Vollformat

Vollformat, in digital photography, refers to a sensor format that matches the size of 35 mm film: 36 by 24 millimeters. The term is widely used in German-speaking contexts to describe cameras with this sensor size, also known as full-frame or 35 mm format.

With a diagonal of about 43.3 millimeters, Vollformat sensors allow lenses designed for 35 mm film to retain their intended field of view. Compared with crop-sensor formats, Vollformat has a crop factor of approximately 1.0, which influences depth of field and low-light performance. In practice, photographers achieve shallower depth of field and often better dynamic range on Vollformat, depending on the sensor generation and lens quality.

Historically, full-frame digital cameras became mainstream in the mid-2000s with models such as the Canon EOS 5D and Nikon D3. Today, major brands including Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic, and Leica offer Vollformat cameras and lenses. The format is popular for portraits, weddings, landscapes, and low-light work due to its image quality and flexibility.

Compared with other formats, Vollformat sits between smaller formats like APS-C and Micro Four Thirds and larger formats such as medium format. Smaller formats tend to be cheaper and lighter but have different depth-of-field and dynamic-range characteristics. Lenses for full-frame are typically larger and more expensive, but the format provides superior image quality, better performance at higher ISO speeds, and more latitude in post-processing.