Freelance Photographer
Seeing things differently
A taker of Photographs - A creator of images

• Firstly the crop factor does not magnify the image in any way shape or form...

• Neither does it increase the focal length of the lens as some people seem to think...

• A 35mm film frame has an area of 36mm x 24mm (approx) as does a full frame sensor like the one in the Canon 5D and 1D's...

• The area covered by a 35mm film frame is indicated by the whole of the image on the left...

• The sensor in a Canon 20D is only 22.5mm x 15mm and the area coverd with the same lens from the same position is indicated by the area within the dotted lines, this is the crop factor...

As you will notice, the small sensor just crops the centre of the image giving an impression of being closer, not actually magnifying the image at all...