Aspect ratio used to be a more prominent issue for digital cinematographers than it is today: before the advent of high-definition cameras, the standard 4:3 aspect ratio of standard-definition TV was generally seen as undesirable for anyone looking for a “cinematic” look, because 4:3 (or 1.33:1) content was associated with broadcast TV, while widescreen compositions were what people expected to see in the theater. When we say “4:3,” we mean the image is four units wide and three units high. When we “1.33:1,” we mean… well, you get it — the same thing. Many times the “:1” is removed because it is implied – shooters will simply say “1.85” instead of “1.85:1.”
HDTV today is widescreen by default, with a 16:9 aspect ratio that works out to be 1.78:1 — very similar to the traditional 1.85:1 aspect ratio of many feature films. Other than these two virtually indistinguishable aspect ratios, the most common widescreen aspect is the CinemaScope ratio of 2.35:1, which appears most often in the multiplex in big-budget films.
2.35:1 films are typically shot with anamorphic cine lenses. Anamorphic lenses are not spherical in the sense that they squeeze an image to fill the negative or sensor, with an additional step necessary during projection to re-stretch the image to the intended size. The odd-looking image here of a lens with an oval aperture demonstrates the non-spherical nature of an anamorphic lens (the aperture is perfectly round, but the lens is distorting our view of it). While it is possible to attach an anamorphic lens to a DSLR, most of us will simply shoot at the native widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9.
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