I Hate Medium Format...

Jaf-Photo · May 27, 2014

Congratulations, you'll be taking great photos with it for years to come, I'm sure.

RattyMouse · May 28, 2014

Prest_400 said:
Well...

I saw a GW690III on the bay at a very nice price, and bid for it yesterday... No one else went for it, so now I am an owner of one of these cameras
Looking back, it's been almost 2 years ago since I started to eye the Fuji 6x9 series, and a bit more than 5 yrs since I began craving MF.

Certainly I've got one thing that I dislike, before even having the camera; It hurt to see the bank account balance emptier Now I've got barely enough for some film.
Ah, the budget of a student, plunge down some savings, will recover 'em in the future for sure.

Despite having been so long hesitating to get into MF I still had doubts when I won the auction; Maybe MF is way too much? No budget for tripod so it will have to wait, and I should get my good handholding going on again.

Great camera. You'll love it. Just practice your metering, keep your shutter speeds up and you will be VERY pleased with your results. Be sure to shoot some slide film with that camera. There is NOTHING like seeing a gorgeous transparency at this size. Nothing like it. Well, large format, but let's not go there.

Enjoy!

Roger Cole · May 28, 2014

Problem is, you can't do anything with that transparency anymore except enjoy it on a lightbox or scan it, unless you have a very expensive projector that can handle that size. I shoot 35mm E6 for projection but don't see any reason to use the remaining 120 E6 film in my fridge, unless I get a medium format projector. That isn't too unreasonable for the 645 and 6x6 frames. At 6x9 I'm not even sure such a beast exists (6x7 yes, though expensive, but 6x9 I really don't even know) and if it does, it'll cost you.

markbarendt · May 28, 2014

I developed a fair number 220 rolls this last weekend from a shoot of a Rotary Project installation trip to Navajo Mountain UT the previous weekend prior, Portra 400 shot with my RB 67.

When I see negatives like these I do sometimes wonder why I shoot anything else. Of course then to develop and print a couple sheets of 4 x 5 HP5...

Roger Cole · May 28, 2014

Believe me, I am often tempted to get an RB67 kit and forget 4x5, especially when I'm loading holders or find an otherwise excellent negative and shot ruined by dust.

miha · May 28, 2014

Roger Cole said:
Problem is, you can't do anything with that transparency anymore except enjoy it on a lightbox or scan it, unless you have a very expensive projector that can handle that size. I shoot 35mm E6 for projection but don't see any reason to use the remaining 120 E6 film in my fridge, unless I get a medium format projector. That isn't too unreasonable for the 645 and 6x6 frames. At 6x9 I'm not even sure such a beast exists (6x7 yes, though expensive, but 6x9 I really don't even know) and if it does, it'll cost you.

They do exist, expensive for sure: http://www.markerink.org/WJM/HTML/proj_667.htm

MattKing · May 28, 2014

I was given (for free!) my most recent medium format projector.

I paid $300.00 for the one I bought a couple of years ago.

Both project up to 6x6.

I am shooting that E100G I have in my freezer!

wblynch · May 28, 2014

MattKing said:
I was given (for free!) my most recent medium format projector!

A most excellent gift !

Roger Cole · May 28, 2014

I was given my 35mm projector, a Kodak autofocus model. If someone wants to give me a medium format project I'll a) be very grateful, b) start shooting my 120 E6, c) buy more 120 E6, and d) immediately buy some appropriately sized slide mounts.

typicalaussiebloke · May 31, 2014

I'm pretty much a newbie amateur photographer starting only late last year and it didn't take me long to get completely hooked on medium format roll film and I've become a medium format junkie and my specialty is antique medium format film from the 1930s to the 1970s, have shot over 30 rolls of 120, 620 and 116 formats in the past 6 months which are featured on my Flickr channel https://www.flickr.com/photos/51853869@N08/sets . I however haven't abandoned the 35mm format as I still shoot it here and there, but the quality of medium format is better and I can easily do a decent quality scan using overhead projector lighting and my Samsung Galaxy S4 phone camera so I shoot it more often than 35mm.

Prest_400 · May 31, 2014

Roger Cole said:
Problem is, you can't do anything with that transparency anymore except enjoy it on a lightbox or scan it, unless you have a very expensive projector that can handle that size. I shoot 35mm E6 for projection but don't see any reason to use the remaining 120 E6 film in my fridge, unless I get a medium format projector. That isn't too unreasonable for the 645 and 6x6 frames. At 6x9 I'm not even sure such a beast exists (6x7 yes, though expensive, but 6x9 I really don't even know) and if it does, it'll cost you.

True, scan+print is just about the only option nowadays.
There's a local store that still lists Provia 400X. Not cheap, but I think I'll pass and grab a roll for the test run. Later on and given that customs don't take the rest of my budget, I'd buy provia 100F.
Lately though I have something for negatives and the way they render highlights, and being more versatile. That means I should see some slides again, as when I do I want to shoot more of them.
As of 6x9 projectors, I saw a photo around flickr of a guy with one, IIRC it was a Beseler. Huge thing.

I just repurposed an old iPhone as my reflective meter. Sure, it's a partial to spot meter, but (I will test more) accurate.

typicalaussiebloke said:
I can easily do a decent quality scan using overhead projector lighting and my Samsung Galaxy S4 phone camera so I shoot it more often than 35mm.

A bit OT, but I have so much fun with my S4 for snapshots that I seldom bring other digital cameras for everyday use (as with most high end smartphones nowadays). It will be the GW690 companion for those snaps that MF isn't for.

I Hate Medium Format...

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