Full frame (cinematography)

In cinematography, full frame refers to an image area that is the same size as that used by a 35 mm still camera. Still cameras run the film horizontally behind the lens, whereas standard 35 mm motion-picture cameras run the film vertically. Thus, a 35 mm still camera's image is significantly larger than that of a standard 35 mm motion-picture camera.
[file:135 film perforations.jpg|thumb|35 mm still frame]
Specialty motion-picture formats have used film running horizontally, notably VistaVision and IMAX.
Historically, most digital cinema cameras have used Super 35 sized sensors, largely to maintain compatibility with existing lenses and to produce traditional "cinematic" depth of field and field of view.
Full-frame cameras require lenses with larger optics and produce shallower depth of field than conventional 35 mm cinema cameras.