Today we are going to discuss some
of the pros and cons of full frame sensors.
Simply put, “full-frame” is the size of capture area in a film or digital camera that is roughly 36x24mm. It was introduced by Leica in the 1920’s. It isn’t new to photography but it is new to digital cinema cameras. It is just another tool in the growing arsenal of options available to cinematographers. The larger capture area has some unique advantages and some disadvantages and I will highlight some of them below.
Full Frame Sony Venice
Full Frame Sony a7s
FIELD OF VIEW
PROS
The wider field of view of a full frame sensor is magnificent for landscapes and establishing shots. A wider field of view also gives the actors more room to explore the frame. Also with a full frame sensor it is easier to get separation in the image on a wider shot. One of the widest primes we own is the Canon CN-E 14mm which is roughly a 9mm field of view in Super 35mm!
CONS
With a larger field of view comes the ability to see more of the set. This means sets will have to be larger and more detailed. It also becomes harder to achieve a tight shot. In full frame, a 125mm lens is equivalent to an 85mm in Super 35mm. Most folks will opt for moving in closer to the talent which in turn decreases depth of field. Currently there aren’t many lens options available in longer focal lengths and there isn’t even a full frame 2x extender on the market yet.
DEPTH OF FIELD
PROS
A larger sensor makes it easier to achieve separation between subject and background. To achieve a similar field of view as Super 35mm you will have to bring the camera closer to the subject or use a longer lens. This decreases depth of field and makes the background more soft.
CONS
A wider field of view means you will have to be closer to the talent to achieve a tight shot. That in turn means depth of field decreases. More shallow depth of field will make it difficult for focus pullers to achieve sharp focus.
DETAIL AND RESOLUTION
PROS
Full frame sensors have arrived in cinema cameras at the perfect time. One of the biggest benefits of a larger sensor is more pixels and resolution. Cell phones and television screens have increased their resolutions at a steady rate and even Netflix mandates that cameras with 4k resolution be used on their productions.
CONS
With increased detail and resolution comes the ability to see things you may not have before. Makeup and pores on an actresses skin and minute set details will now be visible. This is why manufacturers have released full frame lenses with a “look” to offset some of the sharp detail. This is another reason why cinematographers shooting with larger sensors are seeking older, vintage, lenses.
Canon K35 Primes Offer A Vintage Look For Full Frame Sensors
Canon K35 Primes With Large Rear Elements
LENSES
PROS
Another advantage of full frame is the large selection of lenses available from the still photography world. These lenses have been purpose built to resolve on high resolution film and digital sensors. Multiple manufacturers are taking still lenses and releasing cine versions with gears and professional lens mounts. Also many cine lens developers are using still lens glass in their cine lenses. As many cinematographers seek a vintage look, more and more older photography lenses will emerge as viable options. With the wider field of view of full frame it is also very easy to use wide angle lenses.
CONS
There are already a plethora of full frame cine primes available on the market but there are only a handful of full frame compatible zoom lenses. To make a fast long range zoom with a large image circle is difficult to engineer. Also with a wider sensor it becomes more difficult to get a tight shot. There aren’t many long range primes or zooms available on the market. Full frame compatible zooms we offer are the Zeiss CZ.2 15-30mm, 28-80mm, and the 70-200mm. We also offer two longer converted still lenses; the Canon 400mm F/2.8 and the Nikon 200mm F/2.
Arri Signature Prime on the ALexa LF
Arri Signature Prime w/ LPL mount
FINAL THOUGHTS
For the past decade we have gotten so used to the look and field of view of super 35mm that there will no doubt be a small learning curve when switching to full frame. It may not make sense for every project with its larger data rates and limited lens selection. Our full-frame camera and lens arsenal will continue to grow in 2019.