Aspect Ratios on the SL

[Greg Gray]

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I am a film director who uses an SL while in pre production, and as a viewfinder while on set. I work with a number of Directors of Photography all over the world, and a number of them have SLs. We all share in the same need from Leica.

The aspect ratios for dng and live view cannot be personalised, and Leica does not have the cinema format of 2.39:1 as an option. Instead it is either standard photography ratios, 16:9 or 3:1. They have the 2.39:1 frame guide lines for video, but when working and quiclky needing to discuss a frame angle or size, you cannot quickly take a dng and use it to discuss with the various HODs. It also means having to crop in post when working on storyboards etc.

Taking a dng in the correct format we require, would mean being able to use Leica Fotos as an on set tool.  You could take a reference pick in the required aspect ratio, and everyone analyse it on a large ipad.

Anyone know how i put my case forward to Leica to include this in a software upgrade? 

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[verwackelt]

 i am no filmer, but why not filming  in 16:9 or 3:1 then?

[jaapv]

Because they are not the cinema format that the OP uses professionally?

[frame-it]

you're not using an anamorphic 2.39 lens, but actually just cropping the DNG to 2.39 ?

[Greg Gray]

4 hours ago, frame-it said:

you're not using an anamorphic 2.39 lens, but actually just cropping the DNG to 2.39 ?

We film on Alexa cameras to which we fit either spherical or anamorphic lenses. Regardless of lens the preferred final ratio of the picture is often cropped to 2.39. This gives the filmic look we tend to prefer, even when broadcast on a 16:9 TV set. 

I have used anamorphic lenses on my SL. Here it uses the entire frame which you then stretch in post and ending with the 2.39:1 crop. 

I would just like to take my stills in the same format as we finnish our work in. 

[Greg Gray]

8 hours ago, verwackelt said:

 i am no filmer, but why not filming  in 16:9 or 3:1 then?

16:9 is the aspect ratio for tv. Usually sitcoms, news, sport and content for TV only, are filmed in this ratio. 

If you see a Netflix movie on your tv and it has black lines top and bottom it is because it is in 2.39:1 cinema format being broadcast on a tv. 

I have no idea who uses 3:1 and why Leica has that as a set ratio you can select. 

[frame-it]

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1 hour ago, Greg Gray said:

We film on Alexa cameras to which we fit either spherical or anamorphic lenses. Regardless of lens the preferred final ratio of the picture is often cropped to 2.39. This gives the filmic look we tend to prefer, even when broadcast on a 16:9 TV set. 

I have used anamorphic lenses on my SL. Here it uses the entire frame which you then stretch in post and ending with the 2.39:1 crop. 

I would just like to take my stills in the same format as we finnish our work in. 

probably easy to make a lightroom preset and import into the library using that develop preset with cropping data

[Greg Gray]

14 minutes ago, frame-it said:

probably easy to make a lightroom preset and import into the library using that develop preset with cropping data

It is easy to crop in post of course. i need to have the ratio in the cameras evf for framing and lensing while in pre production and as a directors viewfinder on set. one doesn't have the luxury of time to crop in lightroom/capture one when working through a scene and finalising lens sizes and angles on a shoot day.

Does anyone know how i discuss this with Leica? it makes sense to me that they would include this aspect ratio as opposed to say the 3:1 they currently have. Does anyone actually use the 3:1 setting? I know at least half a dozen SL users that would welcome a cinema aspect ratio for prep work on features, and even commercials where one is using the more filmic aspect ratio.

Edited December 29, 2018 by Greg Gray

[Jeff S]

Might start with a call or email...

http://us.leica-camera.com/Contact?country=18004

Jeff

[PeterGA]

5 hours ago, Greg Gray said:

We film on Alexa cameras to which we fit either spherical or anamorphic lenses. Regardless of lens the preferred final ratio of the picture is often cropped to 2.39. This gives the filmic look we tend to prefer, even when broadcast on a 16:9 TV set. 

I have used anamorphic lenses on my SL. Here it uses the entire frame which you then stretch in post and ending with the 2.39:1 crop. 

I would just like to take my stills in the same format as we finnish our work in. 

Hi Greg, I wonder if you could provide some information /detail about the anamorphic lenses you used with the SL?

 

Pete

[verwackelt]

I had once contact to Herr Peter Brieger of  the customer care as i send my Feedback of a Testweekend to Leica.
I had the opportunity to test the SL for e weekend and wrote all my wishes for a new Sl to leica. Herr Brieger answered soon in a very gentle kind.
So i am located in germany and this is a address in Wetzlar. i think it is no Problem to write him in english:

I send my Feedback once to the customercare adress:
info@leica-camera.com
please excuse my rough english but i hope you understand me...

[Greg Gray]

1 hour ago, verwackelt said:

I had once contact to Herr Peter Brieger of  the customer care as i send my Feedback of a Testweekend to Leica.
I had the opportunity to test the SL for e weekend and wrote all my wishes for a new Sl to leica. Herr Brieger answered soon in a very gentle kind.
So i am located in germany and this is a address in Wetzlar. i think it is no Problem to write him in english:

I send my Feedback once to the customercare adress:
info@leica-camera.com
please excuse my rough english but i hope you understand me...

Thank you so much for the contact name. 

[Greg Gray]

2 hours ago, PeterGA said:

Hi Greg, I wonder if you could provide some information /detail about the anamorphic lenses you used with the SL?

 

Pete

if you have an L to PL adapter you can use a variety of film anamorphic lenses. Old Panavision C series and Cooke xtals which are relatively small and light for the SL. 

[hmathias]

8 hours ago, Greg Gray said:

We film on Alexa cameras to which we fit either spherical or anamorphic lenses. Regardless of lens the preferred final ratio of the picture is often cropped to 2.39.

I also film on the ARRI ALEXA cameras and 35mm film Panaflexes on either spherical or anamorphic lenses. But I never crop to 2.39 unless I am using Anamorphic for movie theatre release. I also own and use a Leica SL, but never as a "viewfinder for Cine lenses. The  3:1 crop setting is there on the SL for still photos,  or you you can set the crop to other settings for stills mainly.

I think that your firmware addition request to use the camera as a Cine viewfinder is unusual, but reasonable. Since Leica makes a lens mount adapter for their Cine lenses, they should be responsive to your request. But, I would inquire through the Cine lens division of Leica.

If they chose to do this, they could also simply add an alternate set of "dotted" frame crop lines (like the existing "Golden Mean 3x3 frame lines) to the firmware. 

 

Edited December 29, 2018 by hmathias
fix a typo

[verwackelt]

vor 2 Stunden schrieb Greg Gray:

Thank you so much for the contact name. 

Good luck! i hope they bring out a SL2 with features (flip out Display for example) that i suggested to Herrn Brieger.
Otherwise i think the Panasonic S1R can be interesting. But detailed specs are missing yet...

[Greg Gray]

2 hours ago, hmathias said:

I also film on the ARRI ALEXA cameras and 35mm film Panaflexes on either spherical or anamorphic lenses. But I never crop to 2.39 unless I am using Anamorphic for movie theatre release. I also own and use a Leica SL, but never as a "viewfinder for Cine lenses. The  3:1 crop setting is there on the SL for still photos,  or you you can set the crop to other settings for stills mainly.

I think that your firmware addition request to use the camera as a Cine viewfinder is unusual, but reasonable. Since Leica makes a lens mount adapter for their Cine lenses, they should be responsive to your request. But, I would inquire through the Cine lens division of Leica.

If they chose to do this, they could also simply add an alternate set of "dotted" frame crop lines (like the existing "Golden Mean 3x3 frame lines) to the firmware. 

 

hi there Mathias

I am referring to the stills not video settings. For video the SL has all the frame lines including 2.35:1. so in that instance its sorted. 

its when i am using the camera to storyboard my photographs and even on set to discuss framing, i wish the stills aspect ratio had a cinematic setting. it has 3:1 but that is way too narrow. it is very useful when framing angles and plotting a scenes action to look at it through the evf in the right crop. and then take stills and review for discussion in the correct format. so know i have to use either 16:9 or 3:1 for my purpose. neither gives you the curate sense of what you are trying to achieve. and then can have a jpeg cropped and ready for storyboarding without having to drag through the post process.

[hmathias]

1 hour ago, Greg Gray said:

For video the SL has all the frame lines including 2.35:1.

See, I really don't use the video features on the Leica SL or I would know about the 2:35 frame lines already being there for video.

To have film scope frame lines turned on while shooting stills with the SL is a very obscure request. I am not sure that Leica would be interested in adding this option at all. But, I still think that Leica's Cine Lens Division at CW Sonderoptic is the route to ask.

 

See my photography and some film reel samples at: https://www.HarryMathiasImages.com
 

[jaapv]

Given that the Panasonic L mount cameras are still being developed and Panasonic being strongly Video-minded, you might find a more willing ear in that company.

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Hallo,

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