Full Frame vs Crop Sensor Cameras: What’s the Difference?

When deciding on which camera you should buy, you have two options: a crop sensor camera and a full-frame camera. 

I’ll keep my focus on mirrorless cameras in this article, so just take the Sony A6500 as an example of a crop sensor camera and a Sony A7iii as a full-frame camera. 

Both camera types have significant differences, and in the end, it will be your decision on which one will be better for you. Here’s everything that you need to know. 

The Physical Sensor Size

The primary difference between the camera types is the sensor size. As the names state, a crop-sensor camera is smaller in size, and a full-frame camera has a bigger sensor size. The purpose of a sensor in a DSLR is to read the image from the lens. 

The bigger the sensor is, the better your image will turn out to be. This automatically means that a full-frame camera is far superior to a crop-sensor camera. Your images get a larger frame once you transfer them to another device, such as a laptop or a PC. Since more light falls on the sensor, this allows the images to have brighter colors and depth in detail. 

The Crop Factor 

A full-frame camera typically has a 35mm sensor size; however, this is not the case in a crop sensor camera. Due to this, there is a “crop factor” in the pictures that you take. The edges of your photo will be cut out, and this will cause your camera to have a “multiplier effect.” For instance, if your crop sensor camera has a multiplier effect of 1.5x, then the focal length of using a 50mm lens will be equivalent to that of a 75mm lens on a full-frame camera. 

However, the crop factor varies from camera company to company. For instance, Canon has a 1.6x multiplier, and Nikon, Sony, Sigma, and Pentax have a 1.5x multiplier. This may be seen as a downside to crop-sensor cameras. 

Wi-Fi Connectivity

Nearly all full-frame cameras come with an integrated Wi-Fi feature that allows you to seamlessly transfer your images from your camera to devices like your laptop or PC. However, most crop-sensor cameras don’t have a Wi-Fi feature; for instance, Canon’s iconic EOS 60D didn’t have a Wi-Fi feature. 

However, having a Wi-Fi feature in your full-frame camera is only useful if you have a fast internet connection to transfer images as quickly as possible. Having a connection like Xfinity Internet ensures that my pictures are transferred as quickly as possible! 

I have found the Wi-Fi feature to be the most useful when I am editing images. I either transfer the images from my camera to my PC, or I just upload them directly to my Adobe Lightroom Cloud so I can directly start editing! 

Frame Angles 

The large sensor in the camera allows you to have greater photo angles since you can fit more subjects in a frame than a crop-sensor camera. Not only that, but a crop sensor camera also lets more light fall onto the sensor, optimizing the light settings of your camera. 

To have a greater depth of field and to fit more subjects in your photos, you can pair up your camera with a wide-angle lens. For instance, you can use a 24mm Prime Lens with your camera, which is among the best wide-angle lenses. 

However, using a crop sensor camera will introduce a crop factor, changing your focal length and decreasing your frame size. This is why most photographers prefer using a full frame instead of a crop sensor. 

Dynamic Range

The dynamic range of a camera is responsible for taking care of the exposure values within a picture. Exposure refers to a picture being either overexposed (too bright) or underexposed (too dark). A full-frame camera has a higher depth of field, which means that you can add more contrast to your images. 

Even if you accidentally take overexposed or underexposed pictures with a full-frame camera, you have the creative liberty to edit your pictures and fix them due to the higher dynamic range in your camera. Therefore, a full-frame camera takes the cake when it comes to dynamic range. 

An Extra Bonus Tip

Remember that your photography doesn’t only depend on your camera type, it also has a lot to do with the lenses that you get. For instance, if you are into portrait photography, then you should give 24mm, 50mm, and 85mm lenses a shot. It is up to you if you want the 1.4 aperture variant or the 1.8! 

Among the two camera types, there is no doubt that a full-frame camera takes the cake!