Nikon SLR Cameras

What is the difference between a full frame and cropped sensor camera?

Enola
04.03.2016
Enola

And when does it come in handy? Looking to get rid of my sony a6000 for a DSLR. And do you trust sites like ebay? To purchase cameras from?

Added (1). thank you.

fhotoace
05.03.2016
fhotoace

Simply put, a full frame camera has more surface area than a cropped frame camera… See the link below

What that means is that all other things being equal, the size of each pixel is much larger on a full frame camera, so the colour depth, dynamic range and performance in low light will be better.

The best shops to buy any fully adjustable camera would be from a place like B&H Photo, Adorama, Samy's camera, etc.

The problem with many of the shops that sell cameras on eBay is that they are either grey market cameras or worse are sold by a "bait and switch" company. ANY camera that promises to add a "bundle" of things like poor quality tripods, camera bags, filters you will never use like the FLD or FLB filters (your camera can make those corrections using the white balance feature), other filters they call lenses, but are nothing more than a screw-in filter which alters the way the image strikes the cameras sensor and produce aberrations you really do NOT want in your photos.

Yes, some companies that sell cameras on eBay are legitimate, but even seasoned photographers have a difficult time picking out the best from the rest. The MAIN clue that you are probably NOT getting what you think you are paying for is when the cost of the camera is hundreds of Dollars less than the posted price on the Nikon, Pentax or Canon website.

Refurbished cameras are one good way to save money when buying a camera, so look for those

I use a full frame camera when shooting sports indoors or at night under the lights. They also can create amazing landscapes. Basically, when I need excellent performance in low light or high resolution when shooting landscapes or architecture, my first choice is my full frame camera Sensor size.

The bigger the sensor, the more surface area to capture light, the better technically for the resulting picture.

My experience with eBay is generally good but I admit having a few misfortunes. I have built my entire manual M42 lens collection from them. After years of scouring ads there, I have learned that the best results come from sellers who have already done more than 100,000 transactions and with at least a 99.8% positive feedback rating. When it comes to cameras though, I still insist on meeting up. I find the cost too high to lose if the camera doesn't work. The sensor in a full-frame DSLR is physically larger, thus it can enable even higher quality than is available in a crop-frame DSLR. Both sizes offer quality higher than is needed for general domestic use. You already own a cropped-sensor camera - the old APS-C size of around 18x24mm - and if you buy Nikon or Pentax, you may even get the same sensor in your DSLR, since both manufacturers buy their sensors from Sony.

You know how big your sensor is, a full-frame one is simply around the same size as a 24x36mm, 35mm negative, Purchase cameras from reputable dealers, not from ebay.

keerok
05.03.2016
keerok

Sensor size.

The bigger the sensor, the more surface area to capture light, the better technically for the resulting picture.

My experience with eBay is generally good but I admit having a few misfortunes. I have built my entire manual M42 lens collection from them. After years of scouring ads there, I have learned that the best results come from sellers who have already done more than 100,000 transactions and with at least a 99.8% positive feedback rating. When it comes to cameras though, I still insist on meeting up. I find the cost too high to lose if the camera doesn't work.

John P
05.03.2016
John P

The sensor in a full-frame DSLR is physically larger, thus it can enable even higher quality than is available in a crop-frame DSLR. Both sizes offer quality higher than is needed for general domestic use.

Andrew
05.03.2016
Andrew

You already own a cropped-sensor camera - the old APS-C size of around 18x24mm - and if you buy Nikon or Pentax, you may even get the same sensor in your DSLR, since both manufacturers buy their sensors from Sony.

You know how big your sensor is, a full-frame one is simply around the same size as a 24x36mm, 35mm negative

spacemissing
05.03.2016
spacemissing

Purchase cameras from reputable dealers, not from ebay.