Medium Format 44×33 mm Sensor vs. 1/2.3-Inch Sensor (6.17×4.55 mm)
Comparing 2 standards across 10 specifications. 10 key differences identified.
The 44×33 Medium Format Sensor (measuring 43.8 × 32.9 mm with an active surface area of ~1441 mm² and a 54.78 mm diagonal) provides approximately 1.67× the physical surface area of a 35mm full-frame sensor. Operating with a 0.79× 'reverse crop factor' and a native 4:3 aspect ratio, it is the digital medium format standard deployed in mirrorless systems by Fujifilm (GFX series) and Hasselblad (X system).
The 1/2.3-Inch Sensor format (measuring 6.17 × 4.55 mm with an active area of 28.07 mm² and a 7.66 mm diagonal) is the historical standard for point-and-shoot digital cameras, superzoom bridge cameras, action cameras (GoPro Hero 3 through Hero 10), and entry-level consumer camera drones, operating with a 5.64× crop factor.
Specification Comparison Table
10 Parameters| Parameter / Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Dimensions (Width × Height)
|
43.8 × 32.9 mm (1.724 × 1.295 in) | 6.17 × 4.55 mm (0.243 × 0.179 in) |
|
Diagonal Dimension
|
54.78 mm | 7.66 mm |
|
Active Surface Area
|
1441.0 mm² (approx. 1.67× larger than 35mm full frame) | 28.07 mm² (approx. 3.25% of 35mm full frame) |
|
Native Aspect Ratio
|
4 : 3 (1.33 : 1) | 4 : 3 |
|
Crop Factor (Relative to 35mm)
|
0.79× (Reverse crop / wide-angle focal multiplier) | — |
|
35mm Equivalent Focal Length
|
Multiply lens focal length by 0.79 (e.g. 63mm f/2.8 lens ≈ 50mm f/2.2 full-frame equivalent) | — |
|
Flagship Camera Implementations
|
Fujifilm GFX 100 II / 100S / 50S, Hasselblad X2D 100C / 907X 50C, Pentax 645Z | — |
|
Crop Factor
|
— | 5.64× (5.6×) |
|
Pixel Pitch (Typical 12 MP)
|
— | Approx. 1.55 µm |
|
Historical Deployments
|
— | GoPro Hero 3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10, DJI Mavic Mini / Mini 2, Nikon Coolpix superzooms |