Questions about the tutorial section (Lenses and Sensor size questions)

[Manfred M]

With all these 'features' I am still up in the air on if a full size sensor is better or a crop factor one is better. I am going back and forth over it.

The more I learn, the more I learn there is more to learn.

Dang it! A pixel is more than just a $^#^%&^ing pixel! GRRRR!!! Info overload.

I wish they would let me design my own camera.

A full frame camera is going to be considerably more expensive than a crop frame. As an example, the sensor in my crop frame Nikon D90 is 23.6 mm × 15.8 mm while the sensor on my full-frame D800 is 35.9mm x 24mm, or about 2.3 times larger. This means the full camera body is physically larger and the sensor is more expensive because fewer can be produced out of a single wafer of silicon. As the sensor is larger, less dies can fit on the wafer and the defect rate will be higher because there is more area for defects to occur. A top of the line full-frame camera body will cost around 10x more than a bottom end crop frame camera.

On top of that, the lenses on a full frame sensor are larger and heavier, as they have to project a larger image circle. Nicely said, they tend to cost more than the crop frame ones. On the flip side, there tend to be more full-frame lenses on the market than crop frame ones, and of course you can use a full-frame lens on a crop frame camera.

[jcuknz]

The more I learn, the more I learn there is more to learn. .

You are welcome to the club :-)

The answer to your first line is yes and no ... it depends on what you want in a camera ... my choice is smaller M4/3 and for me it is better than full frame becuase I do not need all that more sensor size for what I do. Nor do I want the weight, or the expense of DSLR lenses. If you have 10T then go for full frame and be happy knowing you have the best but I know what I have is plenty adequate for my needs. But be warned Photography is very similar to having a yacht* which has been described as " A hole in the water to pour money" Very few, certainly not me, are sensible enough to stick with what is serving them well ... as I look over my collection of digital cameras and remember an even bigger collection of film cameras I dumped about two years ago.
Finally the camera I want isn't made so I have to make do as I don't have several million to cover design and building costs :-)

*I am a happy man having managed to rid myself of a beautiful but expensive yacht :-)