FULL FRAME SENSOR ON DSLR?

What is CMOS or APS-C?
Can someone give me a list of all the current full frame dslrs (Nikon & Canon)? Thanks.

I'm looking to getting into filmmaking, heard it plays a role in depth of field, and I would like a full frame dslr.

CMOS is a type of sensor, APS-C is an image sensor format

for a list of Full frame models: http://en.wikipedia.org/...igital_SLR

Full frame cameras are significantly more expensive than their common APS-C, try several thousand dollars difference.

http://www.dpreview.com/...ide_01.htm Scroll down to the Sensor Size section for a detailed explanation.

Film making and DSLR do not go hand in hand. You can use a DSLR that has video recording capability, but that is not the same as a movie camera.

You've heard wrong. DOF is strictly a lens issue and has nothing what so ever to do with the sensor size.

If you want to do film making you're barking up the wrong tree. Digital cameras don't do film they do video. If you're truly interested in film making you'd better have about $100, 000 just to begin with for the basic gear you'll need.

However you can produce some very nice videos with a digital camera (not film - that's a completely different media and you should know that by now.)

Actually a full frame sensor will give you higher technical quality but that's only about 10% of the equation when you're shooting video or stills. 90% of your results come from your skill in using such a camera. Do you have those skills? If not I'd suggest you start with school, learn how to properly use such a camera prior to putting the cart in front of the horse, investing a whole lot of money and then trying to learn… Not the way to do it.

Sony do full-frame SLTs cheaper than either - these are much better for video.

Shorter lens/smaller aperture/ long lens-to-subject distance all increase depth-of-field, as full-frame cameras need longer lenses to do the same job, depth-of-field is reduced, but it's a function of focal length rather than sensor size.

CMOS stands for Complimentary Metal Oxide Semiconductor, and it's a type of silicon chip. The other main type of chip used is the CCD or Charge Coupled Device, which refers to how signals are moved over the chip, the technology used in this case is similar subtly different to CMOS and is called MOSFET or metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor.

APS-C is a digital sensor format roughtly equivalent in size to a single frame of film in an Advanced Photo System "C"lassic camera. This was the last major film format to be introduced before digital sensor systems became the norm. APS only met with limited sucess since it tried to introduce mostly unnecessary technology advances to people who were not really interested, often at high prices when compared to pre-existing 35mm compact cameras of the era.

If you main aim is to shoot video then you'll be better off getting a pro-sumer targeted video camera from Sony, Panasonic, or Canon.

If you have to use an SLR-type camera then until Canon release the 1Dx, Sony's SLT-A77, SLT-A65, and SLT-A57 currently beat any full frame DSLRs.

Depth of field depends on aperture, subject distance and focal length.

The sensor size affects the focal length that one uses to obtain a certain angle of view - a bigger sensor will result in a longer focal length being required to obtain the same angle of view, therefore in shallower depth of field that comes with this longer focal length.
Therefore the sensor size *indirectly* affects depth of field.

Anyway, APS-C sensor DSLRs are capable of very shallow depth of field, you can blur the background with them very, very much. You won't find them lacking in this regard. Just get a nice prime lens with a wide maximum aperture, that'll be much more effective than buying a full frame camera.

Of course, if you want to get a camera specifically for film making, then a dedicated video camera might give you much better bang for the buck. Video is still just a secondary feature of DSLRs, even though they are getting increasingly better at it. For the price of a full frame DSLR you can get a nice 3CCD camcorder, which will give any DSLR a beating in terms of video performance and features. These won't be able to blur the background as much as a DSLR can, but still reasonably much - after all pros are willing to pay several grand for them.