Just an idea (sensor flip)

[Timppa]

It could be implemented via software with no need to rotate the camera. But you would need a EVF to see it.

This is interesting, and I don’t think I’m following. Could you elaborate a bit on this?

Doesn’t seem like it would be utilizing the entire sensor? But, I guess you’d have to give something up.

Also, I remember way back when I had an APS film camera, I had the option of various crops, which would alter the OVF. I’d imagine they could do something similar?

With a traditional DSLR, what hits the sensor is (essentially) what you see in the viewfinder which is why the camera needs to be rotated. But with an electronic viewfinder what you are seeing is "created" from the digital output. It would be simple to modify that digital output before it was sent to the EVF. Like any picture-viewing software that will rotate the image with a single command. The entire sensor would be utilized but the output file would be cropped to fit the aspect ratio.

I guess I still don’t understand. The sensor would need to be turned to portrait orientation to utilize the entire sensor for a portrait orientation shot, no? Otherwise, you’re taking a landscape shot and cropping it into portrait, thus not using a portion of the sensor (the sides)?

I don’t see how using the entire sensor is possible without physically turning the sensor.

For example, say I want to take a portrait of my daughter. I want to keep the camera in landscape position, but she’s too close. This results in me cropping off the top of her head. If I want portrait with her full head, I’d need to turn the camera sideways. If I’m trying to avoid turning the camera AND I want to use a landscape oriented sensor for portrait, I’d need to change my position through zooming out with the lens or my legs so that her head is fully in the shot, and then crop the landscape picture to portrait.

In your scenario, how are handling this?

I think he is talking in case the sensor would be round

 

[waday]

It could be implemented via software with no need to rotate the camera. But you would need a EVF to see it.

This is interesting, and I don’t think I’m following. Could you elaborate a bit on this?

Doesn’t seem like it would be utilizing the entire sensor? But, I guess you’d have to give something up.

Also, I remember way back when I had an APS film camera, I had the option of various crops, which would alter the OVF. I’d imagine they could do something similar?

With a traditional DSLR, what hits the sensor is (essentially) what you see in the viewfinder which is why the camera needs to be rotated. But with an electronic viewfinder what you are seeing is "created" from the digital output. It would be simple to modify that digital output before it was sent to the EVF. Like any picture-viewing software that will rotate the image with a single command. The entire sensor would be utilized but the output file would be cropped to fit the aspect ratio.

I guess I still don’t understand. The sensor would need to be turned to portrait orientation to utilize the entire sensor for a portrait orientation shot, no? Otherwise, you’re taking a landscape shot and cropping it into portrait, thus not using a portion of the sensor (the sides)?

I don’t see how using the entire sensor is possible without physically turning the sensor.

For example, say I want to take a portrait of my daughter. I want to keep the camera in landscape position, but she’s too close. This results in me cropping off the top of her head. If I want portrait with her full head, I’d need to turn the camera sideways. If I’m trying to avoid turning the camera AND I want to use a landscape oriented sensor for portrait, I’d need to change my position through zooming out with the lens or my legs so that her head is fully in the shot, and then crop the landscape picture to portrait.

In your scenario, how are handling this?

I think he is talking in case the sensor would be round

Ahhh... my mistake

 

[PhotoGramly]

I'm surprised no one mentioned an L bracket in terms of workarounds. Very useful if you need to work with tripod but still want vertical orientation.

 

[pocketcamera]

the only way to make is doable is the following

buy a medium format digital camera, only 10-50,000$, and make sure it has a view screen on the back.

 

[Mike Drone]

Keep in mind the motor/rotating ring of the sensor would increase the camera body size. The first thing I thought of when I saw round sensor is the 1st series of the Ansel Adam's books, there is a chapter showing that a round lens puts a round image on a square film. The round image is bigger than the square negative. Makes you wonder how much image you lost on the outside of the shot. You can't see what you lost because the view finder is size to match the film. =]