# What is the standard in image sizes?



## nickb98c (May 24, 2010)

I have been doing some work lately that involves more than taking a picture.  After that image is captured, processed, and ready to print, how do you go about size and framing?  My Canon captures in 11.109 by 7.406 if I remeber correctly.  Obviously this can be resized and/or cropped, but is that necessary?  I recently printed out a friend's senior portrait, to an 8 by 12 Matte print.  That required some cropping from the uploader I used.  (the printing shop I usually use, has an at home image uploader, where you can choose sizes and crop to fit).  I go to Michael's to find a frame, and they have nothing.  I ended up making a custom frame.  So my question is, how do you acoid this.  Do you really need to allow extra cropping space for any picture that may be resized or framed?  And then crop every image to the size or ratio you want printed?  Small print standards are 4 by 6s, which will fit the original image size, but anything larger is a totally different size ratio.  I guess I'm just looking for an easier way around this.  Any tips?

My question in a nutshell: What is the best way to crop or resize images to fit frames or prints, without taking every photo with extra space for cropping.


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## BuS_RiDeR (May 24, 2010)

Try this...

Print Size - 4x6, 8x12, 20x30 ---- Aspect Ratio = 3:2
Print Size - 5x7, 10x14 ---- Aspect Ratio = 7:5
Print Size - 4x5, 8x10 ---- Aspect Ratio = 5:4

Hope this helps....


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## KmH (May 24, 2010)

Welcome to the world of photography where little is standardized. You can get any size frame you want at any of several good online sellers. I get a good deal of my frame, mat, and mount board supplies from www.documounts.com.


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## indeedies (May 24, 2010)

This has also been frustrating me lately.  I've been trying to print 8X10s or 11x14s not realizing that my camera takes images in a certain aspect ratio.  Now I have to remember to leave extra room when taking the actual image so I'm able to print the size I want later down the road.  It's a nightmare when I forget to do this lol.

So if my D90 has a standard aspect ration of 5:4 am I able to switch this setting within the camera itself?  And I will read the manual later on but if someone knows the answer to this and can save me some time all the better


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## KmH (May 24, 2010)

All 35mm format cameras (full size and APS-C size) have a native 3:2 aspect ratio, but it's not exact.

Most P&S cameras and 4/3 format cameras like Olympus have 4:3 aspect ratio.

Large format cameras are 4x5 and 8x10, 4:5 aspect ratio.

By the way, the width is always expressed first. In other words, in portrait mode the shorter side always goes first.


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## BuS_RiDeR (May 24, 2010)

indeedies said:


> So if my D90 has a standard aspect ration of 5:4 am I able to switch this setting within the camera itself?



Most modern dSLRs (including the D90 I believe) have the ability to switch the  aspect ratio that they use...



KmH said:


> All 35mm format cameras (full size and APS-C size) have a native 3:2 aspect ratio, but it's not exact.



But, as mentioned above... "most" dSLR cameras use the 3:2 aspect ratio by default.


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## nickb98c (May 25, 2010)

Thanks for the ratio guides.  That really helped.  It seems like the 7:5 ratio is pretty common, especially among standard frame sizes.  I like proportions of that ratio best too.


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## KmH (May 25, 2010)

BuS_RiDeR said:


> indeedies said:
> 
> 
> > So if my D90 has a standard aspect ration of 5:4 am I able to switch this setting within the camera itself?
> ...


Nope, you can't do that with a D90, nor can you do it with a D200, or a D300, or a D700.

You have to step all the way up to a D3 to gain that option and again it's not the native aspect ratio.


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## indeedies (May 25, 2010)

KmH said:


> BuS_RiDeR said:
> 
> 
> > indeedies said:
> ...


 
Well a D3 is what I shall get! On the way to the camera store now.  When the guy asks me what I want I'll gladly tell him, "Well, this guy on TPF said I need a D3 to take an 8x10 picture so a D3 is what I want." :mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:

Thanks for the help and I hope I didn't hijack the thread OP.


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## rufus5150 (May 25, 2010)

BuS_RiDeR said:


> Try this...
> 
> Print Size - 4x6, 8x12, 20x30 ---- Aspect Ratio = 3:2
> Print Size - 5x7, 10x14 ---- Aspect Ratio = 7:5
> ...



Does anyone print 10x14? 11x14, yes, but I don't think I've seen anything but custom cut for 10x14.


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## KmH (May 25, 2010)

indeedies said:


> Well a D3 is what I shall get! On the way to the camera store now. When the guy asks me what I want I'll gladly tell him, "Well, this guy on TPF said I need a D3 to take an 8x10 picture so a D3 is what I want." :mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:
> 
> Thanks for the help and I hope I didn't hijack the thread OP.


Yep, if you want to use a Nikon that's what it will take "to take an 8x10 picture."

But you could save some money, and just crop from the D90's native 3:2 (8x12) to 5:4. Just be sure you leave enough room in the viewfinder to do so when you take the shot. By the way, in photographer slang it's called "shooting fat".


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## indeedies (May 25, 2010)

Even though I know I'm mainly going to be printing 8x10s I ALWAYS forget to leave room to do so.  Then I'm in the conudrum the OP is in with being forced to print an 8X12 and trying to find a frame somewhere lol


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## ottor (May 25, 2010)

KmH said:


> indeedies said:
> 
> 
> > By the way, in photographer slang it's called "shooting fat".
> ...


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## LarryD (May 25, 2010)

Unless you absolutely know what size your finished print is going to be, you should always shoot fat..

Just like you always saved the negative too, you should always save the original fat image in it's RAW or TIFF file...........  if you ever intend to use it again...  Once you change it and save that change, it's gone..


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## KmH (May 25, 2010)

&#9668;&#9532; Shooting Fat &#9532;&#9658;----------&#9658; *Tip-Of-The-Day #1* &#9668;

If the camera is in the horizontal format, to get an 8x10, the short sides will usually need to be cropped, be sure and leave room to do so.

In the vertical format, the long side will usually need to be cropped. But it's difficult to compose, not knowing how much will be lost top-to-bottom.

_No problemo!_ Compose the first shot with the camera in the horizonal format, *then* rotate the camera to vertical, and without changing the focal length or moving forward or back, the width is now the width of your 8 x 10, release the shutter and do the top/bottom crop during editing. 

¦¦¦¦¦ Easy Peezy, Extra Cheesy ¦¦¦¦¦


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