Full Frame vs Super 35 for Video: What Actually Changes (and When S35 Is the Smarter Buy)
Depth of field, low light, lens cost, crop math — the real differences between full frame and Super 35 for video, and the cases where the smaller sensor is the better business decision.
Josiah Love7 min read
Sensor size is the most oversold spec in camera marketing. Full frame gets pitched as an automatic upgrade, and Super 35 as the thing you settle for — which is strange, because Jurassic Park, The Dark Knight's non-IMAX footage, and roughly forty years of Hollywood were shot on 35mm motion picture film, the format Super 35 sensors replicate. We shoot both formats on Dallas productions every month. Here's what actually changes when the sensor gets bigger, with numbers, and where we'd tell you to keep the difference in your pocket.