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Learn aboutMovie formats |
Short Description
Movies are a great way to capture a special moment. A classic scene from Casablanca pictured.
Movie format refers to a cameras video resolution and frame rate. Video resolutions come in different sizes and aspect ratios. The aspect ratio, resolution and frame rate all contribute to the overall quality of a video. Standard video sizes range from a minimum resolution of 320x240 up to 1920x1080, frame rates range from 15 to 30 frames per second and finally aspect ratios are typically 4:3 or 16:9.
Digicam vs SLR for Movies
Previously most DSLRs did not come with a movie mode but that is changing, currently many SLRs have movie shooting capabilities. Almost every digicam now ships with a movie mode. SLRs tend to have more advanced movie shooting capabilities beside those represented by the movie format. In general the movie format of a camera is just one element contributing to the quality of the movies.
The rest of the section goes over the movie capability in detail, covering resolution, frame rate and aspect ratio.
Recommended Cameras for Shooting Video
We have found (as seen in our review of aspect ratios, video resolutions and frame rates below) that 720p (1280x720) at frame rates of 24fps or higher offers the best compromise between high def and ease of use. Here are some great cameras that shoot at least 720p.
The Canon ELPH 520 HS is one of the best ultra compacts for movies.
Aspect Ratio
The aspect ratio refers to the ratio of width to height of the image. You'll notice that in a movie theater they tend to have really wide screens, some wider than they are tall. The reason for this is its a lot closer to the aspect ratio of human vision (which must be very wide (2:35:1) to capture all of our peripheral vision but not very wide (4:3) to capture our high res center vision ), by filling up all of our vision with the video it becomes more immersive. Theatres got this right in the 1950s. To create that cinematic feel with your digicam you need to go wide wide wide.
16:9
16:9 - the new standard for home video.16:9 is a ratio of 1.78:1, that is the width of the video is 1.78X wider than the height. This is the aspect ratio you're likely to see when you walk into your local electronics store and check out the latest TVs. 16:9 (aka sixteen by nine) is the international standard format for HDTV, that means your videos will display well at home and overseas as all HD TV sets have been standardized around this aspect ratio.
4:3
4:3 - the old standard for home video.4:3 is a ratio of 1.33:1, that is the width of the video is 1.33X wider than the height. This aspect ratio dates back to the invention of the television. Up until recently this was the aspect ratios for TVs and TV programming, but that is quickly changing. 4:3 (aka four by three) can in some way be thanked for the move to wider formats such as 16:9. Back in the 1950s when TV threatened cinema attendance Hollywood developed the widescreen aspect ratios to differentiate themselves.
Difference between 16:9 and 4:3
The only difference is width but that doesn't tell the whole story when comparing them. Here are two copies of the same image (shot on a Canon EOS XTi), but formatted to different aspect ratios. We're using a high quality image to best illustrate the differences vs a video frame grab which tend to not illustrate the difference as well.
Sample 16:9 Image, illustrating the wider formats larger horizontal coverage.
Sample 4:3 Image, illustrating the traditional standard definition format (SDTV).
You can see the wider 16 by 9 format feels more natural, displaying more of the scene and capturing a better balance. So the wider format gives you different creative options. More importantly though is to consider what TV you're going to be displaying the video you shoot on your digital camera.
How will the video look in my old school 4:3 TV?
As you can see if you own a 4:3 TV and you shoot 16:9 video you're going to end up with a lot of your screen getting wasted, if you have a giant TV this might be okay but in general it is best to pick a video aspect ratio that matches what it will be displayed on. That being said many people love the look of the 16:9, widescreen format so the loss of display space may be worth it.
4:3 video displayed at its native aspect ratio - filling the whole screen.
16:9 displayed on a 4:3 sdTV takes up less space as black bars must be put at the top and bottom to preserve the 16:9 ratio.
How will the video look in my brand new 16:9 high definition TV
As you can see if you own a 16:9 TV then 16:9 video really looks the best, it fills the space up nicely and just looks better than the 4:3 video. If you do happen to shoot 4:3 video most 16:9 TVs are pretty big and 4:3 ends up looking good.
4:3 video displayed on a 16:9 hdTV takes up less space as black bars must be placed to the right and left to preserve the 4:3 ratio.
16:9 displayed in its native aspect ratio on a 16:9 hdTV TV. The ideal way to watch wide format videos.
Resolution
The resolution of the video refers to the size of the video, which is often related to the display resolution (the display resolution is the resolution of what you'll actually watch the video on: TV, monitor, projector, etc). The bigger and higher resolution of your TV the more important it is to have higher resolution video to show on it. Just like a camera's rating resolution rating, video is rated for the number of pixels. The more pixels the bigger you can make the video and still have it sharp and clear. Here's an overview of the different resolution options.
Comparing the difference between 480p vs 720p vs 1080p. The full image (1920x1080) takes up a lot of screen space so you may have trouble viewing it without zooming and scrolling. Full 1920x1080 Comparison of Resolutions.
480p (640x480)
640x480 (480p) is the resolution that almost every camera can shoot at, most digicams from the last two years shoot at least 480p. Although there are lower resolutions (typically for high speed video), 640x480 should really be the lowest resolution to consider. 640x480 is a pretty good resolution, its not HD but its the resolution of standard definition television (SDTV) and a good quality source at 480p can look pretty good. Most people will be happy with this resolution but those who love the idea of widescreen, high definition home movies will want to venture into the two HDTV options.
How does 480p Measure Up?
- 480p vs 720p: 480p has 1/3 the resolution
- 480p vs 1080p: 480p has about 1/7 the resolution
- Click on the full resolution sample and you'll see that a clean 480p image can be fantastic - DVD is after all "only" 480p
720p (1280x720)
1280x720 (720p) is the lowest of two HDTV resolutions. The ability for digital cameras to shoot high definition video started to pick up in 2009 and is now available on many cameras. 720p provides fantastic video quality that is perfect for large screen TVs and high definition home movies.
352 out of 735 (47.9%) recent digital cameras shoot 720p video or better, with the Fujifilm FinePix S8400 at the top of the heap. The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS6 is the least expensive at $0. See all recent cameras that shoot 720p.
Click to view a full size preview of 1280x720 resolution - Remember 720p is very high resolution video, your browser may resize this image - zoom in if it does.
How does 720p Measure Up
- 720p vs 480p: 720p has 3X the resolution
- 720p vs 1080p: 720p has about 1/2 the resolution
- 720p is a fantastic high definition resolution to shoot at
Affordable 720p
Shooting 720p doesn't have to be expensive, you can shoot 720p video on a small budget - here are some different low cost 720p digital cameras:
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Sony Cyber-shot WX50
from $100
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Learn more about the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX50 |
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Fujifilm Finepix F600 EXR
from $125
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Learn more about the Fujifilm Finepix F600 EXR |
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Canon PowerShot ELPH 110 HS
from $140
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Learn more about the Canon PowerShot ELPH 110 HS |
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Canon ELPH 320 HS
from $133
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Learn more about the Canon PowerShot ELPH 320 HS |
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See more of the top affordable 720p digital cameras |
1080p (1920x1080)
1920x1080 (1080p) is the highest of two HDTV resolutions. 1080p is also known as Full HD and is very high resolution video. Because of it's extreme size it requires more storage space, faster computers to edit, more powerful camera processors and a very large TV to notice the difference. Currently 12 of 500 cameras released in the last 2 years shoot 1080p
226 out of 735 (30.7%) recent digital cameras shoot 1080p video or better, with the Canon PowerShot A3500 IS at the top of the heap. The Fujifilm FinePix T400 is the least expensive at $60. See all recent cameras that shoot 1080p.
Click to view a full size preview of 1920x1080 resolution - Remember 1080p is very high resolution video, your browser may resize this image - zoom in if it does.
How does 1080p Measure Up?
- 1080p vs 480p: 1080p has 7X the resolution
- 1080p vs 720p: 1080p has about 2X the resolution
- 1080p is a fantastic high definition resolution to shoot at
- 1080p is the pinnacle of HD quality - but more suited for pros and hard core enthusiasts
Affordable 1080p
Shooting 1080p doesn't have to be expensive, you can shoot 1080p video on a small budget - here are some different low cost 1080p digital cameras:
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Canon PowerShot A3500 IS
from $167
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Learn more about the Canon PowerShot A3500 IS |
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GoPro HERO3 Black Edition
from $515
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Learn more about the GoPro HERO3 Black Edition |
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Canon PowerShot SX50 HS
from $429
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Learn more about the Canon PowerShot SX50 HS |
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Nikon D3200
from $547
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Learn more about the Nikon D3200 |
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See more of the top affordable 1080p digital cameras |
Visual difference between 480p, 720p and 1080p
The following three images demonstrate the relative differences between adding more pixels. Each image is exactly the same but scaled to show how each different resolution captures more pixels and thus more details. These show the exact difference in size between the 480p, 720p and 1080p. Each using successively more pixels and capturing more detail.
The above is a 100% crop of 720p video. 720p captures the image with the second most detail - 1/2 of Full HD 1080p.
The above is a 100% crop of 480p video. This captures the image with the least detail - 1/7 of Full HD 1080p.
The above is a 100% crop of 1080p video. 1080p Full HD captures the image with the most detail.
Can you See the Difference between 480p, 720p and 1080p?
These images are designed to help you understand whether you can tell 480p,720p and 1080p apart given your viewing environment. Is there really a big difference by using 1080p? Take into account that your TV won't change size based on the video your watching, instead the video will just be scaled to fit your TV. Consequently, the best way to understand the differences is to see 480p,720p and 1080p scaled to the same display resolution. 1080p is being showing at 100% crop full resolution and 720p and 480p are both being scaled up.
Look at these images and walk away from your screen - when does 720p look basically the same as 1080p - how far are you from the screen. Remember two things when doing this mini test
- You'll likely be 5-10ft away from your TV when viewing
- A monitor 11" tall 2.5ft in front of you is the same as a 52" monster flatscreen 8ft in front of you in terms of size within your field of vision.
We think what you'll find is that 480p is pretty good, 720p definitely makes a difference if you're close enough and 1080p really isn't such a big deal despite the quoted 2X resolution advantage.
The above is a 100% crop of 1080p video. 1080p Full HD captures the image with the most detail.
720p resolution scaled to 1080p to simulate the difference. Although slightly softer, when standing slightly back and when the picture is moving the difference is negligible.
480p resolution scaled to 1080p to simulate the difference. Although visibly softer, the quality is still quite good from reasonable viewing distances. DVDs can still look fantastic when watched on a 50" screen - and they are the same resolution as this. For home movies this is still quite good.Conclusions
- 720p is the likely the best option if you want high definition video
- 1080p is better for pros
- 16:9 vs 4:3 - 16:9 looks better but its best when you have a widescreen TV
- Image quality is also important
Related Info
- Old school TV used under creative commons license, thanks to Daily Invention
- Aspect ratio info at Wikipedia
Showing 23 comments
Sourav Kings
Hope this helps.
BTW,
what does it mean when the specs of a still camera states its can record video at 1280x1024 dpi ? (I thought dpi usually refer to the Resolution Quality of Printed Image)
Does it mean that the ASPECT RATIO of the Video shot by this camera is ( 1.25 : 1 ), ie. poorer than the 4:3 aspect ration of Standard Definition TVs?
i see some camera have 24p ..is it refer to video??
However you seem to have mixed up the titles and captions for the images under "Visual difference..."? The 480p example should be the smallest image. /Fredrik
Regarding your comment about the Cybershot failing to meet 1080p standards, is that because it shoots at 60 frames per second interlaced? I've done some digging on that, and it looks like it might actually be 1080p:
I've read a bit more about Sony's 1920x1080 @ 60i, and from what I can tell its actually the same as 30p, read the section titled "30P or 60i – Which Is It?" here:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/camcorders/vg10.shtml
"Most people interested in video know that interlaced is old tech, that all modern TVs are progressive devices, and that therefore Progressive video recording is to be preferred, because it potentially offers twice the vertical resolution of interlaced. But Sony AVCHD video cameras (at least until one gets to their higher-end prosumer and pro gear) is speced as recording 60i. But, when you read the fine print you discover that qt least some of these cameras (such as the VG10) really aren't recording 60i, they're capturing 30P and placing it in a 60i "wrapper"."
You may also want to note that there are numerous standards of 720p and 1080p. 720/1080p that fall in to the 30fps range and the proper/true 720/1080p that use 60fps. Anything that falls below 30 frames per second should be considered mediocre as it is very noticable.