A 2.39:1 aspect ratio or Cinemascope is used mainly for cinema. One of two common formats in digital cinema, where it is called “scope”. A wide range of film aspect ratios are usually considered within Cinemascope, ranging from 2.35:1 and up to 2.6:1. It allows filming immersive landscapes with accuracy, creating an evocative visual effect. It is achieved either by cropping a 16:9 frame or by using anamorphic lenses to squeeze the image horizontally. This aspect ratio is preferred when shooting a panoramic scene with a large landscape.
Note that many cameras offer 2.35:1 framing guides rather than 2.39:1, but the difference is negligible, and these two designations are used pretty much interchangeably, as well as 2.40:1
The anamorphic standard 2.35:1has subtly changed so that contemporary anamorphic productions are actually 2.39:1, but often referred to as 2.35:1 anyway, due to old convention. (Anamorphic refers to the compression of the image on film to maximize an area slightly taller than standard 4-perf Academy aperture, but presents the widest of aspect ratios.)
According to the specifications DCI the pixel array size and frame rate shall be one of the formats listed in the table below:
- 2K Scope (2.39:1) Resolution: 2048×858 FPS:24/1 or 48/1
- 4K Scope (2.39:1) Resolution: 4096×1716 FPS:24/1
