1. What is Crop Factor?

Crop factor is a numerical value that compares the imaging area of a camera sensor to a reference full-frame sensor (typically 35mm film). It affects field of view and effective focal length of lenses.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the crop factor formula:

Where:

• \( \text{Diagonal}_{\text{full}} \) — Diagonal measurement of full frame sensor (typically 43.27mm for 35mm film)
• \( \text{Diagonal}_{\text{sensor}} \) — Diagonal measurement of your camera's sensor

Explanation: The crop factor tells you how much smaller your sensor is compared to full-frame, affecting the field of view of your lenses.

3. Importance of Crop Factor

Details: Understanding crop factor is essential for cinematographers and photographers to properly select lenses and anticipate field of view. It helps determine the "effective focal length" when using lenses designed for different sensor sizes.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the diagonal measurements in millimeters. The full frame diagonal is typically 43.27mm. For BMPCC cameras, common sensor diagonals are 21.64mm (Super 35) or 15.81mm (Micro Four Thirds).

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's the crop factor for BMPCC 4K/6K?
A: BMPCC 6K has ~1.58x crop (Super 35), while BMPCC 4K has ~1.9x crop (Micro Four Thirds).

Q2: How does crop factor affect field of view?
A: Multiply the lens focal length by the crop factor to get the equivalent field of view on full-frame.

Q3: Does crop factor affect image quality?
A: It doesn't directly affect quality but influences depth of field and noise characteristics.

Q4: Why use full-frame as reference?
A: Full-frame (35mm) became the standard reference due to its historical use in photography.

Q5: Can I use this for any camera?
A: Yes, this calculator works for any camera when you know both diagonals.