Olympus E-PM2, M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5~5.6 EZ

The Half-Frame Format: Looking at the 3:4 half frame, or portrait format as the image aspect ratio for social media sharing and web publishing.

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The half-frame format, with images framed in the 3:4 image aspect ratio, is a unique photographic style that re-emerges with the Pentax 17 35mm Half-Frame camera, launched by Ricoh in June 2024. The format, which measures 3 units in width against 4 units in height, also called the portrait format, became popular when Olympus PEN half-frame film cameras began to be sold in the early 1960s. On film, the image frame is 18x24mm, half the size of the standard 35mm film frame, which is 24x36mm. On the camera, you can fit 72 images on a standard 36-frame film roll.

For practical purposes, the 3:4 aspect ratio is clearly distinct from the ubiquitous 3:2 image aspect ratio found in traditional 35mm photography and on modern digital cameras fitted with both ASP-C and full-frame image sensors. This difference influences how images are composed and displayed. The frame is almost standard on mobile devices and is the format most preferred for sharing photos on social media platforms and for web publishing. On print, the 3:4 aspect ratio aligns better with certain print sizes, allowing for a more natural fit without cropping

When using the half-frame format, which is almost a square with an elongated height, photographers should pay close attention to composition, as the orientation of the frame requires careful framing of subjects. The visually smaller frame size requires careful framing of subjects. Techniques such as the rule of thirds and leading lines can be particularly effective in maximizing the visual impact of each shot while experimenting with distinct compositional styles is also an adage to the effort.

Olympus E-PM2, M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5~5.6 EZ

For photo enthusiasts on digitals, the 3:4 image aspect ratio is one of the image frame presets available on many cameras, including the Olympus E-PM2 used for this feature. While you can still use the standard 4:3 image frame on a digital camera to shoot 3:4 image aspect ratios by holding the camera vertically, presetting the camera to the 3:4 image aspect means that you can use and shoot images normally, i.e. with the camera held horizontally.

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