Can the same 50mm lens give the same framing on full frame and APS-C without changing lenses?
Asked 5/12/2011
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I only care about framing/field of view, not low-light performance, depth of field, or resolution. If I use a 50mm lens on a full-frame camera and want the same framing on an APS-C camera, is that possible without changing lenses? If I move farther from the subject with the APS-C camera, will the image match, or does that change perspective?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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In terms of field of view, or framing, APS-C is defined as a ratio to full frame. For Canon it's 1.6, for Nikon/Pentax/Sony it's 1.5. So, when looking at this:
X x 1.5 = Y
X is the focal length on the APS-C and Y is the focal length on the FF. So, we sub in and rearrange for:
X = 50 / 1.5
X = 33.3333
So, you'll get around the same field of view if the lens on APS-C is between 30 and 35mm. Now, if you're using the same lens, you'll have to use your feet. For APS-C, that means moving back and the distance will depend on the subject, but the perspective will change.
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So, if the lens is the same...
As mentioned in both answers, the perspective will change as a result of changing position, so the essential answer is no, you can't when you're using the same lens. That leaves you with the last option I can think of: panorama. Several shots, 4 minimum I would think (2 top, and 2 bottom) would allow you to construct an image with the same perspective (or so very close that the difference is very difficult to detect) and same field of view. The drawbacks are obvious and include multiple images, must be a stationary subject, and more. Technically, however, it could be done given a suitable subject.
Originally by user472. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user472
15y ago
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Not exactly, no. With the same 50mm lens, an APS-C camera gives a narrower field of view than full frame because the smaller sensor crops the image circle. A 50mm on APS-C frames roughly like a 75–80mm lens on full frame, depending on the brand’s crop factor.
If you keep the camera in the same position, the APS-C image is essentially just a crop of the full-frame image.
If you move farther back with the APS-C camera, you can make the subject fit similarly in the frame, but the perspective changes because perspective depends on camera position, not sensor size. So the image will not truly be the same.
To match full-frame 50mm framing on APS-C in a single shot, you’d normally use about a 33–35mm lens.
A special workaround is stitching multiple APS-C shots into a panorama (or using a shift lens), which can reproduce the larger field of view while keeping perspective from the same shooting position.
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