What does crop factor mean? Full frame or crop is the question. Take a full frame "for growth"

Many have heard of the crop factor, DX and FX cameras, but few understand what that means. In fact, there is nothing complicated about it.

There is a misconception that, allegedly using the same lens on FX and DX cameras, its focal length changes, and it must be multiplied or divided by the crop factor. These are all speculations of uneducated people, but about everything in order.

Historically, 35mm film (more precisely, its dimensions are 24x36mm) has been and remains very popular. At the dawn of the digital era, Nikon wisely decided that it would be nice to make a digital camera so that old lenses that had been produced for decades could be screwed onto it.

The idea is good, but there were problems with the implementation. It is too expensive to make a full-frame sensor, and it makes no sense to make a very small one. As a result, a “golden mean” was found - a sensor that was diagonally one and a half (1.5) times less frame 35mm film. 1.5 is the crop factor (“crop” in English means trim). By the way, Canon has found the optimal solution in the form of a crop factor of 1.6. Nikon's crop was named DX.

DX lenses appeared, because the sensor area was reduced by more than 2 times and it was possible to save on the production of expensive optics, thereby making DX technology available to hobbyists. Here is a visual picture of how much the sensor area has decreased:

The first rectangle is 35mm film or FX sensor. The second is the DX sensor versus the FX. The third is the 4: 3 format, which is widely used Olympus, Panasonic, as well as many others. In the bottom row there are typical soap dish sensors. For example, the lower right, which is 1 / 2.5 ″, in the popular model Canon A470 . The FX sensor, that is, the full-frame one, appeared relatively recently and completely coincides with the frame size of 35mm film and works perfectly with all old lenses.

Why is there such a zoo of sensors? It's all about the price. Even now, in the “age of scientific and technological revolution” (scientific and technological revolution, as my geography teacher said, but no one could understand what it means), the production of an FX sensor costs about 20 times more than a DX. This is why FX cameras are so expensive.

But what, after all, do these sensors give us? In the case of Nikon, we get excellent compatibility with all Nikon lenses, save money, but what's the catch? The catch is that a lens with focal length 35mm, for example, on a DX camera, the angle of view will be narrower than on an FX camera. This can be clearly seen in the title picture.

This is where confusion arises for many. The angle of view on a DX camera is narrowed in such a way as if you were looking through a lens with a focal length of 1.5 times on an FX camera, that is, about 50mm. However, the focal length does not change! The viewing angle changes. That is, you need to cut out a piece of the picture from the 35mm frame. This will be what you see on the DX camera. And vice versa - if you are used to using a 50mm lens on a DX-camera, screwing it on the FX, the frame borders will move apart for you, and not the focal length will change. Changing the focal length is equivalent to zooming in / out of an object, but you won't find any of that. Here's an example:

I took 2 frames, and then combined them in Photoshop and highlighted them with brightness for clarity. One frame is in FX mode (35mm), the other is DX. As you can see, there is no change in focal length.

In a nutshell, the focal length is the distance from the center of the lens to the sensor. It is clear that it will and will not change if the lens is the same, but only the size of the sensor changes. Whoever does not understand in words can watch the video:

The focal length confusion arises from the illusion of zooming in. After all, the cut piece from the frame is stretched to fill the entire screen. It is similar to “ digital zoom”. You are comparing a 10x15 photo printed from a 35mm image with a photo of the same size printed from a DX image and it appears that the objects are closer in the second print. Yes, they are closer, but not due to changing the focal length, but due to the fact that a piece of the frame was cut out and stretched to a frame size of 35mm.

Why is it important that it is not the focal length that changes, but the angle of view? Because focal length affects a lot of things. For example, when the focal length is changed, the depth of field... None of this happens if you took the 50mm lens off the DX and put it on the FX. Depth of field will remain the same. In addition, changing the focal length will also change the composition of the frame.

What is the use of FX, what do we pay money for? Due to its large size, the sensor allows you to get rid of digital noise on high ISO... If the noise is visible on a soap dish at ISO more than 400, then on an FX camera you can hardly see it at ISO 3200. In low light conditions, for example, indoors, this is critical and allows you to take pictures without a flash.

All FX lenses work great on a DX camera. All DX lenses work great on an FX camera, but there is one caveat. If it is a Nikon lens, the camera will automatically enter DX mode. If this is not Nikon, then manual switching through the camera menu may be required. You can forcibly turn off DX mode, then you get something like this.

Many amateur photographers don't know what a crop factor is. But this parameter is important, as it characterizes the size of the camera matrix. In this article we will try in simple words explain the meaning of this mysterious term and guide everyone who wants to buy a camera in which matrix to give preference to.

Having set out to buy a camera, we go to the store and ask the consultant about the characteristics of the model we like. This is where they mislead us, setting the number of megapixels as the main parameter affecting the quality of images and keeping silent about the size of the matrix. But the quality of the footage depends on him to a greater extent.

The matrix, also called a sensor and photosensor, is a photodiode microcircuit that is an essential part of any digital camera. In fact, this is an analogue of photographic film. In the days of film cameras, the picture through the lens fell on the film, where it was stored, and in our digital age, it falls on the matrix and is then stored on the memory card.

Full matrix ( Full frame) is the size of a 35mm film frame. Such a matrix is quite expensive to manufacture, and cameras with it are of decent size and weight. The devices with a full matrix are used mainly by professionals or amateurs who earn good money and can afford to have an expensive camera.

To reduce the size and price of cameras, modern photographers decided to reduce the matrix by cropping it ("crop" from English - "crop"), and the concept of "crop factor" arose, meaning how many times the matrix is cut in relation to Full Frame.

What matrices are equipped with modern cameras?

Today cameras have become very popular, most people have at their personal disposal both a camera and mobile devices with cameras that are always at hand. The crop factor of different cameras differs significantly:

expensive professional cameras, as noted above, are equipped with a Full Frame matrix;
popular amateur DSLRs have a crop factor of 1.5 ... 1.7, that is, the matrix in them is truncated in comparison with the full-format one in 1.5; 1.6 or 1.7 times;
new without SLR cameras that already compete with DSLRs with might and main, usually have a crop factor of 2;
inexpensive digital soap dishes are equipped with a matrix with a crop in the region of 5.62;
tablets and smartphones are endowed with cameras with a crop factor of about 7.1.

When buying a photographic device, it is easy and confused as to what to prefer. How to understand which matrix is right for you, so as not to overpay and not be punished for stinginess?

Which matrix should you prefer?

Many people think that Full Frame is the ideal to strive for. Is it so? Does it make sense to chase an expensive and heavy camera or get by with an easier option?

Of course, a large sensor is a guarantee of good quality of the resulting photos, which manifests itself in more detail, clarity and sharpness of the image. For the printing industry, especially when it comes to multiplying the image before printing, using Full Frame is not just desirable, but mandatory. In addition, a large source is much easier to crop: that is, to crop the excess without losing much quality. The large sensor also performs better in low light conditions, providing images with less noise.

But a full-format matrix is expensive and inconvenient due to the large size and weight of the camera. It is not at all necessary for the amateur photographer to use it. Why spend a lot of money and then carry around a huge device everywhere, if you are quite satisfied with the quality offered by the cut-down matrix?

Output

You need to choose a camera for your own purposes and wallet. For lovers, a soap dish with a crop of 5.7 is quite suitable to replenish the family album with new items. For advanced amateurs, it is better to give preference to DSLRs or mirrorless cameras with a crop size of 1.5 ... 2, which are now produced in a small size and with wide functionality. It is also worth asking to be sure to choose the best model.

When I was just starting to comprehend the basics of photography, I constantly came across the following incomprehensible terms: KROP, KROPNUTY, KROP-factor. Along with this, I learned another concept - full frame, and in any context there was an opposition between them, which, as an absolute beginner, simply put me into a stupor, and then I decided to still find out what these interesting terms mean, and what are differences between them? Actually, I decided to write about this in this post.

CROP factor - what is it in cameras?

What does this strange word mean - KROP? Logic suggests that for the concept of this term you need to refer to English language... Indeed, translated from English "crop" means "crop". Okay, there is already something. Next, we turn to the technical characteristics of the cameras themselves: one, the so-called CROP (take Nikon d3100 as an example), and the other - a full frame (for example, Nikon d800).

Looking through the description, we find the item of the same name - KROP factor in the characteristics of the matrix. Let's compare the data of Nikon d3100 and Nikon d800.

In the characteristics, we can see the following values:

For professional mirror Nikon cameras d800 values are slightly different:

As seen from technical characteristics of these two SLR cameras, it's all about the matrix, namely its size - the Nikon d800 has a matrix size almost 1.5 times larger than that of the Nikon d3100. Thus, we have identified the main difference between CROP and a full frame - this is a truncated matrix.

Where did this concept come from at all - KROP factor, what do the numbers 1, 1.5 in this line mean, and what are the advantages of a full frame over KROP factor 1.5? Let's figure it out.

The history of the origin of the concept of "KROP-factor"

In general, the concept of "full frame" is rooted in the past: in the days of film cameras, the standard frame size of 35 mm photographic film was 24x36 mm. With the advent of the era of digital cameras, the film was replaced by a photosensitive element (silicon plate), consisting of a large number of sensitive elements (photodiodes), and similar in principle to a conventional solar battery- the so-called CCD-matrix. Now the matrix of a digital SLR camera with dimensions of 24x36 is considered full, or full frame (full-size). Manufacturing and installing matrices of this size is not only quite expensive, but also labor-consuming, therefore cameras of this level are often several times more expensive than CROP.

In general, it is probably not possible to "cram" a full-size matrix into an ordinary digital soap box or a mobile phone, or a compact budget DSLR, and therefore the manufacturers decided to simplify / reduce the cost / reduce the size of both the matrix and, as a result of this, the photographic equipment itself, and precisely for the designation of how much the dimensions of such matrices differ from the reference dimensions 24x36 and the concept of KROP factor was introduced. The CROP factor of the full-size matrix was taken as 1, and this figure was the starting point for determining the sizes of all the other "trimmed" matrices by comparing with the "standard" - 24x36.

How to calculate CRIC factor of a matrix?

Knowing the KROP factor of a matrix, it is not difficult to calculate its real physical dimensions. For example, if the value of 1.5 is indicated in the characteristics of the camera in the line "CROP factor", this means that the physical dimensions of the matrix are 1.5 times smaller than the standard ones - we simply divide the dimensions of the full 24x36 frame by 1.5, and we get 16x24 (+ /-1). The converse is also true. When manufacturers assign the CROP factor value to a certain matrix, they also compare it with the “reference”, and they do it very simply - by dividing the width and height of the full frame by the same dimensions of the required matrix: we just divide first 24/16, and then 36/24 and we get the figure 1.5 - that is, it turns out that each size has decreased by one and a half times, which means that the KROP factor of such a matrix will be 1.5.

There is also another simple formula to determine the CRIC factor:

K f = 35mm diagonal / matrix diagonal = 43.3 / 28.8 = 1.5

The diagonal of a standard 35mm frame is approximately 43.3mm. The diagonal of the 16x24 matrix is calculated using the Pythagorean theorem:

16 2 + 24 2 = D 2

832 = D 2

Now we simply extract the square root of 832, we get 28.8, and using the formula above, we calculate the CROP factor.

Thus, we get the CROP factor of a matrix with dimensions of 16x24 - 1.5.

What is the difference between a shot taken on CROP and a shot taken with a camera with a full-size matrix?

In fact, everything is much simpler: with the same focal length of the lens on a full-frame camera, there will be more space in the frame than on a camera with a CROP factor of 1.5.

To clearly show this, I will give an example that shows how the camera itself sees reality, and how the matrix cuts the frame size.

How the lens sees reality, and how the frame of the CROP matrix and the full frame is cropped

As you can see from the example above, the circle is the area formed by the lens. The matrix is made in the form of a rectangle, therefore, it cuts the image in accordance with its geometric shape. We see the same rectangular image through the viewfinder peephole. The full-size sensor occupies almost the entire field of view of the lens, with the exception of rounded areas (part of the image highlighted by a black frame in the example), as a result of which darkening (vignetting) may appear at the edges, since the sensor's sensitivity to the corners of the frame decreases, and a little less light gets there ... The stripped-down sensor occupies a smaller area (green area), so it is practically unable to capture more space, even though the size of the lens allows it.

Manufacturers indicate the value of the focal length of the lens based on those obtained when using it on a camera with a CROP factor of 1 (full frame), so a focal length of 50 mm on a full frame will be equal to 75 mm on a CROP camera. To calculate the real, or equivalent, focal length on a camera with a cropped sensor, we just need to multiply its value by the CROP factor. For example, Nikon d3100 at a set focal length of a lens of 100 mm will give an equivalent focal length of 150 mm (100 * 1.5 = 150).

It is important to understand that the CROP sensor does not increase the focal length in the literal sense of the word, but simply uses a smaller area (smaller angle of view), and as a result, the illusion of increasing the focal length is created. In fact, it turns out to be cut by 1.5 times and enlarged to normal physical sizes corresponding to a certain amount megapixels of the camera, an image from a full frame, but this does not affect its quality in any way, as when cropping in a photo editor.

Thus, the CROP sensor makes wide-angle lenses not so wide-angle, but when using a telephoto lens on CROP there is a slight advantage - where for a camera with a cut-down sensor a distance of 200 mm is enough, on a full frame you will have to set a focal length of 300 mm, etc.

What are the other differences between CROP and full frame?

Less noise at high ISO . Full frame cameras are known to be much quieter at high ISOs. The large area of the photosensitive element in a full-frame camera, which exceeds the area of an incomplete matrix with a CROP factor of 1.5 by 2.25 times (24 * 36 = 864; 16 * 24 = 384; 864/384 = 2.25), allows manufacturers to install larger photocells. Large photocells are able to perceive much more light, which in turn leads to a decrease in noise at high ISO by the same number of times. For example, at ISO 1600 on CROP, the sensor will make the same noise as at 3200 on a full-frame camera, or at ISO 800 the full-size sensor will be as noisy as at ISO 400 on CROP, i.e., the noise will be almost imperceptible.

Larger viewfinder size. Among other things, on full-frame cameras, due to the enlargement of the matrix, the dimensions of the viewfinder itself have been increased. This, of course, is much more convenient, from such a viewfinder it is much less straining and tired of the eye. It also makes it easier to perform manual focusing and control automatic focusing.

Weight and dimensions. As a rule, full-frame cameras are large and heavy compared to CROSS-type cameras. This is explained not by the increase in the size of the matrix itself, but rather by the design features. For example, let's compare the weight of the Nikon d3100 and Nikon d800 - the first weighs 505 g with the battery, and the second weighs 1000 g, so the difference is almost 2 times. In addition to the increased weight of the camera, we also get heavier lenses for the full frame.

What to choose: CROP or full frame?

So, to summarize: the main advantage of the full frame from my point of view is the ability to shoot at high ISOs without noticeable noise. Second important point is that a full frame, roughly speaking, can accommodate more space in the image than CROP. The price for this is its increased weight and size, as well as the often cloudy high price. A CROP camera is deprived of these advantages, but let's say I rarely shoot at high ISOs, and in most cases I still have enough room for myself, I decided to form a collection of high-quality optics for now, and only then, perhaps, switch to a full frame. If, for example, you buy your first DSLR, and you still don’t know what you want from it, don’t chase after a full frame promoted and imposed by the manufacturer, but buy KROP for a start, and spend the rest of your money on high-quality lenses and training in the basics of photography - this will be the most reasonable decision - and only then decide for yourself if you need a full frame?

On this I, perhaps, will finish the article, I hope it will be useful for you, and will clarify the question of what the CROP factor is, and also how the full frame differs from the CROP camera.

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I get a lot of questions from novice photography enthusiasts in my mail, and I decided that it was time to make a small series of articles from the "Photos for Dummies" series, which are supposed to explain various photographic terms, tell you how to choose a camera for amateur tasks, well, there will definitely be several articles about working with Adobe program Lightroom, because the processing of the captured images is no less important than the process of photographing itself. In this article we will talk about such an important parameter as the size of the camera sensor, and reveal the veil of secrecy over the mysterious term "crop factor". Sellers in stores and marketers usually like to operate with the number of megapixels at the camera, and listen to them - so some kind of "digital camera" with 20 megapixels is much cooler than DSLRs with 16 megapixels. And this is not at all the case. Because, among other things, the physical size of the matrix (sensor) is very important in cameras, and not just megapixels. Here, in conversations about cameras of advanced photographers and professionals, you often hear phrases from the series: "Yes, she has a small matrix", "Yes, there is a fifth crop", "What can be removed with such a matrix?", "Full frame is our everything." ... What kind of matrix is this? A matrix (light-sensitive matrix, sensor, photosensor) is a microcircuit consisting of photodiodes, which is the most important part of a digital camera. Simply put, a matrix is an analogue of photographic film. In film cameras, the image through the lens fell onto the film and was stored on it, while in digital cameras the image through the lens enters the matrix, is formed there, but is already stored on the memory card or in the built-in memory of the camera. The so-called full matrix (Full Frame) has a size approximately equal to the frame size of 35 mm film, which was filmed in film cameras. A full matrix is expensive in production (there is a high percentage of defects), cameras with it, as a rule, are rather large, heavy and in any case are expensive, as a result of which cameras with a full matrix are used mainly by professionals. Well, or advanced amateurs with good earnings for which the term Full Frame is sacred. To reduce the cost, size and weight of cameras, manufacturers have thought of making the matrix smaller - cut it off. The English word crop means - "crop". Crop factor is a number that shows how many times this matrix was cropped in relation to the full matrix (Full Frame). A crop factor of 1.5 or 1.6 (the most popular option in amateur DSLRs) means that the matrix is reduced by 1.5 or 1.6 times compared to the full-format one. For example, here is a visual comparison of the size of a camera sensor with Full Frame and an amateur DSLR sensor (from Cameraimagesensor.com).
In advanced mirrorless cameras, which are now actively squeezing out amateur DSLRs, a matrix with a crop factor of 2 is often installed - that is, it is half the size of a full-format matrix. Here it is in comparison with the previous two.
In cheap digital "soap boxes" like Canon Powershot A1300 is installed with a matrix with a crop of something like 5.62 - this is how it looks in comparison.
Well, in modern smartphones now they put matrices with a crop factor in the region of 7.1 - for example, in the iPhone 5S this is exactly what is installed. Here it is on the scale of comparisons.
Now the question is: what kind of matrix should I prefer? Do I need to immediately strive for Full Frame in order to pray for it daily? On the one hand, the larger the sensor, the better the quality of the resulting photo. Of course, many other factors play here, first of all the lens, but just purely physically: the larger the matrix, the better the quality. (By the way, there are so-called medium format cameras with sensors from 40 mm in width and more, but they are only for professionals and cost like good cars.) How is this "better quality" manifested? In detail, sharpness, clarity, in the quality of the resulting print: if the image needs to be used in printing, then the full format of the matrix is almost mandatory there in order to lose quality as little as possible with a noticeable increase during printing. In addition, the larger the original image, the easier it is to crop it: that is, to cut out a piece of the frame from it and at the same time obtain an acceptable quality. Also, the larger the matrix, the better camera shoots in poor lighting conditions: with a large sensor at high values of light sensitivity, the so-called "noise" appears much less (these are dots in the image - like grain in old black-and-white photographs taken on high-sensitivity film). On the other side, full format, as we have already said, leads to an increase in the size of the chamber, an increase in weight and always - to high price... And if you are an amateur photographer, then why would you spend a lot of money and carry a heavy camera with you if you have no idea what it gives you? As a result, the camera (and sensor) needs to be matched to your tasks and your wallet. For beginners, an inexpensive "soap dish" with a crop of 5.7 is quite suitable. For advanced amateurs who already understand something in photography and know what opportunities certain cameras provide them, it is better to focus on either good mirrorless cameras with a crop of 2 - 1.5, or amateur SLR cameras with a crop of 1.5 - 1. 6, especially since such DSLRs are now being produced

Hello again, dear reader! We are in touch with you, Timur Mustaev. Do you know what a full-frame sensor is in SLR cameras? How does it differ from cut-down matrices? Why are they more expensive? What if you don't have a full frame sensor?

Before answering these and other questions that interest you, let me congratulate you on the first day of summer. I don’t know how things are with you with the weather, but in Dushanbe today it was + 36C. In other words, summer has begun in full. And how is the weather with you, what can you boast about? I also congratulate you on the day of protecting children, take care, love, value both your own and other people's children. Children, this is a ray of light in our hearts!

In one of the previous articles, the topic of the camera was touched upon. Surely after reading it, there was some confusion associated with full-frame cameras. Today I will tell you about their advantages and disadvantages. After reading the article, you will find out what a full-frame camera is for, how pictures from full-frame and crop cameras will differ, what are the advantages and disadvantages of such solutions.

Full-frame sensor.

So, in order to understand what a full-frame camera is, you need to understand the concept of “full frame”. The size of the frame is considered to be the dimensions of the photosensitive element located in the body of the camera. Physically, they are completely different. "Full" is considered to be standard 35 mm elements, as this size has been the standard for many years.

The width and height parameters of such matrices are 36 and 24 millimeters, respectively. This is where the concept of a crop matrix emerges, which was touched upon in one of the previous articles. The reason for the creation of "cropped" matrices was and still is the high cost of production of full-fledged sensors for digital cameras... Of course, now the technical process has become less expensive, however, the production of elements standard sizes still not the cheapest pleasure.

Of course, there used to be compact cameras. They tried to make them as inexpensive as possible, both for purchase and for maintenance. This necessitated the creation of "crop films", so to speak, but they were very rare: even now it is difficult to find a well-preserved camera with reduced film size.

Closer to the end of training, our teacher showed a very interesting camera, which was used by the intelligence services of the USSR in the middle and end of the last century. We showed us the Vega camera, which was produced in Kiev in the 60s. Surprisingly, it was fully functional, even the film was in place. The size of its film frame was 14 × 10 millimeters, and the drum contained only 20 pictures.

We ourselves, of course, could not work with him, since we were forbidden to take him with us to photographic practice, but we nevertheless examined several frames captured by Vega. The quality for this kind of cameras was good enough for our exhibit, especially considering the diminutiveness of its lens. Nevertheless, this did not prevent the intelligence officers from performing their work with high quality.

Features of full-size photosensitive element

It is no secret that the image obtained by the crop matrix will be smaller than that obtained on the full-fledged one. This, as you can see, was discussed in the last article. To a greater extent, the story was about stripped-down matrices, but now it's time to talk about full-size sensors. He has both advantages and disadvantages. It seems to me that it is worth starting with the first.

So why are they so appreciated by professionals?

The advantages of full-size cameras

At first, detailing. Due to the larger matrix size, the resulting raster image boasts better image clarity. Even the smallest details in full frame will show up better than cropped when comparing the results captured with the same lens.

Secondly, larger viewfinder size. Whoever says anything, it is inappropriate to cover a small photosensitive element with a large mirror. Of course, the prism also affects the size, but the latter in such cameras, as a rule, is larger than in mass cameras. For mirrorless devices, this is an even more significant plus, due to the higher resolution of the resulting image.

Thirdly, the size of the pixel itself. If the manufacturer decided not to increase the number of light-sensitive units, but to make them slightly larger, then this will make the sensor more sensitive to light rays. As some photographers may explain, full-frame cameras tend to produce lighter images.

Fourthly, good depth of field. Due to the better ISO sensitivity provided by the large pixel size, it will be much easier to achieve a good depth of field on such a device.

“What is DOF?” You ask. It stands for the depth of field used by the space. Why is this needed? It's simple: to blur the background more or less. The main thing you need to know here is that full-frame matrices allow you to most effectively "conjure" with this parameter.

Fifth, no zoom effect. It was also mentioned in the article about the crop factor. Perhaps this is one of the main differences from smaller matrices, which allows you to save more images per frame. This can play both a positive role in the frame and a negative one. For example, at a great distance from the subject, this can play a negative role, but when working in the portrait genre, everything will be exactly the opposite.

At sixth, even at high values of ISO 1600-3200, the appearance of digital noise is minimal.

Comparison of full-frame and cropped cameras. Case of life

I want to say right away that the comparison turned out to be very subjective, since the cameras were of different levels, they used different optics, they were controlled by different people. So, after showing the spy apparatus, the teacher began to voice us the task for the next job: it was necessary to create a full-fledged photo report.

We were partly lucky: we had a driving school next door to us at the additional training center, and on that day, driving competitions among novice drivers were held on the territory of the local autodrome. I don't think it's worth going into the essence of the details, that's not why you came here.

So, the competition began, and my classmates and I went to the circuit to make the cherished shots. I didn't have the best Nikon D3100 in my hands, so I decided to immediately agree with the guys working with the Canon 5D Mark II to take turns shooting. Both devices, by the way, were used with whale lenses. We agreed that after a while we will switch cameras for a better understanding of the devices themselves and getting the largest possible number of images.

Upon arrival at the studio, everyone immediately began to transfer frames to laptops for processing. After inserting the memory card, I did the same, after which I began to examine the resulting result. Looking through the photo for the second time, I caught myself thinking that at long distances (about 50-100 meters) Canon took pictures of more or less acceptable quality, but the D3100 showed an impressive result, as for a budget amateur SLR camera.

Of course, close-up pictures were taken: it was necessary to photograph the winners, the cars that brought them to such a result, the teachers-mentors. The result at Canon was impressive. Nikon also performed well, but somewhere he lacked sharpness, in other places the picture seemed a little noisy, and you shouldn't forget about the zoom effect.

At the end of viewing the photos, I came to the following conclusions: Canon is capable of anything, you just need to choose the right set of lenses, but with Nikon, everything is not so simple. Of course, you can get high-quality shots, but Nikon's getting perfect shots at a short distance is quite difficult due to the crop factor. Nevertheless, it more than justified its cost, however, like Canon.

Disadvantages of full-size cameras

First and perhaps the most significant one is the difficulty in photographing at long distances. The wider light range, good image clarity and ease of taking pictures are overridden by weaknesses when shooting with long focal lengths. Of course, this is solved at the expense of a specialized lens, which will significantly hit the pocket.

Second but no less significant is the cost. In addition to expensive "glasses" (as the lens is called in slang), you will have to pay a round sum for the carcass itself. Of course, professionals will not stop even at a six-figure price tag, since such an acquisition will pay off quickly enough.

Third minus - weight. Large matrix, large mirror, large viewfinder ... More and more demands a roomy body for placement. Among other things, lenses for large bodies have never been famous for their lightness either. Configurations with expensive telephoto lenses, lenses in which are made of glass with a special coating, will be especially difficult.

Fourth the disadvantage is the narrow specialization of full-frame matrices. While a crop ratio of 1.5-1.6 can be called standard and universal. Full-frame sensors are mainly focused on close-up photography. Of course, you can use a full-frame camera for long-distance photography, but this will be much more difficult and expensive. Moreover, even close to a beginner it will be difficult to implement a device with a standard-size matrix.

So now is the moment to figure out if we need a full-frame camera or not? If you are one of the top photographers in the city and photography is your main income, then it is definitely worth it. If you are an amateur thinking about updating your crop camera, then the acquisition will be a very dubious action. Whatever is written here, you should correctly evaluate all the pros and cons, and then decide which type of matrix to choose.

If you want to get to know your camera in more detail, understand what it is capable of, understand the basic properties of building compositions, understand how to make a beautiful blurred background, learn how to control the depth of field, and much, much more. Then help you, a really superb video course "" or " My first MIRROR". Trust me, you can draw a lot from it useful information and your pictures will turn into masterpieces.

My first MIRROR- for owners of the CANON camera.

DSLR for Beginner 2.0- for the owners of the NIKON camera.

I hope you were interested in this article and now you know what the phrase "full frame camera" means. If the information turned out to be useful, then be sure to subscribe to my blog, there are a lot of interesting things ahead of you. You can tell your friends-photographers about the blog, let them also join quality photography... All the best, dear reader, see you soon!

All the best to you, Timur Mustaev.