cupboy 0 Posted March 20, 2011 Are 1/4" image sensors lower quality than 1/3", and do they use the same size lenses. Seems like all the lenses are 1/3" Is there such a thing as a 1/4" lense? I've just noticed my current cameras have 1/2" image sensors, but that all my lenses are 1/3" Am I using the wrong lenses? They seem to work ok, but maybe I'm losing something. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Soundy 1 Posted March 20, 2011 One is not inherently "higher or lower quality" than the other. IN GENERAL the larger the sensor, the better the image will be, especially with low light (most analog sensors have the same number of pixels, so a bigger sensor means bigger pixels, and a bigger pixel can collect more light), but there are a lot of other factors that come into play beyond just the size of the sensor. Lenses do come in stated sizes matching the sensors they're designed for, but it more to do with the size of the area their image covers. A 1/3" lens projects an image of a certain size that's designed to fully cover a 1/3" sensor, so it will work fine with a 1/4" sensor; a 1/4" lens will project a smaller circle that may not (or may, depending on numerous factors) fully cover a larger sensor, so you get a "tunnel vision" effect. Your 1/2" cameras will work the same way with 1/3" lenses: it will usually work fine, but you may notice the corners are dark or rounded off, especially at wider angles. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
