doduce Loc: Holly Springs NC

Interesting discussion on sensor size from LightStalking

http://www.lightstalking.com/cameras-sensor-size/

What was different to me was that after the normal discussion of sensor size in DSLRs and ILCs, the author said the following:

"Now, what do all these numbers mean? Well, let’s say that you want to use your 50mm f/2 lens on all sensors. Will you get the same results? No. Let’s see why.

We’ll use a couple of simple examples that require fairly easy math: a 50mm f/2 lens used on a full frame sensor (multiplier of 1) will result in, as expected, 50mm f/2. However, if you use the same lens on an APS-C for Nikon, the outcome would be 75mm f/3, and on a MFT sensor, it would be 100mm f/4. Here is a fun fact: the lens set to f/2 on every sensor will result in the same shutter speed for the same exposure. This is because the sensors have different signal multipliers, meaning that 100 ISO is not really 100 – it is actually multiplied, and you simply don’t see that. That is one of the reasons why smaller sensors have much more noise than their larger counterparts."

So sensor size, according to this gent, affects not just field of view but also shutter speed and ISO. That's very different than what I had thought, but it seems to make sense. Still trying to wrap my head around this, but interesting food for thought.

doduce Loc: Holly Springs NC

Sorry to all--this should have been posted to Links and Resources. Brain cramp on my part. Apologies.

jim quist Loc: Missouri

The guy is crazy for saying to avoid full frame for portraiture.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Yes sensor size affects your images.

However, his arguments are arbitrary and in the case of FF says to avoid them for portrait and then describes the reasons they are better or did I mis-read it? Confusing???.

It must be true...I read it on the internet.

AntonioReyna Loc: Los Angeles, California

Everyone has their biases, even so called experts. You should do what feels right based on what you shoot and what feels good to you.

One benefit of shooting full frame is being able to get wider shots with the same lens. I have a full frame Canon and a 7D, crop sensor. I was in a situation yesterday where I wanted to get as wide as possible which I could do with the full frame but not the 7D, which I love and which I use for different situations. I don't buy any EFS lenses so I can use the EF lenses on either body.

doduce Loc: Holly Springs NC

I did find his rationale a bit inconsistent at best.

My real take away from the piece is that--if you accept what the author is saying--a crop sensor camera will increase the ISO in the background to compensate for the loss of "light capture" through a larger aperture setting when a full frame lens mounted on a crop sensor body. Or did I miss-read it?

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

The entire blog has to be questioned based on one statement he made, to AVOID full frame and medium format cameras when shooting portraiture?

HUH?????

Could it be possible that every pro portrait photographer in the last 100 years was wrong and this guy was right?

Not very likely.
The rest of the article is mostly plagaristic repeats of many other online blogs.

johnmowry Loc: Northern Indiana, USA

I think you should ignore everything this guy says. He seems to be very confused and confusing, making several contradictory statement. He may be confusing the ISO effect with the effect of sensor size on DOF, which makes the 50 f2 have DOF like a 50 f3 (at least per what I've read from more reliable sources). ISO stands for Int'l Standards Org, which to me would imply that each manufacture doesn't get to apply their own fudge factors. Has anyone heard of this idea of boosting output to compensate for sensor size?