Photography is the art of capturing once-in-a-lifetime events, unforgettable moments and rare sights. If you’ve become more experienced as a photographer, you may need a more powerful camera to fulfill your creative vision.

 

If you’re looking to upgrade your gear or take more control over your photos, consider switching to a full-frame camera. With its wider field of view, better low-light performance and outstanding overall image quality, a full-frame camera is richly equipped to capture spectacular photos and videos wherever you are, at any time of day or night – from sunrises to portraits and virtually everything in between.

 

With the continued expansion of Canon’s EOS full-frame collection, including the newly announced EOS R6 Mark II, understanding the benefits of full frame is timely more now than ever, for photo enthusiasts and professionals alike.

 

Learn about the new and improved features of both full-frame DSLR and full-frame mirrorless cameras, compare them with the standard APS-C crop sensor models and discover the many creative possibilities they offer.

The EOS R6 Mark II includes a full-frame image sensor, pictured above. With over twice the area of traditional APS-C size image sensors, full-frame brings many benefits to photographers.

 

 

Full-Frame vs. APS-C Sensors

When it comes to digital camera sensors, size can matter. Whether you’re taking selfies, getting quick snapshots or capturing sweeping scenic vistas, the size of your camera’s image sensor has a major impact on what you see in your viewfinder and how you compose your photos.

 

Each pixel on a camera’s image sensor captures light in a scene. Through complex processing, the camera converts light into the image you see in your electronic viewfinder or on the LCD screen. The sensor size, as well as the number of pixels that fit onto the sensor, affects how much you see through your viewfinder. Camera sensors range in sizes, from sensors only a few millimetres across, commonly used in smartphones and point-and-shoot cameras; to the larger APS-C crop sensor found in most entry- and mid-level DSLR and mirrorless cameras; all the way up to the full-frame sensors found in many professional series camera models.

 

APS-C is an industry-wide term that describes digital image sensors roughly 22x15mm in size. An APS-C sensor is significantly smaller overall than the 36x24mm dimensions of a full-frame sensor. The modern full-frame camera is based on the classic 35mm film frame, long deemed an industry standard for professionals and enthusiasts.

 

Compact digital cameras and early digital SLRs could not accommodate a sensor equivalent to the large 35mm film frame, so camera manufacturers developed smaller sensors. Although an APS-C sensor can produce photographs that rival the 35mm in terms of initial quality, the resulting images appear cropped in comparison to full-frame photos. That’s because the APS-C sensor has less than 40 percent of the surface area of a full-frame sensor or a 35mm film frame.

 

To capture sprawling landscapes and towering skyscrapers, a full-frame camera lets you fit more of the scene into view than an APS-C crop sensor camera, when using the same lens. For example, fitted with a Canon EF series lens like the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM, the full-frame EOS 5D Mark IV camera will produce a true field of view, whereas the EOS 90D camera with an APS-C sensor has a 1.6x crop factor that effectively crops the field of view, producing effective lens coverage similar to what an 80mm lens would produce on a full-frame camera. In other words, any lens you attach to an APS-C sensor camera “acts” like a longer lens, providing more of a telephoto effect.

Full frame opens the door to more options for wide-angle and even ultra-wide-angle imagery, perfect for landscapes or cityscapes.

 

 

Wide-angle lens options

Because any lens you attach to an APS-C sensor camera acts like a longer telephoto lens than its marked focal length would traditionally suggest, it can actually be a benefit for telephoto shooters. For example, a 200mm lens provides coverage equivalent to what a 320mm lens would provide on a full-frame camera.

 

Unfortunately, that same lens conversion factor also affects any wide-angle lens you attach. Special zoom lenses in the Canon EF-S and RF-S lens lines – available for both Canon DSLR and mirrorless APS-C camera users – deliver a true ultra-wide-angle view with the smaller-sensor cameras. However, as of early 2023, only a small selection of lenses in Canon’s current lens lineup can deliver this performance.

 

On the other hand, the EF and RF lens series offers many wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle lenses that produce exactly this coverage and “look” when mounted on a Canon full-frame DSLR or full-frame mirrorless camera. Whether you shoot landscapes, interiors or architecture – or just love the exaggerated look a wide-angle lens can deliver – a full-frame photographer can choose among a broad range of zoom and fixed focal length wide-angle lenses. And remember, with an optional Canon Lens Mount Adapter EF-EOS R, this same range of wide- and ultra-wide lenses can be used on the EOS R collection of mirrorless camera as well.

 

 

The Benefits of Full Frame

A full-frame camera captures more visual information and offers users more control over compositions, enabling photographers to take better photos. With a full-frame Canon mirrorless camera’s enhanced performance and sophisticated controls, you can take more high-quality photos for much longer – without needing to replace all your APS-C lenses.

 

Less Digital Noise

If you compare an APS-C size sensor to a full-frame sensor with approximately the same total pixel count – like the 24-million-pixel APS-C sensor on a Canon EOS Rebel model vs. the 26.2 million pixels on a full-frame EOS R camera – the larger sensor will have physically larger pixels. The full-frame has roughly the same number of pixels packed into a much larger area, so it stands to reason that each pixel on the full-frame sensor will be larger.

 

Larger pixel size has a significant impact in terms of digital image quality. Each pixel, in effect, acts like a tiny window, letting light into a light-sensitive area at the base of the sensor. The larger the pixel, the more light can pass through it to that light-sensitive area. It’s like a window in a room: a large picture window lets much more light into the room than a small vent window does.

Full-frame sensors simply have more space for each pixel, so each pixel can be larger — and more sensitive to light. The result: less digital noise, even at higher ISOs.

 

 

With more light typically entering each pixel on a full-frame camera, the signals generated by each pixel don’t need to be amplified as much, even in low light, as ISO settings increase. More light requires less “turning up the volume,” so to speak, which translates into cleaner signals. In your pictures, the result is less visible digital noise at comparable ISO settings. Accordingly, full-frame cameras have long enjoyed a reputation for outstanding image quality, especially in low-light shooting situations and at higher ISOs.

 

Improved ISO sensitivity

Since there’s typically less inherent digital noise in images from a full-frame camera, there’s even greater flexibility for high ISO settings, before noise becomes objectionable. While an APS-C sensor camera like the EOS 90D has a maximum ISO setting of 25,600, full-frame Canon DSLR and mirrorless cameras are capable of an increased ISO setting up to and above 40,000 – which can be further boosted to ISOs over 200,000. Higher ISO sensitivity allows for better quality photos and videos captured at night and in low-light conditions. Your nighttime action shots of fireworks and time-lapse videos of starry skies taken with a full-frame camera will look crisp, clear and vibrant.

The EOS RP and other full-frame cameras excel at challenging scenes. Nighttime? On a riverboat? Need to shoot handheld? No problem! The sensor can handle higher ISOs, and therefore fast shutter speeds, without compromising the image quality.

Durable camera body

In comparison to the polycarbonate bodies of some lower-priced crop sensor cameras, which are not always weather-sealed to increase resistance to dust and moisture, full-frame cameras are typically encased in a solid, corrosion-resistant magnesium alloy – with more internal metal construction as well. This robust build is designed to endure extreme weather and high temperatures out in the field while accommodating a full-frame sensor. Full-frame cameras like the EOS R3, R5 and R6 Mark II target more advanced photographers, so they often have more advanced features and capabilities. Sometimes full-frame cameras are equipped with a larger, longer-lasting battery. With a full-frame camera, you can shoot anywhere from scorching deserts to snow-covered mountains* and spend more time on location getting the perfect shot. (*Dependant on weather-sealing; the camera itself is not weatherproof.)

 

Lens compatibility

Investing in a new full-frame camera doesn’t require an investment in new lenses. If you’re making the move from a Canon APS-C sensor camera like an EOS Rebel or EOS 90D to a Canon full-frame digital SLR like the EOS 6D Mark II or 5D Mark IV, you can easily use your collection of Canon EF prime and multifocal lenses, such as the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM. If you are making the jump to a full-frame mirrorless model like the EOD R6 Mark II, you can easily adapt your EF lenses with an EF-EOS R adapter. The wider coverage of the full-frame camera also easily accommodates the L-series collection of lenses, including tilt-shift lenses like the TS-E 50mm f/2.8L, which are useful for very precise landscape or architectural photography.

 

Again, for photographers thinking of stepping up to a full-frame mirrorless camera, the EOS R system makes this a smooth transition. With an optional EF to EOS R adapter, full-frame Canon EOS R mirrorless cameras are fully compatible with Canon EF and EF-S lenses, offering complete integration for owners with Canon APS-C crop sensor cameras.

 

 

Full-Frame: DSLR vs. Mirrorless

Whether you’re looking for familiarity or flexibility, you can find the best full-frame camera to fit your needs. For old-school 35mm camera users making the leap to digital, or dedicated DSLR users who are looking for advanced controls, a full-frame DSLR like the EOS 5D Mark IV offers familiarity in camera weight and an optical viewfinder for a real-time view of compositions.

 

If you prefer a powerful but lightweight full-frame camera, a mirrorless camera delivers all the features in a compact body. Canon’s full-frame mirrorless EOS R series cameras use an electronic viewfinder to show you the image, virtually as it appears to the image sensor. In addition to working with an optional adapter to use Canon’s DSLR-based EF and EF-S lenses, EOS R full-frame cameras have a dedicated line of RF lenses that are specially designed for mirrorless full-frame cameras, packing advanced AF features and quieter operation into a slimmer package and maintaining a comfortable camera-lens balance.

Full Frame in Action

Once you start exploring the features of full-frame photography, you’ll find excitement and inspiration everywhere. From stunning nature videography to dazzling night skies to captivating wildlife portraits, a full-frame camera provides the features you need to capture professional quality images for any occasion.

 

Whether you’re travelling halfway across the world or just around the block, take advantage of a full-frame camera’s expanded field of view to capture interesting urban architecture or local landmarks. The rich dynamic range may reveal new details in old familiar scenes.

 

Get ready to stay out all night experimenting with astrophotography. The weather-resistant body and boosted ISO sensitivity let you spend hours stargazing and taking fantastic long exposure night sky photos and time-lapse movies with greater sky detail.

 

With high-resolution 4K video recording and better manual controls over audio recording and exposures, you’ll capture home movies that the family will actually want to watch. Share them instantly via the Canon Connect App using your camera’s built-in Wi-Fi® connectivity.

 

If you prefer the look of photos taken in natural or ambient light, the full-frame image sensor gives you the best results without the need for additional equipment. Work easily and confidently with natural and available light and shadows for moody, dramatic portraits and landscapes.

 

With a full-frame camera – whether it’s a DSLR or mirrorless model – you’ll always be prepared to capture life’s greatest moments.