aspect ratio for all

Hey, maybe an easy way to understand aspect ratios is by test / example.

Take a picture with a 16:9 (HD?) aspect ratio camera. Horizontal (landscape). And take a picture of something that fills the frame from left to right. Then try to print that out as a 5x7 (7:5 aspect ratio).

Then try to take a picture with a 4:3 (old point and shoot) aspect ratio camera. Horizontal. And take a picture of something that fills the frame from top to bottom. And then try to display that on an HD TV and filling the HD TV screen from left to right?

Those are the two times I find myself kicking myself for not leaving extra room around the subject for cropping. <grin>

An easier way would be to watch a movie (usually filmed in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio) on a standard TV screen (1.33:1). You either watch just the center portion of the movie, or fill the top & bottom of the screen with black.
 

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