Crop Factor. Sorry — I Know It's Boring But It's Really Important.

Send us Fan Mail 🎙️ Your 50mm lens isn't really a 50mm lens — and once you know why, you'll never buy a lens with the wrong expectations again. In this episode Rick explains crop factor in plain English. No maths degree required. If you've ever wondered why your lens doesn't seem to do what the numbers on the barrel suggest, this one's for you. **What's Covered** ●        🎞️ What a full-frame sensor actually is, and where the name comes from ●        📷 What a crop sensor is, and how to spot one on your own camera ●        🔢 What the crop factor number means, and how to work it out ●        📐 Why your 50mm lens behaves like a 75mm lens on most beginner cameras ●        🛒 What to check before you buy your next lens ●        🌙 Whether crop factor genuinely affects image quality ●        📱 How this applies if you're shooting on a phone **Full Blog Post** Read the full blog post here **Related Episodes** Episode 239 — Your Kit Lens Says 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 — What on Earth Does Any of That Mean? The episode right before this one — you already know what those lens numbers mean, now find out what crop factor does to them. Episode 229 — What Can An Entry Level Camera Really Do? Almost every entry-level camera is a crop sensor camera — this episode puts its real-world capabilities to the test. Episode 8 — Why Is Camera Sensor Size Important? The foundational episode on sensor size, worth a listen alongside this one. **Coming Up Next 💝** You Say I Should Use Image Stabilisation — Then Why Oh Why Would I Ever Turn It Off? We're talking image stabilisation: what it is, how it works, and the times you genuinely should switch it off. Episode 241, publishing Friday 11 September 2026. **Find Me Elsewhere** 🎥 Find me on YouTube by searching Rick McEvoy 🌐 rickmcevoyphotography.com — courses, resources and my weekly email 📚 Courses — including the beginner-friendly Sunrise in Mexico course 🛠️ Resources — the gear, software and tools I actually use and recommend 💬 Got a question or an idea for a future episode? Text me directly from the podcast feed.  My brand new course Photography for Beginners: Sunrise in Mexico, will teach you exactly how to get out at sunrise and come back with photos you love  all told in plain English. it includes real footage of me photographing an actual sunrise in Mexico with an entry level camera. Find out more at rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses.  If you want to start taking stunning sunrise photos, and why wouldn't you,  check out my Photography for Beginners: Sunrise in Mexico course at rickmcevoyphotography.com/courses. Support the show **Get your question answered** This is what my podcast is all about: answering your photography questions. Just head over to my shiny new website to find out more about me, my podcast and my photography. Thanks very much for listening Cheers from me Rick