Why did I wait so long before trying MF

[Skeeterfx20]

That is a question that I really can't answer. I was stuck on 35mm for so long and always has an argument on why it worked. Well that argument went out the window as soon as I looked at my first MF photographs. It all started with a Yashica 6x6 that I bought 15 years ago and never used until the end of last year. As soon as I got my first photographs back I noticed the difference.

I didn't shoot much with it just inside normal family photos with a flash. At first I was much more interested in learn how to use flash bulbs. But then I started to pay attention to the details in the photograph, I can't explain it any other way than I saw a difference over my 35mm photographs.

I just stepped up to a Mamiya RB67. Wow you wouldn't think 6x7 could be much better than 6x6. Again I was wrong. I knew I was wrong when I processed my first 6x7 E6 roll.

Now I'm pretty slow when it comes to using the Mamiya RB67 67. In addition I had to interpret my meter readings. Trust me it is not as simple as just pointing your meter and taking a reading. Don't get me wrong it will work that way but to get the best photograph use the reading as a starting point then make adjustment based on the subject and actual light.

In any event I feel like I missed a lot in putting off the move into MF as long as I did. My biggest problem will be keeping enough film on hand.

 

[Sirius Glass]

E*N*J*O*Y*!*!​

 

[Ariston]

Welcome to the club. There are a lot of phone apps that you may want to look into for metering. You can also use a digital camera to gauge exposure. Some may scoff at that, but Ansel used Polaroids to check his exposure before shooting, so I see no difference.

I have an RB and love it. There is nothing like looking down at the waist-level finder and realizing you are looking at the actual image that will be recorded to the film - same size and all, but reversed.

 

[mshchem]

Yeah, the only time my 35mm cameras come out is on vacation, or very rarely I use a Leica for quiet.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

Medium format is awesome... not a awesome as LF, though!

 

[StepheKoontz]

Wait till you try 4X5 lol

 

[guangong]

All formats have their advantages and disadvantages, from Minox on up. Whatever works to satisfy each individual’s intention is best. I found TLR Rollei very useful for candids. Try some with your Yashika. A different format is always a fun adventure.

 

[Theo Sulphate]

...
In any event I feel like I missed a lot in putting off the move into MF as long as I did. ...

For a lot of fun consider a medium format folder sometime - fits in your pocket and you get the big negative. Just check for bellows light leaks first.

All formats have their advantages and disadvantages, from Minox on up. Whatever works to satisfy each individual’s intention is best. ...

Well said.

 

[narsuitus]

@Skeeterfx20

Don't forget to update your shoot profile. Right now you are listed as 35mm.

 

[Doc W]

This is not intended as a diss on some of you LF guys (I mostly shoot LF), but the larger formats are not somehow "better" than MF. Roll film and sheet film are two different beasts entirely. I love what LF offers, especially in the bigger negatives (5x7 or 8x10), but I also love the freedom that one gets from a good MF camera. I have both an RB67 and a Mamiya 7 and I really like them both. The RB is a little clunky and was intended for the studio but I use it in the field all the time, mostly with a tripod. The Mamiya 7 feels almost like a 35mm and handles so easily. You don't get that groove with LF. It is a different thing. For the record, my favourite camera is my 8x10 (a Kodak Master), but it isn't "better" than MF. Just different.

In any case, keep shooting that RB!

 

[M. Axel Wikstrom]

If I don't need camera movements I typically shoot medium format, if I'm doing landscapes, cityscapes, or photos that otherwise require movements it's usually 5x7, for fast shooting or travel it's a 35mm rangefinder or the Rolleiflex (if I only need one lens). For cases where I want a big negative, but can't carry much weight I have a fixed body 4x5 that also accepts 6x12 and 6x7 backs.

 

[Paul Manuell]

Medium format is awesome ... not a awesome as LF, though!

Totally agree, but it becomes heartbreaking when the camera you've used for years and grown to love and know inside out suddenly becomes obsolete because spares are no longer available for repair. Finding myself in that position now

 

[Sirius Glass]

Totally agree, but it becomes heartbreaking when the camera you've used for years and grown to love and know inside out suddenly becomes obsolete because spares are no longer available for repair. Finding myself in that position now

Good reason to standardize on Hasselblad. << shameless plug>> I do all my sirius serious work with the Hasselblad which is small enough to handle like a 35mm when I use the prism. I almost always travel with the Hasselblad unless I am going to be traveling quickly or not concentrate on photography. In fact I took only one 35mm camera with me last week when I was in New Orleans for the week and I only shot color. Large format is mostly for handheld with the Pacemaker Speed Graphic or the Graflex, on occasion used as a view camera on a tripod.

 

[Skeeterfx20]

The Mamiya RB67 67 is big and of course heavier than any 35mm I have. Then there are what I call all those extra steps, cock shutter, wind film, set stop, set shutter speed, adjust floating lens and then pull dark shade. I don't know I love it. It took me four rolls to get it all down pat. I can seeadding a few more film, backs.

In any event I love the negative and just in heaven with the look of the E6.

People have said loading 120 on a Paterson Reel can be hard. Not an expert but the first four rolls went on like clock work. I just clip a little 45 on each corner and it goes on to the reel quick and easy.

I wish I could get more shots to a roll, figures I'm always late and missed being able to consider using 220. Maybe it will come back you never know.

Now I have to buy a 6x7 negative carrier for my Beseler 23 C. I just finished rebuilding it. Those things are hard to find used.

 

[Paul Howell]

Not sure, but there may be 6X4.5 back for the RB. I have both a 6X7 and 6X9 back for my Mamyia Universal of the two I prefer the 6X9.

 

[Prest_400]

For the first time I hand developed E6 today. It was a collective effort from the camera club and some of us decided to do an E6 pool, rolls from one and another. So beautiful to pull a 120 roll off a reel and see the transparencies!

Although been shooting MF for 5 years, I didn't ramp up my shooting quantity until this year. I joined a community darkroom after moving towns and finally did B&W properly: By Myself (and with the fun of fellow camera club members).
I don't like 35mm in the darkroom as the negs feel tiny and with too many shots a roll, although it's very easy to stumble into more 35mm cameras and the format is fine for occasional shooting and embracing its "small format" aesthetic. Oh and it is simple to squeeze in a 35mm compact into the bag but I find myself shooting color Neg and sending it out.
LF is there but is not as enticing to me, the GW690 Texas Leica 6x9 format is practically half frame 4x5" and the costs involved are a magnitude lower. Also, it is much more mobile and agile than a view camera. 8x10" does seem very interesting but a different philosophy altogether. I'm a person of balance and medium, one might say.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

That is a question that I really can't answer. I was stuck on 35mm for so long and always has an argument on why it worked. Well that argument went out the window as soon as I looked at my first MF photographs. It all started with a Yashica 6x6 that I bought 15 years ago and never used until the end of last year. As soon as I got my first photographs back I noticed the difference.

I didn't shoot much with it just inside normal family photos with a flash. At first I was much more interested in learn how to use flash bulbs. But then I started to pay attention to the details in the photograph, I can't explain it any other way than I saw a difference over my 35mm photographs.

I just stepped up to a Mamiya RB67. Wow you wouldn't think 6x7 could be much better than 6x6. Again I was wrong. I knew I was wrong when I processed my first 6x7 E6 roll.

Now I'm pretty slow when it comes to using the Mamiya RB67 67. In addition I had to interpret my meter readings. Trust me it is not as simple as just pointing your meter and taking a reading. Don't get me wrong it will work that way but to get the best photograph use the reading as a starting point then make adjustment based on the subject and actual light.

In any event I feel like I missed a lot in putting off the move into MF as long as I did. My biggest problem will be keeping enough film on hand.

It is indeed a great jump in image quality going from 35mm to MF; an increase which cannot be repeated by going from MF to LF but it is also a loss in speed and flexibility.considering all formats, MF may be the ultimate compromise.

 

[winger]

Ain't it fun?! As Sirius said, ENJOY!

 

[Skeeterfx20]

Time is so fleeting Winger. I will have to talk you into coming up the mountain to photograph the Packsaddle Covered Bridge. It is the only PA covered bridge with a waterfall. If you ever get a chance you have to photograph Rickets Glenn. I have to get back there with my MF gear. I should join the WPS, it's just a 30 min drive to the meetings.

 

[MattKing]

Not sure, but there may be 6X4.5 back for the RB.

There are, and they are great for those of us who shoot slides and have a medium format projector that can handle 6x6.
The 6x7 projectors are rare and very expensive.
As for short rolls, that is a good thing - re-loading practice is in order for you!

 

[NB23]

4x5... major PITA!

MF is sweet, from the cameras to the manageable negs. It’s quite a sweet spot.

 

[M. Axel Wikstrom]

4x5... major PITA!

Not many MF systems have movements. Ya know... plane of focus and perspective control. It's not only about resolution.

 

[Besk]

I use a miniature Crown Graphic more than my 4X5's. More likely to have it with me due to its size and weight.

 

[Neil Grant]

People have said loading 120 on a Paterson Reel can be hard. Not an expert but the first four rolls went on like clock work. I just clip a little 45 on each corner and it goes on to the reel quick and easy.
.[/QUOTE]
...as long as the reels haven't aquired a 'varnish' - this makes them sticky and difficult to load. If the reels are good, with care, it's possible to load two 120's end-to-end.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

People have said loading 120 on a Paterson Reel can be hard. Not an expert but the first four rolls went on like clock work. I just clip a little 45 on each corner and it goes on to the reel quick and easy.
.

...as long as the reels haven't aquired a 'varnish' - this makes them sticky and difficult to load. If the reels are good, with care, it's possible to load two 120's end-to-end.[/QUOTE]
clipping the corners helps a lot;keeping the reels bone dry is important too. moisture in the reels will lock the film.