Understanding Camera Sensor Sizes: A Filmmaker's Guide
Full frame, Super 35, Micro Four Thirds — what do sensor sizes mean for your footage and which is right for your production?
Why Sensor Size Matters
The sensor is the heart of any digital camera. Its size affects three critical aspects of your image: depth of field, low-light performance, and field of view. Understanding sensor sizes helps you choose the right camera for your production style.
Common Sensor Sizes in Professional Cameras
Full Frame (36mm × 24mm)
Full-frame sensors match the dimensions of traditional 35mm film. They offer the shallowest depth of field, the best low-light performance, and the widest field of view. Full-frame cameras are popular for cinematic work where shallow focus and wide vistas are desired. Our 4K Cinema Cameras collection includes several full-frame models.
Super 35 / APS-C (~23.6mm × 15.6mm)
Super 35 is the traditional cinema standard. The crop factor (approximately 1.5x compared to full frame) means lenses appear more telephoto. This sensor size is familiar to most cinematographers and offers a good balance between depth of field control and low-light performance.
Micro Four Thirds (~17.3mm × 13mm)
MFT sensors have a 2x crop factor compared to full frame. They offer deeper depth of field, which can be advantageous for documentary and broadcast work where keeping subjects in focus is critical. MFT cameras tend to be more compact and affordable.
1-inch and Smaller
Smaller sensors are found in PTZ cameras, action cameras, and some broadcast cameras. They offer significant zoom reach with compact lenses but have more limited low-light performance and depth of field control.
How Sensor Size Affects Your Image
Depth of Field
Larger sensors produce shallower depth of field at the same aperture and field of view. This is why full-frame cameras create that sought-after cinematic background blur (bokeh). For broadcast and documentary work where focus reliability matters, smaller sensors with deeper focus can be advantageous.
Low-Light Performance
Larger sensors capture more light because their individual pixels (photosites) are larger. This means less noise in low-light situations. Full-frame cameras typically perform 1-2 stops better than Super 35 in low light.
Field of View and Crop Factor
A 50mm lens on a full-frame camera provides a "normal" field of view. The same lens on a Super 35 sensor provides a tighter, more telephoto view (equivalent to approximately 75mm on full frame). This crop factor affects your lens choices — wider lenses are needed on smaller sensors to achieve the same field of view.
Which Sensor Size Is Right for You?
- Narrative cinema and music videos: Full frame for maximum shallow depth of field and low-light performance.
- Traditional cinema workflow: Super 35 for the familiar crop factor and wide lens selection.
- Documentary and broadcast: Micro Four Thirds or Super 35 for deeper focus and compact form factors.
- Live broadcast and PTZ: Smaller sensors for extended zoom reach in compact housings.
Explore our camera collections to compare sensor sizes across models: 4K Cinema Cameras, Compact & Mirrorless Cameras, and Broadcast & Studio Cameras.
For more detailed guidance, read our Understanding Professional Cinema Cameras guide or contact our team for personalized advice.