Film only came to me because of some high school class work and the desire to shoot medium format, despite the gaping hole in my wallet. Film handles so much differently in terms of image quality. On top of that, the color that is produced by film is unique, so unique, that photographers spend hours upon hours trying to create presets to mimic certain film stocks.
Film will also make you shoot a little differently. Because you only have a handful of frames per roll, you tend to be more careful and particular about releasing the shutter. One thing about film that digital has yet to conquer is the sheer size of some of the formats. Medium format film starts at 6x4. There are even panoramic cameras that utilize nearly an entire roll in two frames.
Some of the most legendary lenses ever created were for medium format film bodies. A lot of film bodies are compatible with digital backs. Mamiya cameras like the AFD bodies are compatible with backs from about onwards. In fact, many photographers still take advantage of this, Dave Hill being one of the best examples I can think of. He has shot some major ad campaigns on both film and digital in the same shoot. Tethered shooting is incredibly helpful whether on location or in the studio, as you can see focus and composition better, clients and hair and makeup artists can more easily see what is being produced, and you have a great form of organization.
While you may trust yourself, they may be uneasy during the shoot. What this means is that you have to shoot it right.
There is one camera that I will mention that, in a way, makes digital medium format viable to hobbyists and semi-pro shooters: the Pentax D. What seems too good to be true probably is, but in this case, only slightly. There are no leaf shutter lenses available either.
So, for certain types of shooting, like studio portraiture, landscapes, macro, product, and food photography, the D may be a decent option. If you really want a cheap camera, manual bodies can be had for a few hundred dollars.
Combined with the relatively low cost of film, this can be an amazing alternative for hobbyists and semi-pros looking to get that classic look.
Do any of you actively shoot film or digital medium format? If so, how do you think they stack up? Spencer Lookabaugh is a lifestyle and portrait photographer located in Columbus, Ohio, as well as an employee of Midwest Photo Exchange.
He is a firm believer in printing, shooting film and digital, and the power of photography. He also shoots landscape work in his spare time. Check out the Fstoppers Store for in-depth tutorials from some of the best instructors in the business.
Sean an interesting article, but as one who has shot digital and film side by side since the early digital years I feel you just need more experience with film. It is an uneasy experience for a digital shooter to give up the security of seeing the shot on the back of the LCD, I love that myself, but there is also something to be said for having the skill and confidence not to use it.
I love my digital, but when shooting black and white there is just no substitute for the real thing. Oh, and ditch the ride to the drug store to pick up developed film and prints. Just get a changing bag and developing tank. I put that off for too many years, now I shoot, drop a couple rolls in the tank, develop them, dry them and scan them. It is easier than you think. I still shoot film most recently with a Nikon F , but the previous allure now no longer compels me.
I just never quite saw a worthy difference. I'm honestly astonished that you don't perceive a difference in perspective of DOF vs. FX, but hey, different strokes for different folks. It also sounds like you had some missed frames with models blinking happens with digital, too and maybe didn't have a lot of time to learn the different medium which can be quite arcane, compared to a D, for sure.
Which is totally fine - an artist has to be comfortable with his tools. I'd contend that I saw the difference with the first roll of that I ran through a 30 year old Bronica ETR last summer. Then bought a 4x5. All for the cost of a 2. Is medium format comparatively heavy? Do I pay for missed frames or my own mistakes? Do I still shoot digital and love that, too? All "yes". Though a Mamiya 6 or 7 aren't heavy at all. And I'm a guy who wants a D as well as a chance to make a real, honest to goodness Daguerrotype.
Call me crazy. It's all fun. I regularly shoot film on my Mamiya and love it. Has great resolution but what is even better is I don't have to spend the time afterward to process the raw files and get the "look" I'm after. I simply send it to the lab and they take care of the rest. Yeah I actually wish it were financially feasible for me to shoot film full time. Back when I shot film, I spent a lot more time in the darkroom than I do now in photoshop.
Every time I now shoot film, after the pain of scanning I still spend as much time in Photoshop as I do with straight digital capture In other words, it depends on what you want your final product to look like. Either medium may or may not take up time post processing. In fact I would argue that film takes more, it is just that many photographers hire others to do the work for them Bought a Hasselblad CM November of last year.
Absolutely love it I recently did a digital and film vintage Hollywood-type shoot with flash. The film absolutely crushed the digital files in getting the effect I was after digital required quite a bit of processing to come close.
This camera boasts a large buffer memory size, which means faster response times when in continuous shooting mode. Weighing in at 1. This compact medium format camera packs quite a punch.
This camera features a huge dynamic range of 14 stops, 3. The Hasselblad is one of the lightest medium format options on the market today, weighing in at only g. Harking back to the days of film photography, medium format cameras have certainly managed to retain a coveted and well-deserved place in modern day photography.
These camera systems are a favourite amongst photographers working in a number of different genres, owing to their ability to produce larger images with cropping flexibility, incredible depth of field, great colour reproduction and all-round excellent image quality.
Mamiya RB While medium format cameras may be expensive to invest in, the returns are worthwhile for professional photographers who have the ability and patience to work with this type of gear. About the author: Serena Dzenis is a landscape photographer based in Iceland. You can find more of her work on her website or by following her on Facebook and Instagram. Have you ever considered purchasing a medium format camera? Perhaps you've already tried using one? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below!
Book Photo Tours. Explore Articles. Contact Us. Book your trip now. Iceland Photo Tours. Beginner's Guide to Medium Format Photography. By Serena Dzenis. Verified Expert. These include: Landscape photography Fashion, commercial and editorial shoots Fine art photography Studio portraits The most common reason that photographers choose to invest in a medium format camera system is for the purpose of producing very large photographs at a higher resolution than would be able to be achieved with a 35mm film or digital camera.
Learn more. Popular articles. Landscape Photography in the Lofoten Islands of Norway With its dramatic and largely untouched Arctic landscape and immensely scenic viewpoints, Lofoten is arguably one of the best locations in the world in regards to photography.
Adding the midnight sun Interview with Erin Babnik Landscape photography is as much of an art form as any other genre; just ask Erin Babnik, one of the leaders in the genre in the present day. This artist, educator, writer and speaker is not only kn The Best Places to Photograph Puffins in Iceland Iceland has one of the greatest puffin colonies in the world, and it is estimated that between 8 and 10 million birds inhabit the island.
I clicked on this ready to defend my precious medium format but you make a very good case! The price hikes are just crazy, it's been a real problem. I'm a big fan of digital, but I came over to medium format very recently because of the fidelity it can resolve, but I am jealous of the 35mm shooters with th affordable film stocks and the compact sizes!! I would really like to test the resolution on a high quality 35mm film vs a cheap expired film, and see how drastic the resolution difference is, because it might not be as significant as I'd like to think.
The differenece is drastic. There is mo comparison. Serious landscape can onlu be done with mediim or large format film. This is a click bait opiniom piece. The difference between med format and 35mm film is so. Silly article. I often take a camera with me when I work work on a boat as a tour guide and take shots of my friends along the way, now that's the worse time and light for such a thing but they all enjoy having a memory off of what they think being a "real camera" just to confirm the equation that bigger is better , they will have to wait to go back home, have time to download, process and email, I imagine how fun would it be to give them a Polaroid straight away and, no, don't tell me to buy a Polaroid camera, the whole handling of a MF, the viewfinder etc is another experience not to mention that for "normal" shots it would force to carefully think before hitting the shutter.
As a matter of fact I am cherishing a Mamya since a couple years but prices have almost doubled if not more, just saw a ProII with the for 2. I bought two rolls of 35mm BW film for my F3 and take it for a ride once in a while, hope to get developing gear and to learn, it will add to knowledge and fun and delay MF to better times when hype calms down as well as with vinyl, till couple years ago my son's friends coming home and seeing my huge Michell turntable didn't even know what that thing is, now it got fashionable and vinyls cost twice if not three times as much Another FStopper article saying something is unnecessary written by a guy who uses the thing that is unnecessary.
All righty then, consider the idea that for most people I exclude 4x5 and 8x10 shooters shooting any kind of film in is unnecessary and folks doing it are making an effort to go against the easier, faster often better quality, etc digital cameras for various reasons. There are many affordable 35mmm and MF film cameras. I have a Nikon F2 sitting on a shelf. It may have film in it.
I don't really know or care. My digital cameras have made 35mm film pretty useless to me But I also have a late 80s Hasselblad with one lens, that does have film in it, portra. If saving money is the only reason to shoot 35mm that's cool, but If I am going to the extra effort to shoot film it'll be MF. They are all "unnecessary" compared to the format that is a bit smaller but basically just as good. Bad article. Medium Format is way superior over 35mm.
I gave up 35mm back in to go exclusively medium format. You only have to look at the quality of the prints and resolution of the larger negatives to realise never to touch 35mm again. Wow, really Fstoppers?
The kind of articles published here recently and the opinions expressed by your new "writers" is getting more and more questionable for quite some time now.
What's up? No resources to filter? My first real camera was a Yashica-D. But my dream camera was a Hasselblad, which was like an XK-E, something I would drool over but could never afford.
Not necessary, but it changes my relationship with photography and alters my approach to each picture I take. I disagree. It was an unintended consequence by a fraud who doesn't have a clue about photography. I would question if his published photos are actually his work. Log in Create account.
Events Past Events. Repairs Sensor Cleanings Lens Calibrations. High Noise vs. Low Noise. Multiple Aspect Ratio Options. Newer Older. Article Tags. Recent Articles.
0コメント