Why rotate camera for vertical shots: Was wondering, in this day of computer-cameras, why we have to rotate the camera to take a vertically oriented photo. It seems this could be done...

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

Was wondering, in this day of computer-cameras, why we have to rotate the camera to take a vertically oriented photo. It seems this could be done with the push of a button. Are the sensors rectangular? If so, why not square to allow a landscape or portrait mode? Or do some cameras do this already?

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

gvarner wrote:

Was wondering, in this day of computer-cameras, why we have to rotate the camera to take a vertically oriented photo. It seems this could be done with the push of a button. Are the sensors rectangular? If so, why not square to allow a landscape or portrait mode? Or do some cameras do this already?

GV, welcome to the Hog.
GV, it's ALL about pixels and retaining as many in the final file as possible. That's why pros are trained to crop in the field with their cameras, and not at the computer.
MANY cameras do as you say, but they loose pixels, hence IQ. ;-)
SS

amehta Loc: Boston

gvarner wrote:

Was wondering, in this day of computer-cameras, why we have to rotate the camera to take a vertically oriented photo. It seems this could be done with the push of a button. Are the sensors rectangular? If so, why not square to allow a landscape or portrait mode? Or do some cameras do this already?

Yes, the sensor is rectangular, matching the image which you see. Some people do prefer square formats, and probably the most notable is the Hasselblad medium format cameras. But many images are better suited to a rectangular format, so DSLRs use 3x2 while many other digital cameras use 4x3. With some cropping it can be square or panoramic. There is no single perfect format, so the rectangle is one compromise.

While we are in a "computer-camera" age, there are still basic physical factors involved. :-)

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

gvarner wrote:

Was wondering, in this day of computer-cameras, why we have to rotate the camera to take a vertically oriented photo. It seems this could be done with the push of a button. Are the sensors rectangular? If so, why not square to allow a landscape or portrait mode? Or do some cameras do this already?

Yes, rectangular, the bigger the sensor the more expensive they are, so a square one would be much more expensive than a rectangular one.
Do you want to pay hundreds of dollars more for your camera?

Hunakai

Study, or at least, visit the works of Bresson.
Any time you crop out of the vertical to the horizontal, or vice versa, either film or digital, you lose two things: a sense of the image, and all that your camera and you are to be in harmony with as you see. It is wise and rightfully so, to see the final image at the moment it is taken.As rules are not hard and fast, and we must make choices, it is always best to see the final image at the time we look through the viewfinder. It just makes all of us a better photographer and distinguishes us from picture takers.

lighthouse Loc: No Fixed Abode

Hunakai wrote:

Study, or at least, visit the works of Bresson. b... (show quote)

Sounds good .... pity that i disagree emphatically.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

I suppose a camera housing a user-controlled rotating sensor could be designed. But I don't think there is enough consumer demand for camera manufacturers to add such a feature.

amehta Loc: Boston

rook2c4 wrote:

I suppose a camera housing a user-controlled rotating sensor could be designed. But I don't think there is enough consumer demand for camera manufacturers to add such a feature.

Sure, they have existed for medium format cameras for years.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

amehta wrote:

Sure, they have existed for medium format cameras for years.

You are absolutely right - I forgot about that.

username

As an aside, I was researching point and shoots for my mom and stumbled upon a camera (Pentax I think) that had two shutter buttons for shooting horizontal and vertical.

tradergeorge Loc: Newport, Kentucky

Every time you ask, "Why don't they...", you have to consider the ramifications in terms of tooling, compatibility with accessories, cost, and many other factors that do not immediately come to mind, but are the product of design and engineering. The sensor sizes and aspect ratios are chosen for real and good reasons. they are accepted across platforms and MFR's. Changing them would not be a trivial matter by any means.....Than being said, features change all the time. However, I doubt this one would change solely for the purpose you stated. People are just too used to how they are to upset the apple cart. JMHO..YMMV

billgdyoung Loc: Big Bear City, CA

there is a school of thought that says you can always crop a landscape orientation to vertical, but the image loses too much when trying to make a vertical image become horizontal.

amehta Loc: Boston

billgdyoung wrote:

there is a school of thought that says you can always crop a landscape orientation to vertical, but the image loses too much when trying to make a vertical image become horizontal.

I think it's really wrong to associate that statement with either "school" or "thought".

BobHartung Loc: Bettendorf, IA

amehta wrote:

Yes, the sensor is rectangular, matching the image... (show quote)

As a tangent:
If you want a square format shoot a simple two image panorama with the camera in either the vertical or horizontal position. However, I always use the vertical position.

Sometimes the square format is ideal, and that is when I use this to maximize image quality for printing.

twowindsbear

I can set my camer - and my cell - to record square images. Prrhaps your camera has a simular setting?