crop factor

The ratio of the focal length of a digital camera lens to a 35mm still camera lens. The crop factor is used by experienced photographers, who want to know the field of view of a lens on a digital camera as compared to a lens on an analog 35mm camera, which they have been using for years.

The Sensor Is Often Smaller
The size of a 35mm film frame is 36 x 24mm. In high-end digital cameras, the sensor may be the same size ("full-frame"); however, most digital camera sensors are smaller (see table below). The difference in size creates the crop factor, also called the "lens factor," "focal length conversion factor" and "lens multiplier."

Multiply by the Crop Factor
As an example, a crop factor of 1.5 means an 18mm focal length on the digital camera is equivalent to 27mm on a 35mm camera (18 times 1.5). See APS-C, focal length and f-stop.

STILL CAMERA FRAME SIZES                  Approximate                  Size in MMAnalog Film       (Rounded)

  35mm              36 x 24 

  APS-C             25 x 17
  APS-H             30 x 17
  APS-P             30 x 10


  Digital Sensor

  Canon (APS-C)     22 x 15
  Canon (APS-H)     29 x 19

  Four Thirds       17 x 13

  Foveon            21 x 14

  Nikon CX          13 x 9
  Nikon DX (APS-C)  24 x 16
  Nikon FX          36 x 24

  Pentax (APS-C)    24 x 16

  Sony (APS-C)      24 x 16

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References in periodicals archive

They observed that, for the data they analysed, the ratios of these factors to the USLE factors varied from 1.40 to 3.87 for the soil factor and 1.1 to 32.3 for the crop factor. Consequently, using USLE K and C factors with event erosivity indices other than E[I.sub.30] may result is considerable error in predicting soil loss.

Event erosivity factor and errors in erosion predictions by some empirical models

For one, the equivalent focal length of a 35mm lens coupled to Nikon's DX format DSLRs (like Nikon D5500) is 52.5mm with a crop factor of 1.5x, and 56mm with Canon's APS-C sensor cameras (like Canon EOS 750D) with a crop factor of 1.6x.

Tamron 35mm f/1.8 SP Di VC USD review: Smooth, accurate, expensive

The only drawback to this is that your lenses will act differently due to the crop factor of using APS-C or full frame lenses on a smaller sensor.

Panasonic GH3

The sensor on the Sony has a crop factor of 1.8 with respect to the Fujifilm and 2.7x on the 35mm standard.

Sony DSC-RX100 II Review

The 14-140mm lens is designed to compliment the Micro Four Thirds format with a singular walk around lens, With a crop factor of 2x, the lens effectively gives a field of view of 28-280mm, making it a good all purpose lens.

Panasonic launches two new mirrorless cameras, one enthusiast point and shoot

So for instance a 50mm lens which is equivalent to 75mm of a full frame sensor (taking into account the 1.5x crop factor of the APS-C sensor size).

Nikon D7100 launched in India at Rs. 79,450; available from April