How do I set the Aspect Ratio menu item on the SL?

[hmathias]

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I am beginning to figure out my new SL Menus (FW 2'1) and most of it is very clear except the Aspect Ratio item.

 

In still photography how is it set?

 

The manual doesn't help because it is a circular definition(yes I do know what Aspect Ratio means):

 

"ASPECT RATIO

You can select the aspect ratio to be used for photos, i.e. the relationship between the vertical and horizontal sides of the format.

Setting the function

1. In the menu's  section, select, and 2. in the submenu, the desired setting.

Note:

This function can be assigned to the  menu." 

 

Thanks

 

Harry

[Guest roey]

Menu -> Camera -> Photo Aspect Ratio

You can choose among a list of 6 different ratios.

[hmathias]

Well thanks, but that doesn't help.

So the full-frame format is 24 × 36 mm.  So is that a 1x1 ratio (in other words square pixels — no distortion) or 3x4? The format is Full-Frame that should be enough to indicate an un-cropped image, why even have an aspect ratio setting. And which number is default or off? 

[250swb]

OK, in the past there have been many camera formats, 35mm (24x36mm), 6x6cm, 6x9cm, 4x5", etc. Photographers choose the aspect ratio to both suit their own preferences and/or the best aspect ration (format) for the photograph.

 

So to take a few from the Menu you are offered 1:1, which is square shape (6x6), you have 3:2 which is 35mm shape, 4:3 which is the Olympus 4/3rds shape. Now these are simply aids to composition, shooting RAW you still get the full frame 35mm image format, so you can keep the original idea going and crop it, or you can say to yourself you prefer it uncropped. That is how and why you use the Aspect Ratio's. It may help if you look at other photographers work from the past and present and see why they may have used a format (ratio) other than 35mm for their work. Each frame format adds its own dynamic to the image. Typically Ansel Adams used 4x5" or 8x10" cameras (not as wide a ratio as 35mm), and this is still a pleasing format for landscape work, whereas Diane Arbus used 6x6 cameras and the square format suited the portraiture she did and added tension to the framing.

[ramarren]

I am beginning to figure out my new SL Menus (FW 2'1) and most of it is very clear except the Aspect Ratio item.

 

In still photography how is it set?

 

The manual doesn't help because it is a circular definition(yes I do know what Aspect Ratio means):

 

"ASPECT RATIO

You can select the aspect ratio to be used for photos, i.e. the relationship between the vertical and horizontal sides of the format.

Setting the function

1. In the menu's  section, select, and 2. in the submenu, the desired setting.

Note:

This function can be assigned to the  menu." 

 

Thanks

 

Harry

 

 

Your quote is missing a few key words: 

 

ASPECT RATIO

You can select the aspect ratio to be used for photos, i.e. the relationship between the vertical and horizontal sides of the format.

 

Setting the function

1. In the menu's IMAGE section, select Photo Aspect Ratio, and 

2. in the submenu, the desired setting.

 

Note:

This function can be assigned to the FAVORITES menu.

 

In other words, you use the Photo Aspect Ratio setting in the IMAGE section of the menu to adjust the framing proportions of the camera. 

The "Note" indicates that if you change the capture aspect ratio of your exposures often, you can put the Photo Aspect Ratio selection menu into the Favorites menu for quick access. 

 

Well thanks, but that doesn't help.

So the full-frame format is 24 × 36 mm.  So is that a 1x1 ratio (in other words square pixels — no distortion) or 3x4? The format is Full-Frame that should be enough to indicate an un-cropped image, why even have an aspect ratio setting. And which number is default or off? 

 

The SL sensor is 35mm film "full-frame" sized, so it is approximately 24x36 mm in size. Thus its native aspect ratio is 2:3. Setting any other aspect ratio is a crop on the native sensor format ... for example, selecting 1:1 aspect ratio produces images from the center 24x24 mm area of the sensor. Another example: if you choose 16:9 format, you are producing images from the central ~20x36 mm area of the sensor. The total pixel count of the full SL 3:2 frame is 24 Mpixel, so each aspect ratio choice other than 2:3 crops out some of those pixels... example: for 1:1, you are capturing 16 Mpixels; for 16:9, you are capturing 20 Mpixels. 

 

This has nothing to do with the format of the pixels: the SL sensor's pixels are always square, regardless of what aspect ratio you choose. 

 

You'll notice in the same IMAGE section of the SL menu that you can switch the Sensor Format setting as well, with settings for "35mm" and "APS-C". This switches the sensor's total capture area between 24x36 mm (24 Mpixels) and 16x24 mm (10 Mpixels). You can also use the Photo Aspect Ratio function to crop the sensor when in "APS-C" format mode; for example, setting 1:1 aspect ratio when in "APS-C" mode nets a 16x16 mm capture area, which produces approximately 6.7 Mpixel square images. 

[hmathias]

Your quote is missing a few key words: 

 

ASPECT RATIO

You can select the aspect ratio to be used for photos, i.e. the relationship between the vertical and horizontal sides of the format.

 

Setting the function

1. In the menu's IMAGE section, select Photo Aspect Ratio, and 

2. in the submenu, the desired setting.

 

Note:

This function can be assigned to the FAVORITES menu.

 

In other words, you use the Photo Aspect Ratio setting in the IMAGE section of the menu to adjust the framing proportions of the camera. 

The "Note" indicates that if you change the capture aspect ratio of your exposures often, you can put the Photo Aspect Ratio selection menu into the Favorites menu for quick access. 

 

 

The SL sensor is 35mm film "full-frame" sized, so it is approximately 24x36 mm in size. Thus its native aspect ratio is 2:3. Setting any other aspect ratio is a crop on the native sensor format ... for example, selecting 1:1 aspect ratio produces images from the center 24x24 mm area of the sensor. Another example: if you choose 16:9 format, you are producing images from the central ~20x36 mm area of the sensor. The total pixel count of the full SL 3:2 frame is 24 Mpixel, so each aspect ratio choice other than 2:3 crops out some of those pixels... example: for 1:1, you are capturing 16 Mpixels; for 16:9, you are capturing 20 Mpixels. 

 

This has nothing to do with the format of the pixels: the SL sensor's pixels are always square, regardless of what aspect ratio you choose. 

 

You'll notice in the same IMAGE section of the SL menu that you can switch the Sensor Format setting as well, with settings for "35mm" and "APS-C". This switches the sensor's total capture area between 24x36 mm (24 Mpixels) and 16x24 mm (10 Mpixels). You can also use the Photo Aspect Ratio function to crop the sensor when in "APS-C" format mode; for example, setting 1:1 aspect ratio when in "APS-C" mode nets a 16x16 mm capture area, which produces approximately 6.7 Mpixel square images. 

 

Thank you for a very complete and explanation more useful than Leica's. I don't want to crop the image at all. I want to use the full sensor. But their terminology is very unclear in this one instance — this is unusual for Leica. 

 

So "OFF" is setting it at  2:3? That is most useful! Thanks!

[hmathias]

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I looked again at the setting and now, I remember the original cause of my confusion:

 

These are the options: 

 

3:2

7:5

4:3

1:1

3:1

16:9

 

No 2:3. Which crop choice ends this dilemma forever? 3:2?

[knisely]

Yes, 3:2. It is wider than it is taller.      The frame size is 36Wx24H divided by 12  gives the 3:2 ratio. 

[ramarren]

Being a proportion, 3:2 and 2:3 are exactly the same thing with respect to capture aspect ratio. Which is horizontal and which is vertical is the only discriminator, and since there is only one 3:2 listed, you can rightly assume that the longer proportion specifier is on the longer sensor dimension. (The Olympus E-M1 has both 4:3 and 3:4 choices, for instance, and the native proportions of its sensor is 3:4 in absolute terms, so that means they allow a full frame as well as the same proportion cropped into the vertical dimension of the sensor.)

 

Leica uses the convention of horizontal:vertical and all the aspect ratios are written with that convention, but it's just as common to see vertical:horizontal as convention in other places. 

[hmathias]

Thank you both! Knisely & Ramarren.

 

This is easy to understand once you explained it. In film the horizontal  is always given first and the vertical is usually omitted because it is assumed to be one. Therefore we use "1.85" or "2.40" for (1.85 to 1) or ( 2.40 to 1).

 

I am used to this method, hence my confusion.

[Greg Gray]

I use my Sl when scouting and pre producing film projects I work on. currently there is 3:1 as a preset which is a very extreme crop, but close to an anamorphic look. i wish you could customise the aspect ratio to match the project you are working on. or at least offer 2.1:1 and 2.4:1 as presets which are common crops put on film and television projects. This would make scouting and prep for films a lot easier. i would imagine a lot of cinematographers out there would welcome this.

[geetee1972]

I use my Sl when scouting and pre producing film projects I work on. currently there is 3:1 as a preset which is a very extreme crop, but close to an anamorphic look. i wish you could customise the aspect ratio to match the project you are working on. or at least offer 2.1:1 and 2.4:1 as presets which are common crops put on film and television projects. This would make scouting and prep for films a lot easier. i would imagine a lot of cinematographers out there would welcome this.

 

I agree, that would be really useful; I much prefer the 4x5 ration for portraits and would really like to have that as an option. It can't be that difficult to implement surely.

[pico]

I looked again at the setting and now, I remember the original cause of my confusion:

 

These are the options: 

 

3:2

7:5

4:3

1:1

3:1

16:9

 

No 2:3. Which crop choice ends this dilemma forever? 3:2?

 

Read each ratio as horizontal : vertical

Use 3:2