3:2 Aspect Ratio Calculator

What Is the 3:2 Aspect Ratio?

The 3:2 aspect ratio means the width is 1.5 times the height. For every 3 units of width, you get 2 units of height. It's one of the most established ratios in photography, dating back to the original 35mm film format that Oskar Barnack developed for Leica cameras in the 1920s.

The 35mm film frame measured 36mm x 24mm - and that's exactly a 3:2 ratio. When digital cameras arrived, most DSLR and mirrorless camera manufacturers stuck with this same proportion for their sensors. So if you're shooting with a Canon EOS R5, Nikon Z8, or Sony A7 series, your images come out of the camera at 3:2 by default.

What makes 3:2 feel natural is that it's wider than the old TV standard (4:3) but not as stretched as widescreen (16:9). It gives you enough horizontal space to include context in a scene without the image feeling overly cinematic or panoramic. There's a reason it's been the photographer's default for a century.

Where 3:2 Is Used

DSLR and Mirrorless Cameras: Almost every APS-C and full-frame camera shoots at 3:2. This includes Canon, Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm (X-series), and Pentax. When you open a RAW file from any of these cameras, you're looking at a 3:2 image. Micro Four Thirds cameras from Olympus and Panasonic are the exception - they use 4:3 instead.

Standard Photo Prints: The common 4x6 inch print is a 3:2 ratio, which means DSLR photos fit perfectly without any cropping. The same goes for 6x9, 8x12, 12x18, and 20x30 prints. If you've ever wondered why your photos get cropped when you order 5x7 or 8x10 prints, it's because those sizes don't match the 3:2 ratio your camera uses.

35mm Film: Every roll of 35mm film - whether it's Kodak Portra, Fuji Superia, or Ilford HP5 - produces 36x24mm frames at a 3:2 ratio. This has been the standard since the 1920s, and it's still going strong with the film photography revival.

Microsoft Surface Devices: Microsoft's Surface tablets and laptops use a 3:2 display ratio instead of the typical 16:9. The Surface team chose 3:2 because it provides more vertical space for documents and web browsing, which makes it feel closer to holding a sheet of paper. Chromebook Pixel and some Huawei MateBooks use 3:2 as well.

Common 3:2 Resolutions

These are the most widely used resolutions that follow the 3:2 aspect ratio, from common camera sensor outputs to display resolutions.

3:2 Compared to Other Photo Ratios

If you've ever printed photos, you've probably noticed that some sizes crop your image and others don't. That's entirely about aspect ratio. A 4x6 print is 3:2, so DSLR photos fit perfectly. But an 8x10 print is 5:4, which means the sides of your 3:2 photo get cropped off. Same thing with 5x7 prints - that's a 7:5 ratio, so you lose a bit of the frame.

Compared to 4:3, the 3:2 ratio is slightly wider. The difference is subtle but noticeable - 3:2 gives landscapes a bit more breathing room and portraits a slightly more relaxed feel. Micro Four Thirds cameras use 4:3, so if you're switching between systems, keep this difference in mind when composing shots.

For social media, 3:2 doesn't map perfectly to any major platform's preferred format. Instagram favors 1:1 squares and 4:5 portraits, while YouTube and most video uses 16:9. So photos from your DSLR usually need some cropping before they look right on social platforms. That said, many photography-focused sites like Flickr, 500px, and SmugMug display 3:2 images perfectly since they're designed around the standard camera ratio. For a deep dive on every camera sensor ratio, print size, and cropping workflow, see our photography & print aspect ratios guide.

Frequently Asked Questions