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New system for indicating sensor size by DP Review?

Wednesday 3 August 2022, 16:32 by Nando Harmsen | 3,458 views | 2 comments

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Everyone knows that there are different sensor sizes. The best known are full-frame, APS-C and perhaps a 1-inch sensor. But these are not always the correct sizes.

DP Review wants to introduce a new way of indicating sensor sizes. The idea is to create more clarity. Or will it only make things more confusing?

DP Review is a great site for many people, with a huge database of information and camera tests. If you are planning to buy a new camera, you can make a great start here with your initial selection. That was already the case ten years ago, and it still is today.

Of course, various sensor sizes have featured over all those years. We all know full-frame, just like medium format. APS-C and M43 are also well-known sensors that raise few questions.

The confusion arises with the measurements of sensors such as the ones in this Sony smartphone. The 1/1.7-inch, 1/2.9-inch and 1/2.5-inch sensors are actually smaller.
When we get to the smaller sensors, quite a lot of confusion turns out to arise. At least, at DP Review. The point is that the stated sensor size is not the actual diameter of the sensor, but the diameter of the device in which the sensor is made.

In other words, a 1-inch sensor is not one inch in diameter. The sensor is smaller. This applies to all, particularly smaller sensors found in compact cameras, drones and smartphones. In short, all sensors with a crop factor greater than 2.

A 1-inch sensor is not one inch in size, but slightly smaller.
So DP Review has decided to use a new way of measuring, with the idea that this will provide more clarity. A 1-inch sensor will henceforth be referred to as a Type 1 (12.7 x 9.5mm) sensor.

This leads to other sizes such as: Type 1 (3:2), Type 1 (4:3), Type 1/1.28, Type 1/2.3 and Type 1/3.4. DP Review does not want to change the larger sensor sizes, such as Four Thirds, APS-C, full-frame and medium format, because these are generally well understood.

You can read the full article announcing the new way of indicating sensor sizes on the DP Review website (in English, of course). Other websites such as PetaPixel, CameraLabs, PC Mag and several others have said they will follow suit.

What do you think? Do you think this new way of measuring makes it clearer how large a sensor really is, or do you think this change only makes things more difficult? Or is it simply a matter of getting used to it? Let us know in a comment below this post.

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About the author

Nando Harmsen has been photographing for more than 40 years. He specialises in wedding photography and landscape photography. Nando also gives talks, workshops, masterclasses and photo trips, and regularly reviews new and interesting equipment.

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2 comments

Wil wrote on Tuesday 9 August 2022 at 17:02 | reply
This causes even more confusion or there is an error in the article; "So at DP review they decided to start using a new way of specifying sizes, with the idea that this would provide more clarity. In it, a 1 inch sensor will henceforth be referred to as a Type 1 (12.7 x 9.5mm) sensor.

Other sizes follow from that, such as: Type 1 (3:2), Type 1 (4:3), Type 1/1.28, Type 1/2.3 and Type 1/3.4. "

So what is type 1 now? Because the first one mentioned is the 4:3 ratio in the next paragraph but it also says that Type 1 (3:2) is???
Translated from Dutch.

Nando wrote on Wednesday 10 August 2022 at 11:15 | reply
@Wil:
If I read it correctly, Type 1 is what used to be a 1-inch sensor. That can be either a 4:3 or 3:2 aspect ratio, so that is mentioned to further distinguish between them.
In fact, that's no different from what it already is.
But your remark hits the nail on the head. It hasn't become much clearer.
Translated from Dutch.

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