9 Reasons Why Camera Sensor Size Matters? And What This Really Means To Us! Hi and welcome to Episode 123 of the Photography Explained podcast.
I’m your host Rick, and in each episode I will try to explain one photographic thing to you in plain English in less than 10 minutes (ish) without the irrelevant details. What I tell you is based on my lifetime of photographic experience. And not Google.
Want me to answer your photography question? Get your thinking caps on, more on this at the end.
Here is the answery bit
The size of a camera sensor determines
- The actual focal lengths that you get from a lens
- The resolution of images captured
- The sizes of image files
- The amount of depth of field
- The standard of low light performance
- The dynamic range that can be captured
- The amount of noise that might be found in a photo
- The size and weight of the camera and lenses
- The cost of the camera and lenses
So yes, it is fair to say that the size of a camera sensor matters.
Great – I have a list of things to go through. I love list answers. And 9 is nearly my perfect number of list items. 11 is my optimum in case you were wondering. OK, you weren’t.
Let me explain.
And again, I am talking about cameras that normal folk like you and I buy, which are either
- Full frame cameras – sensor size 36*24mm
- Cropped sensor cameras – 23.60*15.60mm (there are variations on this).
- Micro four thirds cameras – 17.3*13mm
More on these in some previous episodes
6 - What Are The Different Types Of Camera?
8 - Why Is Camera Sensor Size Important?
Yes I have already covered this, but have much more to say in this episode.
Here are those 9 points one by one. And I will say this now – what I am about to say is in general terms, and comparing equivalent products. These are pretty solid, general points that will help inform the choice of camera that we buy and use.
1 - The focal lengths that you get
Check out the last episode where I talked all about crop factors. Photography Explained Podcast Episode 122 - What Is Crop Factor? And How Does It Affect The Photos I Take? That is all that I need to tell you here.
Crop factor has a direct impact on the actual effective focal length that you get.
2 - The resolution of images captured
The larger the sensor, the higher the number of pixels that can be captured. The more pixels that are captured, the more data is recorded, and the higher the quality of the image. Images are clearer, and have more details, and more tonal information.
So quite a lot then!
3 – The sizes of image files
The larger the camera sensor, the more data is captured, so almost inevitably the larger the file sizes are.
4 - The amount of depth of field
You get more depth of field with a smaller sensor. I can’t work that one out. I just have to accept this.
And no, I will not explore this in a separate episode. Well not unless you ask me to. Or someone else does. Please don’t ask me, I fear that this will make my head hurt.
5 - The standard of low light performance
The larger the sensor, the better low light image capture is.
6 - The dynamic range that can be captured
The larger the sensor, the broader the dynamic range that can be captured.
7 - The amount of noise that might be found in a photo
Noise is digital bad stuff in a photo. Get a larger sensor and the chances of getting noise are reduced.
8 - The size and weight of the camera and lenses
- Larger sensor = larger camera=heavier camera.
- Larger lenses=heavier lenses.
- Larger camera + larger lenses = larger, heavier camera bag.
And the less stuff I can fit in my bag from WH Smiths at the airport. Which cannot ever be a good thing can it?
Put this lot together and this can very quickly be significant. What if I can’t fit me meal deal in my camera bag?? Disaster.
9 - The cost of the camera and lenses
Camera sensors are expensive. And they require a bigger camera to house them, and bigger lenses to cover that bigger sensor. And bigger means more money.
These are reasons why sensor size does matter, but I have only gone through them quickly for a very good reason, which I will get onto right now.
The talky bit
Well, does this really matter? Does this really matter to anyone outside our wonderful world of photography?
Probably not. Most people will neither know nor care about this. Most people, no disrespect at all, will not be able to tell the difference between photos taken on full frame, cropped sensor or micro four thirds cameras.
And that is the point here. No one else cares – just us.
This matters to us photographers though. Probably matters too much. And here am I adding to the debate in this episode. Shame on me.
Back to photographers if I may? What do pro photographers use? Well back in the day 35mm film cameras were the choice of the pro photographers. The modern day, digital equivalent of the 35mm camera is the full frame camera.
So do pros only use full frame cameras? No, they also use cropped sensor and micro four thirds cameras. Yes I know there are other cameras, but I am sticking to the main cameras here.
And I use full frame and micro four thirds cameras myself.
I am however, as I said last episode, happy to commit to the fact that, in general terms, you can get higher quality images with a larger sensor than you can with a camera with a smaller sensor.
But advances in technology, both hardware and software, have, closed the gap making this less significant than ever. And this will continue – this is not going to reverse.
So in terms of quality this is less of an issue than it ever was.
Like I say, does this matter?
Yes, and no.
If we are talking about looking at actual photos, you could say that it does not matter. I have done a commercial shoot using an Olympus micro four thirds camera, and when I processed the images and put them against photos taken with my Canon 6D you could not really tell the difference.
More importantly, the client who I was working for could not tell the difference. And that is what is really important here. I have worked for this client many, many times, and always taken the photos with my Canon 6D. But when I did a shoot with the wonderful Olympus OM1 no one noticed a thing.
Sure, there are practical and technical differences between cameras with different sensor sizes – I have told you what these are.
But, does this really matter? Really?
Many of the disadvantages of smaller sensor sizes can be dealt with. Smaller sensor means a reduced dynamic range capture right?
Well with my Olympus EM5 I can deal with that by asking the camera to take 3/ 4/ 5 photos at different exposures and putting them together. Sorted. Job done. Problem solved.
What really matters is this – you get the best camera and lens that you can, and learn properly how to use them, and get out there and take photos. Go on, get out there right now, that is the beauty of podcasts, you can listen to me while you are out taking photos!
That is what really matters.
What do I do?
I use a full frame Canon 6D for my architectural, construction and real estate photography work.
And I happily use a micro four thirds Olympus EM5 for my travel photography work.
Best of both worlds which works for me.
The last word
The size of a camera sensor determines the size, weight and cost of a camera, as well as the image quality and depth of field. Choose the camera that works for you and you will be fine. But get out and take photos.
Next episode
Time for a change - Photography Explained Podcast Episode 124 – Photo Editing For Beginners - Where Do I Start? 10 Things To Help You
I have been dying to do this for ages, but it kept being pushed down the list. No more, I am doing this next, and am excited to write, record and share this episode with you.
Do you want me to answer your question?
Or questions? You’re not limited to one question. My podcast has been created to answer your photography questions, not mine, so please get in touch with your question, and when I answer it I will give you a number of shout outs in that episode, which will exist in podcastland until podcastland is no more. Just head over to photographyexplainedpodcast.com/start ,where you can also find out more about my podcast and do stuff to help me.
This episode was brought to you by erm, yes another cheese and pickle sandwich, this time with cheese and onion crisps, washed down with a Coke Zero that I am sipping sat here in my home made soundproofed recording emporium.
OK - I’m done
I’ve been Rick McEvoy, thanks again very much for listening to me and my small but perfectly formed podcast (it says here, yes it really does), and for giving me 10 (ish) minutes of your valuable time. I really do appreciate you sharing part of your day with me, and look forward to hearing from you and answering your questions.
Cheers from me Rick