Full frame or full frame sensor refers to the image sensor circuit equivalent to the classic 35mm format. Long ago it was considered a small film format compared to the medium format. To this day they are still smaller than these but larger than the sensors of other cameras such as APS-C. A full frame sensor has a surface of 36x24mm while in APS-C the sensor is smaller oscillating between 22x15mm and 24x16mm.
The size of a sensor is a very important element to take into account but it is not everything.
A sensor is the place where the image is produced after light enters the camera through the lens. In a film camera the sensor will be the film. Light is fixed on the sensor in the same way that images are printed on film. All cameras have two types of sensors.
- Full frame sensor. These record the entire frame capturing a wider angle than cropping. They do not miss any part and there is no automatic zoom in the image.
- Crop sensor. It is the most common type of sensor that we will find. Practically most cameras have this type of sensor. When we capture an image with a crop sensor we do not record the entire frame. The edge of the image is cut off and the inner image is what is displayed enlarged.
A full frame sensor is more expensive since its use is aimed at professionals and they have additional functions. This causes the development of these sensors to be more complicated and therefore more expensive, affecting the price of sale to the public.