Crop Factor TRUTH: Do you need Full Frame? 

I've been arguing the whole FF vs APS-C thing forever. I'm an APS-C shooter. I remember when I got hired under contract for editorial automotive photography. In the job description they stated "must have Full Frame Camera". I figured, nah, I'll let my images speak for themselves. Long story short, when they saw my samples, they immediately asked which FF camera I was using, was it Nikon or Canon. When I told them it was an APS-C Pentax, they couldn't believe it. I had my camera with me so I showed them. They still couldn't believe that I matched their shooting template with no FF camera. I told them if you know what you're doing, the camera format doesn't matter. This was a great explanation Tony, you nailed it!

Every photographer: You don't need full frame, it's you, not the camera. Every photographer: Has a full frame.

This is honestly THE BEST tutorial I've seen on this very topic. I found myself constantly pausing and rewinding to soak in all this fundamental knowledge which was explained so well!! Thanks a lot for this Tony!

I've been shooting on an APS-C for 6 months, and I was today years old when I learned crop factor applies to aperture as well...

Can you feel that? That electric sensation in the air? That's the emotional tension of 10 000 gear nerds anticipating the tiniest perceived mistake as Tony talks about crop factor.

This is the first video I've seen from Tony, but I'm blown away. Learned more about photography in the last 20 minutes then I have in hours of other videos and reading. THANK YOU! SUBSCRIBED!

One more equation: Apply crop factor to your budget. :)

As a retired professional photographer this is a great video that explains the difference between the different sensor sizes. Good job guys.

This is, by far, the best explanation of crop factor that I have ever seen. Next time a friend asks me about it, instead of trying a bumbling explanation I'll just give them the link to this video :)

I feel like I have to buy his book just out of respect. There wasn't even an ad on the video.

What I learned today is that you can skip your math class if you have a full frame camera.

As always, complex things appear simple to the real experts. And you do have a phenomenal talent to teach. This makes this video so valuable. It is informative, and enjoyable at the same time. Thank you!

Best explanation of crop factor ever. I know the video stayed away from pixel counts, but one point in favor of large sensors if they have lots of pixels that isn't mentioned is the increased capability to enlarge and crop. Here's an extreme example. While editing I've found subjects in nature photos that went unnoticed when I took the photo, but because the photo was taken with a large format, high-pixel-count camera, I was able to make a good image at 1620 x 1080 pixels out of an image that started at 7952 x 5304 pixels. Not great for printing, but beautiful on-screen where we see most of our photos these days. If I'm doing the math right, that resulted in a 5 x zoom factor. That took my 124mm exposure and presented a 620mm onscreen image.

I came here to learn about cameras and this dude tricked me into doing math.😂😂 You slick fox.

I own Micro 4/3rd's, APS-C, and FF cameras. In more than 90% of the photos I take, there is no real difference to me. But when I want to go with a really wide-angle lens, or I want minimal depth of field, or really low light, I dig out the full frame gear. But that isn't as often as it once was. When I want the smallest kit for travel, or maximum telephoto "reach" without breaking the bank, Micro 4/3rd's gets the nod. The APS-C camera is used 100% for work shots and videos, and as a backup body for use with my Nikon FF lenses. Truthfully, these days, if I had to choose one system, only for what I really do now, it would probably be my Olympus Micro 4/3rd's gear, even knowing the limitations it may have.

By far, one of the most helpful videos on the internet today discussing crop factor conversions. So well delivered and love that cinematic look with great lighting in this video!

I don’t need full frame for my use. I sold my 6D last year to buy a M5. I don’t forget the math you also explain in your old video. APS-C works great for me, light and compact ! Perfect for traveling. Have a good day. From France !

Finally understood all this after two years learning about photography, I don't know how to thanks you enough, you are amazing.

The way this man has explained those things is second to none. Perfection

I also love the absence of an (unnecessary) intrusive musical background and the addition of printed on screen information, which enables one to pause and study. Very professional.

I admire you for finding the energy to record the same video over and over again.

Extremely well said, Tony. I’m an experienced photographer and have been following you for forever as well as all other RU-vid photographer channels and you’re the only one-I repeat the only one explaining this accurately. Every crop guy on the web thinks they’re equivalent to full frame and they talk as if they’re full frame when referencing apertures etc. like you’ll see people making comparisons against a 35mm FF lens and a 35mm crop lens etc etc. they fail to do the math! And the math goes across the board for all merits. And you’re right the limitations are when you start getting into exotic FF glass. The scale starts to get out of bounds for crop cameras as far as lenses go. For example that Kamlan 0.85 lens that recently came out for crop.. all that is is a 50 1.2 equivalent. But people are talking about it as if it’s the fastest lens in the world. In terms of f stop maybe, but actual results? FF has been getting those results for decades with their 1.2 FF lenses. But you already know this but it’s good to get the information out there. I always tell people there are no free rides! It’s also worth mentioning canon appears to be addressing some crop sensor handicaps by patenting their own speed booster (focal reducer) which when you think about it is simply a teleconverter reversed. That’s another way for crop users to get FF-like results. Keep up the great videos. You’re the only photographer on RU-vid or otherwise I take completely serious when it comes to gear knowledge. And I don’t say that lightly!

Truly, explaining things like this is Tony’s distinctive competence. Well done.

Great video. My initial move to full frame though, was based on cost. Coming from micro four thirds, I found that wide angle lenses were incredibly expensive. The Sony Alpha 900 with legacy Minolta lenses was MUCH less expensive. Now I’ve moved to 1” sensor with a bridge camera that while certainly NOT the quality of full frame, it’s far cheaper than an interchangeable lens kit of equivalent focal range, and the quality is fine FOR ME.

Great video. We love to talk about this stuff as gear heads, but this video is the bottom line truth and very informative -- more helpful than just arguing for one sensor or system over another.

This is seriously the best explanation comparison video I've seen! So many others' videos just aren't up to par with Tony's in-depth and technical coverage.

I use micro four-thirds and APS-C sensor cameras. I don't think going to a "full frame" camera will make me a better photographer, especially if I sit in all day watching RU-vid videos.

This is hands down the best photography tutorial I have ever encountered! The most thorough, honest, conprehensive and methodologically sound tutorial ever. This is pure gold! Well done!

This is the video the photography world has needed for about 15 years! Thanks Tony, if there are haters who still don’t think you understand or correctly explained this topic, they’re completely fooling themselves. It’s been clear to me you’ve understood this from the get go and people who think they know better don’t realise that you completely understand (and often share) their point of view, it’s just that they’ve misinterpreted some tiny thing you said. Great job! 👍✅

There have been a lot of tutorials online on this same subject. This one is simply the best. Illustration with different gears and results and very well explained. Thank you.

Clear and well-produced. I hope your dad is appropriately compensated for the use of his image on the bobblehead!

I have recently moved from Crop DSLR to Full frame Mirrorless and have been really appreciating your videos. This one is especially AWESOME. Thank you

What a great and informative tutorial this is. I love that you used actual DATA to support your statements and gave unbiased feedback about all different sensor sizes. Thank you so much.

In my experience I have found that the high end lenses from each company perform (much) better then their kit lenses. For my type of shooting, the lens is far more important than the sensor size. In general, using my Pan-Leica lenses on MTF will give me much more desirable results then a kit lens on a full frame camera. Getting the equivalent high quality lens on a FF camera makes the weight to way up. So comparing a good quality MTF lens to a kit FF lens isn't really an accurate comparison from my prospective. I get the math and the logic of this, and thank you for the great explanation, but love the ability to carry high quality glass to the top of a mountain and get stunning images. If my main shooting was portrait, low light or astro, I would definitely have FF.

It took me quite a while to really understand how the math works, and how manufacturers trying to mislead photographers (especially by saying, that you only need to multiply the focal legth and they say you get the same light gathering, which is not really true due to the different ISO performance). This is the best video to summarize this topic, very well thought out. It will definitely help a lot of people.

EXCELLENT VIDEO !!!! How many times I’ve seen people say crop sensors are crap compared to full frame .. wish they would know we get off our butts and back up and actually use composition lol

That is the most complete explanation of this topic that I have ever heard or read. Great job!

Very nice tutorial. The only thing I might add would be distortion. By discarding the image that would fall on a full frame sensor we are discarding the portions of the image with the most visible distortion. A feature where cropped sensors may be better. Of course better lenses minimize this. And cameras with distortion correction for given lenses can certainly help that along. I have to agree, unless one needs full frame for specific reasons a crop sensor can be great. My Canon 60D never lets me down.

Honestly you understand camera more than any RU-vidr I know. 👍👍👍👍

It is sooo rare that a video actually teaches me something this essential that I wouldn't have known to look for

This is what I like, simple...thank you Tony.

my wallet dictates my sensor size 😎

All cameras these days can take great photographs. There is a price to be paid for whichever system you choose, but there are also advantages. I have both a FF Nikon & M43 system and love them equally. I love traveling though and find myself reaching for the M43 system most often due to it’s portability. I usually shoot in the daytime so I don’t have any issues with my images. If I require more Bokeh or want to shoot in low light situations, I can still get excellent results by pairing the camera with the correct lens and using the IBIS to keep the ISO low. I’m not constantly thinking about the crop factor, instead I’m thinking about what kind of results does this particular camera with these settings and this lens give me. Recently, it seems that too many people are caught up with defending their particular sensor size, whether it be FF, APS-C or M43 (not many people mention MF). They all come with compromises, whether it be size, price or performance. You need to decide on your desired results, your budget and also the enjoyability of the system. Whichever system you choose will be the right one for you. Don’t worry too much about what others think. This was a very articulate and rational explanation of the 3 most popular sensor sizes by Tony. Well done!

I started out with an APS-C camera a few months ago, and I've been debating back and forth with going full-frame the past few weeks. After immersing myself into the field and learning everything I could about fstops, apertures, and crop factors, I was left not knowing what I should do and just feeling confused. This video FINALLY made everything click! I now know exactly what I want to do, and I feel totally confident about it. Thank you so much for uploading this!!

Thank you for breaking this down in a way that is unbiased, factual, and explains the math. For myself it helped me know how to appreciate the gear that I have, and just make technical adjustments, versus feeling like I have to buy all new gear to achieve the look of FF.

Dear Tony, First of all, thank you for the valuable knowledge that you constantly spread across RU-vid for all of the photographers in the world. I have always found your videos so valuable thanks to the simplicity in which you explain different things and the examples you use while doing so. The latest camera I bought was the Canon 5D Mark 4 full frame DSLR with the 24-70mm f/4 kit lens, in order to be confident that I don't need to worry about the conversions and formulas you explained, as I am not good at all in mathematics, and want the best image and video quality I can afford. Also, as you mentioned, the 35mm film equivalent full frame sensor is the industry's standard used by all pro photographers except for those who shoot medium format photographs for printing a wall sized posters to stick them onto a building, those who use the likes of the Hasselblad for this purpose. I have chosen the full frame sensor over the APSC cropped sensor or the micro four thirds, simply because it gathers more light and the photo sites where the individual pixels sit are larger in the full frame sensor, resulting in a better low light performance. Moreover, as you explained when comparing different sized lenses, if you take three lenses with the same aperture and focal length but differ from each other in sensor size compatibility (one full frame, one APSC, and one micro four thirds), you'll get better results from the full frame lens although they all have the same aperture (much deeper bokeh effect and larger coverage of the scene), which means you'll need to buy better performing lenses for your smaller sized sensors if you want to get "similar" results to those of the full frame lens, and not to mention that you'll have to raise the ISO in those smaller sensor cameras to maintain the brightness, which results in higher noise levels. And finally, there are bokeh levels that you cannot simply achieve with smaller sensor lenses compared to the wide aperture full frame lenses, as the crop factor formula will give you results of apertures that don't exist in lenses such as f/0.X for maintaining the same level of background blur you achieved with your full frame lens and body.

Been shooting APS-C for 9 years now. I started with the Nikon D60 and bought a D7000 in 2013, I haven't needed a new camera since.

Great video with clear explanations. One point unaddressed re crop sensors though is the fact they provide an instant boost in magnification for macro photography which is one advantage of not going full frame if this is your main interest when shooting. Basically the reverse of the calculations gives you the increased magnification ratio you will achieve.

I wish I could explain it this good!

Bravo Tony! It's too bad that misunderstandings over your prior videos have forced you to have to clarify things with new explanations, BUT you knocked it out of the park with THIS one I think! The only thing you didn't do is repeat what you've well explained before about downscaling apparent grain/noise of say a full frame high MP image to that of a lower MP full frame image simply by displaying both images at the same size and/or at the resolution of the lower MP image. I've tried to be patient arguing things on Ken Wheeler's channel in support of what you've offered but maybe your video here will finally put a period on that sentence so to speak. It might be different if he or someone else provided some sort of better/corrected math to the very useful, practical math that you already have and that I thus have to assume IS already as correct as it needs to be. More importantly you are saving people from wasting $. I ALMOST wasted $ buying temporarily into information (mostly from Ken's channel) that ran counter to yours regarding the consideration of larger photosites (not that that consideration is totally irrelevant, and you have well explained that too, as for capturing video, etc.). I've sent many customers at a camera gear store to your channel!

I've shot w/M43 since it came out. W/good light, either natural or artificial, I prefer M43 over anything because of the ease getting sharp exposures. For landscapes, that's great. But the frosting on that cake is that the best M43 lenses are just beyond insanely good.

I've been watching your videos for a short time now and I really enjoy them, but this one especially. I suck at math and have a learning curve due to dyslexia, but the way you explain the specs and limitations made total sense to me and I was at your pace following along. Thank you so very much for taking the time and energy to make your videos and sharing your perspective and wealth of knowledge with the world. You're an asset to photographers at every level. Greatly appreciate your content and teaching method! Best wishes - Kainoa

This was so confusing when I started looking into gear and trying to understand the differences between FF or APS-C sensors, lenses etc. My first camera was a Sony A6000 with a few wide-angle APS-C designed lenses that was great for me to work on some real estate stuff and then every other photographer I knew told me get a full-frame, your life will change, you will have to adjust the way you photograph stuff as the full-frame covers so much more field of view. What those photographers who haven't even tried an APS-C camera with an APS-C lense didn't realise that they actually work in a similar way like FF sensors work with FF lenses. Therefore, while not understanding the real differences I saved up for a Full-Frame Sony somehow thinking that my new expensive 24mm lense would have a wider field of view in the same room than my other 12mm APS-C lense on an APS-C camera. I am happy with my FF Sony but if I need ultra wide angle shots, I still need to use the APS-C lense with APS-C mode on the Sony FF which turns pictures from 42mpx to 18mpx and save for a FF Wide-Angle. Try photographing a small toilet or shower when working with real-estate with anything bigger than 12-16mm. Now I'm well read and thanks to videos like this people can get educated and make appropriate decisions for their camera gear.

I’m an optical engineer and lens designer. Everything you said was exactly correct. Kudos! 👍

Tony... this was just the perfect video for me. You are a great teacher... thank you for your support and efforts putting such information together! I am learning! )))

The best lesson (if you can call it that) concerning APS-C and Full Frame comparison. I have no problem with the maths. Excellent presentation! Thank you.

You are a great teacher. I learned a lot. Thank you brother

Math is good. I've owned a D800, D800e, D600, D610, 70d and various primes and zooms. All extremely excellent cameras. I also have owned Olympus as a supplemental camera system because of portability. Throw my EM5 and a 20mm panny in my wife's purse and we were all set. I notice when going on a trip to Mexico with my D500 (an amazing camera) and a OMD EM1 - I ended up carrying the OMD around and leaving the D500 at the hotel room. I was able to get several amazing images of birds and wildlife with my 75-300mm Lumix lens with good light (yes a weakness of m43) that rivaled my D500/200-500mm combo. Olympus was not the first to bring the mirrorless format, but they were the first to bring it to the populous. Now everyone has mirrorless. I think that in the future you will find enough AI advancements that the gap between full frame and 43 will be even less than it is now. Yes, your 8lb brick strapped to your neck will give you superior DOF but not necessarily superior images. I do not own a 300mm M.Zuiko, but I do own a 100-400mm and it out resolves my old 200-500mm and 150-600mm lenses at 1/3 the weight.

By the way this is my new favorite photography channel

Superb. I believe this dispels the myth that only full frame cameras are worthy of existing.

I feel like I’m watching Jared Polin, minus the yelling.

"You need a full-frame camera cause who likes half of a photo." Says, my 7-year-old Son.

You are an excellent presenter and very smooth in your delivery of speech. Amazing.

It's not the camera sensor that's holding me back, it's the big lump behind it!

Thanks for spreading the knowledge...thanks to you I learned all the basics of photography some years ago. Bugs me so much that i’ve NEVER heard anyone else use crop factor for aperture

This is an amazing video. Thank you so much with teaching the actual crop factor conversions. Very well explained. It's a little too fast for me to digest so I may have to watch it over a few times and try doing the math myself for practice.

5 years of professional photography, always shoot in APSC. But now i'm getting into architecture photography, i need the widest possible tilt shift lens for tight spaces, this is the only reason i'm considering to buy FF camera

Best video on the subject! Awesome job!

Tony this was very helpful man. One of the best videos ever made!! This was my 3rd time watching this. Excellent tutorial bro!! 👍🏾📷😎

It's not easy to keep my attention for 20 minutes. You rocked the house w/ this one! ;)

After 40 years of shooting all systems, Cameras and formats I am now shooting Micro 4/3 ( EM-1) and Sony RX10 and RX100 vi. These are all anyone really needs now for any shooting.

I went from a Rebel T5 to a 6D. What a big difference especially in low light. Thinking of getting a 5D iv

Great discussion. One of the best (and most complete) explanations I’ve ever heard about the actual difference between the platforms. As you illustrate, they are all capable; Just know your tools and what you’re trying to accomplish. Thanks! Earned my sub today.

It's an excellent presentation. My biggest takeaway now, after having watched it again, is that what kind of camera system one should get should be based based on the type of photography one wants to do. If you want to shoot fashion, portraiture, product, wedding, evening or night photography, then go for a full-frame camera, street, sports or wildlife, cropped is fine. Landscape, due to usually wanting finer resolution and dynamic range, most likely full-frame, even though plenty of crop sensor photographers create awesome landscapes as well.

Thanks Tony for consistently clearing this up :)

Finally an accurate informative video. Thank you for making the world a better, less ignorant place ❤️

another important point regarding global IQ is the sensor technology : an old 35mm Canon 5D mark1 might produce worse results in terms of IQ compared to a recent APS-C camera like the Fuji XT3 this is why I am skeptical about the benefits of the Fuji (crop) 645 cameras using a 5 year old sensor compared to the new generation of Nikon and Sony 35mm cameras using newer Sony sensors

This session is really enlightening, thank you very much. I understand my camera much better in terms of full frame equivalents.

This is Tony in his element..... And I love it

You can do the math all day but I only look at results and I have seen BIF eagles from that 300 f4 that are some of the best BIF eagles I have ever seen. So the best system is what will get you out there shooting. The difference in background blur from those original pics is minuscule. If you are a pro shooting portraits probably it is enough to matter, but for 99% of the photography world it doesn't and no one notices at all. Even a pro taking portraits I bet the customer would not notice only other obsessed portrait photographers notice. Listening to the camera world these days is like listening to a bunch of audiophile dudes in the 70s. They had some supersonic hearing and were the only people on the planet who could hear the differences between the equipment they debated until you wanted to shoot yourself. I think all photographers should spend less time whining about the equipment and more time out shooting. All the equipment out there is fricken amazing even with their quirks hell just not being stuck with 24 or 36 exposures at the worst possible time is golden.

This video revealed to me how much more I need to learn about cameras. Overwhelmed but excited to know more.

This is amazing, trying to explain this stuff to my uncle but il just show him this video, cause your explanation is just top noch on point, good job SIR

An excellent and illuminating explanation by Anderson Cooper's more attractive cousin.

Thank you for the great tutorial and explanations. However, I believe you left out an important factor, perspective. There is a difference between angle of view and perspective in a lens. Even though the angle of view changes when you apply the crop factor, the perspective is unchanged. Perspective is the relative size of near and far objects. A wide angle exaggerates size of close objects bigger and those of far objects smaller. A telephoto compresses this difference so there is less difference. I think it's important to emphasize to your viewers that the perspective of a lens does not change when used on different sensors. Perspective makes a huge difference in photo composition and is one of the foundations of photography. For example, for natural looking portraits, 85mm lenses are optimal because their perspective matches that of the human eye. If you apply a 1.6x crop factor for an APS-C sensor, you would need a 53mm lens (85/1.6) to match the angle of view of an 85, but the perspective would still be that of the 53, not optimal for portraits.

This is the Description of what i learned with my 60D using a FF 35mm f/1.4 never could achieve a foto like a 50mm f/1.4 in FF Camera. I allways thought that i made failure but also realized that it was not working. When i bought my 5D4, everthing changed what i learned previous with my aps-c camera and i instantly could produce fotos as i allways wished. Thank you!

Nicely Explained...

Dude!!! you are a great teacher!! with all respect, you are a master!!! thank you so much for the info!!!

Okay so, first of all, thank you for pointing out these differences so splendidly, i think you addressed all these aspects very elaborately, Now after switching from the NikonD7000 to the sony a7iv, when switching to full-frame I would highlight this input from the video: try to picture your aspired foto of interest first, then try to reach it with an aps-c camera or smartphone camera, then you try to reach your maximum quality that you can produce, learn every while post editing your pictures and then you reach a limit that you can only overcome by making a more expensive purchase, eventually leading to the purchase of a full-frame camera. Ultimately, full frame cameras will enable you to take pictures more easily, too.

Great stuff, DPRs comment sections should have a permanent link to this video...

Just choose your gear according to your needs and call it a day. Can you see a difference in YOUR pictures? Then, yes, consider another option. If not, why bother? BTW I for one believe that this shallow DoF thing is grossly overrated. When used appropriately, it can definitely improve your pictures, but if your pictures DEPEND on shallow DoF it can get boring really quickly. All in all a good video on the topic, cheers!

I went from film to a APS-C (Nikon D200), then to my current lot of D300, D7100, then a D810, I have never, ever calculated a "crop factor." Each camera makes the pictures I want. I simply don't understand all the ravings and rantings over this. But Tony and Chelsea make great informative videos, and are easier to look at than most of the RU-vid self styled gurus.

Well done video with little fluff and more filler of information. Been using the Canon 30D for about two decades but looking at an upgrade with more pixels and better technology. But the camera still works and never had a problem, taken a few thousand photo’s of kids growing up and their sport/school events. Attempting to determine full frame Mirrorless Canon line for that upgrade and best option of the future, since this will be my last camera purchase.

So, everything you said actually makes me want the full-frame more.

The f/number is always the focal length divided by the aperture diameter. It doesn't make any difference which camera it is on, the f/number is a variable dependent on only those two factors. With the smaller sensors cameras using a lens of equal focal length you can fill the frame of, say, a bird at a certain distance. With full frame, at the same distance, you would have to crop the final image, thus negating all of the advantages. For bird photography, one can also sufficient depth of field to get the entire subject in focus, something that with a 35mm camera one would have to stop down the aperture or move back; less depth of field isn't always a bad thing. The depth of field algebra explanation is incorrect. The formula for depth of field is (DOF) = (2x(f/number x Pixel Size x Subject Distance Squared))/focal length squared. Also, MFT cameras are designed with a base ISO of 200, not 100. DXO Mark measure the performance at that ISO. Yes there is greater noise control with a full frame camera, but the difference is of little importance in contemporary cameras as the technology has got so good right across the range. My MFT camera happily shoots at ISO6400 and is acceptable at 12,800. I have never had to use it above 3200. MFT cameras also have body stabilisation that gives 5-6 stops. I have handheld low light images at 45mm for 2 seconds and got sharp results. Furthermore, Micro Four Thirds and a telecentric optical path. The light hitting the sensor is travels closer to perpendicular to the sensor. This means less vignetting, which is noticeable on my full frame camera, and better resolution towards the edges of the frame. It's all of little importance though. If you give an entry level camera to a great photographer, they will get great shots. Give a pro camera to someone without the knowledge to take a good photo and they will be lost. People should concentrate on their photography, their artistic eye and their camera skills and not worry about what's hanging around their neck.

I heard this explanation years ago.. and I still listen to Tony again now. Hahaha

This is the Ultimate Compilation Edition of a small video series you made years ago on what was a controversial topic back in the day. This should be compulsory study material for every self-respecting photographer!!

one reason I went full frame was because of evening events work, I really like having better low-light iso performance

Here a quick recommendation for MFT users: The Zhongyi Mitakon 25mm f/0.95 costs about 350$, is a 50mm f/1.8 equiv. and is as small as the Panny 25mm f/1.7 (Or the Olympus 12mm from the video). Completely build from aluminium, very nice manual focus and decently sharp at f/0.95 and outstanding sharpness from f/2 onwards. Together with the G7 you get a super small and portible setup that is an absolut joy to use and take with you!

You've explained what previously went over my head, and with candid elaboration; as a newbie, thanks a lot.

Your math is correct, but I have an early Nikon D1x that is full frame and it is NOT even close to to being able to compete with APC Sony 6300 because modern sensors are more sensitive and produce less noise. For me there is no longer any need for a full frame camera, and at 82 I don't want to carry a heavy expensive camera. I am waiting for a Sony a6700.