What is your preferred aspect ratio?

[bulion]

Hey, where is the Ben Hur poll? (2.76:1)

http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/wingup4.htm

[tlatosmd]

Hey, where is the Ben Hur poll? (2.76:1)

http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/wingup4.htm

That's old Cinemascope!

[filmbuff]

I guess because I was doing 35mm still before motion picture, is the reason I prefer 1.66:1 for widescreen, as it most closely resembles the 3:2 aspect ratio of a still transperency while still being a somewhat standard AR.

Good point, Landscapes always look great on my 3:2 slides. Its all in the framing 8)

[jpolzfuss]

I wonder what those two forum members opting for Crazyscope exactly have in mind?

The standard for Super8/Single8/Double8/16mm/... is 4:3. When using a 2x-anamorphot, you'll get a 8:3 picture (or 2.66 : 1)...

[tlatosmd]

But isn't 35mm Cinemascope also a 4:3 aspect ratio if used without the anamorphic lenses both for shooting and projecting?

[Lunar07]

My all time ifavourite is 1.5X (2:1). Second place is 1.66
You do not have former. SO I voted for latter.

Assuming you have the money to shoot at least 16mm or 35mm AND you have full creative control of your movies what aspect ratio would you use the most?

I personally don't like "wide" screen. 1.85:1 is a touch too wide for me 1.66:1 is more ideal for most situations, imo.

[jpolzfuss]

But isn't 35mm Cinemascope also a 4:3 aspect ratio if used without the anamorphic lenses both for shooting and projecting?

http://jkor.com/peter/scopehist.html:
Initially the aspect ratio of CinemaScope was 2.66 : 1 since the only camera change was the addition of the anamorphic lens with a two-times optical compression. The standard 1.33 : 1 aperture was retained (i.e. 2 x 1.33 = 2.66). Later, this ratio was reduced to 2.55 : 1 by the addition of MagOptical Stereophonic Sound, which slightly cut into the picture area on each side. Regular optical sound, and Perspecta Stereophonic Sound prints, retained the 2.66 : 1 shape. Soon the 1.33 : 1 aperture was replaced with a 1.18 : 1 aperture, and the resulting image was standardized in an aspect ratio of 2.35 : 1, regardless of sound-track format. All of this has lead to much confusion over the years as to the actual aspect ratio of CinemaScope, a debate further fueled by the fact that 16mm and 8mm 'Scope ratios are always given as 2.66 : 1. Actually, 16mm anamorphic is 2.75 : 1, and 8mm is 2.66 : 1, because of the difference in their camera apertures, 1.37 : 1 and 1.33 : 1 respectively. There was a difference in the ratio of some early 'Scope pictures, but standardization came very quickly. Twentieth Century-Fox also tampered with the perforations, reducing them in an attempt to make the magnetic-coated prints run more stably through projectors, but the smaller holes tended to tear easily and damage the MagOptical tracks, reducing print life substantially. (Perspecta stereo optical prints did not have this problem.)

[tlatosmd]

Initially the aspect ratio of CinemaScope was 2.66 : 1 since the only camera change was the addition of the anamorphic lens with a two-times optical compression. The standard 1.33 : 1 aperture was retained (i.e. 2 x 1.33 = 2.66). Later, this ratio was reduced to 2.55 : 1 by the addition of MagOptical Stereophonic Sound, which slightly cut into the picture area on each side. Regular optical sound, and Perspecta Stereophonic Sound prints, retained the 2.66 : 1 shape.

The soundtrack issue is what I meant to adress here:

Hey, where is the Ben Hur poll? (2.76:1)

http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/widescreen/wingup4.htm

That's old Cinemascope!

Soon the 1.33 : 1 aperture was replaced with a 1.18 : 1 aperture, and the resulting image was standardized in an aspect ratio of 2.35 : 1, regardless of sound-track format. All of this has lead to much confusion over the years as to the actual aspect ratio of CinemaScope, a debate further fueled by the fact that 16mm and 8mm 'Scope ratios are always given as 2.66 : 1. Actually, 16mm anamorphic is 2.75 : 1, and 8mm is 2.66 : 1, because of the difference in their camera apertures, 1.37 : 1 and 1.33 : 1 respectively.

So, you did know why there's the difference between 1.37 and 1.33, so why did you ask? ;)

[mattias]

knowing that there's a difference and knowing why are different things, aren't they? i would also like to know *why* there's a difference. is full academy aperture 1.33 or 1.37? i've seen it mentioned as both. i actually thought super 8 was 1.37 too which was just "rounded" off to 4:3, which is what you do with 16mm all the time.

/matt

[jpolzfuss]

So, you did know why there's the difference between 1.37 and 1.33, so why did you ask?

I didn't know that 16mm is 1.37 instead of 1.33 before quoting the text from that link.