Sensor Size Comparison

It draws two camera sensors to scale as overlapping rectangles, starting from the same corner, so you can see the difference in size at a glance. Sensor 1 is outlined in pink and Sensor 2 in black. Below the selectors, a line states how many times the area of Sensor 2 that Sensor 1 covers, followed by both sensors' width and height in millimeters.

The tool includes six formats with their standard dimensions: Full Frame at 36 x 24 mm, APS-C (Nikon/Sony) at 23.6 x 15.6 mm, APS-C (Canon) at 22.3 x 14.9 mm, Micro Four Thirds at 17.3 x 13 mm, 1-inch at 13.2 x 8.8 mm, and 1/2.3-inch at 6.17 x 4.55 mm, a size common in compact cameras and smaller drones.

Choose a format in the Sensor 1 dropdown and another in the Sensor 2 dropdown. The drawing and the result update the moment you change either selection, so there is no button to press. To see a format against itself or swap the order, just change the dropdowns again. The area ratio always reads as Sensor 1 compared with Sensor 2.

Each sensor's area is its width multiplied by its height, using the real millimeter dimensions listed for each format, so formats with a 4:3 shape like Micro Four Thirds are measured correctly. The ratio is Sensor 1's area divided by Sensor 2's, rounded to two decimals. Full frame, for example, covers about 3.84 times the area of Micro Four Thirds.

Sensor size shapes noise, depth of field, and framing. A larger sensor gathers more light overall, which helps at high ISO in dark venues. At the same framing and aperture it gives shallower depth of field for portraits. A smaller sensor crops the view of every lens, which is useful for reaching distant wildlife and sports action with lighter gear.

It is free and runs entirely in your browser with nothing to install. You need to answer that you are a photographer and sign up for or log in to a free Imagen account once, which unlocks all of the tools. No files are involved, and nothing you select is sent to a server.