Being Digital
Full Frame or APS-C?
BY MICHEL GILBERT & DANIELLE ALARY
M 52
ajor manufacturers try to convince us that size matters, and the best way to achieve utmost quality in our
pictures is to own a full-frame dSLR. Should we believe them? With the advent of more
affordable full-frame (FF) dSLRs – some of them being only a few hundred dollars more than their APS-C counterpart – it becomes more and more tempting to invest in larger sensor cameras. (For those new to the subject, FF and APS-C refer to sensor size. A full frame sensor measures 24mm X 36mm. An APS-C sensor measures 15.6mm X 23.5mm in the case of a Nikon dSLR and 14.9mm X 22.3mm in the case of a Canon dSLR.) So, should you make the move to
FF? The answer may not be what you expect. APS-C sensors have evolved
tremendously and, although they may not be the weapons of choice in all cases, their inherent qualities make them serious contenders in terms of performance and price/quality ratio, especially for underwater photographers. Many people love to show at a
dive site with the latest, the biggest and the fanciest image-making machine.
Magazine
FULL FRAME Advantages
Best high resolution images Better low-light performance Better suited for wide-angle work Larger viewfinder More lens choices Stronger bodies
Disadvantages
FF are more expensive Cameras tend to be larger/heavier Need the best lenses to match sensor performance Depth of field smaller than on APS-C sensors
Need very large dome ports for wide-angle
More sensitive to diffraction Huge files
They chose a camera after
seeing it in the hands of a top pro shooter, rather than carefully studying their own needs before making a commitment. They want a status symbol, and guess what? It may be the wrong tool for the job! The accompanying table
summarizes the plus and minuses of the each type of camera/sensor. As you can tell from the table,
going FF carries a price tag. Cameras are more expensive and housings tend to be pricier, too. To maximize performance on a FF you also need the best lenses.
Above: Nikon D810 (36Mpix),
Sony Alpha 7 R II (42Mpix) and
Canon EOS 5DS R (51Mpix) Right: The
APS-C Nikon D7200 shines in macro-
photography
In the macro world this does not make a lot of difference, since, for example, an APS-C owner most likely shoots the same lens as a FF photographer. In the Nikon world, both use the 60mm or the 105mm Micro Nikkor. Housing ports are similar. In wide-angle photography,
things get a little more interesting. First, you need the top-performing prime (fixed focal length) or zoom lens to maximize image quality on FF. Second, your wide lens needs be coupled with a very large - or, in Donald Trump’s lingo, huuuuuuuge
APS-C Lower price
Smaller/lighter camera bodies Better suited for wide-angle work Increased depth of field Better suited for macro work Less expensive lenses Less sensitive to diffraction
Smaller pixel size
Not as performing as FF in low light Smaller viewfinder
More limited lens choice Not as sturdy as some FF cameras
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68