Steerpike

You raise a great point - there are definitely some video 'subjects' or 'scenes' that lend themselves to portrait mode, but the problem is, the delivery mechanism is well beyond the control of the recorder. Virtually every delivery mechanism is landscape; laptop, desktop, TV. BUT - with more and more people using phones for 'everything', this does complicate the discussion. I personally absolutely hate using the phone to read or view anything, so I'm totally biased against the idea, but if the majority of people are viewing videos on their phone, then portrait mode is unfortunately a viable choice.

Nutek

You are all wrong.

All you Portrait people. Enablers are what you are and there is no excuse.

kimilseung

You just try and get up this hill - go on I dare you!

Nutek

Black bars matter!

Pulaski

Except that every smart phone I know of shows landscape video and images if you turn it sidways. So even if you want to watch a video on your phone (I also prefer not to) that was shot landscape-way, the solution to this "complication" is in your own hands!
Nutek for President!

Nutek

We Landscapers need offer no excuses to these people. Stand firm.

Steerpike

This is very true; but it's a truth that seems not well known! I've seen my niece do endless videos of her kids, and they'd mostly benefit from landscape but they are exclusively portrait. It MIGHT just be the fact that it's easier to 'one-hand' a portrait video; at least for me, I find myself needing two hands to take a 'stable' landscape video, but I guess you can do a reasonable one-hand video when in portrait mode.

I've talked to both my nieces (as representatives of the 'younger generation') and they almost never use their laptops any longer. They sit at home with their phones by their side, and use it for virtually everything. I sometimes send links to complex pages and they can't figure out what I'm referring to because the pages don't render well at all on phone screens, but there's little I can do to change this.

kimilseung

I support your proposal for President as I know cake will be involved, and I shall film your investiture for life, on my phone, portrait of course, posting it to Tik-Tok.

Nutek

Thanks to my love of cake, Landscape is the best way to fit me on the camera.

Pulaski

kimilseung

I can see that argument.

Former Lancastrian

Portrait is for those who have a 50" plus TV and haven't figured out how make the picture fit the whole screen. They probably watch it in 4.3 SD format rather than 16.9 HD when available. Yes mum I am looking at you.

caretaker

I only use portrait when texting pictures because otherwise they come out sideways (the last several have been of the insides of an ice machine). Wide screen is what you would see in the viewfinder of a camera, so it's a natural.

lizzyq

Only if you are lazy, I rotate my 35mm camera to suit the shot as necessary.

Pulaski

An actual 35mm film carmera? Or an SLR?