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Why does Adobe Bridge's filter panel lists DSLR photographs' aspect ratios as 2:3? Everywhere else I have looked, this ratio is named 3:2.

Same thing with 4:3 which is listed as 3:4. There doesn't seem to be much consistency either because some aspect ratios are listed correctly, like 16:9 for instance.

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The ratio is probably adjusted according to orientation as well. For example, a 3:2 image would be wider than it is tall, where as a 2:3 image would be taller than it is wide. Same goes for 4:3 vs. 3:4. If you had a vertical panorama, you might find the ratio to be 9:16, rather than 16:9.

Having the aspect ratio be corrected for orientation is actually a very useful thing, so count your blessings!

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Actually no. All photos are labeled with the same 2:3 aspect ratio, regardless or orientation. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jean-Claude
    Commented Aug 15, 2012 at 18:07
  • \$\begingroup\$ There is also the possibility its simply different interpretation. I think most people read ratios as width:height, however some simply think about it differently, and see them as height:width. I am not sure if there is a configuration option to change the way Bridge renders ratios, but it may simply be that the developer who implemented it thinks about ratios in the less common way. \$\endgroup\$
    – jrista
    Commented Aug 15, 2012 at 18:22
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Height x Width - This is the standard in the Book world, and Fine Art in particular, the dimensions are always listed as H x W. (Reference the Chicago Style Manual.)

Also in wood industry and in the sign companies everything is H x W. The orientation doesn't have any importance.

I know in the Graphics/Computer world we sometimes do not have the image to immediately see, yet we must allow the correct space in the Layout or Design – so that the other convention (W x H) is important.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I understand this, but what puzzles me is the inconsistency in Bridge. Some ratios are listed as Height x Width (3:4) and others as Width x Height (16:9). \$\endgroup\$
    – Jean-Claude
    Commented Aug 16, 2012 at 13:20
  • \$\begingroup\$ All the ratios which are related to photos are falling in the Book/Fine Art industry. Hence H x W. All the ratios which are related to video are falling in the Video(Computer) category (gee!). Hence W x H. Yes, it is puzzling. Also as a personal opinion, I don't like too much the path which Bridge is following... \$\endgroup\$
    – John Thomas
    Commented Aug 17, 2012 at 6:10
  • \$\begingroup\$ The confusion may come from HxW. For ratios,we should use «Long Dimension:Short Dimension» (LD:SD). In a folder, Bridge shows horizontal images as 4928x3264 & vertical images as 3264x4928. For now there is consistency (W x H). To get the aspect ratio, I divide LD by SD: 4928÷3264=1.5. «W by H» or «H by W» will not always work because these units vary depending on orientation. Ratios need to be read as LD:SD for all images. Bridge uses 2:3 instead of 3:2 regardless of orientation: 2÷3 = 0.66, not 1.5. HxW is orientation. Ratio is independant of size and orientation. Thanks for your input! \$\endgroup\$
    – Jean-Claude
    Commented Aug 17, 2012 at 14:56
  • \$\begingroup\$ Yes, of course. See, in non-digital industries the material (wood, paper etc.) is prepared somewhere else by someone else. There isn't anything like orientation: "Portrait" or "landscape" depends on how the content will be put on it. That's why all workers with which I spoke doesn't say "Height" and "Width" but "long dimension" and "short dimension". Btw, if you think that I've responded correctly you can accept the answer by pressing the check mark. \$\endgroup\$
    – John Thomas
    Commented Aug 18, 2012 at 7:08

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