Sensor Sizeequipment
The physical size of the sensor — bigger gathers more light and blurs backgrounds more easily.
Full-frame (largest common ILC sensor) gives the best low-light and shallow depth of field but bigger, pricier gear. APS-C and Micro Four Thirds are smaller, lighter, cheaper, and give more reach via crop factor, at some low-light cost.
Use this when
- Low light, shallow DoF: full-frame
- Reach, portability, budget: APS-C / MFT
Common mistake: Assuming more megapixels matters more than sensor size for low-light quality.