Digital BW, The Print

Hello Adam,

>Standard Print sizes long predate the dominance of 35mm, it's only 
>from the 1960's to the 1990's that 35mm was the dominant format. 
>Most larger print sizes either match a Sheet Film size or are an 
>easy enlargement from a sheet film size.

My understanding is that 35mm is/was originally motion picture film,
so I suppose that aspect was for theater screens.  I have never liked
the 2:3 ratio for photos, it always seemed too long.  My favorite
camera for years was a Pentax 6x7 which was closer to the ratio of
photo papers.  With 35mm I always had to compose while remembering how
much would have to be cropped.  But I also often felt that the 8x10
ratio was a bit too fat.  

I have really come to love the 3:4 ratio of digicams.  It's right in
between the two extremes.  I don't know how the industry decided on
3:4 for digicams but I'm glad they did.  The photos look great and
they fit nicely on 8.5x11 paper.  Unfortunately, standard frame and
mat sizes are still 8x10/11x14, so framing at 8.5x11 is still a custom
job.

I like to reduce the various ratios to a single aspect number, derived
by dividing the short side by the long.  It makes it easier to
mentally sort them. Here they are in order, for various films and papers:

Size               A#
----------------------
35mm/DSLR 2:3-----.66
4x6---------------.66
13x19-------------.68
5x7---------------.71
645 (41x56mm)-----.73 (image size from a Mamiya 645 contact sheet)
digicams 3:4------.75
8.5x11------------.77
11x14-------------.78 
6x7 (55x70mm)-----.78 (image size from a Pentax 67 contact sheet)
8x10/4x5----------.80
6x6--------------1.00


Regards,
Clayton


Info on black and white digital printing at    
http://www.cjcom.net/digiprnarts.htm