Aspect ratio in Canon 70D

[bnnrcn]

I replaced my Canon 1100D with a Canon 70D and it arrived two days ago. So, I'm trying to learn the functions with the help of the user manual. There are 4 aspect ratio options in the menu of my camera but they only work if I shoot in 'live view shooting' mode. I find it a bit strange that aspect ratio function works only for that mode. Infact it really doesn't matter very much to me because I shoot raw and I can always adjust the aspect ratio I want in PS CC but I just want to check if I understood something wrong or not. Is there a way of shooting JPGs with a different aspect ratio even if I don't use the' live view shooting' mode in Canon 70D?

Thanks for your help in advance

[Donald]

I don't know, is the answer, I'm afraid. Hopefully some 70D users will come in and tell us.

According to the 7D MkII manual, which I'm reading (Yes, I might get one), "JPEG images will be saved with the set aspect ratio". However, to set the aspect ratio you need to be in Live View. So, without trying it to check, I think you would need to be shooting JPEGs in Live View with an alternative aspect ratio set, in order to save them in that ratio.

[bnnrcn]

Thank you so much Donald. I made some trials this afternoon and I was able to get the JPEGs in the aspect ratio I wanted only in 'live view shooting' mode. It is strange but I think this is the only way to go. I actually don't know anything about the auto modes because I only use AV,TV and Manual modes. May be it is possible to shoot a JPEG image with a spesific aspect ratio without using the 'live view shooting' mode in auto modes, but apparently not possible in the creative modes

Thanks again for taking the time to inquire about it

I don't know, is the answer, I'm afraid. Hopefully some 70D users will come in and tell us.
According to the 7D MkII manual, which I'm reading (Yes, I might get one), "JPEG images will be saved with the set aspect ratio". However, to set the aspect ratio you need to be in Live View. So, without trying it to check, I think you would need to be shooting JPEGs in Live View with an alternative aspect ratio set, in order to save them in that ratio.

[Donald]

May be it is possible to shoot a JPEG image with a spesific aspect ratio without using the 'live view shooting' mode in auto modes,

I'd be interested to hear the result of any experiments you do to find that out.

[bnnrcn]

I will let you know Donald. I have never been interested in the auto modes with my Canon 1100D but since I'm likely to live with my new camera for a long time I had better to learn how to use auto modes too

I'd be interested to hear the result of any experiments you do to find that out.

[rpcrowe]

I will let you know Donald. I have never been interested in the auto modes with my Canon 1100D but since I'm likely to live with my new camera for a long time I had better to learn how to use auto modes too

IMO, the only auto modes that are of any consequence are AV, TV and P, which along with Manual Mode are called: (in Canon jargon) "Creative Modes".

The full auto mode doesn't allow the photographer any control over the capture while the morphodite "Creative Automatic" mode is about as useless to me as the Full Auto mode...

I also would not have any use for adjusting the image ratio through a camera. I only shoot RAW and can adjust my images however I want using my editing program...

Speaking of absolutely useless items (for me anyway); how about the RAW/JPEG button and the Print From Camera button. The first time I saw the RAW/JPEG button was on a 7D Mki while the print from camera button has been on Canon cameras since eternity. I have had my 7D cameras for years now and Canon DSLOR cameras for about fifteen years. I have never used either the RAW/JPEG button and I have never printed direct from camera and am pretty sure that I will never do either of these things......

MESSAGE TO THE CANON GODS: Please replace the RAW/JPEG and Print from camera buttons with something that I could use. I would love an audio record button that would let me record snippets of information linked to images. This would be a lot handier than a pad and pencil or another audio recorder for recording information. I believe that some of the 1D cameras have audio record capability while my ancient Olympus 5050Z (a sort of bridge camera I purchased in the early 1990's) has audio record capability.

While we are talking about useful improvements - how about a radio controlled wireless trigger that could fire the Canon 600EX types of hotshoe flashes. The optical trigger incorporated in the 7D is pretty darn well useless outdoors except under certain conditions...

[dje]

Binnur I'm not really sure but I suspect the camera is set up for changing the aspect ratio in LV mode only because that is the only mode you would see the change prior to shooting. Presumably the AR is changed by cropping in camera and this would be displayed on the preview screen to allow proper framing of the shot. However I can't see how the view through the viewfinder could be changed for different aspect ratios as this is a mechanical/optical thing.

Just a thought !

Dave

[Shadowman]

Binnur,

I don't have a Canon camera but my Olympus micro 4/3rd camera which has Live View only has the aspect ration function and it captures the image with a standard ration (probably 4:3) and allows me to choose different ratio upon uploading. I would suspect that your camera uses Live View mode to allow you to compose the shot in camera. Do you have that option (composing in-camera) available?

[William W]

. . . Is there a way of shooting JPGs with a different aspect ratio even if I don't use the' live view shooting' mode in Canon 70D?

No. Not that I am aware.

When you enable “Live View” in the menu, various other options become available under the menu tabs.

If you disable “Live View”, those other settings are not available to use.

One of those settings that becomes available is the "Aspect Ratio" selection.

I recall this is specifically indicated in the user manual – look under “Live View” and/or “Aspect Ratio” in the index – you should find that note in either or both of those pages.

***

Yes I think that the functionality is strange - that's why I think I remembered it, because it seemed strange to me too. . . please see next comment . . .

WW

[William W]

. . .I can't see how the view through the viewfinder could be changed for different aspect ratios as this is a mechanical/optical thing.

Yes. That makes complete sense.

At the time I was playing with a 70D I didn't think of that: one needs a screen, to make the display of the blacked out areas.

WW

[bnnrcn]

Thank you Richard, I started photography by using AV,TV and Manual Modes (I call them all creative modes), I have been shooting raw for a long time and I don't know how to use full auto modes either. Actually it occured to me to see how the full auto mode works because of the aspect ratio issue. I have no intention of shooting in full auto mode at all either

[bnnrcn]

Thank you Dave and Bill. At last I got the point with the help of your comments Of course a viewfinder is a mechanical/optical thing and I need the liew view screen to compose a shot with a different aspect ratio . That's why the live view is the only option. Thanks a lot

[bnnrcn]

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,

I don't have a Canon camera but my Olympus micro 4/3rd camera which has Live View only has the aspect ration function and it captures the image with a standard ration (probably 4:3) and allows me to choose different ratio upon uploading. I would suspect that your camera uses Live View mode to allow you to compose the shot in camera. Do you have that option (composing in-camera) available?

[Inkanyezi]

This is a problem that is very old, and it has been addressed in different ways for ages.

Most view cameras from more than a hundred years ago, could take different size plates/film, and the ground glass needed some kind of guidance for different formats. Often, this was accomplished by masking the ground glass with a metal or cardboard mask, but there were also other approaches. My RB67 had only guide lines on the ground glass for vertical or horisontal format, and it was easy to make a mistake. In the later RZ67, there were masks that changed position when the back was rotated. The Rolleicord had a drop-in mask for the miniature format. When I was working with the Contax RTS I masked a focusing screen to the aspect ratio of the finished pictures to facilitate framing.

As mentioned here, there are cameras that always work in live view, and thus can show any aspect ratio in the viewfinder, but it would take some kind of masking device to accomplish the same in a DSLR. It is perfectly feasible, just that no manufacturer has done it yet, perhaps because it might make production somewhat more expensive.

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.

But the easiest way to address the problem is to use it only in live view. It is very simple, and all those cameras always use a cropped image for movie, which is automatically rendered just in the way the video will be sampled. This feature is just extended to allowing different aspect ratios also while shooting stills, but there is nothing done to the viewfinder, so the feature will work only in live view.

[bnnrcn]

Hi Urban. I'm not that old in photography and I didn't know this has been an issue for such a long time. Thank you very much for the further explanation

[JR1]

Perhaps a dumb question but

I do change the aspect ratio in video as I do it commercially, why would one want to for stills

[Donald]

Perhaps a dumb question but

I do change the aspect ratio in video as I do it commercially, why would one want to for stills

Why do you do it in video?

[rpcrowe]

The changing of the aspect ratio simply crops out a portion of the image, it doesn't add any new information.

IMO, it would be better to have all of the information contained in your image and then be able to crop the image like you want in PP...

[bnnrcn]

I certainly agree with you Richard, but because I have got a new camera I wanted to check its functions with the help of the user manual and I found strange that the aspect ratio function worked only in live view shooting mode. That's why I started this thread.Dave's explanation about it very reasonable and I'm clear about the matter now. Of course I will carry on shooting raw with AV, TV and manual modes but I will keep in mind that my camera has such a function only in live view mode in case I might need it one day for some reason

The changing of the aspect ratio simply crops out a portion of the image, it doesn't add any new information.

IMO, it would be better to have all of the information contained in your image and then be able to crop the image like you want in PP...

[JR1]

Why do you do it in video?

Widescreen etc