Medium Format

Its odd how these types of discussions always seem to hinge, boil down to, be condensed into some commercially influenced caveat.
Ah but if you where shooting sports on film for the back page, time is of the essence, if you're shooting weddings for a ludicrous picture count on the whim of the happy couple memory cards are the only way to go.
But seriously.......who is.........well nobody, I mean, I know there are a few wedding shooters doing it but the expectation is not set at 500 minimum prints.
If 99% of film users don't shoot it commercially, is digital photography in any way relevant to film photography, apart from the obvious similarities in actually shooting the things.
 
joxby said:
Its odd how these types of discussions always seem to hinge, boil down to, be condensed into some commercially influenced caveat.
Ah but if you where shooting sports on film for the back page, time is of the essence, if you're shooting weddings for a ludicrous picture count on the whim of the happy couple memory cards are the only way to go.
But seriously.......who is.........well nobody, I mean, I know there are a few wedding shooters doing it but the expectation is not set at 500 minimum prints.
If 99% of film users don't shoot it commercially, is digital photography in any way relevant to film photography, apart from the obvious similarities in actually shooting the things.
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What point are you trying to make; horses for courses?
 
Cistron said:
What point are you trying to make; horses for courses?
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Well one way of looking at it is:- using film is so peaceful and the only occasional agument (mostly in humour like Canon ver Nikon) would be whether a lens or camera is better than another...but like for like, any film camera with a very good lens would take the same shot no matter the make of camera...in the digi world it's chaotic where for example people are not using their older DSLRs because the latest mobile phones give the same quality of shots and are more convenient, and not forgetting the race for the next super duper digi camera and silly prices.
 
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excalibur2 said:
Well one way of looking at it is:- using film is so peaceful and the only agument would be whether a lens or camera is better than another...but like for like, any film camera with a very good lens would take the same shot no matter the make of camera...in the digi world it's chaotic where for example people are not using their older DSLRs because the latest mobile phones give the same quality of shots and are more convenient, and not forgetting the race for the next super duper digi camera and silly prices.
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True, but there is a whole pile of out-modded film cameras as well (bad Rangefinders, terribly unreliable AF, dingy prisms, etc). It's nice that some film cameras stand the test of time, but these are largely in region which the affordable digital market hasn't breached yet - don't see many people running around with half-frame or APS.
 
Cistron said:
True, but there is a whole pile of out-modded film cameras as well (bad Rangefinders, terribly unreliable AF, dingy prisms, etc). It's nice that some film cameras stand the test of time, but these are largely in region which the affordable digital market hasn't breached yet - don't see many people running around with half-frame or APS.
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Don't see many people running round with box cameras either doesn't mean they're not actively used serious limitations and all.
 
Cistron said:
True, but there is a whole pile of out-modded film cameras as well (bad Rangefinders, terribly unreliable AF, dingy prisms, etc). It's nice that some film cameras stand the test of time, but these are largely in region which the affordable digital market hasn't breached yet - don't see many people running around with half-frame or APS.
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Well it's back to horses for courses in that if you want to buy an old camera that's not working or has a fault, or obsolete, then the hobby would be to fix it yourself or if it's important to you then pay someone to fix it for about £30-£40....but some cameras you can't get spares any more...no loss if you bought the camera for peanuts.
Do you think in say 40 years time there would be many people interested in getting say a Canon Ixus compact working again or even most of the digi gear out now.
 
Cistron said:
What point are you trying to make; horses for courses?
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No, shoot film if you want to, shoot digital if you want to, but don't try to compare them, the act of taking the picture is where their similarities begin and end.
The idea that you should choose one or the other for a particular job is imo, redundant, if you want a subject shot on film, a digital camera is of no use at all, if it can't be shot on film......well that's that, I'll get over it and move on, I won't be using digital because that's not what I want.
Anyway, my point was really just to further the discussion relating to the timescale of both formats, how they are polar opposites in that respect, and the difficulties encountered switching from one to the other.
Is Shaheed counting the seconds between shoot and the postman arriving because he's impossibly impatient.......I think not..:)
 
joxby said:
No, shoot film if you want to, shoot digital if you want to, but don't try to compare them, the act of taking the picture is where their similarities begin and end.
The idea that you should choose one or the other for a particular job is imo, redundant, if you want a subject shot on film, a digital camera is of no use at all, if it can't be shot on film......well that's that, I'll get over it and move on, I won't be using digital because that's not what I want.
Anyway, my point was really just to further the discussion relating to the timescale of both formats, how they are polar opposites in that respect, and the difficulties encountered switching from one to the other.
Is Shaheed counting the seconds between shoot and the postman arriving because he's impossibly impatient.......I think not..:)
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I have been known to be impatient........but no longer!!

IMG_1471546196.717543.jpg

It's here.

So will open after tea. Nervous as I took pics outside of the controlled conditions of studio lighting!! Pics to follow later!!
 
steveo_mcg said:
Don't see many people running round with box cameras either doesn't mean they're not actively used serious limitations and all.
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I use a box camera... it's 6x9
28746775602_58b9a1cef0_b.jpg


It's taking a few rolls to figure out how far away it'll focus though...
28797048991_a5f8bda9fa_b.jpg
 
I have a box camera with a roll in still. May have to finish it off.
 
Solo man said:
I use a box camera... it's 6x9
28746775602_58b9a1cef0_b.jpg


It's taking a few rolls to figure out how far away it'll focus though...
28797048991_a5f8bda9fa_b.jpg
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gazmorton2000 said:
I have a box camera with a roll in still. May have to finish it off.
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I've got a selection of box cameras, I quite like them. I find the extreme simplicity quite relaxing but I enjoy the challenge of working with the restrictions basically pure composition with no focus tricks, plus you can hardly see through half the finders in mine. Having said that I've not shot one in ages.
https://www.flickr.com/search/?user...te-taken-desc&text=box camera&rb=1&view_all=1
 
A few of them so far.....

Etal Castle (film) by NikonSR, on Flickr
Northumberland Beach (film) by NikonSR, on Flickr
Northumberland Sand Dune (film) by NikonSR, on Flickr


On the steam train through two sections of dirty glass!!

Etal Steam Train (film) by NikonSR, on Flickr


And the next one isn't one of my technically favourite shots, but I love it because its a rare capture - my wife on camera (film at that). She hates her pic being taken, so this was a candid one whilst i was pretending to take a pic of something else!!

Etal Castle candid (film) by NikonSR, on Flickr
 
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steveo_mcg said:
I've got a selection of box cameras, I quite like them. I find the extreme simplicity quite relaxing but I enjoy the challenge of working with the restrictions basically pure composition with no focus tricks, plus you can hardly see through half the finders in mine. Having said that I've not shot one in ages.
https://www.flickr.com/search/?user_id=49248828@N06&sort=date-taken-desc&text=box camera&rb=1&view_all=1
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Anyone wandering here from the digi forum must think we are a bunch of Flintstones :D
 
Shaheed, these are very good indeed. I don't know why you were worried. If I was being critical (which I am not sure if you are after or not), I would say they are a tad oversharpened for my taste. I also prefer the colour one of your daughter on the train.

As @skysh4rk says above, medium format is totally walkabout. I often carry the Hasselblad around for a day of general photography. I have the M2 which I don't think I would ever sell and sometimes take for something different, but more often than not I will reach for the medium format. :)
 
gazmorton2000 said:
Shaheed, these are very good indeed. I don't know why you were worried. If I was being critical (which I am not sure if you are after or not), I would say they are a tad oversharpened for my taste. I also prefer the colour one of your daughter on the train.

As @skysh4rk says above, medium format is totally walkabout. I often carry the Hasselblad around for a day of general photography. I have the M2 which I don't think I would ever sell and sometimes take for something different, but more often than not I will reach for the medium format. :)
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Cheers Gareth

I think I might have been a bit keen with the sharpening slider [emoji85]

I guess I just worry about the metering and not having had a light meter - but it does appear that film is fairly forgiving!!

Certainly will be using the bronica more as a walk about camera!
 
Hello, Ive been browsing the forum for a while and decided to join in. I shoot digital and film using Nikon gear mainly and as a result of this thread, so its all your fault, I have just bought myself a Bronica ETRSi kit to get back to some MF tomfoolery.

• Bronica ETRSi body

• Bronica Zenzanon f2.8 50mm

• Bronica Zenzanon f2.8 75mm

• Bronica Zenzanon f3.5 150mm

• Bronica AE-II prism viewfinder

• Bronica waist level viewfinder

I'll post some results when I get the scans back. In the mean time wish me luck!
 
Ian in Lancs said:
Hello, Ive been browsing the forum for a while and decided to join in. I shoot digital and film using Nikon gear mainly and as a result of this thread, so its all your fault, I have just bought myself a Bronica ETRSi kit to get back to some MF tomfoolery.

• Bronica ETRSi body

• Bronica Zenzanon f2.8 50mm

• Bronica Zenzanon f2.8 75mm

• Bronica Zenzanon f3.5 150mm

• Bronica AE-II prism viewfinder

• Bronica waist level viewfinder

I'll post some results when I get the scans back. In the mean time wish me luck!
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It's great fun!! I got into film as a result of others on here so blame @manda and @gazmorton2000

That said film is great!!

A few recent film pics

View attachment 71925
 
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I've been shooting film for a while. Mainly 35mm black and white on Nikon F100, F5 and F6 but I need to post more posts before I can link to my blog and website galleries! Won't be worth the wait though!
 
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Ian in Lancs said:
I've been shooting film for a while. Mainly 35mm black and white on Nikon F100, F5 and F6 but I need to post more posts before I can link to my blog and website galleries! Won't be worth the wait though!
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You can upload from Flickr if it's easier?
 
manda said:
Well I blame Gaz!.
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Blame me for your awesome film photos? Very kind of you. :)

It's funny how both you and @Sir SR blame me as one of the reasons you started shooting film and are now both doing way better stuff than I am. Ha. Gonna have to get some shooting done soon I reckon.
 
Sir SR said:
View attachment 72091

Just found the iPhone pic through the viewfinder, just before I took a pic.....several weeks later here it is!!

Looking through the waist level finder is one of the most enjoyable aspects of MF photography for me.
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Wow, that's good. :)

sunnyside_up said:
I'd like to try that...
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Do it! Feel free to borrow any of my equipment if you are in the area, or perhaps we could collaborate when you have a shoot down your end and I will bring a load of film gear for you to play with?
 
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