Film camera question...

komet

I possess and have used 35mm cameras but I have a general type question...medium format cameras I assume use a larger film size, is that correct? Also, I've heard the term "medium format camera"...is there such a thing as large format camera? If so, do these and medium format camera take better film pics than a 35mm? Please placate my ignorance.

fish

komet wrote:

I possess and have used 35mm cameras but I have a general type question...medium format cameras I assume use a larger film size, is that correct? Also, I've heard the term "medium format camera"...is there such a thing as large format camera? If so, do these and medium format camera take better film pics than a 35mm? Please placate my ignorance.

This is really a pretty complex set of questions. To start off with, komet, I recommend you see if you can get copies of Ansel Adams' books "The Camera", "The Negative", and "The Print". They're extremely technical and dry, but there are few better sources for getting into the nitty gritty detail of photography and photographic equipment.

Here's my lame soundbyte:

In general, the more you enlarge a negative, the more detail and sharpness you will lose. Tiny negatives (110, disk, 16mm) must be enlarged to get a decent sized print. All of them lack contrast and sharpness because they have to be blown up to get just a 4x6 print. 35mm is also a fairly small negative, and it too can lose contrast and sharpness at anything larger than 8x10. Some very good photographers with very good equipment and very good darkroom skills can make nice 16x20's, but that's probably about the limit. I'm sure somebody's going to jump down my throat on this one.

Medium format is generally 4x5 or 6x7...pretty large negatives. Many times larger than 35mm, and you can make good large prints from these without losing sharpness.

Large format is generally 8x10, so you can make an 8x10 contact sheet (laying the negative directly on the paper with no enlargement) which will be sharp as a tack, with the only grain being exactly the same size as it is on the negative. Adams shot a LOT of 8x10 film. As you can guess, an 8x10 view camera is extremely large and bulky.

How'd I do?

pathfinder

fish wrote:

This is really a pretty complex set of questions. To start off with, komet, I recommend you see if you can get copies of Ansel Adams' books "The Camera", "The Negative", and "The Print". They're extremely technical and dry, but there are few better sources for getting into the nitty gritty detail of photography and photographic equipment.

Here's my lame soundbyte:

In general, the more you enlarge a negative, the more detail and sharpness you will lose. Tiny negatives (110, disk, 16mm) must be enlarged to get a decent sized print. All of them lack contrast and sharpness because they have to be blown up to get just a 4x6 print. 35mm is also a fairly small negative, and it too can lose contrast and sharpness at anything larger than 8x10. Some very good photographers with very good equipment and very good darkroom skills can make nice 16x20's, but that's probably about the limit. I'm sure somebody's going to jump down my throat on this one.



Medium format is generally 4x5 or 6x7...pretty large negatives. Many times larger than 35mm, and you can make good large prints from these without losing sharpness.

Large format is generally 8x10, so you can make an 8x10 contact sheet (laying the negative directly on the paper with no enlargement) which will be sharp as a tack, with the only grain being exactly the same size as it is on the negative. Adams shot a LOT of 8x10 film. As you can guess, an 8x10 view camera is extremely large and bulky.

How'd I do?

Sounds about right - 6x6, 6x7 cm, 2 1/4 square are all about the same size and use the same film 120 / 220.
4x5 is 4 inches by 5 inches and still medium format altho on the large end. 8x10 inches up to 14x 20 inches are definitely large format view cameras. 4x5 and 8x10 use single sheet film in a film holder to maintain flatness of the film.

Micahel Reichman of The Luminous Landscape says the Canon digital 1Ds 35mm full size digital sensor can equal medium format film and I am inclined to believe he is correct.

komet

Thanks fellas...cleared up a few issues in the feeble skull of mine.

patch29

How does 20x24 work for you? See it here. You can rent one too, Fish they have a studio in SF go try it out, you will need a really big scanner when you are done.

Rental Info. They have a good photo showing the size of the camera with a person next to it.

patch29

Sinar make some of the best view camera in the world. You can take a look at them here.

I have always considered 4x5 large format and anything that shoots on 120/220 roll film medium format.

fish

patch29 wrote:

I have always considered 4x5 large format and anything that shoots on 120/220 roll film medium format.

Oops. Right 4x5" and larger sheet film = large format. Larger than 35mm but smaller than 4x5 = medium format.

wxwax

patch29 wrote:

How does 20x24 work for you? See it here. You can rent one too, Fish they have a studio in SF go try it out, you will need a really big scanner when you are done.

Rental Info. They have a good photo showing the size of the camera with a person next to it.

I'm gonna let Polaroid sue me for publicizing their machine. A little larger than a point-and-shoot. You don't really shoot this camera from a motorcycle -- it is the motorcycle.

patch29

wxwax wrote:

I'm gonna let Polaroid sue me for publicizing their machine.

:whip BAD wxwax.

Notice the size of the light source behind the photographer.

gus

I have a friend that uses a medium format (mamia is the name of it.sp?)...unbelievable high quality shots over & over again. Expensive though. His bad shots are good.

patch29

Humungus wrote:

I have a friend that uses a medium format (mamia is the name of it.sp?)...unbelievable high quality shots over & over again. Expensive though. His bad shots are good.

Mamiya makes some very nice medium format cameras, quite a range from 645 to 67 and rangefinders and SLR's with/without AF.

See their cameras here.