APS-C vs Full-Frame

If you are new to content creation and quality is a priority, you likely struggle with gear-related dilemmas. While there can be quite a few, one seems ubiquitous: the endless battle of Full-frame vs APS-C.

After plenty of overthinking and research, I’ll share my two cents based on close to eight years of content creation. The goal isn’t to change die-hard users’ opinions but to help small creators — make informed decisions.

Full-frame vs APS-C

There are several sensor sizes:

• Large;
• Medium;
• Full-frame;
• APS-C, and
• Super-35, which is (very) similar to APS-C;

The main difference between Full-frame and APS-C is size. Based on the exact bodies, the APS-C has about 1.5 to 1.6 times the crop of the Full-frame. So, being ‘larger,’ the first has several advantages on paper. This includes:

• Creamier Bokeh (or background blur);
• Better low-light performance and
• Shorter Focal Length (or ‘wider’ field of view);

I say ‘on paper’ because modern technology has substantially bridged the gap, though there are still differences, which I’ll discuss in a moment.

Bokeh

People often believe that Full-frame excels at blurring the background. In reality, while the sensor does play a role, it’s no more than 10%. The other 90 are achieved because of the lens.

Lenses

An F8 lens won’t blur the background regardless of sensor size; A kit lens — will do so only partially. On the contrary, a 1.4 or 1.8, like the 18-35 Sigma, will produce a creamy background blur regardless of the sensor. Hence, many use it on cameras like the Canon R7, the Sony FX30, and others.

To further enhance the background blur, you can add filters to your already fast lens. Also, not related to sensor size, a great example is Tiffen 1/8 Black pro-mist. Besides softening the overall image, it creates the so-called ‘pastel effect,’ making the colors look better together.

Low Light

Aperture also plays a massive role in low-light performance. For instance:

• With its constant 1.8 aperture, the legendary 18-35 will have better low-light performance on the Canon R7 than the kit lens on the R6, which is Full-frame.

Also crucial is that not all cameras are made equal. Although relatively rare some APS-C bodies can have better low-light performance than some Full-frame. Generally speaking, the larger sensor captures more light. There’s just no other way around it. Yet, it doesn’t make up for a crappy lens. So the real question here is:

• How much low-light performance do you actually need?

If low-light shooting is a significant part of your work, opt for Full-frame, but also get a fast lens, like the Sigma Artseries. Or some of the Tamrons.

Distance

The second factor contributing to a blurry background is the distance between the camera, subject, and background. The closer the subject is, the blurrier the background, as there’s a more significant separation.

Filming

A camera body doesn’t do anything in and of itself. It is meant for you to grab and film with it. Whether that’s yourself or something else (for broll), it has to look ‘dope.’ If it doesn’t, the camera won’t fix it. This implies investing in good lights and some other essentials I’ll discuss in a moment.

Beyond gear, it comes to how you set up your shot and your skills with the gear you have. All your shots must be deliberate, conveying something about you:

• A mood;
• A character:
• A sense of taste and aesthetics, etc.

If they don’t, a bigger sensor won’t fix it. And while gear absolutely matters, even more so does your proficiency.

Focal Length

In many cases, you can get ‘wider shots’ by adjusting the distance between your background, object, and camera. And by using simple calculations and proper lenses, you can get pretty identical shots on Full-frame vs APS-C. Namely, multiplying your lens’ focal length by the times of the crop. For example:

• The 18-35 becomes about about 27-52.5;
• A 16mm lens will be 24;

Now, don’t get me wrong, I am delighted with my 18-35. Yet, I cannot deny the Full-frame’s advantage for vlogging and using teleprompters IF you want to stick to one do-it-all lens.

On the contrary, with the recently released Sigma lenses for RF mount, something like the 10-18 may be what you are looking for (in such scenarios). Another, though more obsolete, is the 17-55 Canon EF/S.

Other companies have always had a versatile selection for whatever you use Full-frame vs APS-C, both first-party and third-party. Though I don’t really vlog, recording my Aroll was quite inconvenient because I had to be at an uncomfortable distance.

To me, the solution wasn’t changing the lens but my teleprompter device. Now, that is an 11-inch iPad Air instead of a 5.5 iPhone. So, I no longer have issues, and my eyes are eternally grateful!

Advantages of APS-C

This brings me to the first advantage of APS-C: cost. In most cases, both bodies and lenses are much more affordable for crop sensors. The reason for saying ‘in most cases’ is because there are exceptions like:

• The C70 and;
• The Red Komodo
• and others.

Versatility

On that note, APS-C systems are also more flexible due several reasons:

1. They are much lighter, which is something to consider if you travel a lot.
2. APS-C bodies can adopt Full-frame lenses using their best part—the center. Full-frame bodies, on the other hand, can’t do that with APS-C glass—or at least not with the same efficiency, as that causes massive vignetting. Yet, creators like Mielz adopt the 18-35 on an R5C, others on the S5MK2 and the FX3.
3. Some lenses aren’t available for Full-frame. For instance, Sigma only recently made a proper Full-frame equivalent of the decade-old 18-35, which, up until now, is only an E-mount
4. Technically, APS-C bodies can use an adapter and become pretty much identical to Full Frame while actually gaining a stop of light, which is how many use the C70.

This brings me back to the main point I’d like to iterate. Only you can make a shot look good. And while gear plays a massive role, that exceeds far beyond sensor size. In the context of YouTube and content creation, you (may) need:

• Key and particle lights;
• Softboxes and C Stands;
• Tripod or maybe two if you switch between cameras.
• Proper sound, including a microphone, an audio interface (or recorder), and (some) room treatment. Never forget that sound is the more critical 50%, as, without it, the content is inconsumable.
• Make your room look nice so it resonates with your personality. Let it inspire you to film yourself and share your work with the world. So you can (really) ‘just press record’ as the guys from Think Media say.
• BRoll. For this, you can go hand-held as long as you have a proper cage and handles, which I am starting to appreciate.
• Yet, adding just a bit of smooth slider shots will increase your production value exponentially.
• Some people may also include a gimbal or replace the slider with one based on style and workflow.
• Let’s not forget media and storage for your projects.

One Man Crew

Since you are watching this, you are likely a small creator, which means a one-man crew and filming yourself. What took me time to understand is that navigating through all these could be hectic, especially when you are starting first.

Sure, you get a grasp on things and build your workflow. Yet the more I create, the more I appreciate things like flawless autofocus, reliable control apps, intuitive menus, etc. Say the colors and image quality are identical. To me, the body excelling in those is the one I’d pick, even if it’s super 35.

This is why I shoot an R7 with an 18-35 Sigma. They allow me to get images to enjoy and share conveniently. Does this mean you should use the same? No, it means You should opt for the body lens combo that really does that for you while making sense in the mentioned context.

The Moment of Truth

Now, consider two people with identical skills. Give the first nothing but a great Full-frame camera and lens, while the second (maximally) similar APS-C and everything else from the list.

• For instance, FX3 and FX30 or R5 and R7. Also, give the first a kit lens, whereas the second the 18-35 or 18-50 Sigma, or one of the Tamrons.

Then, tell both persons to make a video on the same topic. Only imagining such a scenario answers the question of how to think of your budget when it comes to APS-C and Full-frame. After, of course, ensuring your scripts are on point, as a good script is the backbone of every good video, which is not just my opinion.

With all that, I hope this video provided value. Let me know if it did. Consider checking the links in the description, subscribe to my channels, and Thank you for your time!