When is it more suitable to have a full sensor-camera instead of a crop sensor-one?

Question

I've been reading about this a bit, and I get the sense that full sensor-cameras are best suited for shooting landscapes, whilst crop sensor-cameras are preferable for portraits and close-ups. Please correct me if I'm wrong. What I would also like to know is which type of sensor is best suited to these other styles:

• Bokeh
• Action (fast shutter speed)
• Black & White
• Macro
• Low light
• Time-lapse

Asked by the.midget

Answer

I would not say that crop sensor cameras are preferable for portraits or close up. I would say they are preferable for the budget minded individual, especially those who want longer focal lengths for less of an investment, and those who want a higher FPS camera due to the smaller mirror. Full frame almost always has an advantage in quality and technical photographic matters. Some areas where it falls short of crop sensors are in high FPS shooting, size of the body, price, and one may consider the smaller portion of the lens being used to be an advantage as well.

Specifically on your question of which styles of photography are better suited for which sensor - The previous thread already covered the "action" piece here:

You have more mirror to move on a full frame camera. The larger heavier mirror usually means shooting speed is limited. The mirror on my 5D moves so slowly I can actually see the world slide sideways/up for an instant!

for some uses (sports etc.) the smaller sensor size is helpful for the extra reach and speed it allows.(sic)

It also covers in great detail the bokeh piece. For the remaining styles b&w, macro, low light, and time-lapse - the advantages of the full frame sensor in sharper optics, bigger pixels, a better viewfinder, etc are usually all advantages in these styles. Macro is one area that may warrant a separate discussion - as this might get into some more technical discussion. If macro is your main pursuit, I would open up a new question and ask about full frame vs crop for macro use. Generally though I would still prefer full frame for this style.

Answered by dpollitt

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