{"id":911,"date":"2025-02-17T01:48:01","date_gmt":"2025-02-17T01:48:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/?p=911"},"modified":"2025-02-17T01:48:01","modified_gmt":"2025-02-17T01:48:01","slug":"what-is-an-aps-c-camera-why-this-camera-spec-is-a-sweet-spot-for-price-and-quality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/2025\/02\/17\/what-is-an-aps-c-camera-why-this-camera-spec-is-a-sweet-spot-for-price-and-quality\/","title":{"rendered":"What is an APS-C camera? Why this camera spec is a sweet spot for price and quality"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

APS-C cameras from the Fujifilm X100VI to the Canon EOS R100 still have a lot to offer<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Most camera shoppers look at specifications like megapixels, but there\u2019s a feature that can often be even more important: the type of camera sensor. A popular option is APS-C, a sensor size that balances image quality with price. But, to the novice photographer, that camera spec looks like a confusing alphabet soup that inevitably begs the question, what is an APS-C camera?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An APS-C camera is a digital camera that uses a sensor that\u2019s smaller thana full-frame sensorbut larger thanMicro Four Thirds. This mid-size sensor is the Goldilocks of camera sensors \u2013 not too small, but not too expensive either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The term, which stands for Advanced Photo System Type C, originates from photography\u2019s film era but today is more often used to describe a class of digital cameras. The exact size of the APS-C sensor varies slightly by manufacturer but measures roughly 23mm by 15mm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This comparison shows how an APS-C sensor compares to full frame, as well as how it crops the image<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s about 1.5 times smaller than a full-frame sensor. Full frame sensors are considered the standard for professional cameras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because APS-C cameras have sensors that are slightly smaller than full frame, the lenses appear to be cropped. Compared to the larger full frame, an APS-C sensor crops off the edges, which is why APS-C cameras are also referred to as crop sensor cameras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why is APS-C better than full frame?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Sony A6700 on the left has an APS-C sensor while the Sony A7c on the right has a larger full-frame sensor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most photographers will tell you that the larger the sensor is, the better \u2013 and that\u2019s mostly true. A larger sensor will produce less grain and gather more light than a smaller one, among other benefits. But, an APS-C can have some advantages over full frame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first is the crop factor. Because APS-C cameras crop the edges off a full frame, the lenses appear to me more \u201czoomed in\u201d than on a full frame camera. An APS-C camera has a 1.5x crop factor. Many full frame camera lenses will still work on an APS-C camera (provided you purchase the correct mount), but that lens will have a 1.5x cropped view on it when compared to putting that same lens on a full frame camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does that mean? It means that a 50mm lens becomes a 75mm lens on an APS-C camera, which means the photo appears to be taken at a closer distance because those image edges are cropped off. If you are taking pictures of a far away subject, as is often the case with wildlife or sports, that crop factor can actually be an advantage because your lens appears to reach a bit farther.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, don\u2019t buy a crop sensor camera just for that added reach. Why? Because if you really want that reach, you canuse a full frame camera in crop mode, or crop the images later inLightroomorPhotoshop. You lose some resolution, but by turning the crop mode on a full frame camera on and off you can effectively have the benefits of both full frame and crop sensor from one camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The other big advantage of an APS-C camera is the cost. Crop sensor cameras tend to cost less thanfull frame cameras. That\u2019s not always the case, as with entry-level options like thePanasonic Lumix S9compared to the advancedFujifilm X-H2, but for the most part crop sensor cameras cost less.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another perk? Often APS-C cameras can be more compact than full-frame cameras. Some APS-C cameras with large grips can feel more like full-frame cameras, however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why is full frame better than APS-C?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Canon EOS R100 is a budget-friendly APS-C camera<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While APS-C are more affordable and give lenses more reach, the full frame sensor is considered the professional standard. A larger sensor lets in more light, so full frame cameras have an advantage in dark scenarios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full frame cameras will also produce more background blur orbokeh. And if you want to take an ultra-wide shot of a landscape, the crop factor on APS-C cameras becomes a disadvantage, cropping off the widest edges, rather than an advantage like with telephoto lenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are APS-C cameras worth it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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TheNikon Z50is a compact APS-C camera<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While full-frame cameras have more light-gathering abilities, the APS-C camera is the sweet spot for many photographers to get a camera at a reasonable price that still takes excellent images. If you want the best possible image quality and have a large budget, you\u2019ll probably lean towards full frame. But if you want the best balance between features and price, you\u2019ll want to consider an APS-C camera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many of the best mirrorless cameras are APS-C \u2013 and even some popular compact cameras like theFujifilm X100VI. APS-C cameras have more light gathering power than Micro Four Thirds, but tend to cost less than full frame cameras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the full frame camera category has more professional cameras, don\u2019t believe the myth that professional photographers have to use full frame cameras. I\u2019m a professional wedding and portrait photographer and I shoot withFujifilmAPS-C cameras. I chose Fujifilm for the colors, and the APS-C sensor is still plenty big enough, especially since I traded my full-frame f\/2.8 lens for an f\/1.0 and f\/1.2 primes so I could compensate for the smaller sensor.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

APS-C cameras from the Fujifilm X100VI to the Canon EOS R100 still have a lot to offer Most camera shoppers look at specifications like megapixels, but there\u2019s a feature that can often be even more important: the type of camera sensor. A popular option is APS-C, a sensor size that balances image quality with price. … Continue reading What is an APS-C camera? Why this camera spec is a sweet spot for price and quality<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-911","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/911","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=911"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/911\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":912,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/911\/revisions\/912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.batterymap.co.nz\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}