Full Frame Advantge ?

[smc1377]

Originally Posted by kunaldaswani

I kinda like the crop factor which gives me lenses more zoom.

The crop factor does not give you more zoom. It gives you more crop. That's why it's called a crop factor and not a zoom factor. It doesn't magnify or telescopify (yes, I just made up that word) your lenses in any way.

Using a 400mm lens on a 40D does not get you any closer to the action than using the same 400mm lens on a 5D. It just *appears* to be closer cause your angle of view is reduced by 1.6x.

[Jamesc359]

When taking a photo, appearance is everything.

[hpebley3]

A couple other notes:
1) The image in the viewfinder on a full frame camera is significantly larger and brighter. Makes manual focusing easier.
2) Some (if not all) have the ability to change the overlay in the viewfinder. So, for example, you can see certain crop factors (useful for wedding photographers) or have split-ring focusing.

[smc1377]

Originally Posted by hpebley3

A couple other notes:
1) The image in the viewfinder on a full frame camera is significantly larger and brighter. Makes manual focusing easier.
2) Some (if not all) have the ability to change the overlay in the viewfinder. So, for example, you can see certain crop factors (useful for wedding photographers) or have split-ring focusing.

As an FYI to others that might be reading this, you can change the focusing screens on just about all DSLR's to ones that have grid lines showing useful crop factors. See the following page...

http://www.katzeyeoptics.com/page--C...gridlines.html

[kunaldaswani]

Originally Posted by smc1377

The crop factor does not give you more zoom. It gives you more crop. That's why it's called a crop factor and not a zoom factor. It doesn't magnify or telescopify (yes, I just made up that word) your lenses in any way.

Using a 400mm lens on a 40D does not get you any closer to the action than using the same 400mm lens on a 5D. It just *appears* to be closer cause your angle of view is reduced by 1.6x.

So my 50mm lens does not act like a 80mm lens due to the crop factor? I always thought thats how it was. Thanks for that

[jdepould]

You're misinterpreting "crop" versus "magnification." The crop factor doesn't change the apparent size of the objects in the photo, all other things being equal, it simply narrows the field of view. In the FoV respect, it's similar to an 80mm lens, but not in the magnification respect.

[Jamesc359]

Originally Posted by jdepould

You're misinterpreting "crop" versus "magnification." The crop factor doesn't change the apparent size of the objects in the photo, all other things being equal, it simply narrows the field of view. In the FoV respect, it's similar to an 80mm lens, but not in the magnification respect.

Unless you're using a EF-S or DX lens. In which case the term crop factor isn't accurate at all and the term focal length multiplier is better suited.

Originally Posted by kunaldaswani

So my 50mm lens does not act like a 80mm lens due to the crop factor? I always thought thats how it was. Thanks for that

What jdepould is hung up on is the fact that with a standard 35mm camera lens the circle of light cast on the inside of your camera is larger than the sensor. Thus the sensor is "cropping" it down, which narrows the field of view.

The effect is the same though. Your field of view will be the same as a lens with 1.5 or 1.6 times the focal length.

The above doesn't apply if you're using your kit lens or another EF-S or DX lens. In those lenses the circle of light cast on the sensor is smaller and no cropping goes on (beyond what's discarded to make a round image square.) These lenses have a focal length multiplier that is the same as the crop factor. So the result is the same. A EF-S or DX lens has a focal length multiplier of 1.6 or 1.5 (respectively to your camera's brand), and a non EF-S or DX lens has a crop factor of 1.6 or 1.5.

With all that, in the end you're right! The effect is the same; your 50mm lens effectively behaves like an 80mm lens. The resulting image is seemingly 1.5 or 1.6 times larger than it would appear on a full frame camera.

[jdepould]

EF-S and DX lenses are still measured in 35mm terms, meaning the crop factor does, in fact, apply. There's no focal length multiplier. 24mm on a DX lens is the same as 24mm full frame.

[chowc]

The other consideration is the camera AI. A better cropped frame camera will produce almost the same or better images than an average full frame.

So aside from the lens issue, you will need to see how the camera actually performs in conjunction with the full frame.

For example, here is a link to a comparison between the 5D and 40D.

http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Ca..._results.shtml

[Jamesc359]

Originally Posted by jdepould

EF-S and DX lenses are still measured in 35mm terms, meaning the crop factor does, in fact, apply. There's no focal length multiplier. 24mm on a DX lens is the same as 24mm full frame.

No, they're not measured in 35mm terms. Focal length isn't intrinsically bound to the 35mm format. It's a constant, regardless if you're using a medium format, a 35mm, APS-C, or a teeny-tiny 1/1.8" sensor. It's the field of view that changes.

You can't say a EF-S or DX lens has a crop factor because their is no cropping going on, just a shrinking field of view. The term focal length multiplier isn't perfectly accurate either, but it's less misleading than stating there's a crop factor that doesn't exist.