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Crop Factor Calculator

See how any lens frames on your sensor. 35 mm equivalent focal length, field of view, and depth-of-field comparisons across formats.

Crop factor calculator

Crop factor

1.5ร—

Sensor size

23.5 ร— 15.6 mm

35 mm equivalent focal length

75 mm

A 50 mm lens on this sensor frames like 75 mm on full frame

Equiv. aperture (DoF)

f/2.7

Equiv. ISO (noise)

ISO 225

Field of view

Horizontal26.4ยฐ
Vertical17.7ยฐ
Diagonal31.5ยฐ

Full-frame horizontal FoV at 50 mm: 39.6ยฐ

50 mm f/1.8 across sensor sizes

How a 50 mm f/1.8 lens renders on every common sensor format. Equivalent values describe the full-frame lens that would produce the same framing, depth of field, and noise level.

Medium Format (Fuji GFX)

Crop

0.79ร—

Equiv. FL

40 mm

Equiv. aperture

f/1.4

FoV (H)

47.3ยฐ

Medium Format (Hasselblad)

Crop

0.79ร—

Equiv. FL

40 mm

Equiv. aperture

f/1.4

FoV (H)

47.3ยฐ

Full Frame (35 mm)

Crop

1ร—

Equiv. FL

50 mm

Equiv. aperture

f/1.8

FoV (H)

39.6ยฐ

APS-C (Nikon / Sony / Pentax)

Crop

1.5ร—

Equiv. FL

75 mm

Equiv. aperture

f/2.7

FoV (H)

26.4ยฐ

APS-C (Canon)

Crop

1.6ร—

Equiv. FL

80 mm

Equiv. aperture

f/2.9

FoV (H)

25.1ยฐ

APS-C (Sigma Foveon)

Crop

1.7ร—

Equiv. FL

85 mm

Equiv. aperture

f/3.1

FoV (H)

23.4ยฐ

Micro Four Thirds

Crop

2ร—

Equiv. FL

100 mm

Equiv. aperture

f/3.6

FoV (H)

19.6ยฐ

1" Sensor

Crop

2.7ร—

Equiv. FL

135 mm

Equiv. aperture

f/4.9

FoV (H)

15.0ยฐ

1/1.7" Sensor

Crop

4.55ร—

Equiv. FL

228 mm

Equiv. aperture

f/8.2

FoV (H)

8.7ยฐ

1/2.3" Sensor (compact / phone)

Crop

5.6ร—

Equiv. FL

280 mm

Equiv. aperture

f/10

FoV (H)

7.1ยฐ

Information hub

What is crop factor?

Crop factor is the ratio of the 35 mm full-frame sensor diagonal (43.27 mm) to your camera's sensor diagonal. A 1.5ร— crop factor means the sensor is 1.5 times smaller than full frame. The camera captures a narrower slice of the image circle projected by the lens, making subjects appear closer.

Equivalent focal length

Multiply the actual focal length by the crop factor to get the 35 mm equivalent. A 50 mm lens on a 1.5ร— APS-C sensor frames like a 75 mm lens on full frame. The lens itself doesn't change; the narrower sensor crops the image, giving a tighter field of view.

Equivalent aperture and ISO

Equivalent aperture (aperture ร— crop factor) describes the depth of field you would get on full frame with the same framing. A 50 mm f/1.8 on 1.5ร— APS-C gives the same DoF as roughly 75 mm f/2.7 on full frame. Equivalent ISO (ISO ร— crop factorยฒ) estimates comparable noise: ISO 100 on 1.5ร— APS-C is roughly ISO 225 in full-frame noise terms.

Field of view

Field of view is the angle of the scene captured, computed as 2 ร— arctan(sensor dimension / (2 ร— focal length)). Smaller sensors have narrower fields of view at the same focal length, which is why crop-sensor cameras are popular for wildlife and sports: a 200 mm lens on Micro Four Thirds (2ร—) frames like 400 mm on full frame.

Understanding crop factor and 35 mm equivalents

Different sensor sizes frame the same lens differently. This calculator shows you the full-frame equivalents for focal length, depth of field, and noise so you can compare gear across formats.

Key concepts

Crop factor is about framing

A crop sensor captures a smaller portion of the lens's image circle. The result: tighter framing, narrower field of view, and apparent "reach." A 200 mm lens on Micro Four Thirds (2ร—) frames like 400 mm on full frame.

Equivalent aperture is for DoF only

Multiplying aperture by the crop factor tells you the depth of field equivalent, not the light-gathering. f/1.8 on APS-C (1.5ร—) gives the DoF of f/2.7 on full frame but still transmits the same amount of light per area as any f/1.8 lens.

Smaller sensors are noisier at the same settings

For the same field of view and depth of field, a smaller sensor needs a higher effective ISO. The equivalent ISO formula (ISO ร— cropยฒ) estimates the full-frame ISO that would give comparable noise.

Use the comparison table

The table below the calculator shows how your lens renders on every common sensor format at once. Pick a focal length and aperture, then scan across rows to see equivalent focal lengths, apertures, and fields of view side by side.

Crop Factor Calculator: 35 mm Equivalent Focal Length, Aperture & Field of View

See how any lens frames on your camera sensor compared to full frame. Cross-sensor comparison table, field-of-view calculations, and depth-of-field equivalents for every major camera system.

What This Calculator Does

This crop factor calculator (also called a crop sensor calculator) converts lens settings between your camera's sensor and the 35 mm full-frame standard. Select a sensor format (or enter a custom crop factor), set your focal length, aperture, and ISO, and the calculator instantly shows the 35 mm equivalent focal length, the equivalent aperture for depth-of-field comparisons, the equivalent ISO for noise comparisons, and the horizontal, vertical, and diagonal field of view. A cross-sensor comparison table shows how the same lens renders on every major sensor format, which is useful when comparing lenses across camera systems. All math runs in the browser; nothing is uploaded.

How the Math Works

All conversions use the crop factor, which is derived from sensor dimensions:
  • Crop factor:
    Cropย factor=dffdsensor\text{Crop factor} = \frac{d_{\text{ff}}}{d_{\text{sensor}}}

    where dff=362+242โ‰ˆ43.27โ€‰mmd_{\text{ff}} = \sqrt{36^2 + 24^2} \approx 43.27\,\text{mm} is the full-frame diagonal and dsensord_{\text{sensor}} is your sensor's diagonal.

  • Equivalent focal length:
    FLeq=FLactualร—cropย factor\text{FL}_{\text{eq}} = \text{FL}_{\text{actual}} \times \text{crop factor}

    Example: 50 mm on APS-C Nikon (1.5ร—): 50ร—1.5=75โ€‰mm50 \times 1.5 = 75\,\text{mm} equivalent.

  • Equivalent aperture (depth of field):
    feq=factualร—cropย factorf_{\text{eq}} = f_{\text{actual}} \times \text{crop factor}

    This does not affect exposure. It describes the full-frame aperture that gives the same depth of field at the equivalent focal length and framing distance. Example: f/1.8 on 1.5ร—: 1.8ร—1.5=f/2.71.8 \times 1.5 = f/2.7 equivalent DoF.

  • Equivalent ISO (noise):
    ISOeq=ISOactualร—cropย factor2\text{ISO}_{\text{eq}} = \text{ISO}_{\text{actual}} \times \text{crop factor}^2

    A smaller sensor gathers less total light at the same settings and framing. Example: ISO 100 on 1.5ร—: 100ร—1.52=225100 \times 1.5^2 = 225, so noise is comparable to ISO 225 on full frame.

  • Field of view:
    FoV=2ร—arctanโกโ€‰โฃ(w2ร—FL)\text{FoV} = 2 \times \arctan\!\left(\frac{w}{2 \times \text{FL}}\right)

    where w is the sensor width (or height for vertical FoV). A narrower sensor produces a narrower field of view, giving the telephoto "reach" effect.

How to Use This Calculator

Pick a camera sensor from the dropdown or choose "Custom" and type in any crop factor. Then set your focal length, aperture, and ISO. The right column updates instantly with the 35 mm equivalent focal length (the main result), equivalent aperture for DoF, equivalent ISO for noise, and the field of view in degrees. Below the calculator, the comparison table shows how the same lens renders on every common sensor format, with your current selection highlighted green.

Why Crop Factor Matters When Buying Lenses

Crop factor is one of the first things to consider when choosing lenses, especially if you are switching between camera systems or comparing specs across formats.
  • Buying a portrait lens for APS-C:
    On full frame, the classic portrait focal length is 85 mm. On a 1.5ร— APS-C body, a 56 mm lens gives similar framing (56 ร— 1.5 = 84 mm equivalent). An actual 85 mm lens on APS-C frames like 127 mm, which is tighter than most people want for head-and-shoulders portraits.
  • Wildlife and sports (crop advantage):
    A 200 mm f/2.8 on Micro Four Thirds (2ร—) frames like a 400 mm f/5.6 on full frame. You get the reach of a much longer, heavier, and more expensive full-frame lens. The trade-off is shallower depth of field control and more noise at high ISO.
  • Landscape and wide angle:
    Wide-angle lenses lose their wide perspective on crop sensors. A 16 mm lens on a 1.6ร— Canon APS-C sensor frames like 25.6 mm on full frame, which is a normal-wide, not ultra-wide. To get a true ultra-wide view on crop, you need a lens like 10 mm or 12 mm.
  • Depth of field comparison:
    If shallow background blur is important, compare the equivalent aperture, not just the f-number on the lens. f/1.4 on Micro Four Thirds (2ร—) gives the same DoF as f/2.8 on full frame. To match the full-frame f/1.4 look, you would need f/0.7, which does not exist for that mount.

Common Crop Factors by Camera System

This reference covers the most widely used sensor formats and their crop factors relative to the 35 mm full-frame standard.
  • Medium Format (Fuji GFX, Hasselblad X):
    0.79ร— crop. Sensor is 43.8 ร— 32.9 mm, larger than full frame. Shallower DoF at the same aperture, lower noise, and wider field of view per focal length. Primarily used in studio, landscape, and commercial photography.
  • Full Frame (35 mm):
    1.0ร— (reference standard). Sensor is 36 ร— 24 mm. Lens focal lengths and apertures match their marked values directly. Canon R, Nikon Z, Sony A7, Panasonic S, Leica SL.
  • APS-C (Nikon, Sony, Fuji, Pentax):
    1.5ร— crop. Sensor is approximately 23.5 ร— 15.6 mm. The most common crop format. A 35 mm lens frames like 52.5 mm on full frame.
  • APS-C (Canon):
    1.6ร— crop. Sensor is 22.3 ร— 14.9 mm, slightly smaller than other APS-C sensors. Canon EOS R7, R10, R50, and older EF-S DSLRs (7D, 80D, Rebel series). The Canon crop factor of 1.6ร— means a 50 mm lens frames like 80 mm on full frame, and a popular Canon EF-S 10โ€“18 mm wide-angle zoom gives a 16โ€“29 mm equivalent range.
  • Micro Four Thirds (Olympus/OM System, Panasonic):
    2.0ร— crop. Sensor is 17.3 ร— 13.0 mm. Popular for video and wildlife due to the effective 2ร— reach multiplier and compact body/lens size.
  • 1" Sensor (Sony RX100, Nikon 1):
    2.7ร— crop. Sensor is 13.2 ร— 8.8 mm. Found in premium compact cameras and some drones.

FAQ

What is crop factor in photography?

Crop factor is the ratio of a 35 mm full-frame sensor diagonal (43.27 mm) to your camera sensor's diagonal. An APS-C camera with a 1.5ร— crop factor has a sensor about 1.5 times smaller than full frame. It determines how much of the lens's image circle the sensor actually captures: a higher crop factor means a narrower field of view.

How do I calculate equivalent focal length from crop factor?

Multiply the actual focal length of the lens by the crop factor. A 50 mm lens on a 1.5ร— APS-C sensor gives a 35 mm equivalent of 75 mm (50 ร— 1.5). This tells you the full-frame lens that would produce the same field of view. The lens optics don't change; only the framing narrows because the smaller sensor crops the image circle.

Does crop factor affect aperture or depth of field?

Crop factor does not change the physical aperture of the lens or the amount of light it transmits. However, to get the same framing on a crop sensor you stand at the same distance, and the smaller sensor captures a narrower slice. The equivalent aperture for depth-of-field comparison is the actual aperture multiplied by the crop factor. A 50 mm f/1.8 on a 1.5ร— sensor gives roughly the same DoF as a 75 mm f/2.7 on full frame.

Does crop factor affect ISO noise?

Crop factor itself does not change ISO noise directly. But a smaller sensor collects less total light for the same exposure settings and framing. To compare noise between sensors at the same field of view and depth of field, multiply ISO by the crop factor squared. ISO 100 on a 1.5ร— APS-C sensor is roughly equivalent to ISO 225 on full frame in terms of noise.

What is the crop factor of APS-C, Micro Four Thirds, and other sensors?

Common crop factors: Full Frame = 1.0ร—, APS-C (Nikon/Sony) = 1.5ร—, APS-C (Canon) = 1.6ร—, Micro Four Thirds = 2.0ร—, 1" sensor = 2.7ร—, 1/2.3" sensor (compact cameras, phones) = 5.6ร—. Medium format sensors like the Fuji GFX have a crop factor less than 1 (about 0.79ร—) because they are larger than 35 mm.

Is a higher or lower crop factor better for photography?

It depends on what you shoot. A lower crop factor (larger sensor) collects more light, produces shallower depth of field, and generally has less noise at high ISO, which benefits portraits and low-light work. A higher crop factor (smaller sensor) gives more "reach" at the same focal length, useful for wildlife and sports where getting closer is not an option. There is no universally better value; each format has trade-offs.

How does field of view relate to crop factor?

Field of view narrows as crop factor increases. The horizontal field of view is calculated as 2 ร— arctan(sensor width / (2 ร— focal length)). A 50 mm lens on full frame gives about 39.6ยฐ horizontal FoV. The same lens on a 1.5ร— APS-C sensor gives about 27.0ยฐ, and on a 2.0ร— Micro Four Thirds sensor about 19.6ยฐ.

Does crop factor change the actual focal length of a lens?

No. A 50 mm lens is always a 50 mm lens regardless of the sensor behind it. Crop factor describes how the sensor frames the image, not the optical properties of the lens. The term "equivalent focal length" is a shorthand for the full-frame focal length that would give the same field of view.

What is the Canon crop factor and how does it differ from Nikon or Sony?

Canon APS-C cameras (EOS R7, R10, R50, older Rebels and XXD bodies) use a 1.6ร— crop factor, while Nikon, Sony, Fuji, and Pentax APS-C cameras use 1.5ร—. The difference is small but real: a 50 mm lens on Canon APS-C gives an 80 mm equivalent, while the same lens on Nikon or Sony APS-C gives 75 mm. Canon's slightly smaller sensor also narrows the field of view a bit more and produces marginally higher equivalent ISO noise at the same settings.

Sources & citations

References used for the calculation method and definitions. Links open in a new tab when available.

[1]
ISO 12232:2019 โ€” Photography: Digital Still Cameras โ€” Determination of Exposure Index, ISO Speed Ratings

Defines how ISO speed ratings are assigned to digital camera sensors and how sensor sensitivity relates to the exposure equation used in the equivalent ISO calculation.

[2]
Sensor Sizes โ€” Photographic sensor format dimensions and crop factors

Reference for sensor dimensions, diagonal measurements, and crop factor derivations across common camera formats from medium format to smartphone sensors.

Mathematical Reference Note

Calculation Logic: This tool uses standard mathematical algorithms. While we strive for accuracy, errors in logic or user input can result in incorrect data.

Verification: Results should be cross-checked if used for important academic, professional, or personal calculations.

Standard Terms: This tool is provided free of charge and as-is. CalcRegistry provides no warranty regarding the accuracy or fitness of these results for your specific needs.

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