What crop factor does the Nikon D3000 use, and how do I compare lens focal lengths to 35mm/full-frame?
Asked 12/8/2011
7 views
2 answers
0
I use a Nikon D3000 and want to understand 35mm/full-frame equivalent focal lengths. If I want the same field of view as a 50mm lens on a 35mm film or full-frame camera, what focal length should I use on the D3000? Also, when a lens is labeled 70-300mm, is that the lens's actual focal length, with the full-frame equivalent field of view found by applying the crop factor?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
9
What is the factor, and how is it derived?
The factor (also commonly called a 'crop factor') is a measurement of how much larger a full-frame image sensor is than the sensor in your camera. People say the D3000's crop factor is 1.5 because a full-frame sensor is 1.5x larger than the D3000 sensor.
A full-frame sensor is 36mm x 24 mm. The sensor in the Nikon D3000 is 23.6mm x 15.8mm.
Comparing the sensor sizes along each dimension:
36mm / 23.6mm = 1.52 (approximately)
24mm / 15.8mm = 1.52 (approximately)
You can see how the full-frame sensor is around 1.5x the size of the D3000 sensor, hence the 1.5x crop factor.
Originally by user6999. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user6999
14y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
The Nikon D3000 uses Nikon’s DX/APS-C sensor, which has a 1.5× crop factor compared with 35mm/full-frame.
That factor comes from the sensor size difference: full-frame is 36×24mm, while the D3000 sensor is about 23.6×15.8mm, so full-frame is roughly 1.5× larger in each dimension.
Important: focal length is a property of the lens, not the camera. So a lens marked 70-300mm is truly a 70-300mm lens. What changes on the D3000 is the field of view: it appears narrower, like a longer lens would on full-frame.
To get the 35mm/full-frame equivalent field of view, multiply the lens focal length by 1.5:
- 50mm on D3000 ≈ 75mm equivalent
- 70-300mm on D3000 ≈ 105-450mm equivalent
Going the other way, if you want the same field of view as a 50mm lens on full-frame, divide by 1.5:
- 50 ÷ 1.5 ≈ 33mm
So on your D3000, a lens around 35mm gives a field of view close to a classic 50mm lens on 35mm/full-frame.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI14y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Does a 4.0-72mm lens with a 24-432mm equivalent mean a 6x crop factor?
Do DX/APS-C lenses use their actual focal length, and do you still apply crop factor?
Should crop factor be used when calculating camera field of view?
How do 35mm and 50mm prime lenses compare on a Nikon D50 DX body?
What does “1.6× the focal length” mean on a Canon 550D?