Crop Factor Calculator
Calculate crop factor and full-frame equivalent focal length for different camera sensors
Calculate Crop Factor
Physical width of the sensor in millimeters
Physical height of the sensor in millimeters
The actual focal length of your lens
Crop Factor Results
Formula: Crop Factor = Full Frame Diagonal / Sensor Diagonal
Full Frame: 36mm × 24mm (43.3mm diagonal)
Your Sensor: 23.6mm × 15.6mm (28.3mm diagonal)
Photography Impact
Example Calculation
APS-C Canon Sensor Example
Sensor Size: 22.3mm × 14.9mm
Sensor Diagonal: √(22.3² + 14.9²) = 26.8mm
Full Frame Diagonal: √(36² + 24²) = 43.3mm
Crop Factor: 43.3 ÷ 26.8 = 1.61x
Practical Application
• 50mm lens on APS-C Canon = 80.5mm equivalent on full frame
• f/2.8 on APS-C = f/4.5 equivalent depth of field
• Great for telephoto work, challenging for wide-angle
Common Sensor Sizes
Photography Tips
Higher crop factors provide more "reach" for telephoto photography
Smaller sensors make wide-angle photography more challenging
Consider crop factor when buying lenses for your camera system
Larger sensors generally perform better in low light
Lens Equivalency
Understanding Crop Factor
What is Crop Factor?
Crop factor (also called focal length multiplier) is the ratio between the diagonal of a full-frame (35mm) sensor and the diagonal of your camera's sensor. It tells you how much smaller your sensor is compared to full frame, which affects the field of view of your lenses.
Why Does it Matter?
- •Determines the effective field of view of your lenses
- •Affects depth of field characteristics
- •Influences low-light performance
- •Important for lens selection and composition
Calculation Formula
Crop Factor = Full Frame Diagonal / Sensor Diagonal
Diagonal = √(width² + height²)
- Full Frame: 36mm × 24mm (43.3mm diagonal)
- Sensor Diagonal: Calculated from width and height
- Equivalent Focal Length: Actual focal length × crop factor
- Field of View: Narrower by the crop factor
Note: Crop factor only affects field of view, not the actual focal length of the lens. The lens physics remain the same.
Practical Applications
Advantages of Crop Sensors
- • More affordable camera bodies and lenses
- • Increased "reach" for wildlife and sports photography
- • Smaller, lighter camera systems
- • Better depth of field control for macro work
Considerations
- • Harder to achieve wide-angle shots
- • Generally reduced low-light performance
- • Shallower depth of field requires larger apertures
- • Need to consider crop factor when buying lenses