Is 3:2 wider than 4:3?

Yes. 3:2 equals 1.5 and 4:3 equals 1.33, so at the same height a 3:2 frame is about 12.5% wider. Seen the other way, at the same width a 4:3 frame is about 12.5% taller. The overlay view above shows this clearly.

What do I lose when I crop 3:2 to 4:3?

You trim a thin strip from the left and right edges. The top and bottom stay the same. Nothing is stretched or distorted, so the change is small as long as your subject is not pressed against the sides of the frame.

Why do most cameras shoot 3:2?

Because 3:2 is the shape of a 35mm film frame. Digital SLRs inherited it from film cameras, and most mirrorless bodies kept it. It also matches the standard 6×4 inch print, so photos fit common print sizes without cropping.

Micro Four Thirds cameras, many compact and phone cameras, tablets such as the iPad, and most presentation templates. It was also the old standard for televisions and computer monitors before widescreen took over.

Can I compare other ratios with this tool?

Yes. The page opens with 3:2 and 4:3 selected, but the tool stays fully interactive. Switch either side to another preset, or enter a custom width and height to compare any two formats.

3:2 vs 4:3

Two formats that look almost the same until you put them next to each other. 3:2 is the shape of 35mm film and most cameras; 4:3 is the slightly taller, more compact classic. See exactly how far apart they really are.

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3:2 VS 4:3

Compare 3:2 and 4:3

The tool starts with 3:2 on the left and 4:3 on the right. Use the buttons to overlay or normalize the shapes, add a photo or video, or pick a different ratio on either side.

Ratio A

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Current Ratio:

: (:1)

Ratio B

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Width Height

Current Ratio:

: (:1)

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Visual Comparison

Comparison Results

Percentage Difference

Decimal Ratios

Wider Ratio

Understanding 3:2 and 4:3

Two close cousins from photography and the early screen era

3:2 works out to 1.5:1 and is the native shape of 35mm film, almost every DSLR and most mirrorless cameras. 4:3 is 1.33:1 — a touch taller and more compact — and comes from early television, Micro Four Thirds cameras, many compact cameras, tablets and slide decks. The two are closer than most ratio pairs, which is exactly why the difference is easy to miss.

3:2 — the camera standard A ratio of 1.5:1. It started with 35mm film and carried over to DSLRs and mirrorless bodies. It also matches the classic 6×4 inch print, which is why prints from these cameras need no cropping.

4:3 — the compact classic A ratio of 1.33:1. Slightly taller for the same width. Used by Micro Four Thirds, many compact and phone cameras, old monitors and TVs, iPads and most presentation templates.

How far apart are they At the same height, a 3:2 frame is about 12.5% wider than 4:3. At the same width, a 4:3 frame is about 12.5% taller. It is a small gap, but enough to matter when you print or crop.

What happens when you switch Going from 3:2 to 4:3 trims the long edges of the frame; going from 4:3 to 3:2 trims the top and bottom. Nothing is stretched — you simply lose a strip from the sides that do not fit.

3:2 vs 4:3: what the numbers mean

Both numbers describe how wide a frame is compared to its height. 3:2 is 1.5, so the picture is half again as wide as it is tall. 4:3 is 1.33, only a third wider than tall. The difference between 1.5 and 1.33 is small, which is why the two shapes look so similar at a glance. Put them at the same height and the 3:2 frame is about 12.5% wider; put them at the same width and the 4:3 frame is about 12.5% taller. That single strip along the edge is the whole story of this comparison.

Where 3:2 comes from

3:2 is the shape of a single frame of 35mm film. When film cameras set the standard, the ratio stuck, and digital SLRs inherited it directly from their film ancestors. Today almost every DSLR and most full-frame and APS-C mirrorless cameras shoot 3:2 by default. It also lines up neatly with the 6×4 inch print, the most common photo size, so a straight shot from the camera fits the print with nothing left over.

Where 4:3 comes from

4:3 has two separate roots. It was the television and computer-monitor standard for most of the 20th century, which is why it can feel old-fashioned on a screen. In photography it lives on through the Micro Four Thirds system, many compact cameras and the default mode of most phone cameras. Tablets like the iPad use it because the slightly taller shape suits reading and browsing, and most slide templates still default to 4:3 as well.

Cropping between the two

Because the ratios are close, moving an image from one to the other only costs a thin slice. Crop a 3:2 photo to 4:3 and you trim the left and right edges. Crop a 4:3 photo to 3:2 and you trim the top and bottom. Either way the rest of the picture stays exactly as it was — nothing is squeezed or stretched. The practical advice is simple: leave a little breathing room around your subject when you shoot, so you can crop to either format later without cutting into anything important.

Which one should you use?

If your camera shoots 3:2 and you print at standard sizes, there is rarely a reason to change. 4:3 is worth choosing when you want a slightly tighter, taller frame, when you are shooting Micro Four Thirds, or when the final home is a tablet or a slide. For social media, neither is ideal on its own — most feeds prefer square or vertical — so you will crop regardless. The format matters most at the moment you print or hand the image to a fixed layout.

See the difference yourself

Use the comparison above and turn on the photo or video preview to feel how close these two really are. The overlay view places one ratio on top of the other so you can see exactly which strip of the frame is added or removed. Switch either side to another ratio whenever you want to compare something else.