I will preface this by apologising if my first post (long time lurker) on these forums comes across as doom and gloom, however it is something that has come to concern me very much.
Ten years ago I had zero qualms about shooting whatever photographic equipment I could get my hands on. I wasn't loyal to any one brand or format and would experiment, buy and sell my gear on a whim and be generally happy with my results. It was a nice feeling having the knowledge that formats like medium format cameras, lenses, accessories and servicing were all plentiful and so I was secure in the knowledge that when I did find my dream camera, I would (hopefully) be able to rely on the support of its manufacturer to be able to invest in a system that could last a lifetime.
Nowadays, my perspective regarding photography has changed and narrowed, and with a regretful amount of cynicism I find myself only really comfortable supporting manufacturers that can still support me. Ilford is a prime example; a company whose film and paper I now exclusively use as it feels nice putting my money and support towards a brand that still truly has a vision in supporting film. Fuji on the opposite end of the spectrum prove time and time again that they have zero interest in continual support towards film and film shooters; I no longer touch their products.
Similarly, the number of camera manufacturers that still offer new medium format film products has largely dried up; Hasselblad have cut their V/500 series; Mamiya have cut their RZ and rangefinder lines; Fuji have recently cut their GF670; Horseman and Plaubel have to the best of my knowledge stopped production; Rollei is gone; Pentax too. We are becoming ever reliant on second hand gear that is rapidly increasing in price and will have a somewhat limited lifespan before service and parts are exhausted.
For the photographer that actively supports current manufacturers, MF seems to be more and more difficult to invest in. What are we currently left with? Phase One/Mamiya 645, Voigtlander still offer their folding MF, Linhof offer their panoramic formats, a handful of LF brands offer medium format backs, refurbished Kievs, the Diana and Holga.... I am sure I missed a couple of obvious ones, but it is saddening knowing that the list is getting shorter and shorter, especially as my currently owned cameras kick the bucket one by one.
I suppose many 35mm shooters could be in the same situation too, though having Leica has a beacon of future development and support helps immensely.
My primary question after all this moaning is how do you go about shooting MF in this scenario?
Is it better to just not worry so much about the future and and availability of parts and go back to shooting what I can find? (bearing in mind that it is significantly harder and more expensive to source these kind of cameras from an isolated area like New Zealand)
Is the logical solution to move (in my case return) to large format, whose manufacturers are increasing year after year, whose products are becoming cheaper and more readily available and whose influence, target audience and competition towards digital is continuing to grow?
Do I stick to my principles, not support brands that have (for whatever reason) abandoned MF and eagerly wait for potential Kickstarter opportunities or new product lines to open in the future?
I'm leaning towards thinking that my perspective has become too short and I am starting to sound like a salty badger but I would be interested to hear others' thoughts, especially those that have for whatever reason felt the need to move from their MF system due to a lack of support or confidence in their previous brand.
Ten years ago I had zero qualms about shooting whatever photographic equipment I could get my hands on. I wasn't loyal to any one brand or format and would experiment, buy and sell my gear on a whim and be generally happy with my results. It was a nice feeling having the knowledge that formats like medium format cameras, lenses, accessories and servicing were all plentiful and so I was secure in the knowledge that when I did find my dream camera, I would (hopefully) be able to rely on the support of its manufacturer to be able to invest in a system that could last a lifetime.
Nowadays, my perspective regarding photography has changed and narrowed, and with a regretful amount of cynicism I find myself only really comfortable supporting manufacturers that can still support me. Ilford is a prime example; a company whose film and paper I now exclusively use as it feels nice putting my money and support towards a brand that still truly has a vision in supporting film. Fuji on the opposite end of the spectrum prove time and time again that they have zero interest in continual support towards film and film shooters; I no longer touch their products.
Similarly, the number of camera manufacturers that still offer new medium format film products has largely dried up; Hasselblad have cut their V/500 series; Mamiya have cut their RZ and rangefinder lines; Fuji have recently cut their GF670; Horseman and Plaubel have to the best of my knowledge stopped production; Rollei is gone; Pentax too. We are becoming ever reliant on second hand gear that is rapidly increasing in price and will have a somewhat limited lifespan before service and parts are exhausted.
For the photographer that actively supports current manufacturers, MF seems to be more and more difficult to invest in. What are we currently left with? Phase One/Mamiya 645, Voigtlander still offer their folding MF, Linhof offer their panoramic formats, a handful of LF brands offer medium format backs, refurbished Kievs, the Diana and Holga.... I am sure I missed a couple of obvious ones, but it is saddening knowing that the list is getting shorter and shorter, especially as my currently owned cameras kick the bucket one by one.
I suppose many 35mm shooters could be in the same situation too, though having Leica has a beacon of future development and support helps immensely.
My primary question after all this moaning is how do you go about shooting MF in this scenario?
Is it better to just not worry so much about the future and and availability of parts and go back to shooting what I can find? (bearing in mind that it is significantly harder and more expensive to source these kind of cameras from an isolated area like New Zealand)
Is the logical solution to move (in my case return) to large format, whose manufacturers are increasing year after year, whose products are becoming cheaper and more readily available and whose influence, target audience and competition towards digital is continuing to grow?
Do I stick to my principles, not support brands that have (for whatever reason) abandoned MF and eagerly wait for potential Kickstarter opportunities or new product lines to open in the future?
I'm leaning towards thinking that my perspective has become too short and I am starting to sound like a salty badger but I would be interested to hear others' thoughts, especially those that have for whatever reason felt the need to move from their MF system due to a lack of support or confidence in their previous brand.
