Full Frame vs APS-C for Portraits

In this video I see just how much better portraits from a full frame camera (Sony A9) are when you compare them to an APS-C mirrorless camera (Sony A6100). The results were surprising.

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Gear That I Use & Recommend:
CAMERAS:
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APS-C LENSES:

FULL FRAME LENSES:

AUDIO:

LIGHTING:

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[MegaPj]

As a shooter of both FF and APS-C, i think the difference is drastically less than people make it out to be.

[scottnelle]

This is probably the best comparison I've seen. And your wife is unbelievably good at maintaining a facial expression from shot-to-shot!

[gabithemagyar]

Finally !! A voice of reason !! As a casual shooter/hobbyist I have been finding this push to full frame being made by the industry and many influencers annoying. The reality is that APS-C cameras nowadays produce images which are more than high quality enough for most people's needs and they have advantages over full frame in some circumstances. They are smaller and lighter as a rule when considering equivalent field of views. They, and their lenses, are cheaper. As travel cameras where most shots are taken in good light they are great ! Yes, full frame is better in low light but in many situations using a flash is a perfectly good alternative, sometimes even better than relying on slow shutter speeds, super fast lenses and high ISO e, g, at indoor functions. Of course professionals need to go for the very best gear and it's great that camera companies are producing fantastic bodies and lenses for them. I sometimes feel, though, that they have neglected the consumers who really funded the mirrorless boom through their purchases of APS-C cameras such as the Sony a6xxx series. Sony .... where are the weatherproof zooms and prime G and G master lenses with OSS for your APS-C line ? With Olympus's future doubtful now, consumers looking for a high quality compact, weatherproof, affordable kit for travel are somewhat in the lurch.

[hankypankyu]

As an APSC user who has done concerts for years and also a Sony sales rep who shoots Nikon and Fuji I am always out here telling people they’re thinking of this wrong and that FF isn’t the ultimate best for everyone. It surprisingly shocks people to see a crop sensor being used for client work and I’m just like “You clearly haven’t using your camera right” lol

[deustechmachina]

The biggest thing people miss when performing "equivalence" tests is how ISO factors into the picture. You inadvertently did it in the video. When comparing the Sony full frame and APS-C sensors, you must apply a crop factor of 1.53, but not only to focal length. For true equivalence, you must apply that same crop factor to aperture and ISO. In fact, when you apply it to ISO, you must actually square the crop factor. In other words, to truly have shot an equivalent pair of photos at 8:50, your full frame settings would have had to be: f/2.8, ISO 16000 (yes, I had to round up because there are no settings for f/2.754 and ISO 14981.76 lol). Had you set it that way, you would have seen the same level of noise in both photos. Not surprisingly, if you were to reverse the calculation, you'd find the APS-C camera and lens unable to meet the values needed: f/1.1, ISO 2500.

That is one of the primary differences between the different camera systems. A full frame sensor gets you about 2 stops of light over a micro four thirds, and about 1.3 stops of light over an APS-C. Whether or not you actually need that advantage is completely up to you and your use case.

[josephdorsey]

Very informative. I appreciate the side by side comparisons and your assessment of strengths. You’ve been very helpful to me in my growth using an a6400. You’ve reinforced, through demonstration, the value and quality of the Sony APS-C sensor. No need for this amateur to go full frame. Your presentations are consistently helpful. Keep up your good work!

[deltalight]

Comparison should've been done in RAW rather than in JPG to bypass any post-processing. This will facilitate more honest sensor format differences without any difference in JPG processing done by each camera.

[DavePruett]

Great comparison. A serious photographer with side-by-side images will see differences, but the average person, used to smartphone images, will be quite impressed with the images from either system, especially in reasonably good light. Great to see your son growing happy and healthy!

[thesolid]

Every camera performs better when there is a beautiful object. FACT!

[neillynchehaun]

What a joy to hear a professional talking sense about the difference between full and crop. There is so much gear snobbery in this game. Matching like for like sensors (pixels, processing...) side by side has only ever revealed about 1-stop of dynamic range advantage, at the lower end, in full frame, because of the physical size of the sensor. Manufacturers hide the difference in fudged settings to adhere to industry standards. I use crop Nikons for paid work, with rave reviews. Honestly, the battery grip, produces the required client confidence in the gear. They see big gear and are happy. Who said Americans got it wrong hey!!

[root]

Thank you for doing this video. I have a Fuji X-T4 and I can honestly say I'm happy with my choice for APS-C. Yes, full frame is a hair better, but I'm okay with not paying through my nose and carrying my gear in a suitcase for that difference. If you're doing it professionally and that's what you absolutely need, then that's another conversation of course. But, otherwise at an enthusiast/hobby level, many things like skin tones and whatnot can be adjusted in post. I'm also not a bokeh fiend so I'm alright with what I can get from a cropped sensor - in fact often times I don't even go close to what the camera or lens can provide because I don't need to. I heard a great photographer who goes by the name of Kenneth Hines, Jr. say that a great image always has at least two layers of information in it - foreground, and background. If you blur your background out to oblivion, then you might as well remove it completely because you're not telling a story anymore and 10-15 years down the line, you'll be staring at the photo wondering where you were that day, because you can't tell from the background.

[limagepicture]

Arthur, you have such a beautiful family. It is a gift that you make to your loved ones to offer them the most beautiful pictures you can.
The most important thing is your point of view, the relationship you build with your subject, your attitude towards him and the way in which the technique goes to the service of creation (and not the opposite).

[Felipetv]

I've watched dozens of your videos (from 2016 to current) over the past couple of weeks, and wow, they're all fantastic. I highly appreciate the work you put into this! Thank you for your incredible and highly unbiased videos :)

[stevetqp]

Nice comparison, Arthur. As a landscape and product photographer curently using the APS-C Fuji X-T3 System, I do get sharp images with good dynamic range. However, as I've recenetly been printing more very large poster prints (30" x 40"), I believe that the larger sensor of a FF system (i.e., Nikon Z7 for example), combined with the higher resolution sensor (45MP v. 26MP), would yield much greater detail and dynamic range in LARGE prints! That said, I also believe that for most any other usage, the APS-C system is sufficient. Thanks!

[Reviewsfun]

Excellent comparison. As an advanced amateur who values size/portability, APSC shines with me. Carrying around the family and gear on vacation is cumbersome so a tight/quality package is paramount. I’m very impressed with these crop bodies and prime lens combos.

[Michael-fwef]

I think the APS-C is 99% as good as the FF, and for the price difference, the APS-C is the winner, especially when you consider that any editing software can eliminate the differences completely.

[oDro]

The lesson I learned from this video is that you really have a beautiful family ^_^ .

Thank you for the photo it makes me feel good about my APS-C camera, neglicable differences for enthusiast like me .

[Baracudus]

Ok.. you have me again to buy my 3. Sigma for my a6400. No need for a FF to portrait my little family. This is the review I silently looked forward to see. So nice the quality for the price tag. Well done!

[irondiver]

I really liked this video, it is a practical reminder that not everyone needs a full frame to make beautiful photos.I have had the a6000 since it was released, I am just now thinking of upgrading and I was torn between the a7iii and the a6600. Because of the price drop and sometimes sale price of the a6600 it is now what I am leaning towards.
Thanks for the video

[Antonsklv]

an actual comparison, not a random set of pictures taken in completely different settings as other youtubers show you. Thanks for the work!