Micro 4 3 Sensor Size

Special thanks to our friends at lensprotogo and datacolor for helping us make this comparison possible.

Micro 4 3 sensor size.

A micro 4 3 sensor is significantly larger than those of most compact cameras but is smaller than the aps c sensors that canon nikon and sony use in some cameras. See how much difference there is in the medium full frame aps c and micro 4 3 sensors. The image sensor of four thirds and mft measures 18 mm 13 5 mm 22 5 mm diagonal with an imaging area of 17 3 mm 13 0 mm 21 6 mm diagonal comparable to the frame size of 110 film. A depth of field that is deeper and generally sharper than larger sensors captured on a sensor with sufficient surface area to keep iso low enough to avoid noisy images while keeping a shutter speed fast enough to prevent blur due to subject.

Before the introduction of mirrorless cameras dslrs were the kings in this field and mainly proposed two sensor sizes. 220 mm is approximately 30 less than the aps c sensors used in other manufacturers dslrs. There is a common misconception that there is a big difference between the sizes of aps c and micro four thirds sensors. Zeus if you have had the benefit of a full frame sensor it s doubtful you will be happy with low light performance below the aps c sensor size.

Aps c and full frame sensor over the past 10 years or so another format has made its appearance with some mirrorless cameras the micro 4 3. Hasselblad x1d ii 50c sony a7r iv sony a6600 and panasonic gh5. The common inch based sizing system is derived from vacuum image sensing video camera tubes which are now obsolete the imaging area of a four thirds sensor is equal to that of a video camera tube of 4 3 inch diameter. We compare 4 sensor sizes to see how they compare in print image quality.

For some photographers a micro four thirds sensor size gives a nice optimum for good macro shots. In fact as shown on the left the difference is even smaller than the difference between full size and aps c and the micro four thirds sensor is massive compared to popular compact camera sensors. The relatively large 4 3 sensor allows micro 4 3 cameras to shoot at high iso speeds with low noise levels and create shallow depth of field with the right lens attached. Dslr cameras are better at shooting motion while the micro 4 3 s offer longer focal lengths.

The name of the system stems from the size of the image sensor used in the cameras which is commonly referred to as a 4 3 type or 4 3 type sensor. Micro 4 3 s cameras have a larger sensor size than compact digital cameras which will provide you with better image quality but the large sensor will also make macro capability and close focusing more difficult.