Can you explain the Ratio of the SL

[rollsman4]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

I know the ratio for the SL is 3:2   If I want my images to be printed 8x10, 16x20, 20x24 should I use this ratio or 4:3 or ?   

   Thank you

[Advertisement]

The Leica Q3 is available for pre-order at B&H Photo Video and Adorama

[MJB]

14 minutes ago, rollsman4 said:

I know the ratio for the SL is 3:2   If I want my images to be printed 8x10, 16x20, 20x24 should I use this ratio or 4:3 or ?   

   Thank you

Using the native aspect ratio of any camera will always give you the maximum resolution to crop to whatever aspect ratio you like later.  

Another factor to consider is the ideal aspect ratio of the EVF, which is sometimes not the same as the camera's native aspect ratio (I've owned a couple of M43 cameras where I could get a larger, more useable image in the EVF by switching to 3:5, although this gives you less MP to work with in the end).  

Of course, if you prefer to compose in 4:3 then you should do so (for example, I'm much more comfortable composing in 3:2 rather than 4:3, which is another reason why I often use my M43 cameras this way - although I find that I'm coming around to 4:3 for some images, especially for vertical orientation).

[rollsman4]

I appreciate what you are saying. How much less resolution would you get going from 3:2   vs 4:3 ?   Most of my prints are Vertical for Portraits and of course group shots in the Horizontal plane

 

[MJB]

9 minutes ago, rollsman4 said:

I appreciate what you are saying. How much less resolution would you get going from 3:2   vs 4:3 ?   Most of my prints are Vertical for Portraits and of course group shots in the Horizontal plane

 

Off the top of my head I have no idea, but I would guess maybe around 20MP?  

Just did the math real quick and it should be 21.33MP, but you could do some test shots and open up in LR or whatever to confirm.

[rollsman4]

Thank you. I will do that and I appreciate your info   

[BernardC]

10 hours ago, rollsman4 said:

How much less resolution would you get going from 3:2   vs 4:3 ?

You aren't losing any resolution. Resolution is the smallest angular distance between two points that the camera can resolve. That doesn't change.

You are cropping a little bit from the long end of the image. If an image is 10cm high and 15 cm wide at 3:2, it will be 13.3 cm wide at 4:3. You have cropped 1.7 cm from your image, which is less than 9%.

Cropping images can improve them, so the question isn't "how much less?", it's "how much better?". The answer is different for every image, but many photographers favour certain aspect ratios in their compositions.

To answer your original question, I always use the full native aspect ratio when shooting (3:2 for the SL and any other "full frame" camera), but often I'll compose knowing that I will trim the edges later. It might make sense for you to set your camera directly to a printing ratio if your goal is to print to a specific size. Your DNG (raw file) won't be cropped, but most raw processors allow you to view your crop when editing.

[Jean-Michel]

Advertisement (gone after registration)

Just crop your image to fit the print format. For the sizes you like, 8 by 10, etc. the ratio is obviously 4:5. This goes back to the sheet film sizes of years back: 4 by 5, 8 by 10 inches.  
The ‘resolution’ remains the same: that many pixels across and down the sensor. Using a ratio other than the 2:3 of the camera is simply a preview of that particular crop, and the resulting jpg file. The raw file will always have all the pixels regardless of your choice of a different ratio. 
Using different ratios may make sense when doing video work that needs a particular video format, but I do not do videos.

Edited August 27, 2022 by Jean-Michel

[Jeff S]

For me it’s the picture that dictates the framing.  I cut my own mats and do my own framing, so consistent aspect ratio is not critical.  My prints are on the smaller side, so resolution is never an issue, especially with modern Leica gear.

Jeff

[Jim B]

On 8/26/2022 at 6:26 PM, rollsman4 said:

I know the ratio for the SL is 3:2   If I want my images to be printed 8x10, 16x20, 20x24 should I use this ratio or 4:3 or ?   

   Thank you

Hi,

in 3;2  you will get a 8x12 image so if you want to crop later approximate leaving a little space 1”  above and below your subject.  This ratio gives you 4x6,8x12, 16x24, 20x30 24x36

3:4 gives you 3x4,9x12, 12x16 18x24, 30x40 ….

6:5 gives you a 20x24  or my favorite a 40x48 

As you are begging to investigate other aspect ratios, it’s good to leave some room around your subject, so that you can crop it to the appropriate size later when you are editing.

I’m not sure about the SL but I imagine it’s the same as the Sl2. You can change the ratio in the camera if you need out of camera jpegs in that ratio, and it will leave the whole image intact on the raw and you can change that later if you need to. 

Hope this helps, you can also look up aspect ratio charts if you get confused. 

[rollsman4]

Yes thank you very much