Crop sensor...I just don't get it.
May 8, 2012 20:26:24 #
So, if you are shooting with a 50mm lens on a crop sensor vs full frame camera, you are essentially shooting at 80mm on a Canon or 75mm on a Nikon. But! What exactly does that mean? How does it affect the picture. Is what you see in the viewfinder what you get? Or even though you see the whole cat's head, the tip of the ears will be cut off. Or will things be bigger since 80 is more than 50? I truly do not understand this.
May 8, 2012 20:30:10 #
I think the answer is yes and no. Others will more fully explain. My suggestion is to learn what each of lenses sees with your camera and enjoy the experience.
May 8, 2012 20:34:58 #
Basically no matter what camera you slap a lens on...the focal length DOESN'T CHANGE.
What DOES change is the "field of view" you get.
Think of it like this:
You are sitting in your house and looking out a big 8 foot picture window.
You see a certain amount of the neighbors house and yard and such.
NOW...there is only a 5 foot window there...the distance to the neighbors house hasn't changed....but you see less of it.
That's what's happening.
You put a 50mm lens on a 1.6 crop sensor body and you get the "effect" or "appearance of" a 80mm lens.
What you SEE is what you'll get a picture of in each camera cropped or full frame.
What DOES change is the "field of view" you get.
Think of it like this:
You are sitting in your house and looking out a big 8 foot picture window.
You see a certain amount of the neighbors house and yard and such.
NOW...there is only a 5 foot window there...the distance to the neighbors house hasn't changed....but you see less of it.
That's what's happening.
You put a 50mm lens on a 1.6 crop sensor body and you get the "effect" or "appearance of" a 80mm lens.
What you SEE is what you'll get a picture of in each camera cropped or full frame.
May 8, 2012 20:44:52 #
BabyNurse wrote:
So, if you are shooting with a 50mm lens on a crop sensor vs full frame camera, you are essentially shooting at 80mm on a Canon or 75mm on a Nikon. But! What exactly does that mean? How does it affect the picture. Is what you see in the viewfinder what you get? Or even though you see the whole cat's head, the tip of the ears will be cut off. Or will things be bigger since 80 is more than 50? I truly do not understand this.
This may help
http://imaging.nikon.com/lineup/lens/simulator/
May 8, 2012 21:16:31 #
May I suggest you use the Search feature...this topic has been beat to death here.
May 8, 2012 22:29:51 #
ward5311 wrote:
May I suggest you use the Search feature...this topic has been beat to death here.
Sorry to have bored and/or irritated you. It was not my intention. Thanks for your suggestion and thanks to the others who offered help.
May 9, 2012 00:26:19 #
BabyNurse wrote:
Sorry to have bored and/or irritated you. It was not my intention. Thanks for your suggestion and thanks to the others who offered help.
ward5311 wrote:
May I suggest you use the Search feature...this topic has been beat to death here.
Sorry to have bored and/or irritated you. It was not my intention. Thanks for your suggestion and thanks to the others who offered help.
It's a common newbie question, very common in fact.
There are a lot of ways to explain it, and people gain understanding in different ways.
So far in this thread there are no mis-leading answers as sometimes happens when well-meaning people try to explain something they think they understand but really don't.
Read rpavich's post and try to understand it. Check out traveler90712's link and play with that. Here is another one to look at:
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/crop-factor.htm
I won't add to this other than the crop sensor camera is just a slightly different format (smaller) than a full-frame that can share a lot of the same lenses. That smaller sensor gives you a slightly narrower angle of view.
Edit..If you have any questions at all, on anything- check out this website's "Frequently asked questions" section first- see below.
It is well vetted ( election coming up- had to use the word). No one can add to it but the administrator.
I also think it should be more prominent and easier to find.
May 9, 2012 00:40:03 #
BabyNurse wrote:
Read this Frequently Asked & Answered QuestionsI truly do not understand this.
FAQ: Sensor Sizes Chart & Comparative Format Views
http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-26503-1.html
May 9, 2012 00:43:16 #
No irritation at all...It's just that as GoofyNewbie said there are different understandings..and you can see them all..Try a search for FX vs. DX...People have different ways of explaining the subject...Any easy way to remember is that a DX crop sensor gives the same image as an FX sensor with a 1.5 teleconvertor using an FX lens. They don't actually make a 1.5....Nikon is 1.4 and Canon is 1.6..I'm just using the Teleconvertor to help you understand the difference. Essentially a DX give you .5 more focal length..for example a 300mm DX gives you the same image as a 450 mm lens...the FX is 300mm to 300mm. Some may want to get technical about focal length but this example helps to understand the effect of the DX Crop sensor....Hope this helps.
May 9, 2012 01:09:38 #
ward5311 wrote:
May I suggest you use the Search feature...this topic has been beat to death here.
Absolutely!!!
May 9, 2012 03:35:52 #
ward5311 wrote:
Nope! Instead of simplifying, you made the situation more complicated by dragging tele-converters into the answer, Hope this helps.
which have absolutely nothing to do with the size of sensors.
May 9, 2012 03:43:38 #
BabyNurse wrote:
Sorry to have bored and/or irritated you. It was not my intention. Thanks for your suggestion and thanks to the others who offered help.
ward5311 wrote:
May I suggest you use the Search feature...this topic has been beat to death here.
Sorry to have bored and/or irritated you. It was not my intention. Thanks for your suggestion and thanks to the others who offered help.
You didn't bore or irritate him but it IS good practice to use the search function before you ask something.
Many questions have been answered literally dozens of times and sometimes more and it's just common sense to search first to try and find the answer before asking.
Also Google is a HUGE help in finding answers like this.
Searching cuts down on the amount of repetitive threads with the SAME information in them so when someone searches to find info, they don't run down a bunch of redundant dead ends.
May 9, 2012 04:19:56 #
oldmalky
Loc: West Midlands,England.
There may be a lot of answers if you search but what if you are a newbie to forums as well as photography and dont know your way around, im willing to bet every forum has the same questions asked many times but the newbie is not to know that and is it really that hard to answer the question and provide a link.
May 9, 2012 05:58:50 #
oldmalky wrote:
There may be a lot of answers if you search but what if you are a newbie to forums as well as photography and dont know your way around, im willing to bet every forum has the same questions asked many times but the newbie is not to know that and is it really that hard to answer the question and provide a link.
6 months ago I was a newbie to this forum and photography and I knew to search for my own answers before asking things.
It's not brain surgery.
May 9, 2012 07:25:45 #
When looking thru a full frame camera with a 50mm lens you are basically seeing what you would see thru your eyes. Putting the same lens on a crop sensor camera is like looking thru a pair of Binoculars. Your field of view narrows but it still is a 50mm lens.
To get the same field of view on a full frame camera as the 50mm on a crop sensor camera you would need to put an 80mm lens on it
Jim D
To get the same field of view on a full frame camera as the 50mm on a crop sensor camera you would need to put an 80mm lens on it
Jim D
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