Ratio of sensor diagonal to 35 mm full-frame (36×24 mm), determining effective focal length and field of view compared to standard cinema format.
The crop factor (also known as the format factor or focal length multiplier) is a purely technical ratio in camera technology. It describes how much smaller the diagonal of an image sensor is compared to the 35mm film reference format (full frame, 36 x 24 mm). Since a smaller sensor captures a narrower field of view with the same focal length, the crop factor is used to convert the effective image impact of a lens to the familiar 35mm scale.
Important: The crop factor is not equipment, nor is it a lighting or grip tool, but a calculated metric. The physical focal length of a lens remains unchanged; only the portion of the image circle used by the smaller sensor alters the perceived field of view.
The crop factor is derived from the ratio of the diagonal of the full-frame sensor (approximately 43.3 mm) to the diagonal of the sensor being used:
Example: A 50mm lens on a sensor with a crop factor of 1.5 produces the same field of view as a 75mm lens on full frame (50 x 1.5 = 75).
| Format | Crop Factor |
|---|---|
| Full Frame / 35mm (36 x 24 mm) | 1.0x (Reference) |
| APS-H | approx. 1.3x |
| APS-C (Nikon DX, Sony, Fujifilm, Pentax) | approx. 1.5x |
| APS-C (Canon) | approx. 1.6x |
| Micro Four Thirds | approx. 2.0x |
The Super 35 cine format, depending on the shooting mode, falls between full frame and APS-C and has a crop factor of approximately 1.4 to 1.5x compared to full frame; the exact values vary depending on the camera and the sensor area used.
The crop factor is relevant for lens planning: on a cropped sensor, a wide-angle lens results in a narrower field of view, making wide-angle shots more difficult and longer focal lengths appear tighter. It plays an indirect role in lighting planning, as smaller sensors tend to offer less surface area for light capture, and the depth of field is greater at the same field of view and aperture compared to full frame.
Ich plane meine Objektivauswahl immer um den Crop-Faktor herum - an meiner C70 mit 1,5× Crop wird aus dem 24-70mm ein 36-105mm, was mir deutlich weniger Weitwinkel gibt. Bei Available-Light-Drehs bevorzuge ich Vollformat, da ich durch die größeren Pixel mehr Lichtausbeute und flachere Schärfentiefe bekomme.
Der Crop-Faktor beeinflusst meine visuelle Sprache erheblich - kleinere Sensoren zwingen mich zu komprimierterer Bildgestaltung und intimeren Einstellungen, während Vollformat mehr epische Weite zulässt. Für Thriller nutze ich bewusst höhere Crop-Faktoren, um die psychologische Enge zu verstärken.
Kleinere Sensoren bedeuten günstigere Objektive bei gleicher effektiver Brennweite, aber ich muss bei Low-Light-Szenen mehr Budget für Beleuchtung einplanen. Eine C300 Mark III kostet 11.000€, die Vollformat-Version C500 Mark II aber 16.000€ - der Crop-Faktor wird zum Kostenfaktor bei der Kameraauswahl.
1. Was beschreibt „Crop-Faktor" am besten?
2. Zu welchem Department gehört „Crop-Faktor"?
3. Wie viele verschiedene Fachperspektiven bietet dieser Eintrag?
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