A crop sensor calculator is a simple yet powerful tool that helps photographers understand the effective focal length of lenses when mounted on crop sensor cameras. This is essential as the crop sensor affects the angle of view and magnification of your photos.
Formula of Crop Sensor Calculator
The magic behind this tool lies in a straightforward formula:
Where:
- EFL is the Effective Focal Length.
- FL is the actual Focal Length of the lens.
- CF is the Crop Factor of the camera.
This formula helps in adjusting your lens' focal length to see how it behaves on a crop sensor compared to a full-frame camera.
Table of Common Crop Factors
| Name and camera type | Width (mm) | Height (mm) | Crop factor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2.5" - superzoom and point-and-shoot cameras | 5.76 | 4.29 | 6.0 |
| 1/2.3" - compacts and compact superzooms | 6.17 | 4.55 | 5.6 |
| 1/1.8" - high-end compacts | 7.11 | 5.32 | 4.8 |
| 1/1.7" - high-end compacts | 7.53 | 5.70 | 4.5 |
| 2/3" - e.g. Fujifilm X10 & X20, Sony F828 & F717 | 8.80 | 6.60 | 3.9 |
| 1" - e.g. Nikon 1/CX, Sony RX100-series & RX10 | 13.2 | 8.80 | 2.7 |
| 4/3" - Four Thirds | 17.3 | 13.0 | 2.0 |
| APS-C - Canon | 22.2 | 14.8 | 1.62 |
| APS-C - General, e.g. Nikon DX, Sony α DT | 23.6 | 15.6 | 1.53 |
| Half-frame - Olympus Pen F | 18 | 24 | 1.44 |
| APS-H - Canon and Leica M8 | 27.9 | 18.6 | 1.29 |
| 35mm full frame - Canon EF, Nikon FX, Sony α, FE-Mount | 36.0 | 24.0 | 1.0 |
This table serves as a quick reference to determine the crop factor for various camera models, simplifying the use of the crop sensor calculator.
Example of Crop Sensor Calculator
Consider a 50mm lens on a Canon EOS Rebel T7 with a crop factor of 1.6:
EFL = 50mm * 1.6 = 80mm
This calculation shows that the 50mm lens will have an effective focal length of 80mm on this camera, crucial for understanding field of view and selecting the right lens for your desired composition.
Most Common FAQs
A1: The crop factor is a ratio describing how much smaller the camera's sensor is compared to a full-frame 35mm sensor. It affects the lens's effective focal length, altering the field of view.
A2: Yes, this calculator can be used with any lens. Provided you know the lens's focal length and the camera's crop factor.
A3: The calculator is highly accurate for determining effective focal lengths. Helping photographers make informed decisions about lens choices and composition strategies.