CCD And Resultant Aspect Ratio ? (relative to 4x6 printing) Quest., Please

Hello:

Really going around the circle with this, and although I posted a similar
qustion some time back, I thought I would ask again.
I feel certain that I am missing something.

Have been trying to have printed out a lot of pictures in 4x6 size.
I imagine that this is most likely the most common size for prints.
I may be wrong, but my guess is that it is the most popular by a very large
margain.

So, why do camera mfg's provide a CCD with a resultant image size ratio
of 1.33:1 as was pointed out in an answer to my old query ?

Why not provide a 1.5:1 format/ratio which would be perfect for the 4x6 ?

Using IrfanView, other than "severe cropping," or severly distorting the
picture to 1.5:1 in either the X or Y dimension, there doesn't seem anything
else one can do. Is there ?

There seems to be a major "dis-connect" between camera mfg's and
users with this.
Am I missing something ? (I'm really new at this, so it's quite possible).

a. are there any other programs that fill in, or extrapolate additional
pixels,
so you can change to a 1.5:1 ratio without any distortion ?
Is there something in IrfanView that I've missed ?

b. are there any camera settings (Nikon) that would alleviate the problem
(different resolution, etc.) ?

What do others do ?

Thanks,
Bob

 

You don't say which Nikon. Many of the Coolpix series have a 3:2
setting. My 99 and 5700 do.
________________________________________________________
Ed Ruf Lifetime AMA# 344007 ()
http://members.cox.net/egruf
See images taken with my CP-990 and 5700 at
http://members.cox.net/egruf-digicam

 

So, why do camera mfg's provide a CCD with a resultant image size ratio

?

The Nikon 990 and Nikon 5700 (at least) do provide this as a taking
option.

4:3 is better suited to viewing on a standard TV or computer monitor which
also have a 4:3 aspect ratio.

Cheers,
David

 

While 4 x 6 might be most popular print size, it is far from only one.
Most other print sizes do NOT have 3:2 ratio. Check 3.5 x 5, 5 x 7, 8 x
10, also very common print sizes. Cropping was so common with print
film that no one thought any thing of it. Why are digital users so
reluctant to accept cropping?

 

?? I paid for my five megapixels so I will use all of them ???

Of course, you can only crop if you have enough detailed image information
to allow cropping!

Cheers,
David

 

I composed the image when I shot it; I have no desire to crop it. Back in
the film days I almost never had pictures printed by a retail lab because
they always cropped them, even on 4x6 paper. I hate that.

However, I have no objection to borders on my prints -- in fact, I prefer
them, even when printing 3:2 pictures (my preferred shooting format) on
4x6 paper, so there's no trouble there. I don't have a burning need for
borderless prints.

 

There is no one standard for the aspect ratio of photographs. It is
only the popularity of 35mm cameras and mini-labs that has provided
this feeling that 4x6 prints are any sort of standard.

Most large-format cameras are 4x5 format.

Medium format camera range from various rectangles to square.

35mm cameras are 4x6

You get the idea. On top of that standard print sizes do not all have
the same aspect ratio (4x6, 5x7, 8x10, 11x14...).

You do what everyone in the history of photography has always done:
either crop your image to fit the paper size, or have it printed
full-frame and leave some white space.

 

If this were important to you, maybe you should
have checked it out before buying? This sort
of information is readily available on line, from the
camera manufacturers' web site or from any of
several camera review sites.

Nope. Crop or just live with it. So what's so
magical about 4x6" prints, anyway? The 4:3
ratio fits better on an 8x10" or letter-sized print.

Nope. Digital is cool stuff but it can't create
information out of the ether.



rafe b.
http://www.terrapinphoto.com

 

Hello

I would resize to 6 by whatever and then crop.

Mike Engles

 

?

As far as I was aware the aspect ratio for a CCD is 4:3.
Just resize in photoshop, it will result in some cropping though.