Crop Factor

woodswill

After purchasing the 60D just a few days ago I am wondering to what mm length I am shooting with. I use two lenses, the primary being 18-135mm and the other nifty fifty. If I shoot with 18-135mm at say at 100mm does this mean I am clicking at 160mm instead of 100mm, a complete increase by 60%? Why is it so?

Do other camera manufacturers also put in the same crop or shall I say magnifying factor in the bodies of the camera?
If I compare my picture with the picture clicked by another camera (Nikon 7000 or Sony alpha), and the picture has been exposed with the same kind of lens (18-135mm), and clicked at 18mm then should the images produced by my Canon 60D be different? Does this mean I should be clicking at 18 X 1.6 =28.8mm and the others are actually clicking at 18mm?
I am confused.
Kindly enlighten.

Regards,
Rajeev Moudgil

Auston

@woodswill - Hello, let's see if we can bestow some enlightenment your way. You are correct in your line of thought on the Canon. You will multiply 1.6 to what ever the lens "mm" shows to get what the camera image sensor is seeing. That is the $100 word right there, sensor.
The Imaging Sensor used by Canon crops the image by a factor of 1.6% due to the size of the sensor. The other camera makers have a crop factor as well. I know the Nikon is 1.5., but I am not sure about the others.
Canon and the other makers have cameras that do not have a crop factor. This camera models will be marked as Full Frame. They are your upper end or Pro level bodies and you will pay well for the difference. I know paid photographers who like the crop factor and some that hate it.
The crop has only bothered me when I have been shooting in a public place and couldn't get the distance I needed to fill the frame like my minds eye wanted. I hope this helped and good shooting!

Cheers,
Auston

woodswill

@Auston- Thanks dear, at least my doubts have now been cleared up. If I need a wide angle lens, should I be more careful in choosing (keeping in mind the crop factor), or then do I need an ultra ultra wide lens to compensate for the crop?
Can the lens I am using be used with the full body of a Canon camera in the event that I feel the urge to go for the Pro level bodies in a few years?
Thanks,
Rajeev

Auston

@woodswill - Rajeev, not all lenses will work on a Full Frame body. If a lens is marked as EF-S then it is designed to work on the cameras with the crop factor. A lens marked EF will work on both types of camera bodies.

Later,
Auston

Vinylspider

It's worth bearing in mind that part of the reason for a crop factor is to discard the outer edge of the lenses image. This is because most distortion comes in the outer part of the lenses picture circle. Having a crop factor basically allows you to use cheaper lenses than you otherwise would.

The Pro canon lenses have an L in the title for luxury and have a price tag to match.

Full frame cameras use all of that picture circle from the lens. So if you use a non L lens on a full frame sensor you can expect to see the imperfections at the edge of the image.