Buying a medium format camera

dude, if i go 35mm (and i prob will) ill at least get the correct brand*





*Disclaimer: the correct brand is clearly what i already own, all other brands by definition must be inferior
 
yup, although ive seen peak imaging it;s the same to develop 120 roll as a 35mm roll* now thats intriguing...



*ok theres twice as many 35mm shots and really i should home develop
 
Look at it this way :p

Shoot 80 digital photos, get 5 treasures.
Shoot 36 35mm photos, get 10 treasures.
Shoot 12 MF120 photos, get 12 treasures :p

You spend a lot more time and care over your shots, you really really do, and unless you can afford to spend money on processing and scanning willy nilly, you take bloody care over which shots you release the shutter on.
 
unless you can afford to spend money on processing and scanning willy nilly, you take bloody care over which shots you release the shutter on.
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i can imagine. i dont why but head says 35mm and heart still says MF, so dif from digital, so much 'harder' - so much more rewarding? damn. bronica ETRS might still steal my film cherry
 
scan? scan! film is to be printed surely?

(ill still scan the good ones for flickr mind)

EDIT: i think ive inadvertently fallen for MF, i prob should have bought the SQB on ffordes but there are still a couple of ETRS on some sites for £200. now if i can punt the 75mm lens and get a 150 ill be in business...
 
ok stupid question:

if i get a bronica ETRS with a prism and grip it'll be easier to use sideways for portrait orientation? and the prism meters?

maybe i should stick to 35mm, seems a lot more straightforward
 
Prisms make it a lot easier for shooting in portrait mode, I've got a 645 back for my SQA and use it in portrait mode quite a lot. Another thing that will make your portrait mode life easier is a speedgrip which makes if feel more like a camera than a box when holding it in portrait orientation.

As for the prisms themselves mine is always turned off, it's a spot meter only and you can't point it at something to meter from and re-compose and keep the meter reading at the same time, you have to remember what the viewfinder said, re-compose and, turn the metering off and manually set the values. I'm sure other people can get on with it but I can't and have abandoned it for a hand held meter. This is where 35mm is easier as you can get an all singins all dancing 35mm camera that will meter and focus for you for less/simlar money to an MF setup.

What you choose depends on your budget I guess. The way things are on ebay lately if you pick up a reasonably priced MF camera like a Bronica you won't lose much if you decide to sell it. MF seems to be having a rennaisance. I don't know if the same can be applied to 35mm unless you buy something high end or collectable.


HTH Kev


(I'll respond to your PM soon, I've not long got back from some time away witrh work and have lots to catch up on so it might be next week but I will reply)
 
With regards to scanning, god, yes, negatives are solely for the darkroom!
You need to print those bad boys.
Scanning is blasphemy!

All a lot of labs do is scan and print digitally - what's the point?
Ilford (as Steve Smith said) do a send away and print to black and white paper service, but the joy comes from seeing that print appear on the paper in the developer.

Find a darkroom to work in, I beg you :p
 
Find a darkroom to work in, I beg you
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yeah ill have a bash when i get to uni but after chatting with my mate yesterday about the process of developing and then printing i quickly realised im not going to have the time but it's definitely something i want to try at some stage.

Cheers Kev that's clarified a few points and dont worry about replying, no hurry and any response is greatly appreciated.
 
oh and how does aperture affect MF? ive seen a lot of f4 lenses but hardly any f2.8 but then im not sure if it works in the same way-can you get shallow depth of field more easily with MF and hence don't need as fast a lens?
 
Basically yes plus there is a cost factor as well

I use a Bronica system the shorter lens have a f2.8 on the 80mm and 50mm, and these have 67mm filter threads. On the longer focal lens the size of a f2.8 lens would make it tricky to handle plus the cost would make them out of the reach of most of the market.

But yes as they have more film area to focus on, a f4 MF lens would give the same kind of effect as a f2.8 on 35mm, when opened up wide.

Don't forget also that MF lens have different focal lengths to there 35mm counter parts (I know that does not make sense)
Like
80mm on 6x6 format = 50mm on 35mm format
50mm on 6x6 = approx 24mm on 35mm format
150mm on 6x5 = 75mm on 35mm format

etc etc... :D
 
don't forget that in the same way 2.8 gives a different DOF on APS-C and Full Frame digital cameras them same applies to medium format. I rarely shoot portraits below F8 just to get a useable DOF.
 
ok cheers guys, i knew about the focal lengths but wasn't sure about how aperture affected things
 
Ok i think ive reached a decision.

Im going to have a look for a cheap bronica SQB or ETRS for a little while (possibly in vain) ideally a SQB with 150mm lens but really something to get me started for around £200/250. I'm not going to break the bank to go MF but it is something that i think will work for me, i have a fixed short lens which i use 90% of the time on my DSLR which ill continue to use for low light candid stuff and also a f2.8 50-150 lens which is handy for portrait stuff with the digi. My thinking is that the MF offers something different, not that 35mm wouldn't but that MF is radically different and i can add to as and when i need to. It will be something I will take a long time to learn to use but ive found somewhere in the UK that processes a roll of 120 for the same price as 35mm although if time permits i will try and develop stuff myself.

If it transpires that my budget won't permit a MF then I will look to get a manual 35mm set up, im sure ill get a huge kick out of any film format but MF has a powerful lure. Thanks for everyone's help and feel free to add more ideas.

EDIT: the only thing that worries me is light metering
 
thanks, I hope so-aiming to handhold the camera so not sure how itll all work out but we'll see
 
If the light is anything like good, the lenses aren't terribly long, you'll be fine to hand hold..
 
I wish i had never spotted this thread - now i have a mad hankering for a 6x6 MF camera. Damn you Food Poison¬! :puke:
 
Kaben said:
I wish i had never spotted this thread - now i have a mad hankering for a 6x6 MF camera. Damn you Food Poison¬! :puke:
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Me too, I even started looking at eBay, Fforbes, MXV, .... - but then I saw the part about processing and as I have no facilities nor any experience I'm hoping it helps me save the pennies (for the moment).
 
Give me a couple of months, I'm sure I'll have become disheartened by then and be looking to sell on my bronica SQA with 150mm lens and speedgrip. First roll of film (fuji 400h) will be loaded today or tomorrow...
 
fontmoss said:
Give me a couple of months, I'm sure I'll have become disheartened by then and be looking to sell on my bronica SQA with 150mm lens and speedgrip. First roll of film (fuji 400h) will be loaded today or tomorrow...
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How much did the SQA set you back?
 
£270 posted plus bought a close up filter, light meter, darkroom bag and of course film


EDIT: that was 150mm s lens, speedgrip and included stuff like the dark slide and was recently serviced :D
 
fontmoss said:
£270 posted plus bought a close up filter, light meter, darkroom bag and of course film


EDIT: that was 150mm s lens, speedgrip and included stuff like the dark slide and was recently serviced :D
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that's pretty damned good value - was that an ebay purchase or from a dealer?
 
flea bay, was a bit of a fluke i think it was under the radar for most folk and only realised after i had own it that'd got a bit of a deal :D
 
fontmoss said:
flea bay, was a bit of a fluke i think it was under the radar for most folk and only realised after i had own it that'd got a bit of a deal :D
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It always good when you get that feeling of victory. All to often i end up feeling like i have been fleeced however! :LOL:
 
just found a reciept in the bag, £300 in November from a camera centre in cardiff! Although I have lost the diffuser part for my light meter so i guess its swings and roundabouts :(
 
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