:2

• Crop factor - 1x

Crop Sensor:

• Sensor size (mm) - 23.6 x 15.8

• Sensor area (mm2) - 370

• Aspect ratio - 3:2

• Crop factor - 1.5x

Full Frame Advantages:

• Greater megapixels

• Better dynamic range 

• Low light performance

• Detects light better

Crop Sensor Advantages:

• Can reach further with its 1.5x crop (1.6x for Canon)

• Lower price

• Small and lightweight 

• Processing speeds are much faster

High megapixels, do they matter?

Having a camera with high resolution doesn’t always mean you will get the best quality images. Having really high megapixels is dependant on your needs. If you’re shooting to have your work blown up on massive prints, then more megapixels will look great. It also gives you the ability to crop into your image more, while still retaining quality in your photo.

Obviously, if your purpose for taking photographs is to post them on social media the majority of the time, then you won’t need 60mp as you would find on cameras like the Sony A7R IV. A 12mp camera would suffice for platforms such as Instagram while viewing your images on such a small screen. Fewer pixels are needed for viewing images on a smartphone.

One main flaw about higher megapixels is the bigger file sizes, which can cause you post-processing to take longer depending on the specs of your computer. 

Dynamic Range

This refers to the range of light and dark tones that the image sensor is capable of rendering. The standard in modern cameras for megapixels for both full-frame and crop senor is 24mps, which gives it a great dynamic range.

In terms of the image sensor its more about the photosite quality over the size of the actual sensor. Full-frame tend to have a better dynamic range due to having larger individual photosites when you compare them to a crop sensor.

Low light

Due to the full-frame sensor having larger photosites, it can detect light better. Due to the sensor being bigger, the individual pixels also get larger meaning this type of sensor is perfect if you’re going to be constantly shooting in low light situations.

Keep in mind that, yes it has better low light performance but this also dependant on what lens you’re shooting. So if you shoot in low light on full-frame at f1.8 or f1.4, you will see greater results. 

Crop senor can reach further

With having the 1.5 x and 1.6x crop, It does what it says, It zooms in 1.5/1.6 times to what your focal distance is. So for example, If you have a 50mm lens on full-frame it will show the full 50mm range in the viewfinder. If it’s on a crop sensor the focal distance would change to 75mm or 80mm depending on whether you shoot Canon or another brand. This factor can play to your advantage for photography such as sports or wildlife. It’s really just dependant on what you love to shoot.

Prices

Crop sensor cameras are less expensive than full-frame. Every year a new crop camera comes out, the previous models reduce in price, where will full-frame, they hold their value for years. Typically in the more recent models, the changes are minimal. This means if you’re on a budget it might better for you to get an older model with the features you require. As you would also expect, the lenses are also cheaper for cropped cameras. This touches back on if you have a low budget, so if you’re just starting out it might be better to go for the cheaper options.

Which one is better?

Is full-frame better than crop? Yes and no. Obviously, as already discussed full-frame will give you a bigger image sensor, great low-light performance, and better dynamic range. But if you want a smaller camera, less weight, a cheaper price, and more reach out of your lens then the crop is the answer for you.

It all really depends on what you’re shooting and how invested in photography you’re.

I hope this short comparison helped you understand what you’re dealing with between the two sensor types. If you have any more questions throw a comment down below or DM my Instagram @chrisblairphoto