do all canon point and shoots ONLY allow 4:3 on several settings?

I just got a SX710HS cos I needed a replacement for my ancient casio EX-V8, which strangely took excellent pics! but ONLY in 4:3.

the 710 ONLY takes 4:3 on several settings on the Mode dial.

do all canon point and shoots have this problem?

(I was told it is because computer monitors are 4:3!)

I wanted a small camera with the P,TV Av,M etc like my casio.

suggestions welcome

thanks all

anon125 wrote:

I just got a SX710HS cos I needed a replacement for my ancient casio EX-V8, which strangely took excellent pics! but ONLY in 4:3.

the 710 ONLY takes 4:3 on several settings on the Mode dial.

do all canon point and shoots have this problem?

(I was told it is because computer monitors are 4:3!)

I wanted a small camera with the P,TV Av,M etc like my casio.

suggestions welcome

thanks all

Doesn't it allow 3:2 in P mode?

Brian

hifly wrote:

I always shoot on maximum resolution and then crop.

Same here. Most P&S cameras have a sensor that is 3:4 in shape. That's its native format. If you decide to shoot 2:3, or any other format, you are throwing away pixels.

If you shoot raw + JPEG then the raw will always have the full sensor's worth of pixels so you can use it if you need to, even if its accompanying raw was cropped in camera.

anon125 wrote:

I just got a SX710HS cos I needed a replacement for my ancient casio EX-V8, which strangely took excellent pics! but ONLY in 4:3.

the 710 ONLY takes 4:3 on several settings on the Mode dial.

do all canon point and shoots have this problem?

(I was told it is because computer monitors are 4:3!)

I wanted a small camera with the P,TV Av,M etc like my casio.

suggestions welcome

thanks all

Talking about "problems", did you read the camera manual?

http://www.camera-usermanual.com/manuals/canon/Canon_PowerShot_SX710_HS.pdf, page 163, shown in which modes is "Still Image Aspect Ratio" setting available (P, Tv, Av, M and Auto are included, some others may not be).

In case you really don`t have this setting where you should (which I doubt, but I allow it could be possible), then you have a defective unit. In case you expected them in some mode where they`re not allowed, then yes, that`s how it is.

AlbertInFrance wrote:

hifly wrote:

I always shoot on maximum resolution and then crop.

Same here. Most P&S cameras have a sensor that is 3:4 in shape. That's its native format. If you decide to shoot 2:3, or any other format, you are throwing away pixels.

If you shoot raw + JPEG then the raw will always have the full sensor's worth of pixels so you can use it if you need to, even if its accompanying raw was cropped in camera.

I agree here as well.

"Premature" cropping (in camera, by setting an aspect ratio other then camera`s native, as described above) makes it impossible to regain lost pixels/scene at later time, where it`s always possible to crop the picture a bit differently at later time, making it the desired aspect ratio, without risking to cut out some important part of it.

For example, I shoot 3:2 with G7 X all the time (its native sensor format), yet for portraits I usually tend to crop them to 4:3 in post-processing (which is more natural for this type of photography). Yet, sometimes I leave the picture at 3:2 not to cut out some important part of the scene - something I wouldn`t be able to do if I took a shoot at 4:3 in the first place.

With S120 I shoot at 4:3 as that`s its native sensor format.

Of course, I understand that different people have different preferences, so if someone deliberately wants to use a smaller portion of the sensor (and catch smaller portion of the scene) by choosing a non-native aspect ratio, the camera setting is there to allow it, no problems there (except maybe for some scene modes where a specific aspect ratio isn`t available).

On one of Adorama's resource pages, the reviewer comments, "You can now also shooting in multiple aspect ratios, including 16:9, 3:2, 4:3 and 1:1.". In another review by CameraDicision, it is stated, "You can shoot at maximum resolution of 5184 x 3888 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9". In Amazon.com specs on the camera, it also shows the same aspec ratios. If you want it to format best on a computer screen, you should use the aspect ration of 4:3. If you want it to best match the size of common print paper sizes, you should probably use 3:2. Look into this in the on-line manual, as suggested by one of the others who have answered you.

Island Golfer wrote:

In another review by CameraDicision, it is stated, "You can shoot at maximum resolution of 5184 x 3888 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3, 3:2 and 16:9".

I think this sentence is misleading, to say at least, not to say incorrect - maximum resolution is only available at sensor`s native aspect ratio (usually 4:3 or 3:2), where other image aspect ratios are made by cropping the image - throwing away pixels/data, thus lowering resolution.

If the idea was just to point out that different image aspect ratios are available, then that is correct, indeed

Sort of. About a year ago, I got interested in seeing what ratios were closest to what paper sizes. Of course, if you can get to these ratios, they are meaningless for practical purposes . So, I quit looking any further into it. But, for what it's worth, here's what I discovered (there were others, as well):

3:2 = 16x24, 8x12; 4x6

5:4 = 24x30; 16x20; 8x10

7:5 = 15x21;10x14;5x7

1:5 = 15x25; 9x15; 30x50

Without the ability to have such aspect ratios, you pretty much have to print on over size paper; and cut. Of course, this makes for weird white borders sometimes. Sometimes I would mat to equalize them in an effort to avoid custome framing. I did find a place in Maui, HI (PicturesPlus) that had several made up frames that matched some aspect ratios. But, I doubt it will remain popular enough for them to continue the offering.

I'm not in disagreement. I was merely answering the OP's original question, albeit, in a rather generalized manner.

Island Golfer wrote:

I'm not in disagreement. I was merely answering the OP's original question, albeit, in a rather generalized manner.

Yeah, I supposed so, that`s why I added that last sentence The first part of my comment was more towards the (incorrect) site`s statement, just not to have the OP thinking the full resolution is available at any of these aspect ratios.

Other than that, image aspect ratio setting is configurable, indeed, as you (and others) pointed out, yet may depend on the shooting mode (as some scene modes, for example, may not support some image aspect ratios, linked PDF manual explains it in more details).