1/1.6"?

Quick, which is bigger 1/2.3" or 1/1.8"? I spend way too much time looking at the latest digital cameras. And every time I do, I get beat in the head with these stupid inverse decimal diagonal measurements. I firmly believe that is a huge conspiracy designed specifically to annoy me.

Why can't they just call it 5/8" or 0.625" or 15.9mm. If we are lucky enough to know that the aspect ratio is 16:9, then we can use more math to get 0.306×0.545" or 7.78×13.8mm. I would call it 8×14mm. Everything you need to know in two numbers, so easy to compare with other cameras. Unfortunately if you try to compare that with a piece of 35mm film then you have to know that the 35mm is the width and the aspect ratio is 3:2, resulting a 35×23.3mm rectangle. And for those who are still playing along, here it is in the evil diagonal measurement speak: 42mm or 1.65" or 1/0.6".

"It's a mad house. A mad house." - Planet of the Apes.