Full frame (cinematography): Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 08:31, 29 September 2026

In cinematography, full frame refers to an image area (today most commonly on a digital sensor) that is the same size as that used by a 35 mm still camera.^[1] Still cameras run the film horizontally behind the lens, whereas standard 35 mm motion-picture cameras run the film vertically. Thus, a 35 mm still camera's image is significantly larger than that of a standard 35 mm motion-picture camera.

File:Super35 and Techniscope.png

35 mm motion-picture frames

Specialty motion-picture formats have used film running horizontally, notably VistaVision (which produced a "full-frame" image) and IMAX.

Historically, most digital cinema cameras have used Super 35 sized (similar to APS-C) sensors,^[2] largely to maintain compatibility with existing lenses and to produce traditional "cinematic" depth of field and field of view.

Full-frame cameras require lenses with larger optics and produce shallower depth of field than conventional 35 mm cinema cameras.^[3]

Technical specifications

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References

[1] ttps://pro.sony/ue_US/technology/full-frame-sensor

[2] ttps://vmi.tv/blog/learn-help/guide-to-sensor-sizes-and-lens-formats/

[3] ttps://fstoppers.com/education/understanding-how-sensor-size-affects-depth-field-312599

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[2]

[3]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{merge|35 mm film|135 film|35mm format|discuss=Talk:35 mm film#RfC: 35mm articles|date=March 2019}}
+In [[cinematography]], '''full frame''' refers to an image area (today most commonly on a [[Image sensor|digital sensor]]) that is the same size as that used by a [[135 film|35&nbsp;mm]] [[still camera]].<ref>https://pro.sony/ue_US/technology/full-frame-sensor</ref> Still cameras run the film horizontally behind the [[lens]], whereas standard 35&nbsp;mm [[Motion picture camera|motion-picture cameras]] run the film vertically. Thus, a 35&nbsp;mm still camera's image is significantly larger than that of a standard 35&nbsp;mm motion-picture camera.
-{{other uses}}
-{{unreferenced|date=October 2014}}
-{{About||the term relating to [[video]] transfers|Full screen (disambiguation){{!}}Fullscreen|this term in [[digital photography]]|Full-frame digital SLR}}
+[[file:135 film perforations.jpg|thumb|35&nbsp;mm still frame]]
-In [[cinematography]], '''full frame''' refers to the use of the full [[film gate]] at maximum width and height for [[35 mm film]] [[movie camera|cameras]]. It is sometimes also referred to as '''silent aperture''', '''full gate''',  or a number of other similar word combinations. It is the original gate size pioneered by [[William Dickson (film pioneer)|William Dickson]] and [[Thomas Edison]] in 1892 and first used in the short film ''[[Blacksmithing Scene]]''. Full frame is generally used by all [[negative pulldown|4-perf]] films, whether silent, standard 35 ([[Academy ratio]] width), or [[Super 35]]. {{Citation needed|date=August 2009}}  The introduction of Academy ratio in 1932 required that the [[lens mount]] needed to be shifted slightly horizontally to re-center the lens at the new center of frame; however, the gate size did not change as the extra negative information would be cropped out by lab processes in post-production. 4-perf Super 35 is nearly identical to the original full frame standard, although the lens mount requires vertical re-centering when common topline extraction is used. Hard mattes for all common ratios exist and either replace the film gate itself or are inserted within it. However, these are usually not used in the event that any [[Reframing (filmmaking)|reframing]] needs to be done.
+[[File:Super35 and Techniscope.png|right|thumb|300px|35&nbsp;mm motion-picture frames]]
+Specialty motion-picture formats have used film running horizontally, notably [[VistaVision]] (which produced a "full-frame" image) and [[IMAX]].
+Historically, most [[Digital cinematography|digital cinema]] cameras have used [[Super 35]] sized (similar to [[APS-C]]) sensors,<ref>https://vmi.tv/blog/learn-help/guide-to-sensor-sizes-and-lens-formats/</ref> largely to maintain compatibility with existing lenses and to produce traditional "cinematic" [[depth of field]] and [[field of view]].
+Full-frame cameras require lenses with larger [[optics]] and produce shallower depth of field than conventional 35&nbsp;mm cinema cameras.<ref>https://fstoppers.com/education/understanding-how-sensor-size-affects-depth-field-312599</ref>
 ==Technical specifications==
-[[File:35 mm Full Frame.svg|thumb|300px|right|Comparison of projection aperture areas and lens centering for various aspect ratios on a negative exposed by a full frame 35 mm movie camera gate.]]
 {{See also|Academy ratio}}
-''Standardized by [[Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers|SMPTE]].''
-'''as per [[35 mm film]], except:'''
-*''aspect ratio'': 4:3
-*''camera aperture'': 0.980" by 0.735"
-*''projection aperture'' (silent): 0.931" by 0.698"
 {{br}}
 ==See also==
-*[[35mm format]]
+*[[Image sensor format]]
+*[[35mm format|35 mm format]]
 *[[Full-frame digital SLR]]
 *[[Full-frame mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera]]
@@ Line 27: / Line 26: @@
 *[[Silent film]]
 *[[Reframing (filmmaking)]]
+==References==
+{{Reflist}}
 {{DEFAULTSORT:Full Frame}}
 [[Category:Film and video terminology]]
-{{film-term-stub}}

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Latest revision as of 08:31, 29 September 2026

Technical specifications

See also

References