Small Sensor Crop Factor (DX Lens Crop Factor)

[kohanmike]

It's true that it does not matter if you use an FX lens or a DX lens on a DX camera, just know that the amount of the scene

a DX sensor will 'see' is less than the amount of the same 'scene' the FX sensor will see. That's actually what I was trying

to present with the last sample I posted. I see now that I should not have shown the FX lens area outside the 1.5 crop area

overlays, and left out 'FX lens on a DX sensor'. Here is an update.<div></div>

[scott_mirer]

Does this diagram help? No numbers, but a different perspective.<div></div>

[fotomichaelwels]

Thanks Michael Kohan for all your explainations and the samples you posted. Its really not easy to understand the whole

thing. But guess, I got the thing with FX/DX and the cropping factor. But still I dont get it, what the "Full frame" now means and

changes something. I'm working with a D200, and I'm eying to change it into a D3. And to make it easier, lets say I'm going to

use only DX lenses, what would be the difference between both cameras?

[bjørn rørslett]

"lets say I'm going to use only DX lenses, what would be the difference between both cameras?"

 

You would need to purchase new lenses, or be restricted to using the D3 in DX mode which will give you a very expensive 5 MPix camera.

[kelly_flanigan1]

One can go back 50 or 60 years ago and take a 50mm lens from a Leica thread mount camera; and mount it one ones 16mm Bolex; or 8mm Bolex cine camera. One still is using say a 50mm F2 Summicron; its still a 50mm focal length. When the 50mm lens is on the 35mm still camera; it covers more angle than the smaller 16mm or 8mm cine formats. Sadly this was not rocket science in the slide rule era; but grade school trig. One often used a circular paper slide rule to figure coverage; or ones click stop finder on a cine camera; or the cinematogaphers manual if a pro cine chap. Its amazing the the crop factor term is so confusing; maybe sticking to angular coverage should be retaught. In cine work say for a 16mm camera the normal lens is longer than the diagonal; typically a 25mm lens. For 8mm cine its a 12.5mm lens; ie about 1/2 inch . In the old days folks made and carried 3x5 filling cards with a matrix of angular coverage; or carried a directors sight; and learned a feel for coverage for each format. If this was dog.net would it be confusing to understand that a smaller dog eats less; or would there be a crop factor term?:)

[kelly_flanigan1]

With a cellphone camera there is little confusion. Most all dont know the lens focal length or sensor size; thus the angular coverage of the system is what folks see in the viewfinder.