Why aspect ratio

What are aspect ratios in photography? How does an aspect ratio affect your images? An aspect ratio is the dimensions of an image expressed in a ratio form. But it is important to think about the aspect ratio when taking photos. Your camera aspect ratio has compositional implications — and I highly recommend you consider this when out with your camera. For instance, a square, aspect ratio tends to produce very balanced, often confined images. A aspect ratio is used by 35mm crop-sensor and full-frame DSLRs, some Leica medium format cameras, most mirrorless cameras , high-end compact cameras, and most 35mm film cameras.

This aspect ratio has been with us ever since Leica made the first 35mm film cameras in the early 20th century. Now, a full-frame 35mm sensor measures 36 mm x 24 mm. You can express this figure as a ratio: Mathematicians always like to simplify ratios so the relationship between the two numbers is easy to visualize, and in this case, you can divide both dimensions by twelve. Despite the different sensor sizes, the ratio between the width and the height remains the same, conforming to a aspect ratio.

The aspect ratio is used by Micro Four Thirds cameras, many compact cameras, some medium format digital cameras, as well as medium format film cameras using the 6 cm x 4. In the diagram below, you can see the aspect ratio left , plus the additional space included by a sensor:.

Clearly, the aspect ratio used by most DSLRs and mirrorless cameras is slightly longer than the aspect ratio used by Micro Four Thirds cameras. The difference may not seem like much, but it has a major effect on the composition.

Take a look at the following images to see why. And that can be challenging when it comes to composition because you have to find a way to effectively fill that length. Now, after seeing the photos above, you might be thinking that the difference between aspect ratios is not a big deal. And often, when you are shooting in the landscape format i. For example, software developers creating content for both smartphones and PCs need to account for the fact that a smartphone display has a different aspect ratio than a laptop screen many iPhones, for example, have a vertical aspect ratio, versus the horizontal display common on laptop screens.

The aspect ratio can even vary on a PC depending on what monitor it's paired with. Older, square-looking monitors used a aspect ratio, while mainstream monitors are more typically Super-wide monitors can have aspect ratios as wide as Thankfully, the computer's operating system can accommodate multiple aspect ratios and adjust to fit whatever monitor is connected.

Photographers and videographers might need to change the aspect ratio of a photo through cropping. For example, the Adobe Photoshop crop tool lets you change the aspect ratio after the photo has been taken. For you. World globe An icon of the world globe, indicating different international options. Get the Insider App. Click here to learn more. A leading-edge research firm focused on digital transformation. Good Subscriber Account active since Shortcuts. Account icon An icon in the shape of a person's head and shoulders.

It often indicates a user profile. Log out. Smart Home. Social Media. More Button Icon Circle with three vertical dots. It indicates a way to see more nav menu items inside the site menu by triggering the side menu to open and close. Dave Johnson. Aspect ratio measures the relationship between the width and height of a display, sensor, or image.