All digital cameras have one thing in common: a digital imaging sensor. But, not all sensors are the same.

Here, we discuss two main image sensor sizes: the APS-C sensor (also known as a crop sensor), and the Full Frame sensor. A Full Frame camera has an imaging sensor which is equivalent to traditional 35mm film size. 

APS-C sized sensor on the left and Full Frame sensor on the right

Making the switch from a Crop Sensor camera to a Full Frame camera opens up a whole realm of new possibilities. You’ll be able to explore new shooting styles and experiment with genres of photography in new ways that were out of reach due to the limitations of a Crop Sensor camera system: Wider fields of view for landscape or architecture photography, better low light performance for events, faster autofocus for sports, better battery life for long hikes and more.

The main benefits of stepping up to a camera with a Full Frame sensor are:

1. No ‘Crop’ in Your Field of View

When using the same lens on these two different sensors you’ll end up with what appears to be a zoomed in image on the APS-C camera, and a wider field of view on the Full Frame camera. This is because the APS-C sensor is physically smaller than a Full Frame sensor which results in cropping part of the image that comes through the lens.

Using a 50mm lens on a Full Frame camera will give you a true 50mm field of view. On the other hand, when using the same lens on an APS-C sensor camera you need to multiply the focal length by a factor of 1.6x. This means your 50mm lens effectively turns into an 80mm lens on an APS-C sensor camera.

When shooting landscapes, architecture or a group of people you’ll want to use a wide angle lens to fit more in to the frame. Shooting with a Full Frame camera means you’ll be able to fit more in your image.

2. Better Bokeh

In my opinion the biggest difference between Full Frame and APS-C cameras, and largely why people jump to Full Frame, is their ability to create beautiful, soft, blurred backgrounds. This comes in handy when shooting portraits, guiding your eye to the main subject where everything is sharp and the background is a creamy blur.

This increase in bokeh quality is caused by the need to use longer focal lengths on a Full Frame camera to get the equivalent focal length as an APS-C sensor camera. Due to how optical systems work, a longer focal length results in a more shallow depth of field. The shallower your depth of field, the better your bokeh will be.

3. Better Low Light Performance

A Full Frame sensor is physically larger than a crop sensor, yet they often feature the same amount of megapixels. This means each individual pixel on a Full Frame sensor can be bigger in size. Bigger pixels can capture more light which will give you cleaner images with less noise or grain when selecting higher ISO values. For example, Canon's full frame mirrorless cameras are designed to shoot in challenging lighting conditions with an ISO range of 100-40,000. 

4. More Features on Full Frame Cameras

As Full Frame cameras tend to be more advanced, they have various added features in comparison to the average APS-C camera. In addition to improvements in the firmware, there are also physical modifications such as extra dials and controls for manual shooting and enhanced weather sealing. The larger camera body also packs a longer life battery meaning you can shoot for longer. Auto Focus mechanisms are faster, larger, more efficient and better in low light, resulting in fewer missed shots.

Overall, shooting with a Full Frame camera will give you a better shooting experience – personally, I haven’t looked back after making the jump.

Written by Matthew Vandeputte