{"id":677157,"date":"2026-09-07T17:11:16","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T17:11:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/677157\/"},"modified":"2026-09-07T17:11:16","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T17:11:16","slug":"im-a-camera-expert-photographer-calls-aps-c-vs-full-frame-different-looks-and-it-changed-my-whole-perspective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/677157\/","title":{"rendered":"I\u2019m a camera expert: Photographer calls APS-C vs full-frame \u201cdifferent looks,\u201d and it changed my whole perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"

APS-C vs full-frame is a tale as old as time, and as a photography journalist, I\u2019m definitely guilty of stoking the flames. But recently, I watched a YouTube<\/a> video from a fantastic creator called Cam Mackey<\/a>, and he simplified the whole debate into two words that have stuck in my mind ever since: \u201cdifferent looks\u201d.<\/p>\n

On a shoot where he was comparing the Leica M11<\/a> and Fujifilm X100VI<\/a>, he talked about the different formats. Granted, he did acknowledge that there\u2019s a big difference between the two, stating: \u201cpeople out there that say: \u201cOh, full-frame vs crop sensor, it doesn\u2019t matter,\u201d\u201d agreeing that in some cases it doesn\u2019t, before continuing, \u201cBut those same people will also say: \u201cOh, medium format\u2019s superior to full-frame\u201d\u201d.<\/p>\n

CUTTING THROUGH THE NOISE: Why the Fujifilm X100VI is Overhyped – YouTube
\n\"CUTTING<\/p>\n

Watch On <\/a>
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And as a predominantly full-frame photographer, I\u2019ve definitely heard that argument time and again. But here\u2019s the real thing I took away from the video: \u201cSo, you definitely get different looks, and you get different image quality, and you get a whole different feel from each sensor size.\u201d<\/p>\n

Latest Videos FromDigital Camera World<\/p>\n

I absolutely love this sentiment. It\u2019s such a simple way to think about sensor size, but creatively, it\u2019s a healthier way than simply dismissing one or the other as better or worse. After all, they do supply you with different looks and different advantages. That\u2019s why different sensor sizes exist \u2013 variety is the spice of life!<\/p>\n

APS-C vs full-frame<\/p>\n

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\"Wildlife\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Mike Harris)<\/p>\n

The biggest difference between an APS-C image and a full-frame image is the crop factor<\/a>. If both images are shot with the same lens, in the same position, with the same exposure settings, the APS-C image will appear zoomed in. If you cropped the full-frame image down to the exact composition of the APS-C image, it will look identical.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

A big difference you usually hear people talk about is that full-frame cameras will give you a shallower depth of field and APS-C cameras will compress the image. But technically, an APS-C camera doesn\u2019t produce a larger depth of field, nor does it produce more compression. The perceived difference is simply due to the crop factor.<\/p>\n

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\"full\n<\/p>\n

(Image credit: Future)<\/p>\n

Use the same lens on both bodies, and you\u2019ll have to get closer to the subject with the full-frame camera, producing a shallower depth of field. And due to the cropped field of view on the APS-C camera, the image might look more compressed at a glance, but if you cropped a full-frame version of that image to the size of the APS-C image, the compression would look identical.<\/p>\n

The best camera deals, reviews, product advice, and unmissable photography news, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n

Another point that I often think about is that a lot of full-frame photographers heavily crop their images. But if you know a photographer uses a full-frame camera, you never question it. Ultimately, there\u2019s no doubting that there\u2019s a different quality to a medium format image, a full-frame image, and a crop-sensor image, but at the end of the day, there are way too many variables to simply crown one better than the other. It\u2019s kind of like ranking the greatest bands of all time: everyone has a different taste in music, even if it’s definitely Queen. I digress…<\/p>\n

Different cameras for different purposes <\/p>\n

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\"Fujifilm
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The Fujifilm X100VI has tempted many a full-frame photographer into the world of APS-C cameras (Image credit: Chris George)<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a reason why so many photographers end up having multiple cameras with multiple sensor sizes, and that\u2019s because they\u2019re different tools that excel at different applications. A lot of street photographers favor crop-sensor cameras, and a lot of professional portrait photographers favor medium format<\/a> or full-frame cameras.<\/p>\n

In recent years, APS-C has become more and more popular. A lot of this is down to Fujifilm<\/a>\u2019s excellent selection of X-series cameras. APS-C is also the choice of format for a lot of very popular Instagram<\/a> photographers, especially those who capture street or travel photography.<\/p>\n

So, if you\u2019re choosing between an APS-C and full-frame camera or feel you need to \u2018upgrade\u2019 to a full-frame camera, think to yourself: you can still capture incredible imagery on both. At the end of the day, you\u2019re getting \u201cdifferent looks\u201d.<\/p>\n

You might also like… <\/p>\n

Check out the best Fujifilm cameras<\/a> and the best mirrorless cameras<\/a>. Plus, here’s the latest camera news<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"APS-C vs full-frame is a tale as old as time, and as a photography journalist, I\u2019m definitely guilty…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":677158,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[267],"tags":[365,362,363,364,366,18,117,19,17],"class_list":["post-677157","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-design","tag-eire","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/677157","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=677157"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/677157\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/677158"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=677157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=677157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=677157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}