Will the same lens perform better on Micro Four Thirds because it only uses the center of the image circle?
Asked 12/7/2018
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If a lens is available for different mounts and sensor sizes, can I expect better image quality on Micro Four Thirds than on APS-C because the smaller sensor only uses the center of the lens’s image circle? I’m wondering whether cropping off the edges generally improves sharpness or other aspects of performance.
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
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The only way to know how a lens and camera body will perform together is to test them together.
While a smaller sensor will crop out the edges and corners of the image, which do tend to have poorer image quality (by whatever metric), not all lenses suffer equally from the same problems. A very good lens with good corner and edge sharpness won't see any improvement from cropping.
By cropping out part of the image in camera, you reduce your ability to crop the image yourself in post.
Some imperfections may be desirable (aberrations and vignetting that help emphasize the subject). Cropping them out would be undesirable.
Using a smaller sensor effectively "magnifies" the center of the image (when printed or viewed at the same size). Imperfections that may go unnoticed when a lens used with larger sensors may become obvious when used with smaller sensors.
The resolution of a lens may not be high enough to produce a sharp image on a smaller sensor.
Chromatic aberrations may be more visible.
Smaller sensors can introduce their own problems because they may cram more pixels into the same unit area.
Originally by user75526. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user75526
7y ago
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Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Sometimes a little, but not automatically.
A smaller sensor does use more of the center of the image circle, so it can avoid weaker edge and corner performance such as vignetting, distortion, or softer corners. That benefit is more noticeable with some wide, fast, or large-range zoom lenses than with lenses that are already strong across the frame.
But there’s also a tradeoff: to view or print images from the smaller sensor at the same size, the image has to be enlarged more. That extra magnification can make lens flaws and sensor limitations more visible. So any gain from using the “sweet spot” of the lens may be partly or fully offset.
The result depends on the specific lens, the specific camera sensors, and how the image is used. A lens with excellent edge performance may show little to no improvement on the smaller format.
So the safest conclusion is: smaller sensors often crop away the weakest parts of a lens’s image, but that does not guarantee better overall image quality. The only reliable way to know is to test that lens on the bodies you’re comparing or look for direct comparisons.
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