Camera Sensor Size - What can it accomplish?

 In looking at different capabilities of cameras from the ground i am noticing a lot of information around the Camera’s Sensor size.  Best i can tell is bigger is better (Full Frame vs. APS-C) because you can capture a larger field of view. 

 

My question is, does this affect quality usually or is it simply necessary to have more pictures to accomplish the same amount of overlap?  I am assuming a wider and more full picture will overlap another wider more full picture more easily, and perhaps this affects quality in terms of how many pictures are necessary.  But can a smaller sensor size camera achieve the same results with simply more pictures?

 

Any help is appreciated, and thanks in advance!

 

Jonathan

Hi Jonathan
Question is, what quality is required for your project?
Simply, A pixel describes the object/s in the field of view. More pixels refines that object/s sample distance per-pixel.

Overlap/side-lap will vary for many reasons but 70/50 maybe a good point to start form.

Recommend starting small and cheap to see what meet your requirements

Gary

Thanks for the response Gary.

 

We are a Land Surveying firm hoping to potentially fold this form of Data Collection into our arsenal.  A lot of demos of drone equipment have claimed being able to get 1-2 centimeters of accuracy which would be great.  I am just hoping it has the detail we are looking for, but that is another issue.

 

I am researching the camera’s themselves and just can’t get my head around if the sensor size affects quality or merely field of view?  Like if a camera with an APS-C sized sensor can accomplish the same quality as a camera with a full-frame sensor?  My gut tells me the APS-C would just need more pictures(because of the smaller field of view), and if the resolution of the pictures is good enough the quality should be the same.  However, i was wondering if anyone can speak to the different sensor sizes in cameras specifically and their successes/failures.

 

It seems to me based on a lot of talk, that the number of MegaPixels is not the end all be all.  That a better sensor is important.  But does a bigger sensor necessarily make it better?