Does a full-frame sensor give a brighter exposure than APS-C?
Asked 3/20/2017
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I read that full-frame sensors can have larger photosites, so they can capture more light and produce less noise. Does that mean a full-frame camera gives a higher or brighter exposure than APS-C under the same settings?
Assume the scene brightness, f-number, shutter speed, and ISO are the same. If aperture is compared properly relative to sensor size, would full frame actually expose brighter, or is the benefit mainly lower noise/image quality?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
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The full frame sensor will not be brighter under the same exposure conditions (Same light in scene, same focal length and f-number, same exposure time, etc.). It will collect more light, but it will also spread that light over an equally proportionally larger area. The brightness, which is defined as the amount of light energy per unit area, will be the same. The advantage of the larger pixels will not be in increased brightness, but in reduced noise (due to the averaging of the random nature of light - what we call shot noise - over a larger area) and increased dynamic range if the pixels are larger on the FF sensor (due to higher full well capacity for the same thickness silicon wafer).
Originally by user15871. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user15871
9y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
No. With the same scene brightness, f-number, shutter speed, and ISO, a full-frame sensor does not produce a brighter exposure than APS-C.
Exposure is determined per unit area at the sensor. At a given f-stop and shutter speed, each square millimeter of the sensor receives the same image brightness regardless of sensor size. A full-frame sensor is larger, so it collects more total light overall, but that light is spread over a proportionally larger area, so the exposure level is not higher.
Where full frame can help is image quality, not brightness. If the full-frame sensor has larger pixels, each pixel can gather more photons, which improves signal-to-noise ratio, especially at higher ISO, and can also help dynamic range. Also, when making the same size print, the APS-C image must be enlarged more, which can make noise more visible.
So: full frame does not inherently make the image brighter at the same exposure settings, but it can give cleaner low-light results because of total light gathered and/or larger photosites.
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