What is the big difference from crop-sensor vs. full frame?

[ChrisAdval]

I only see little differences honestly from very poplar crop-censor camera bodies, I want to know and understand the big it factor to go full frame...

[RichardTaylor]

I am a hobbyist who shoots with both (older cameras (350D/40D and 5D), and mostly just prints 10x8 (A4) or publishes on the web.

At least two advantages for a full frame camera for concurrent models.
(1) More (good) MP that does give more flexibility when cropping.
(2) Because of the larger individual sensor sites better high ISO performance at the very least.

The first time I looked through a full frame viewfinder it was an eye opener, larger and brighter compared to the crop cameras I was using.

Gut feelings:
The images, even when viewed on a PC, just look better (but then I only use better lenses with the full frame camera (I had an L lens as a standard zoom for the first time)
Hi ISO (=>1600) images need less noise reduction when PPing .


After saying all that I am quite happy with images from my P&S (Canon G11) that are shot low (80 or 100) ISO's.

[ceremus]

Yup, generally a full frame will have better iso performance and more dynamic range just by the virtue of having a larger sensor and thus, larger photoreceptors comprising the total resolution. Although there are full-frame cameras that are built instead to take very high resolution photographs, so they use smaller receptors on a full-size sensor to make bigger resolutions.

And, of course, the complete difference in FOV: Full Frame vs 1.6 crop | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

[inkista]

Field of view is the big difference. Particularly the ability to get a larger FoV with longer focal lengths.

To me, looking through my 50D's viewfinder after using my 5Dii is like having tunnel vision.

Smaller differences would be the higher resolution, the smoother tonality, bigger dyanmic range, and better high ISO performance, but, the difference is minor, particularly if you're looking at websized images.

[kirbinster]

Image quality is much better because for a given number of pixels they are spread further apart thus you get less noise. I can shoot at ISO 6400 with my D700 and just apply a little noise reduction in LR3 and the photos look GREAT, better than ISO400 on a D80 used to have.

You give up the 1.5x magnification factor, which means your wide lenses are much wider - but your long lenses are that much shorter. That is why I will many times go out with my 12-24 lens on the D700 and a 200 or 300mm lens on my D300.

[ravncat]

Also, Wider depth of field by about a stop.

[BigFuzzy]

Originally Posted by inkista

Field of view is the big difference. Particularly the ability to get a larger FoV with longer focal lengths.

To me, looking through my 50D's viewfinder after using my 5Dii is like having tunnel vision.

Smaller differences would be the higher resolution, the smoother tonality, bigger dyanmic range, and better high ISO performance, but, the difference is minor, particularly if you're looking at websized images.

Yeah, FoV is the obvious (and yeah, important) difference, but I think the bolded stuff above is where it matters most to me. Not to mention that I feel the bokeh is smoother and milkier to me on a FF sensor.. but if you don't shoot a lot of shallow DoF photos, that won't matter to you.

[inkista]

Originally Posted by ravncat

Also, Wider depth of field by about a stop.

Errr... thinner DoF. (think P&S sensors vs. APS-C sensors). But not by virtue of the sensor size all by itself magically imparting this. It's either because, to frame identically, you get closer to your subject, or you use a longer lens.

[ravncat]

Inkista.

Yes, I should have used the term shallower - which is what I meant by wider, as opposed to deeper.

Forgetting all the technical reasons behind it, people tend to frame the same way,especially considering equivalent zooms (18-55 / 28-80), so even though it's not directly imparted by the sensor - it is a tangible effect that occurs.

Especially considering that given the same resolution you change pixel density - which means that you can stop further down before you hit diffraction effects. While that may be only one stop and get you back to the same depth of field with the crop camera - you end up with a net gain of shallow depth of field control.

[inkista]

Ah. Wider as in "wider lens-like" DoF.