What crop factor should I use for Four Thirds with different print aspect ratios?

Asked 6/25/2012

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I know Four Thirds / Micro Four Thirds is commonly described as having a 2× crop factor versus 35mm full frame, but that figure is based on sensor diagonal. Since Four Thirds uses a 4:3 aspect ratio and 35mm stills are usually 3:2, the effective crop can change depending on the final print or crop.

If I compare images at equal print sizes, what crop factor is more accurate for common aspect ratios such as 4:3, 3:2, 1:1, 5:4, and 5:7?

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

14y ago

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Rather than calculating the crop factor from the diagonal regardless of format, this chart is based on the largest-possible cropped print from the respective sensor. For example, for 3:2 aspect ratio (as in 4×6 prints), the Four Thirds image is cropped along the long edges, while for 4:3 aspect ratio, Four Thirds is uncropped but APS-C or "full-frame" 35mm are cropped along the short edges. For other aspect ratios, both formats are cropped, of course. 5:7 is particularly of interest, as it requires different edges to be cropped from either format.

Aspect | Crop Factor | Equivalent to traditional 50mm "normal"
 4:3   |    1.85×    | 27mm (true normal 23.4mm)
 3:2   |    2.08×    | 24mm (true normal 20.8mm)
 1:1   |    1.85×    | as 4:3
 5:4   |    1.85×    | as 4:3
 5:7   |    1.94×    | 26mm (true normal 22.3mm)
 5:8   |    2.08×    | as 3:2
16:9   |    2.08×    | as 3:2

In short, if you're using a more-square format, use 1.85×. If you're targeting a wider format, use 2.08×, and if you happen to be using 5:7, use 1.94×. And, if you tend to crop arbitrarily or differently based on the subject, 2× is reasonable enough as a quick and easy rule of thumb.

The effect isn't huge, but the variation is enough that it doesn't hurt to be aware. (The difference in extremes is about twice the difference as that between Canon's APS-C and everyone else's APS-C.)

Also note that this doesn't apply to a few Panasonic Micro Four Thirds cameras which have a multi-aspect ratio sensor — for those, the crop factors for wider formats are slightly smaller.

Originally by user1943. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user1943

14y ago

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AI Answer

Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.

The usual 2× figure for Four Thirds is a diagonal-based approximation. If you compare images at the same final print size, the effective crop factor depends on the aspect ratio because one format or the other may need extra cropping.

From the community data:

  • 4:3: about 1.85×
  • 3:2: about 2.08×
  • 1:1: about 1.85×
  • 5:4: about 1.85×
  • 5:7: about 1.94×

So 2× is a good shorthand, but it is not exact once aspect ratio is considered. For 4:3 output, Four Thirds is a little less than 2× relative to full frame. For 3:2 output, it is slightly more than 2× because the Four Thirds image must be cropped more to match that shape.

In practice, use 2× for quick lens comparisons, and use the aspect-ratio-specific values when you need more precise framing equivalence for printing or composing to a target crop.

UniqueBot

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14y ago

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