Full frame vs. crop sensor: Which format is best for you?

Wider field of view

Because there’s no crop factor on full-frame sensors, “you’re able to get a wider field of view with your lens,” says Whitehouse. “If you shoot landscape photography or anything that needs a wide frame, such as real estate photography or architecture, you’ll probably want a full frame.”

Disadvantages of shooting full frame.

Expensive

Full-frame cameras are designed to meet the needs of enthusiasts and working professionals, and their higher price tags reflect these extra features. Keep in mind that if you choose a full-frame camera you’ll have to invest in full-frame lenses, which can be just as expensive as, if not pricier than, the body itself.

Size

Even as mirrorless cameras continue to make great strides toward slimmer full-frame bodies, there’s no getting around the added bulk of a full-frame camera. This is in part due to the size of the sensor. If you want to take your camera on the road for travel photography, street photography, or photojournalism, full-frame lenses and bodies can be unwieldy to lug around.

Large files

More pixels means bigger files. This means you’ll have to invest in the appropriate storage to house these larger files, from faster memory cards to cloud storage or backup drives.

Advantages of crop sensor cameras.

More versatile size

“If you’re not ready to drop the cash for a full frame, it’s better to start with a crop sensor, which is also smaller and lighter. And mirrorless crop sensor cameras are so small that if you need something super portable, a crop sensor is great,” says Whitehouse.

Crop factor

While the crop factor can be seen as a weakness of these cameras, you can also turn this magnification to your advantage in scenarios where you need to get as close as possible. “The crop sensor’s smaller sensor gives your lenses extra reach. If you shoot wildlife photography or sports photography, you can do pretty well with a crop sensor camera,” says Silva.

Disadvantages of crop sensors.

Lower image quality

A crop sensor can’t fit the same amount of information into a file as a full frame simply due to its smaller surface area. But in practice this may only become noticeable in certain situations, such as low-light conditions. As camera technology advances, the quality gap between crop sensors and full frames will continue to close.

Tighter focal length

The crop factor can be a handy hack to amplify your telephoto reach, but the flip side is that shooting wide-angle shots is difficult. “Because you’re zoomed in with a crop sensor, it’s really hard to back out,” says Silva. “You’d need a very wide angle lens to get everything around you in a crop sensor, but there’s a lot of distortion with lenses that wide.”

How to get the most out of any camera.

No matter what type of camera you opt for, here are a few practices you can adopt to get the best shot possible with the gear you’ve got.

Invest in full-frame lenses.

“If you’re going to use a crop sensor, the best thing you can do for yourself is invest in a full-frame lens,” says Silva. “At the end of the day, the glass is more important than anything.” Lenses tend to hold their value better than camera bodies and are equally, if not more, responsible for the image quality you can get out of your camera.

“You can use a full-frame lens on a crop sensor, but not the other way around,” adds Whitehouse. If you want to save money on a crop sensor but think you might upgrade to a full frame later, it’ll be less expensive in the long run to invest in quality glass now. This will help you to easily scale up your kit without having to sell and replace costly items.

Shoot in RAW.

Uncompressed RAW files capture much more information than a compressed JPG, but the good news is that both crop and full-frame sensor cameras can shoot RAW. To maximize your image quality, shoot in RAW whenever possible. With RAW files, you can recover highlights and shadows in post that would be lost if left to JPGs.

The camera doesn’t make the photographer.

At the end of the day a camera is a tool, much like a paintbrush is to a painter. You can make a good photo with your smartphone or with a $10,000 Leica, but the most important parts of photography come down to your eye as the photographer. Consider the basic blueprints of strong visuals, such as light, composition, color, and contrast, and you can come away with a good photo no matter what camera you have in your hand.

Which sensor size is right for you?

While full frames will almost always be considered the industry standard for working professionals, there are so many great camera options that the decision between the two often comes down to the individual photographer’s needs and goals.

“Crop sensor cameras are getting so good that image quality alone isn’t enough of a reason to choose a full frame over crop sensor,” says Whitehouse. In many cases, a full frame might be more camera than you need — at least right now. Know your needs and from there weigh the pros and cons of each option.

“The most important thing is to assess what you’re taking images of,” says Whitehouse. “Many people shoot full frame who don’t need to. A crop sensor is a good place to start because you get great quality at a lower price point.”

Now that you know the ins and outs of sensor sizes, you’re ready to pick the camera that best suits your style. Remember that technical specs are important, but they’re not everything; if the camera inspires you to get out and shoot, it’s the one for you.