Is a full frame camera just as good or better to take photos of wildlife, or is the APS-C the only way to shoot?

Answer 1

This will depend a lot on the type of wildlife you are photographing and how close you can get to them. For many types of wildlife the most difficult part is getting close enough to the animal. This is especially true of bird photography. This is why many wildlife photographers prefer aps-c cameras, the smaller sensor provides a tighter crop at a higher pixel density compared to a "full frame" sensor of the same resolution. This lets you get closer to the wildlife.

There are disadvantages to the aps-c sensor though, they (usually but not always) have worse dynamic range and noise compared to a camera with a larger sensor. Also, some "full frame" cameras can be obtained that have much higher resolution than any available in aps-c sizes. This means they can have pixel density equal to the smaller sensor while also have a great many more pixels, allowing for greater cropping into the image while still retaining high image quality. This is often essential for bird photography, especially for birds in flight, where you can rarely get close enough without cropping.

Another consideration is that "full frame" sensors typically have better low light capability and many forms of wildlife are most active at dusk and dawn, times when light levels are much lower. Full frame sensor cameras will often be able to create cleaner less noisy images at those times.

Answer 2

Full frame cameras are generally better at resolution, number of pixels which may or may not affect your overall quality depending on the size of your potential print and ability to work low light if that is as concern.

The focal length of your lens, the ability to hold it steady or use a tripo/monopod, the quality of your lens, etc. may have more of an impact than the camera itself.

Answer 3

There's a "universal over-simplified rule": The quality of a picture goes as the size of the hole in the front of the camera. This also applies to the size of the sensor. For one thing, a larger sensor likely has more pixels---which sample the image. The number and size of the pixels sets the upper limit on the spatial resolution of the camera.

The details are more complex. For one thing, a major factor is noise in the sensor. Also, the type of lens in use is a major factor, as is the focal length, which affects jitter.

The best thing to do is read reviews of various cameras.