Why I switched to Full-Frame

What even is "Full-Frame" ?

Essentially, "Full-Frame" refers to the size of the camera's image sensor. It's the most commonly used sensor size in more professional/high-end photography. Compared to my previous camera with an APS-C sensor, the full-frame sensor is 1.5x larger. This increased size allows for more light to hit the sensor, offering improved dynamic range and significantly better performance in low-light conditions.

The Full-Frame sensor is 36mm wide, the APS-C is 1.5x smaller, so it's roughly 24mm, and for instance, your phone's camera is around 1/2.5 - 1/1.4 inches, which translates to about 5.7mm - 9.6mm, and in some cases with high-end, photography-focused phones, even 1 full inch (12.8mm).

Before the switch

As a former Sony a6400 (APS-C) user, I have to admit - the upgrade wasn't all that necessary. The a6400 is a great little camera that could've fulfilled my and many other's needs. It's really capable for what it is, and would've served me well for many years to come. But why the switch then ? At the time there weren't any "real" reasons why. But once I upgraded I knew it was a good choice. The Full-Frame system is amazing and I would like to show you why in this post.

Full-Frame with the Sony a7C II

After the switch, I quickly realized this wasn't a bad decision at all. With my new Sony a7C II, I got to see hands on what full-frame truly offers - things I've only heard about before. From better low-light performance to greater dynamic range, the difference was immediately noticeable. It didn't take long for me to realize just how amazing a full-frame system can be. And best of all, the black + silver design of it is beautiful, playing a surprisingly significant role.

Size and weight

One of the biggest advantages of the a7C II is how small and lightweight it is. It's from the a7C camera series, where the 'C' stands for 'compact'. And it truly is compact for full-frame system. The size and weight are almost identical to the newer a6000 series APS-C Sony cameras.

This is actually one of the top factors why someone would choose such camera. Having a nice, portable compact and light camera makes you more likely to take it out with you on the go. When you're out shooting, there's less chance of getting tired from handling it all day long.

Low-light performance

For many the number one reason why they would upgrade from APS-C (or other) to Full-Frame. The bigger sensor handles higher ISO values way better resulting in less noise. For example on my previous Sony a6400, the noise levels at 1250 ISO are around the same as on the a7C II's 3200 ISO, which is a huge deal because that's twice as much brighter image at same noise level.

My situations pretty often involve in-doors shooting or dawn scenarios, where lighting is often limited. So having better low-light performance is really beneficial to me. You'd be surprised by how much darker indoor lighting is compared to the brightness of sunlight outside.

Dynamic range

Very first thing I've noticed on the a7C II is the great dynamic range it has. Dynamic range is basically how much information and details are retained in the highlights (bright parts, e.g. the sky) and shadows (dark parts, e.g. shadows) of the picture. It especially handles the highlights much better than my previous camera. I can have a nicely exposed subject in broad daylight, and bring the highlights down to reveal the beautiful sky behind it. The shadow recovery is also nothing to laugh about. I can take what would seem like a pitch-black picture at midnight, but after lifting the shadows in post production, it reveals all the information that was there.

Autofocus capabilities

The Sony a7C II packs the new, more modern autofocus system with AI assist. It's a very much welcome feature for me and changes my style of shooting quite drastically. Going through my photos each time, there isn't a single one I can spot that is out of focus because of the autofocus. The camera tracks and recognizes the subjects very well, to the point where I just set the focus are to wide and let it do it's thing 80% of the time. It can detect and lock focus on subjects such as humans, animals, birds, insects, cars, trains and airplanes whereas the Sony a6400 could only do humans & animals.

Although the actual tracking and autofocus speed does depend on the lenses too, but perhaps more on this topic in some future post.

So why ?

To wrap things up concisely and answer the question of why I switched, the reasons are:

1. Beautiful design of the camera
2. Much better low-light performance and dynamic range
3. Future-proofing. This camera, if maintained well, could as well serve me my whole life
4. Much more serious video capabilities
5. Bigger and better lens selection
6. Improved, more modern autofocus

At the end of the day, you may not need to upgrade as much as you think you do. But when an upgrade is due, make sure you take your time, do your research and follow your heart in choosing what you truly want.