Aspect ratio in Canon 70D

[Donald]

Widescreen etc

I think it's the same for still photography. It's an artistic/creative decision.

For someone like me who has 3 'stock' image ratios that he uses (1:1, 16:9 and 4:5) being able to choose those on the back screen of a DSLR would just be an aid to composition. Nothing more. I note that the 7d MkII offers 2 of those (1:1 and 16:9) as an option.

Now, I hope I have managed reasonably well in terms of composition up to now with my trusty old 40D and the use of frames cut out of cardboard and in the above ratios, that I carry around in my bag. I always compose my photograph using these, knowing what the final image will therefore look like.

We know that many people like different tools on their cameras to assist their photography. I think I'd find this a useful tool to aid my photography.

[JR1]

I think it's the same for still photography. It's an artistic/creative decision.

For someone like me who has 3 'stock' image ratios that he uses (1:1, 16:9 and 4:5) being able to choose those on the back screen of a DSLR would just be an aid to composition. Nothing more. I note that the 7d MkII offers 2 of those (1:1 and 16:9) as an option.

Now, I hope I have managed reasonably well in terms of composition up to now with my trusty old 40D and the use of frames cut out of cardboard and in the above ratios, that I carry around in my bag. I always compose my photograph using these, knowing what the final image will therefore look like.

We know that many people like different tools on their cameras to assist their photography. I think I'd find this a useful tool to aid my photography.

Surely though with stills changing the aspect ratio is pointless, you simply "crop", my word processing package allows me to create web pages, doesn't mean I will use it.

The most versatile format is 6x6 which can be cropped in any format, I think pointless in a DSLR except to simply see what happens because it is "there"

As to "aid" composition, perhaps, but years and years of photographic experience facilitates that anyway.

[Shadowman]

Thank you John. In live view shooting mode I'm able to compose the image with the aspect ratio I want if I shoot JPEGs. I found it strange that it was the only option. But after Dave's explanation above , I find it quite reasonable indeed. The live view screen does the job that the view finder can't do

Binnur,

Have you tried it with a UWA lens? I've used it with the micro 4/3rd and a 20mm lens but the effect is not as evident if I had used say 10-14mm.

[Donald]

As to "aid" composition, perhaps, but years and years of photographic experience facilitates that anyway.

Each to his own. Like I said, different people use different tools on their camera that I never use. But I don't think they're 'wrong' for doing so.

[bnnrcn]

John I have just tried it with my 11 mm lens and I was able to shoot with different aspect ratios like 16:9 and 1:1 .But please mind that my camera is a crop sensor (Canon 70D), so 11 mm means 17.6 mm indeed.

Binnur,

Have you tried it with a UWA lens? I've used it with the micro 4/3rd and a 20mm lens but the effect is not as evident if I had used say 10-14mm.

[bnnrcn]

Donald, may I ask how you use those frames cut out of cardboard, where do you put them while composing your image ? In front of your lens ?

I think it's the same for still photography. It's an artistic/creative decision.

For someone like me who has 3 'stock' image ratios that he uses (1:1, 16:9 and 4:5) being able to choose those on the back screen of a DSLR would just be an aid to composition. Nothing more. I note that the 7d MkII offers 2 of those (1:1 and 16:9) as an option.

Now, I hope I have managed reasonably well in terms of composition up to now with my trusty old 40D and the use of frames cut out of cardboard and in the above ratios, that I carry around in my bag. I always compose my photograph using these, knowing what the final image will therefore look like.

We know that many people like different tools on their cameras to assist their photography. I think I'd find this a useful tool to aid my photography.

[Donald]

Donald, may I ask how you use those frames cut out of cardboard, where do you put them while composing your image ? In front of your lens ?

I wish I could find the picture I had of them. It's on here somewhere. But I seem to have wiped it from my computer.

They are just small cards that I hold between my finger, each with a hole cut out in the various ratios. I use them independently of the camera as an aid to composition. So, if I see a scene that I think will make a good picture, I will hold up the 1:1 ratio cut out and look through that to compose what will be the final image.

The great advantage is that you can also zoom very easily, by just bending your elbow and holding the card nearer or farther away from your eye. You can then identify the edges of the final image. the it's just a case of setting the zoom on the lens to the required length and pressing the shutter.

[Shadowman]

John I have just tried it with my 11 mm lens and I was able to shoot with different aspect ratios like 16:9 and 1:1 .But please mind that my camera is a crop sensor (Canon 70D), so 11 mm means 17.6 mm indeed.

Hi Binnur,

With crop sensor you need 16mm or smaller focal length to get the effect, so your 11mm should work fine. I have a 10-24mm UWA lens and anything above 16mm captures as a normal lens.

[bnnrcn]

Thank you Donald. Did you know that your system was used by the painters to compose their paintings in old times?

I wish I could find the picture I had of them. It's on here somewhere. But I seem to have wiped it from my computer.

They are just small cards that I hold between my finger, each with a hole cut out in the various ratios. I use them independently of the camera as an aid to composition. So, if I see a scene that I think will make a good picture, I will hold up the 1:1 ratio cut out and look through that to compose what will be the final image.

The great advantage is that you can also zoom very easily, by just bending your elbow and holding the card nearer or farther away from your eye. You can then identify the edges of the final image. the it's just a case of setting the zoom on the lens to the required length and pressing the shutter.

[Donald]

Thank you Donald. Did you know that your system was used by the painters to compose their paintings in old times?

I did not, but it makes sense that they would do so.

[bnnrcn]

They also had some grids in their system like we have gridlines in the crop function of the photo editing softwares and this made it easy for them to copy the image. Although they didn't have technology they were clever enough

I did not, but it makes sense that they would do so.

[bnnrcn]

John, it is strange that you can't get the same function working for different focal lengths I think it has something to do with the production technologhy of your camera.

Hi Binnur,

With crop sensor you need 16mm or smaller focal length to get the effect, so your 11mm should work fine. I have a 10-24mm UWA lens and anything above 16mm captures as a normal lens.

[Shadowman]

John, it is strange that you can't get the same function working for different focal lengths I think it has something to do with the production technologhy of your camera.

Binnur,

You do get the same function but to a lesser degree, at larger focal lengths it changes from an UWA to a WA to a normal lens. It is a combination of the camera and the lens design.

[dje]

Cameras that have an active LCD matrix over the focusing screen could accomplish masking easily. Those matrixes can be used to show active AF spots or information directly on the ground glass, and they can also be used to black out parts of the image that will not be saved.

Yes this is what is done in my D610 when it is set to DX mode (ie FF is cropped to APS-C size). A rectangular border is shown to indicate the active part of the viewfinder screen.

Dave