Medium Format is Dead and 135 Format Mirrorless is the Future
- Medium Format's key advantage is its large film size in old days for more details
- while the fastest medium format lens are nowhere faster comparing to today's full frame mirrorless lens options
- Full frame 135 format mirrorless just way lighter and compact and more flexible on adapting options overall; and nowaday resolution is more than needed
format | fast lens on MF | equiv. 135 format | native 135 alternative |
---|---|---|---|
645 format | Mamiya 645 80mm f1.9 | 50mm f1.2 | 50mm f0.95 |
645 format | Hasselblad 110mm F2 | 75mm f1.3 | Canon 85mm f1.2 |
645 format | Mamiya 645 150mm/f2.8 | 100mm f1.8 | Sigma 105mm f1.4 |
6×7 format | Mamiya RZ 110mm f/2.8 | 55mm f1.4 | 50mm f0.95 |
6×7 format | Mamiya RZ 150mm f2.5 | 75mm f1.2 | Canon 85mm f1.2 |
6×9 format | Mamiya Press 100mm f2.8 | 43mm f1.2 | 50mm f0.95 |
6×9 format | Mamiya Press 150mm f/5.6 | 70mm f2.4 | Canon 85mm f1.2 |
- ref:
MF crop factor and focal length equivalent
- still film
- motion film
relative Crop Factor = MF width / 36mm (135 film width)
Crop Factor = 1/ relative Crop Factor
(Note: 6 means 6cm in MF)
35mm | 645 | 6×6 | 6×7 | 6×9 | 6×12 | 6×17 LF | 6×24 LF | 4×5“ | 5×7” | 8×10“ | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ActualfilmSize | 36×24 mm | 56 x 42 mm | 56 x 56 mm | 56 x 72 mm | 56 x 84 mm | 56 x 112 mm | 56 x 168 mm | 56 x 224 mm | 102×127 mm | 127 x 178mm | 20×25cm |
size compare | 1x | 2.7x | 3.6x | 4.6x | 5.4x | 7.3x | 11x | 14.5x | 15x | 26x | 58x |
print size | A3 | A2 | A2 | A1 | A1,A0 | 2xA2 | 3xA2 | 4xA2 | 2A0 | 4A0 | 8A0 |
135mm equivalent Angle of View | ||||||||||
rCF | 1.5x | 1.5x | 2x | 2.3x | 3.1x | 4.6x | 6.2x | 3.5x | 5x | 7x |
FL | 645 | 6×6 | 6×7 | 6×9 | 6×12 | 6×17 | 6×24 | 4×5” | 5×7“ | 8×10” |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
28mm | 17mm | |||||||||
35mm | 21mm | 11mm | ||||||||
40mm | 25mm | |||||||||
43mm | 22mm | |||||||||
45mm | 28mm | 20mm | 14.5mm | 13mm | ||||||
50mm | 32mm | 25mm | ||||||||
55mm | 35mm | 18mm | ||||||||
65mm | 33mm | 28mm | 21mm | 18mm | ||||||
75mm | 50mm | 50mm | 24mm | 21mm | 15mm | |||||
80mm | 41mm | |||||||||
90mm | 45mm | 35mm | 28mm | 20mm | 14.5mm | 25mm | 18mm | |||
110mm | 50mm | 24mm | 16mm | |||||||
120mm | 75mm | 50mm | 19mm | 35mm | 18mm | |||||
150mm | 95mm | 95mm | 75mm | 33mm | 24mm | 42mm | 30mm | 21mm |
LF ref:
- LF ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large_format_(photography)
MF panorama ref (612,617,624):
MF ref:
- mamiya ref: http://www.kenrockwell.com/mamiya/index.htm
120 film develop in SG
- trip-D MiniLab at burlington square (beside SimLim Square)
- process fee: 5 sgd
- grace digital lab at clementi
- Mon-Sat: 11am - 8pm (6pm at Fri)
- process fee: 3.5 sgd
- Konota Fuji Shop
- process fee: 5sgd
- Mon-Sun (10am-7pm, 3pm-7:30pm on Sun)
More shop at SG: http://www.lomography.com/more/photolabs/country/192-singapore
Some Fuji Kodak shop
- basement of lucky plaza have fuji counter selling 120 film
120 Film price
120 film shot counts
645 | 6×6 | 6×7 | 6×9 |
16 | 12 | 10 | 8 |
- Kodak Professional Ektacolor 160: 4.4-5.2-6 sgd (Peek near City Hall area)
- FujiColor 160NP: 4.4-6.5 sgd
120 Good color one:
- Kodak Ektar 100: 6.6 sgd
- Kodak Portro 160: 12 sgd (8sgd)
- Kodak Portro 400: 7.6 sgd (8sgd)
- FUJI VelVia 100F E6: 7 sgd
- FUJI VEIA RVP50 E6: 6.6 sgd
120 B&W:
- FUJI NEOPAN100 ACROS120: 4.4 sgd
- SHD100 120: 3.5 sgd
- Kodak 100TMax 120: 7 sgd
- Kodak 400TMax 120: 7 sgd
- Shanghai GP3: 2 sgd
- iford infred SFX 200: (14 sgd)
135 film
- Kodak 100: 6.6 sgd
- Kodak 200: 3.5 sgd (2.5sgd)
- Kodak 400: 3.2 sgd (3.1sgd at Tiongbaru plaze fuji shop)
- Kodak Ektar 100: 7 sgd
- iford delta 100: (7sgd)
- iford delta 400: (7sgd)
- iford infred SFX 200: (14 sgd)
- ilford delta 3200: 9 sgd (ruby)
- fuji superia/nature 1600: 14 sgd
- fuji portra 800: 14 sgd
- fuji 100: 5.6 sgd
- fuji 200: 3 sgd (2.5sgd at Tiongbaru plaze fuji shop if I am not wrong)
135 BW film:
- Kodak 100TMax: 7 sgd
- Kodak 400TMax: 7 sgd
Film and Airport check
- normally no issue: link
645 vs 6x7 and large format
- medium format photography intro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glI-NGw1O4I
My interchangable MF preference: Mamiya RB67 > Hasselblad 500cm > Fuji GSW690 > Pentax 645 > Bronica ETRSi 645 > Mamiya 645 ProSD > Pentax 6×7 > Twin Lens Reflex cameras > Old fixed lens MF cameras
(AE prism finder > prism finder > waist level finder)
Medium Format brands and choice
- Most of available and affordable choice are film medium format cameras and they are generally 2nd hand in good or bad working condition;
Mamiya RB67, RZ67, Mamiya M645, AF645 and rangefinder 7 series
- RB67 are old and common found in Buy and Sell forums, they are the biggest 6×7 MF film camera in size and weight
- RZ67 are later slim version of RB67, and slightly higher in price.
- Both above are barrel focusing, you use a knob to rotate to extend the lens forward and backward from body to focus,like TLR cameras
- Mamiya 6: 6×6 compact rangefinder medium format camera with interchangable lens
- Mamiya 7: 6×7 compact rangefinder medium format camera with interchangable lens
- Mamiya 645: cheap and light weight Mamiya MF options
- “Mamiya models had long-term durability issues. I think that was solved by the Pro/Pro TL series.Personally, my Pro TL has been rock-solid,”
- 645AF: good cheap AF MF option compared to Pentax 645N
- Mamiya AF lens review:
- Mamiya MF lens
- Mamiya RZ lens review: http://www.frankdoorhof.com/site/2011/03/review-lenses-rzrb-system/
- Mamiya RZ vs RB system explained: http://forums.popphoto.com/showthread.php?231224-Mamiya-RB67-vs-Mamiya-RZ67
Pentax 645 and Pentax 6x7 type
- Pentax 645 the first gen, are cheap and easy find, with lens compatible to the cheapest Digital MF camera - Pentax 645D, just like all Pentax camera, all Pentax MF lens will work easily on it
- 2nd gen and 3rd gen costs a bit
-
- 1st gen and 2nd gen, cheap and easy find:
- intro video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSWOiJlT9OY
- 3rd gen costs more
Shanghai Seagull TLR and other 6x6 TLR
- avaliable brand new and cheap
- TLR camera is Medium format in most compact form, beside MF rangefinder
Fuji GW and GSW 6x7,6x8,6x9 rangefinder
- affordable and good find in 2nd hand market for big format in a more holdable form, with non-interchangeable MF camera system
- video intro GW690III: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8wH9KPLbTU
Bronica, Pentacon 6, and other
- Bronica 6×6 S series intro (Model S, D, C, C2) video
- Bronica SQ-Ai intro: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOQ0XdtW6sU
- All bronica MF lineup
- D(1959)、S(1961)、C(1964)、S2(1965)、C2(1965)、S2A(1969)
- EC(1972)、EC-TL(1975)、ETR(1976)、ETR-C(1977)、ETRS(1978)、
- EC-TL II(1978)、SQ(1980)、SQ-A(1982)、SQ-AM(1982)、GS-1(1983)、
- ETRS-i(1988)、SQ-Ai(1990)、SQ-B(1996)、ETRS-i LE(1996)
hasselblad 6x6 system
- expensive options like leica in 135 format
- still you can find good affordable ones like Leica M3
- buying guide for hasselblad: http://www.bythewei.com/wordpress/2012/07/things-to-know-before-buying-a-hassy/
instant film camera
- video of Fujifilm Fotorama FP-1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&v=ekd5kE7-dsM&NR=1
Lomography camera
Autofocus and Digital Medium Format camera
- almost 10x expensive than 135 format DSLR