What do these terms mean? 

When we talk about these terms, we are referring to the camera sensor.

Some cameras have a full-size sensor, which is called a "full-frame camera," while others have a smaller or cropped sensor, known as a "cropped sensor camera."

 source of the image: www.canon.com.au

 

What is the difference between the two types? Generally, cameras with full frame sensors have a sensor size of 35mm, while crop frame cameras have a smaller sensor. As a result, the image appears cropped around the edges, similar to what happens when using zoom-in.

For example, if you use a 50mm lens on a crop camera, the image will appear similar to what is captured with a 75mm lens.

*It affects the focal length of the image.

Cameras differ in terms of their sensors, for example:

• Canon has a 1.6x crop sensor.
• Nikon, Sony, Sigma, and Pentax have a 1.5x crop.
• Panasonic and Olympus have a 2x crop.

You may wonder which one is better, full frame or cropped frame. The answer is definitely full frame!

In full-frame cameras, the larger sensor provides a wider dynamic range, better performance in low-light conditions, greater depth, and higher image quality. However, full-frame cameras have some drawbacks that need to be mentioned.
Firstly, they tend to be more expensive. Secondly, if the camera is mirrorless, it will be larger and heavier. Additionally, the image size is larger even when in JPEG format.
 

An important note: When buying lenses, pay attention as there are lenses designed specifically for cropped frame cameras that may not work on other cameras.