What’s the difference between APS-C and CMOS camera sensors?
Asked 12/30/2016
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I’m shopping for my first DSLR and noticed that some camera listings mention an APS-C sensor, while others say CMOS. Are these different kinds of sensors, or are they describing different things? How should I interpret this when comparing cameras?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
9y ago
2 Answers
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Those are completely orthogonal concepts.
- APS-C is a sensor-size. Other sensors for DSLRs are Full-Frame or APS-H.
- CMOS is a type of sensor. Other sensors are CCD.
One can have an APS-C CMOS sensor, an APS-C CCD, a Full-Frame CMOS or Full-Frame CCD. Any combination is possible.
The discussion is almost moot now because nearly every camera on the market uses CMOS now, since the fabrication process is simpler and those sensors can be read much faster than CCD ones. Among very low-end cameras there are still CCDs, and up to recently, some Medium-Format cameras also used CCD but AFAIK, all current DSLRs and mirrorless cameras use CMOS sensors.
This means that if you buy a new DSLR or one made in at least the last 5 years, it will have a CMOS sensor. The choice which is left between APS-C and Full-Frame. The latter is more expensive but also delivers better image quality, particularly in low-light.
Originally by user1620. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1620
9y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
APS-C and CMOS describe two different aspects of a camera sensor, so they aren’t alternatives.
- APS-C = sensor size. It’s smaller than full-frame.
- CMOS = sensor technology/type. Another older sensor type is CCD.
So a camera can have an APS-C CMOS sensor, a full-frame CMOS sensor, and in older designs even APS-C or full-frame CCD sensors. In other words, one term tells you the size, the other tells you the sensor design.
For modern cameras, this is mostly simple: nearly all current DSLRs and mirrorless cameras use CMOS, so the more meaningful choice is usually sensor size (APS-C vs full-frame, etc.), not CMOS vs CCD.
If a comparison table makes it look like some cameras have “APS-C” and others have “CMOS,” that’s just mixing two different specification categories, which can be confusing for beginners.
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