OK, I’ve had about enough of the misinformation about crop factor! I’ve read a number of articles saying that the crop factor of a digital sensor increases your telephoto’s ‘range’ by 1.5x and touts that as an advantage of having a smaller sensor … increased telephoto range!
The only thing that a smaller sensor does is reduce the area of the image capture, giving it and effective CROP factor, not a zoom factor! So, when I use a 500mm lens on a full sensor, I get the coverage of a 500mm lens. When I use it on a APS-C sensor, I get the COVERAGE of a 750mm, with the magnification of a 500mm lens!
In the above image, the whole image represents what might be seen on a full frame camera utilizing a 36mm x 24mm image sensor; inside of the black lines would be what you would capture using an APS-C sensor, which is about 75% the size of full frame. There is no magnification, only a crop.
Below is a life sized representation of a full frame sensor (white) and an APS-C sensor (black). (36mm x 24mm @72 dpi = life sized)
BTW, the top image was taken on my D2X, which has an APS-C sensor, not full frame. I just placed the black box at the 75% points. The only full frame digital cameras that I know of are: Canon EOS 5D ($3600), and EOS-1Ds Mark II ($7,000). Mind you most manufacturers stick with the smaller sensor because costs a lot less and results in a somewhat smaller camera.
OK, now I can get down off of my soapbox! I’m feeling better.
However, this wall caught my eye. It was on the side of an old building and the broker’s office is long since gone, but the paint remains advertising to all those who care to look that there are rooms for sale or rent. I find that the patina of age gives such shots a warm, nostalgic feeling … at least for me.
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