Full frame (cinematography)
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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.

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
See also
- Image sensor format
- 35 mm format
- Full-frame digital SLR
- Full-frame mirrorless interchangeable-lens camera
- Half-frame camera
- List of film formats
- Silent film
- Reframing (filmmaking)