Learn aboutCrop factor

Short Description

Crop factor applies only to 35mm SLRs, other camera segments may have crop factors but their lenses are rated as 35mm equivalents. The crop factor applies to SLRs who's sensors are smaller than a full frame 35mm sensor(36x24mm) but still use 35mm lenses. The crop factor illustrates how much larger a 35mm film is versus the smaller sensor along a single dimension. The ratio is also known as the focal length multiplier which illustrates the relationship between focal lengths of a lens when used with different sensor sizes.

For instance a 35mm sensor diagonal is 1.5X bigger than an APS-C sensor diagonal (the most common dSLR sensor) - thus its focal length multiplier is also 1.5X. Because the sensor is smaller than a full frame sensor the lens projects more image than the sensor can cover - hence the projected image is cropped and thus the name - crop factor. The focal length multiplier allows you to figure out how much is cropped by providing the equivalent focal length of magnification. For instance an image taken on a APS-C camera at 50mm will look like the same image taken on a full frame camera at 75mm - 1.5X magnification. This means smaller sensor SLRs get built-in zoom with a given lens relative to a full frame camera but they also loose the ability to go as wide angle as the full frame camera.

Visualization of Crop Factor

The following diagram shows the image projected by a lens and the relative differences between how much a full frame sensor is capturing and how much an APS-C frame captures. As you can see the smaller sensor captures less, but if it has the same number of pixels than on a relative basis the effect that is caused is basically zoom. If the full frame sensor was to capture the exact same image as the APS-C sensor you can see that the projected image would need to grow - in fact it would need to grow by exactly 1.5X - the same as the crop factor.

Illustration of Crop Factor on a Full Frame vs APS-C

The photo illustrates the difference between what a standard 35mm full frame sensor captures and a smaller APS-C sensor. It also illustrates the relative zoom afforded by the APS-C sensor and the wider angle afforded by the full frame sensor.

Top Full Frame Cameras

The following SLRs are some of the best full frame digital 35mm cameras available.

	Canon EOS 1D X from $6,799	Low noise at high ISO 2,786 ISO High ISO 51,200 ISO Rapid fire 14 fps Learn more about the Canon EOS 1D X
	Canon EOS 5D Mark III from $3,250	Low noise at high ISO 2,293 ISO Many cross-type focus points 41 Large screen 3.2" Learn more about the Canon EOS 5D Mark III
	Nikon D4 from $5,997	Low noise at high ISO 2,965 ISO Great battery life 2600 shots Great image quality 89.0 Learn more about the Nikon D4
	Nikon D800 from $2,797	Low noise at high ISO 2,853 ISO Great image quality 95.0 High true resolution 36.2 MP Learn more about the Nikon D800

See more of the top DSLRs with full-frame sensors

Top APS-C Cameras

The following APS-C cameras are some of the best available.

	Nikon D7100 from $1,197	Low noise at high ISO 1,256 ISO Great image quality 83.0 Many focus points 51 Learn more about the Nikon D7100
	Pentax K-30 from $518	Low noise at high ISO 1,129 ISO Weather sealed Shoot in extreme weather Image stabilization Sensor shift Learn more about the Pentax K-30
	Pentax K-5 II from $768	Low noise at high ISO 1,235 ISO Great image quality 82.0 Wide dynamic range 14.1 EV Learn more about the Pentax K-5 II
	Nikon D5200 from $697	Low noise at high ISO 1,284 ISO Great image quality 84.0 Many focus points 39 Learn more about the Nikon D5200

See more of the top DSLRs with APS-C or APS-H sensors

Discussion

Showing 3 comments

Johnsmith (7:34 AM, April 05, 2012)

Canon APS-C have a 1.6x crop factor (smaller sensor) so your 18mm = 28.8mm

Roy Amrullah (9:16 PM, September 09, 2011)

550d seems to have 1.5x cropfactor then 18mm x 1.5 = 27mm. CMIIW

Justin Ji (4:32 AM, June 15, 2011)

Nice! I was wondering why a 18mm lens on a 550d (APS-C) had less wide angle ability than a 26mm equivalent Nikon P100! : )