Considering Medium format

Blasted

Blasted

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I’ve been looking at medium format for a while now and I’m trying to figure out if it’s worth it.

I currently shoot with a 5D mark 3 which is great and I have no complaints.

I’m interested in medium format film because of the larger negative size, film quality and the individual film styles. I like the idea of slowing down and considering what I’m shooting more than I currently do, I like the idea of playing with new bits of kit (don’t we all?) and it opens up the opportunity to develop stuff if I fancy going down that route. I have a light meter (sekonic 308s) and a scanner (epson v500). I like the look of the Mamiya RB cameras and the polaroid backs look like great fun in addition to the normal backs.

The bit where I struggle is where it crosses over to digital, where it interfaces. If I put into a digital world am I essentially defeating the whole point of medium format film?
 
if you go Digital at MF quality - the small sensor Sigma DPxM's will slow you down …… the resolution is suppose to be near MF quality

and they are cheap £350 get's you a new camera with fixed lens, three choices
 
Blasted said:
The bit where I struggle is where it crosses over to digital, where it interfaces. If I put into a digital world am I essentially defeating the whole point of medium format film?
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Personally, I don't do that as I print from my negatives with an enlarger. But if you get high quality scans, these should exceed anything you can get with most digital sensors both in terms of resolution and most definitely dynamic range.

The RB67 is a great system but is heavy. I don't mind carrying it for a few miles but it might not suit everyone. If you're always going to use it in a studio on a tripod then it's not an issue but if you want to carry it around, I would suggest finding someone or a shop which has one near you to try out for handling.


Steve.
 
Hi Ben,

In some respects yes you are, however it is a bit more complicated than that. In my case I feel that it is the whole process of making the image that I enjoy and with MF you do really need to slow down and make sure you are getting the right shot at the right settings as it does cost a bit more than shooting digital. Some will say that an image isn't 'alive' until its printed and that may well have some truth to it but seeing it on a screen and being able to share it with more people is a close second to seeing a print emerge on the paper.
Given the reasonable cost of MF kit nowadays and the fact that you wont lose much if you don't enjoy it and sell it on, I'd say give it a go

A couple of recent threads that may help
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/advice-needed-what-mf-camera.566254/
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/threads/crazy-idea-related-to-my-hobby-what-do-you-think.566262/

Cheers

Andy
 
I was in pretty much the same boat as you earlier this year. Owned a 5D mkII and was intrigued by medium format film. I decided to go for it and bought a C220, and recently an RB67, and I can honestly say it's one of the best decisions I've ever made. I've slowed my photo taking process down ten fold but I get many more "keepers" than I did with digital.

I scan my film using a V550 and the dynamic range of the film is truly staggering, just a few tweaks on some sliders during the scanning process and the highlight details just seem to appear on screen out of nowhere like magic. I'll be honest and say I've never used an enlarger or done traditional printing, so a lot of people will say I'm a heathen and I'm missing out on some of the best bits :D

It's something I'd definitely recommend. Buy a second hand MF camera and use if for six months. If you hate it, then just sell it on for what you paid for it.
 
Another convert here. That's me with the Hasselblad in my Avatar. Fancied MF film playing and was not dissapointed. I love getting those big negatives, either when I develop the B&W myself or when the colour comes back from Peak Imaging. Velvia is beautiful to look at! The only problem for me is it has led to more. I now lust after a Fuji MF rangefinder and a Rolleiflex. I have also just bought a Leica M2 for some smaller film goodness. I love the cameras for what they are physically as well as the images they make. Things of beauty IMO.
 
Blasted said:
I’m interested in medium format film because of the larger negative size, film quality and the individual film styles. I like the idea of slowing down and considering what I’m shooting more than I currently do, I like the idea of playing with new bits of kit (don’t we all?) and it opens up the opportunity to develop stuff if I fancy going down that route.
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All good reasons. That new kit will also have tremendous bang for the buck - £300 will get you something that went for thousands when it was new, and when you want to sell it (to upgrade, naturally) it'll still be going for £300 as long as you bought wisely. (You don't even have to spend £300 - £100 will get you a nice Yashica TLR.)

Blasted said:
The bit where I struggle is where it crosses over to digital, where it interfaces. If I put into a digital world am I essentially defeating the whole point of medium format film?
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If I had the space for a darkroom, I would. There's still a huge amount of pleasure from scanning a big negative, though. It's not cheating, it's just trading convenience for purity. Do it!
 
Steve Smith said:
It's inevitable - just let it happen. One day you will have a spare room full of cameras and not enough time to use them all!


Steve.
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Funny you should say that. My Mum popped round the other day and she was like, "there's cameras everywhere!". :LOL:
 
Well when you try film you can always say "Been there done it" so everyone should enjoy the experience even if it ends up "it is not for me".
 
If you wish to print colour then you will almost certainly use a digital hybrid workflow; processing colour film isn't hard but only a very small percentage of colour film photographers make colour prints in the darkroom.

Printing B&W in the darkroom is enjoyable if you have the space but I certainly don't see those who only scan their films as being any less "genuine" or other similar word. I do have a darkroom but if I had to use it to produce a result from every single negative, it would drive me mad. The darkroom is a pleasant adjunct to scanning but it doesn't have to be one or the other.

Developing your negatives on the other hand does not require much equipment and no dark room is needed, just a changing bag; and it's much cheaper than relying on lab processing.
 
i think if you enjoy the physicality, and the process of making pictures (you "take" with digital pretty much) then yeah go for it.

ive got a rb67, 4 lenses, a 120 back, 220back i intend to convert to 35mm pano, a polaroid back, and 2 sheet film holders, which ive used with photo paper from a pinhole kit, and seeing the pics after i scanned them did get me really excited as i had made them and been very important in the process
 
10697401_10152935444566528_5157249989749787113_o.jpg


scanner was dirty, but i like the effect, even if it is technicaly terrible :p
 
Thanks for the positive input guys :ty:

To be honest its inevitable that there's going to be a digital cross over at some point, I want to be able to share and show off my work which now days is mostly on line. I was just a tad concerned that by not having a super detailed scanner I would simply be chucking all that extra detail and tone away, but in the real world how much difference does the massive increase in spending actually give you? I suppose if I manage to get a picture worth printing I can send it away and get it done or do it myself if its B&W. I looked on line and there is a dark room set up you can hire out if you become a member, could be another string to my bow.
 
My approach is to scan everything and if I ever get something good enough to print properly I'll send the neg. to a lab.

Hasn't happened yet though. :grumpy:
 
simon ess said:
My approach is to scan everything and if I ever get something good enough to print properly I'll send the neg. to a lab.

Hasn't happened yet though. :grumpy:
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Same as me, only difference is...... Asda does the work for me.
 
If, by some miracle, I ever produce a medium format negative good enough to be enlarged, framed and hung on my wall, I can assure you I'll not entrust it to Asda.

:)

Edit: It occurs I may have mis-read you. Perhaps you have all your scanning done at Asda.

I like doing my own.
 
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simon ess said:
If, by some miracle, I ever produce a medium format negative good enough to be enlarged, framed and hung on my wall, I can assure you I'll not entrust it to Asda.

:)

Edit: It occurs I may have mis-read you. Perhaps you have all your scanning done at Asda.

I like doing my own.
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I do get all my scanning done at Asda and any winners scan myself or would consider a lab.......but I forgot this thread is for MF not 35mm :oops: :$
 
thats a cool shot :D

u can take a picture of a neg/slide/print for sharing...

10357778_10152450322881528_2448268426839330669_o.jpg
 
There's a lot of good MF gear out there now for good money. I dabbled to begin with after picking up a cheap Rolleiflex but now find myself shooting MF regularly :) There is definitely a certain character you get with MF.
As already mentioned, it does slow you down but you soon get used to working with it. I don't often pick up the digital camera now. I just enjoy the craft and process more, not just with MF but film in general.

A lot of the time with black and white, I just get negatives and scan them in myself and with colour I get the film developed and scanned (UK Film Lab for MF)
 
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