# aspect ratio for all



## minister (Jan 2, 2012)

Hi, 

some body can make me understand aspect ratio , 
what ever I have read is about 3:2 aspect ratio is to print on 4*6 size print 

but i want to know what if I don't want 4*6 print but any so what aspect ratio should I follow and how will I handle in camera , 
I know I am missing something here please explain how to maintain a aspect ratio so that I can have any choice while print and also looks good on monitor


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## Buckster (Jan 2, 2012)

There's no "one size fits all".  Different print sizes and screen sizes have different aspect ratios.  The best you can do is to leave a bit of extra "frame" around the subject of your compositions so that you can crop accordingly later to fit the sizes you need.


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## SCraig (Jan 2, 2012)

You cannot change the aspect ratio of your images in-camera, that is inherent to your camera and depends on the aspect ratio of the image sensor.  At least I've never run across any that would allow it.  You can change it in post processing, as Buckster mentioned, by cropping the image to the desired  aspect ratio.


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## jriepe (Jan 2, 2012)

Minister,

I, at one time, was confused about aspect ratios.  Whenever I would indiscriminately crop a picture I thought the cropped image should print out border to border on a 4 x 6 inch photo paper.  But I found out differently because I was not maintaining the correct aspect ratio.  I use PSE for my image editing and when cropping an image I have the following options: No Restriction - Use Photo Ratio - 2.5 x 2 in. - 3 x 5 in. - 4 x 6 in. - 5 x 5 in. - 5 x 7 in. and 8 x 10 in.  If I think I may or know I will be printing an image I will choose the option needed for the size of the image I intend to print.  As long as I keep the original image I can duplicate it and crop it to as many of the above ratios as is needed.

I don't think I have the option to shoot at different aspect ratios with my D7000 but I do have different options with my Canon PowerShot S95.  Those options are 16:9 - 3:2 - 4:3 - 1:1 and 4:5.  These options are available in JPEG only and not RAW.

Jerry


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## MLeeK (Jan 2, 2012)

It's as simple as backing up and leaving extra space in the image to crop in post. 
Forget the term aspect ratio if it's giving you a bent brain cell. Instead just realize that prints are different *shapes*.  Some are long and skinny rectangle, some are nearly square and fat.
Your sensor is only one shape and you can't switch that out, so make sure you leave extra room for the fat shapes of some prints like an 8x10. 
If you are cropping in post an 11:15 crop left a little bit loose will accommodate most print sizes. 
The worst print size is the 8x10 (or any 4:5) where you lose 2 inches off the long side of a print. If you leave enough extra room at the sides of a landscape photo or at the top and bottom of a portrait you are good to print at any size.


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## 480sparky (Jan 2, 2012)

Aspect ratios are simply two numbers.  Divide them and you get one number.  If the one number of your print doesn't match the one number of your file, you're gonna lose some of the image somewhere.

For instance, if your file is 4928 x 3264 pixels, divide them. The result is 1.51.  If I want an 11 x 14 print, I divide those numbers to get 1.27.  Since 1.51 &#8800; 1.27, part of my image (15% of it) is going to get cropped off.  If it's a good lab, they're decide where to lop it off.  If not, you'd better do the cropping yourself.

This is why I 'shoot wide' when I frame my shots.  I make a conscience effort to either step back, or zoom out to a shorter focal length.  This will allow me to crop the image to any aspect ratio that I will be printing at.


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## KmH (Jan 2, 2012)

Print size is a function of the image pixel dimensions and the value assigned to the pixels-per-inch (PPI). But, PPI only applies to prints.
For electronic display, only the pixel dimensions count, the PPI is meaningless.

3000 pixels by 2000 pixels (a 3:2 aspect ratio) assigned 100 PPI will be a 30" x  20" print. *3000 px divided by 100 PPI = 30 inches - 2000 pixels divided by 100 PPI= 20"

*That same 3000 x 2000 pixel image at 200 PPI will be a print *15" x 10"* and at 300 PPI will be a print *10" by 6.67".*

The aspect ratio defines the *shape* of the frame. 3:2 is more rectangular than 7:5, which is more rectangular than 5:4. Square is 1:1.









SCraig said:


> You cannot change the aspect ratio of your images in-camera, that is inherent to your camera and depends on the aspect ratio of the image sensor.  At least I've never run across any that would allow it.  You can change it in post processing, as Buckster mentioned, by cropping the image to the desired  aspect ratio.


Actually, many cameras can be set to different aspect ratios. Both P&S and Pro cameras at that.

Here are the aspect ratio settings available on the Pro grade, native 3:2 aspect ratio Nikon D3s: D3S from Nikon



> *Image Area (pixels) *
> FX-format
> (L) 4,256 x 2,832
> (M) 3,184 x 2,120
> ...


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## minister (Jan 3, 2012)

thanks guys for a detailed explanation . 
but if aspect ratio is only relevant in printing ?, then why it is a rule to follow in composition ? (or it is for printing purpose only?)


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## WesternGuy (Jan 3, 2012)

minister said:


> thanks guys for a detailed explanation .
> but if aspect ratio is only relevant in printing ?, then why it is a rule to follow in composition ? (or it is for printing purpose only?)



Interesting...I have never seen the "aspect ratio" mentioned as a "rule" to follow in composition.  Curious where you got this?  As far as I know, it (the aspect ratio) is really only relevant  for printing as previous posters have indicated.

Cheers,

WesternGuy


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## minister (Jan 3, 2012)

yes u r right this rule is for printing only , my mistake


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## MLeeK (Jan 3, 2012)

If you are never going to print-ever, it doesn't matter one whit. If you are going to print you have to leave extra room in the frame for the inevitable crop.


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## Goose3000 (Mar 3, 2012)

In photshop, you can change your canvas size to compress your image to photolab standard sizes without cropping/squishing/stretching etc. your orignal image. Make your canvas size larger for odd ball sizes like panoramics and crop with a cutter after its printed. (always work on a copy of your original image of course!)


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## tacticdesigns (Mar 3, 2012)

SCraig said:


> You cannot change the aspect ratio of your images in-camera, that is inherent to your camera and depends on the aspect ratio of the image sensor.  At least I've never run across any that would allow it.



I think there is a camera that actually has this feature. The Panasonic LX-5 [ Group test: Canon Powershot S95, Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5, Nikon Coolpix P7000: Digital Photography Review ]. And its predecessor if I remember correctly. I guess this is one of those exceptions that proves the rule? Can you tell I'm a camera nerd! <grin>

Actually, just reading through this review about the aspect ratio switch (on the top of the lens barrel), I see that it has a 1:1 aspect ratio . . . a square image.

That reminds me of when our wedding photographer, knowing how interesting I was finding all this stuff, handed me the negatives and a bunch of crop cards (with different aspect ratios and sizes) and let me and my wife crop our own pictures for the photo album. He explained to me that he liked shooting square because out of that same negative he could pull out horizontal vs. vertical (and format sizes) and he never had to turn his camera on its side <grin>.


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## KmH (Mar 3, 2012)

Many pro shooters like the 4/3 image sensor size because it is very close to square. Unfortunately, it also has  2x crop factor.

Aspect ratio is not relevant only to printing. I'm afraid minister still doesn't get it.

Using a 35 mm format DSLR pro shooters 'shoot fat', which means leaving extra room when composing in the viewfinder to allow for different aspect ratio crops.


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## tacticdesigns (Mar 4, 2012)

Hey, maybe an easy way to understand aspect ratios is by test / example.

Take a picture with a 16:9 (HD?) aspect ratio camera. Horizontal (landscape). And take a picture of something that fills the frame from left to right. Then try to print that out as a 5x7 (7:5 aspect ratio).

Then try to take a picture with a 4:3 (old point and shoot) aspect ratio camera. Horizontal. And take a picture of something that fills the frame from top to bottom. And then try to display that on an HD TV and filling the HD TV screen from left to right?

Those are the two times I find myself kicking myself for not leaving extra room around the subject for cropping. <grin>


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## 480sparky (Mar 4, 2012)

tacticdesigns said:


> Hey, maybe an easy way to understand aspect ratios is by test / example.
> 
> Take a picture with a 16:9 (HD?) aspect ratio camera. Horizontal (landscape). And take a picture of something that fills the frame from left to right. Then try to print that out as a 5x7 (7:5 aspect ratio).
> 
> ...



An easier way would be to watch a movie (usually filmed in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio) on a standard TV screen (1.33:1).  You either watch just the center portion of the movie, or fill the top & bottom of the screen with black.


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