medium format handheld - what film?

Thomas Bertilsson said:

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Any ISO 400 speed film will do fine in most circumstances. As David Allen points out above, how you hold the camera matters.
Having an idea of what the lighting will be like BEFORE you make exposures is key, so if you have some spots you want to shoot in, go meter before hand so you can preset the camera. Use zone focusing and set an approximate focus, and simply be ready to fire away.
I won't say I've done this a lot, but I've done it enough that I can say with confidence that a Hasselblad is a fine camera for street photography, especially with an 80mm or even a 50mm lens.

I use Ilford HP5+ for just about everything, and when I photograph in this way I use a developer that gives full emulsion speed, like Ilfotec DD-X, Kodak Xtol, Kodak TMax, or ADOX FX-39.
I can actually shoot HP5+ at 640 to 800 using DD-X. That extra stop of speed helps with zone focusing, as I can add a stop and increase my depth of field.

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Really nice portraits Thomas.

No doubt a leaf-shutter rangefinder is easier for street shooting. It certainly allows for lower shutter speeds. But the Hasselblad V-cameras work splendidly, too... and, indeed, I spend far more time walking around with my 500C/M than my Voigtlander Bessa III.

Handheld with the Hassy, I try and keep shutter speeds at 1/500, adjusting the aperture to achieve correct EV. Any film stock which allows that, works. Which is to say, a large variety of films work just fine.

As you go up in focal length, it gets harder, of course. But certainly doable.




500C/M ... 150 Sonnar ... Portra 160





500C/M ... 80 Planar ... TMAX 100





500C/M ... 80 Planar ... TMAX 100

@Jager
Jeff, those photographs are great - the girl on a swing is priceless !!

I wandered around Tokyo once with my RB67 in hand, viewing through the waist level finder. I was shooting TMY-2 and got some nice shots. I also had with me my nasty little electrical tape-wrapped Holga with a roll of TMY-2 in it. They also turned out swell... light leaks and all!

macfred said:

@Jager
Jeff, those photographs are great - the girl on a swing is priceless !!

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Thanks, macfred! Appreciate the kind words!

I often push film, and I think I have learnt to be good at it!
1600 is pretty much a "base iso" for me at winter time, or night photo..

Attached portrait was shot handheld with a mamiya m645 with tmax400 @1600 (developed as 2500) using Ilfotec DD-X.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rubbernglue/23013107770

Thanks for all the advice! I ordered some T-Max 400 and Fujifilm Pro 400h for handheld and some Ektar for my tripod work.

I'm not the most pro around but at least I can share some of my shots with different film stocks with my lovely Pentax 67II and the Franka Solida IIIe.
I always shot handheld with great results (including Velvia 50 and PanF 50). Living in Miami and scuba diving helps a lot as a tripod-man!

Velvia 50



Pan F 50



Acros 100



TriX 400



Portra 400

jonasfj said:

Hi,

What film do you use when shooting medium format handheld?

I have been trying to shoot street photography with my Hasselblad 503cx. I use 50/4, 80/2.8 and 150/4 lenses, mostly the latter.

I have been shooting with Kodak Ektar, T-Max 100 and some Ilford FP4+. All those films give me beautiful images, but I tend to get stuck at the maximum apertures and often at shutter speeds that are too low for consistently sharp images.

Therefore I am leaning towards switching to T-Max 400 and Fuji Pro 400H.

Do you have similar experiences?

Cheers,

Jonas

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I shoot ISO 100 film handheld without any reservations. If I need to shoot wide open then I do so. My Fujifilm rangefinders are just fine wide open and hardly improve stopping down.

For black-and-white, my go-to film is now Tri-X 400. My preferred color film is Ektar 100 (I wish they'd make it in a 400 speed emulsion as well, to simplify my shooting when switching back and forth from b/w to color). I have no problem with either when shooting my travel work, except of course using the Ektar indoors when shutter speeds drop so low even the Rolleiflex can't handle it. The Rollei is my hand-held medium format of choice, especially for travel photography. Lightweight (for medium format), inconspicuous, no mirror slap to deal with, I regularly hand-hold my 2.8E at 1/15th, and have been known to pull off 1 second exposures hand-held that are still more than acceptably sharp.

Here's an example from the Capitoline Museum in Rome. Hand-held, Tri-X400, exposure was around 1/30th @ f4, maybe f2.8, I don't remember exactly. The torso is under the eave of a porch, and it was a heavy overcast day and actively raining when I took the photo.

Dead Link Removed

I strongly prefer ISO 400 for walk around / handheld shooting with my Bronica SQ.
With ISO 100 film you quickly end up with shutter speeds of 1/30sec or below. Even wide open (which is with my lenses 2.8 or 3.5). Of course not in bright daylight, but as soon as you enter dark shadow areas or in the evening.

I use Hasselblad 501CM with WLF handheld all the time with Fuji Acros 100 or Fuji Pro 400H mostly. Not much for street photos but more of my kids and so on. And JEff - that photo of the girl on the swing is awesome! Well done for getting that in focus and so well exposed. And I very much like the photo of the femal DJ...though not entirely for photographic appreciation!!

ted_smith said:

And JEff - that photo of the girl on the swing is awesome! Well done for getting that in focus and so well exposed. And I very much like the photo of the femal DJ...though not entirely for photographic appreciation!!

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Thanks, Ted!

The slowest emulsions I've used when shooting handheld have been Fuji Provia 100 and Kodak Portra 160. The camera was a Bronica ETRSi with the Speed Grip, which makes holding the outfit much like holding a large 35mm camera. I had no issues with camera shake with either emulsion.

Here's a Civil War battle reenactment I stumbled across while visiting Galveston a couple years ago. Bronica ETRSi, 75mm f/2.8, Provia 100:




And here's a shot I took using the same ETRSi, with 75mm f/2.8 lens, shooting Kodak Portra 160:


I didn't record the shutter speeds but they were plenty fast enough for that 75mm lens.

For medium format street, I have standardized on Tri-X at 1250 in Diafine, or if the light allows, Fuji Acros 100 at 160 in Diafine.

That combination covers pretty well any light I would shoot in, and I find the results (tonally) consistent. I can't readily tell the difference between something I shot on Tri-X vs Acros, except maybe a little grain.

I am primarily shooting 645 in a Bronica ETRsi, so similar constraints as your Hasselblad (lens speed, shutter style, handling.) But this combo is also working for me in my new Pentax 67.

Pentax 67II 45mm F/4
Agfa APX25 EI20 in Rodinal 1:50
All handheld (have my tripod collecting dust)