BARRY COWAN

None

Sensei

Virtually every lens I have on Nikon and Sony cameras is a full frame lens purchased and used on a film camera. As long as the mount is compatible you should not have a problem. If the lens mounts are not compatible there are converters that can be used.

Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

Obviously it sort of gets you a 'longer lens'.
Another positive is that this arrangement uses the center of the full frame lens, which is the sharpest part of it.

frankraney Loc: Clovis, Ca.

I think what you meant was, the crop sensor sees only the center portion of the ff lens (it crops what the ff lens gives it).

hrblaine

You guys have told the OP more than he needs to know. CHG Canon answered the question succinctly but nooooo, many of you just had to add your own worthless two bits. So I'll add my w-t-bs. Proving once again that I'm just as worthless as any of you! Harry

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

There is no reason against it or significant disadvantage to using a full frame lens on and APS-C camera...

Except possibly....

1. Full frame lenses tend to be bigger and heavier. They need to produce a larger image circle to cover the larger sensor, so elements and other components of the lens need to be bigger.

2. In general, full frame lenses are more expensive (see #1).

3. The focal length (or lengths, in the case of a zoom) may or may not be ideal once the crop factor is part of the equation. For example, a 24-105mm zoom on full frame covers a neat wide angle to short portrait telephoto range. But once it's put on an APS-C camera it will "act like a 36-158mm zoom" would on full frame. This may or may not be any concern. It's entirely up to you, whether or not the lens meets your needs. For example, for portraiture I personally prefer my 24-70mm lens on an APS-C camera, rather than a full frame camera. To me the 70mm focal length just seems a bit short for portraiture on a FF camera. Other people certainly feel differently. 24-70mm on full frame is very popular with wedding photographers, for example. This is entirely up to personal preference, so experiment and make your own judgments.

4. Lenses that are wide or ultrawide on full frame will give only moderately wide to normal angle of view when used on a crop camera.

The actually are some advantages to using a FF design lens on an APS-C camera.

1. Most lenses are sharpest in the center and less so in the corners. It's also common for lenses to have some light falloff in the corners (optical vignetting). When a FF lens is used on a crop camera, only the central part of the image area is used, so some of the "weaknesses" of the lens are avoided.

2. Full frame telephoto lenses are made "more powerful" on a crop camera. It's sort of like adding a teleconverter, without the "costs" of the teleconverter. Those "costs" are: the purchase price of the teleconverter, the added size and weight of the teleconverter, some degree of image degradation due to the additional optics of the teleconverter and some loss of light to a teleconverter. A 1.4X teleconverter reduces light by about one stop. So an f/2.8 lens with a 1.4X added will act as an f/4 lens, or an f/4 lens will become an f/5.6, etc. This reduction in light effects exposure settings and autofocus performance. But the same lens on an APS-C camera will "act like" a 1.5X or 1.6X teleconverter has been added, without any of these "costs".

3. Putting a telephoto on a crop camera can allow you to use smaller, lighter, less expensive lenses. For example, I often shoot with a 3 lb., $1300 300mm f/4 lens on a crop cameras. That's easily hand held, reasonably light and compact for travel, hiking, etc. It allows me to be quite mobile. To enjoy the same "reach", aperture etc. with a full frame camera would require a 500mm f/4 lens that weighs 8 lb., costs $9000, and is considerably bigger. It's also likely to require a sturdy tripod or at least a good monopod... more cost and gear to haul around. That 500mm is not a lens you'd want to hand hold for more than a few minutes and you won't be as mobile with it. But if you need a really powerful telephoto, that 500mm f/4 can "act like a 750mm f/4" (or 800mm f/4 on a Canon camera). This is something that doesn't exist in any camera system. Nikon and Canon both have 800mm f/5.6 - one stop slower - for $13000 and $16000, respectively. The longest native lens for the Sony e-mount currently is their 600mm f/4.

My worthless two bits