DIY Photography

Your one stop shop for everything photo-video

  • News
  • Inspiration
  • Reviews
  • Tutorials
  • DIY
  • Gear
Search

Submit A Story

Yes, sensor size matters, but not as much as you think

Oct 19, 2018 by Dunja Djudjic 6 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Should you switch from APS-C to full-frame? Or perhaps shoot large format? Does it matter? What will it change? Ah, so many questions. In this video, Jay P. Morgan and Kenneth Meryl have decided to test four sensor sizes side by side and give you the answers. They shot with a large format, a full-frame, an APS-C and a micro 4/3 camera. Here you can compare the images side-by-side and see for yourself how much of a difference there is.

Jay and Kenneth tested the cameras in terms of depth of field, image quality and grain structure in low-light situations. These are the cameras and lenses they used:

  • Large format: HasselBlad X1D paired with Hasselblad XCD 90mm f/3.2 lens
  • Full frame: Sony A7rIII paired with Canon 50mm f/1.2 lens
  • APS-C: Canon EOS 7D Mark II paired with Tamron 35mm f /1.8 lens
  • Micro 4/3: Panasonic GH5 paired with Panasonic 25mm f/1.7 lens

Focus and depth of field

When Jay and Kenneth shot at f/3.5 or f/4, the difference between the Hasselblad and Canon 7D seems pretty dramatic. However, the Canon 7D compared to the Sony doesn’t show so much difference.

With the Hasselblad, you can shoot at f/5.6, have a sharp subject and still a considerably shallow depth of field.  In order to achieve a similar depth-of-field using the different cameras, you are looking a range of 4 stops. That’s quite significant.

Shallow depth of field compared when the lenses were as wide open as they can go

The guys tested all four cameras with their lenses opened as wide as they can go. An interesting thing they noticed is that, even at f/3.2, the Hasselblad’s depth of field is not as shallow as the Sony’s on f/1.2. Kenneth concludes that Sony gives you “more on each end,” and you can achieve both very shallow and very deep depths of field.

Sensor size

The Sony A7RIII is a 42MP camera, while the  Hasselblad is 50MP. The Sony has less resolution than the Hasselblad, although the difference isn’t that large. Still, it still has a large sensor compared to the GH5 and Canon 7D. Kenneth and Jay conclude that a large format camera definitely gives you the most flexibility, considering the image size and quality.

Low-light noise structure

To test out the noise structure, Kenneth and Jay shot a landscape photo and a portrait in low-light, when the sun was already down. They noticed that a smaller sensor like the GH5’s produces gritty and grainy shots, and has less detail. The Canon 7D did okay, while the Sony and the Hasselblad look almost the same in terms of the noise structure.

At ISO 1600, photos from the Canon 7D look worse than the GH5. The Hasselblad produced pretty good and smooth shots while the Sony doesn’t perform all that well.

So, in the end, does sensor size matter? Yes, to some extent it does, and it all depends on your needs. Kenneth and Jay conclude that full frame is “the sweet spot” to have everything you want in focus and out of focus and to get sufficiently high-quality and large images. But then again – it’s ultimately up to you what you’ll choose.

[Sensor Size Comparison for Photography | Jay P Morgan]

FIND THIS INTERESTING? SHARE IT WITH YOUR FRIENDS!

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Flipboard
  • WhatsApp

Related posts:

Yes, gear matters when you shoot concert photography Siros – A $1,000 Broncolor Strobe (Yes, Broncolor. Yes, $1,000) Whoever said [sensor] size matters hasn’t seen this amazing promotional video from GoPro The camera matters and here’s why, but it’s not in the way you’re thinking

Filed Under: Gear Tagged With: APS-C, Canon, Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Crop, crop sensor, depth of field, depth-of-field, full frame, Hasselblad, Hasselblad X1D, jay p morgan, large format, micro four thirds, panasonic, Panasonic GH5, Sensor Size, sony, Sony A7RIII, The Slanted Lens

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.net

About Dunja Djudjic

Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

« This is everything you wanted to know about dynamic range
These are the first photos shot on the resurrected Kodak Ektachrome film »

Submit A Story

Get our FREE Lighting Book

DIYP lighting book cover

* download requires newsletter signup
DIYPhotography

Recent Comments

Free Resources

Advanced lighting book

Recent Posts

  • Outdoor Photographer magazine just fired all their staff and are selling up
  • Saramonic BlinkMe wireless mics sport an innovative touchscreen OLED
  • The dos and don’ts of photography criticism, part 2: How to give it
  • Unveiling the Mysteries of Socotra’s Night Sky: A Photographer’s Journey
  • Fujifilm apologies for shortages of X-T5 cameras

Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

Copyright © DIYPhotography 2006 - 2023 | About | Contact | Advertise | Write for DIYP | Full Disclosure | Privacy Policy