Why 6x9 8 7 over 6x4.5? Why 6x4.5 over 35mm?

blockend

Member
Joined
Aug 16, 2010
Messages
5,049
Location
northern eng
Format
35mm
The main criterion is how big a camera are you prepared to carry, and how many shots do you generally take? A 6 x 9 camera has only 8 shots to a roll, but if you mainly shoot landscapes or slow set ups that may be plenty. On the other hand if you shoot roll film like 35mm, you'll need every one of those 16 frames. After various medium format SLRs and TLRs I prefer a Zeiss Ikon folder.
 

Prest_400

Member
Joined
Jan 1, 2009
Messages
1,478
Location
Sweden
Format
Med. Format RF
I have a GW690 as my one and only Medium format at the moment. The thing gets a bad rap for size, but it is actually quite light (1,5kg) and after all a 6x9 camera that shoots 8 exp 120. I was a bit horrified when I read that a Nikon F5+grip+50mm 1.8 weigh about the same.

Initially I shot 35mm and never tended to end a whole roll of 36 in a single outing or shoot. Most often I took the camera "pinpointing" situations and being overly selective for such a miniature format. Going MF I decided for a large MF if possible, and the GW's are a good entry point by the way of affordability.
I tend to still be selectve shooting and tend not to put myself in situations where I get through frames very quickly. Sometimes I wish I had a 6x6 or even a Fuji AF GA645 for more frames and easy usage (compensate a fully manual camera with a semiauto P&S) but having still a Medium format look.

I still have not ventured into travel, where going through film is much easy. I want to take the Fuji to SE asia for a while if that trip ends happening any soon. I'm thinking about hunting and freezing some 220 for that, saving some space by the way.

Thanks to digital it is easy to have another sideshooter easily. Either the slab of iphone or a small digital camera. I always try to not having overlapping systems –easy for me– and complement the different media and formats (Fuji as the big one, phone as sharing platform, digi for snaps).
 
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