E-P1 aspect ratios

[Chuck A]

Hey All,

I am really interested in shooting RAW using the 6x6 aspect ratio of the camera. I love this format and am excited to see the E-P1 include it. I want to shoot RAW plus B&W JPG for later RAW processing.

The Ricoh GX200 has a pretty straightforward way of handling this but I am a bit confused how the E-P1 does it. It appears that it includes data with the RAW file about the crop but does not actually crop the RAW until post processing. If you shoot RAW plus JPG does it give you a cropped JPG? Do you manually have to crop the RAW file when you process it? I wish that I could see one of these in person!!!!!!!

Anybody with an E-P1 can you explore this and give me some idea of how it works. Maybe I am reading too much into this and it works like the Ricohs.

Thanks,
Chuck A

 

[Annna T]

Hey All,

I am really interested in shooting RAW using the 6x6 aspect ratio of the camera. I love this format and am excited to see the E-P1 include it. I want to shoot RAW plus B&W JPG for later RAW processing.

(...) confused how the E-P1 does it. It appears that it includes data with the RAW file about the crop but does not actually crop the RAW until post processing. If you shoot RAW plus JPG does it give you a cropped JPG? Do you manually have to crop the RAW file when you process it? I wish that I could see one of these in person!!!!!!!

Chuck A

I didn't try the 6x6 format, only 16x9. The jpeg is cropped in camera. But the Raw file is raw; it offers the whole frame. When you open it in Olympus Maser 2, the crop tool is present and a dialogue box ask whether you want to apply the crop or not.. I find the way it is handled very good : you can choose afterward, whether you still want the 6x6 view or not.

And the fact that you have to crop the picture by yourself will make you realize how much of the picture you are loosing. Personnally I like the 16:09 format, which is quite good in some landscapes or city shots, when the foreground isn't that interesting.. With a 6x6 cut you loose too much of the picture IMO..

 

[Streetshooter]

Yes true you loose much going to 6x6 but then again...you can't make diamonds with 16/9...
I spent years with a Hassy and made diamonds doing portraits etc......

great stuff....

 

[Chuck A]

Thanks for the replies. I thought my post was lost somewhere. I really love the square format. We will have to see how large of a print can be made cropping to this degree.

I wonder if other RAW developers will do what Oly Master does. I would hate to have to use it for all of my square shots. I much prefer Lightroom and Photoshop.

Thanks again.

 

[Rawfa]

The E-P1's sensor original aspect ratio is 4:3, right? I used to shoot a lot with 16:9because I really like what it did to landscapes, but then I don't know why I simply started going with 4:3. Even though it's not my cup of tea 6:6 might give you a cool polaroid look...throw in a white frame into the mix and you're gold.

 

[Streetshooter]

Seems Jono is right about doing raw and LSF jpg.
That way when you convert the raw file, you have the jpg
to see the crop of the aspect ratio.
I have prints due today and that will show what this camera can do.
Don

 

[thomasl.se]

I didn't try the 6x6 format, only 16x9. The jpeg is cropped in camera. But the Raw file is raw; it offers the whole frame. When you open it in Olympus Maser 2, the crop tool is present and a dialogue box ask whether you want to apply the crop or not.

I just got an E-P2 and first test shot was to see whether a 3:2 composed RAW would open as a 4:3 in Lightroom 3, which it didn't. Is OM2 the only RAW converter for composing 3:2 and open the full 4:3?

 

[kai.e.g.]

As far as I know, you only get to see the full RAW frame if you use Oly Master (or Studio). 3rd party products like Lightroom will apply the crop to the RAW upon importing. It's one of the reasons why I reluctantly avoid using anything other then 4:3, because (1) I don't want to use Oly's software at all, and (2) I like having the possibility of choosing not to crop after the fact.

 

[thomasl.se]

Thanks for the info, kai.

Well, just kill me. Apparently I'm now one of those fools with a bank account.

It would be a significantly, terrifishootally, magnifolia useful feature; one I've missed with the GF1. I was already about to cuss the E-P2's P&S interface and ergonomics, not least for use with manual focus lenses.

Actually I haven't sold the GF1 yet. The VF-2; IS and high ISO performance combined need to prove bit of a smash hit for me lest I'll just sell it and... probably buy more Leica-R glass with marginal solutions for actually using them =]

 

[brianb032]

I actually see the 6x6 on the E-P1 as an advantage to the GH1 and other Panny cameras. At least you can gain your pixels back if you decide that you wanted 4:3 instead of the originally-taken 1:1. (Besides, it's nice to peak outside the frame sometimes.) Every time I'm shooting square on the GH1 I feel like I'm losing something as opposed to shooting with the E-P1 and other Olympus cameras.