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Author Topic: Mirrorless Medium Format's Future  (Read 2868 times)

Preachdude

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Mirrorless Medium Format's Future
« on: January 27, 2017, 03:39:10 pm »

My first camera, in 1953, was a point-and-shoot medium-format camera made by Kodak called the Brownie Hawkeye.  :D It used 127 films, and I did my own developing. As we consider the new medium-format mirrorless cameras from Hasselblad and Fuji, two things seem to be possible as we look into the future. First, I would not be surprised if Pentax gets into the fray with a mirrorless rendition of the 645Z. This seems to be a logical next step for Ricoh/Pentax. Then, as mirrorless begins to be firmly rooted in the medium-format realm, the next possibility will be towards greater "medium" formats, such as 6x6, 6x7, & 6x9 were the larger medium formats in the film era. It seems unlikely we'll go beyond that in the remotely forseeable future because Roundshot already does medium-format scans of 6x17 and beyond.
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Jim Kasson

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Re: Mirrorless Medium Format's Future
« Reply #1 on: January 27, 2017, 04:03:32 pm »

My first camera, in 1953, was a point-and-shoot medium-format camera made by Kodak called the Brownie Hawkeye.  :D It used 127 films, and I did my own developing.

I got my Brownie Hawkeye in 1951, but I remember that it took 12 6x6 images on a roll of 620 film.

As we consider the new medium-format mirrorless cameras from Hasselblad and Fuji, two things seem to be possible as we look into the future. First, I would not be surprised if Pentax gets into the fray with a mirrorless rendition of the 645Z. This seems to be a logical next step for Ricoh/Pentax. Then, as mirrorless begins to be firmly rooted in the medium-format realm, the next possibility will be towards greater "medium" formats, such as 6x6, 6x7, & 6x9 were the larger medium formats in the film era. It seems unlikely we'll go beyond that in the remotely forseeable future because Roundshot already does medium-format scans of 6x17 and beyond.

We're already there.

I use, and have for years,  a mirrorless camera with a imaging area larger than 6x9: 7.2x9.6cm. It's a Linhof Technika with a Betterlight Super 6K  back.

If you say that scanning doesn't count, you can put a 2D 40x54mm sensor on a tech camera. That's mirrorless, too.

I see the trends heading towards smaller, rather than larger, sensors, as their performance envelope grows to the point where they are good enough for more and more things. We've got "baby MF" with the 33x44mm chips. We've got 50 MP FF chips. We've got FF FWC's and RN levels that exceed those of any commercial MF areal sensor of a few years ago. That won't stop soon.

Onb the flip side, we've got fabs costing more and more, and thus chip area having cost pressure.

Jim

 

Bo_Dez

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Re: Mirrorless Medium Format's Future
« Reply #2 on: January 27, 2017, 08:56:17 pm »

I was just drooling over Pentax 67 images and thinking just this same thing. A mirrorless 6x7 would be incredible.
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voidshatter

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Re: Mirrorless Medium Format's Future
« Reply #3 on: January 27, 2017, 10:05:49 pm »

Then, as mirrorless begins to be firmly rooted in the medium-format realm, the next possibility will be towards greater "medium" formats, such as 6x6, 6x7, & 6x9 were the larger medium formats in the film era.

I strongly doubt it. We are now in an electronic era, so technology advancement is at a fast pace. By the time someone up-scales the 100MP 645 sensor to a larger format such as 6x7 with practical yield and cost, it's always more likely that some newer and fancier technology (e.g. organic sensor, curved sensor etc) would already have been on the way for a smaller format.

Example 1: the IQ180 was released in 2011, but the Nikon D800E was released in 2012 with much better dynamic range. Example 2: the IQ250 was released in 2014, but the Sony A7R-II was released in 2015 with a BSI design.

We're gonna have to wait until the technology advancement settles down and there's little room to improve for MP, DR, ISO, ES etc. It's still a long way to go, so get prepared for these upcoming monkey sink!  ;D
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DanielStone

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Re: Mirrorless Medium Format's Future
« Reply #4 on: January 27, 2017, 11:24:15 pm »

I was just drooling over Pentax 67 images and thinking just this same thing. A mirrorless 6x7 would be incredible.

I've always desired a Pentax 67D, a true 6x7cm full fram sensor, with a big ass mirror (kerr-thuuuunk!) just like the 67/67ii models...
Same mount, just updated designs on the lenses, manual focus only, cuz, why the heck not ;). Put some early 70's era 67 glass in front of that sensor(just a mere 50mp, so fat pixels!) and away you go!

Or, a full frame digital Mamiya 7. Hybrid optical/digital rangefinder like the Fuji X100S.

Hopefully reality one day, not just pipe dreams!
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Bo_Dez

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Re: Mirrorless Medium Format's Future
« Reply #5 on: January 28, 2017, 06:21:19 am »

I've always desired a Pentax 67D, a true 6x7cm full fram sensor, with a big ass mirror (kerr-thuuuunk!) just like the 67/67ii models...
Same mount, just updated designs on the lenses, manual focus only, cuz, why the heck not ;). Put some early 70's era 67 glass in front of that sensor(just a mere 50mp, so fat pixels!) and away you go!

Or, a full frame digital Mamiya 7. Hybrid optical/digital rangefinder like the Fuji X100S.

Hopefully reality one day, not just pipe dreams!

I hope so too, that would be a dream. I would likely stop buying cameras after that too!
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rollsman44

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Re: Mirrorless Medium Format's Future
« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2017, 09:30:07 am »

I like those ideas.  Whats really sad is back in the day when shooting Med Format Film I used the SAME Camera for many years and never had to change cameras.  Today, I must have changed cameras more than I changed my underwear. Seriously.   The prices on todays Digital Med Format are outrageous.
   BUT, we still buy them. We did not anything more with our Film cameras JUST film with a Higher ISO.  Anyway, I had to give you me .02 cents Thanks
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cgarnerhome

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Re: Mirrorless Medium Format's Future
« Reply #7 on: January 28, 2017, 10:47:23 am »

Maybe what we should be asking is what companies will survive all the technological change occurring in this market.  When we invest this much in camera systems it’s important to have a strong company that will continue to support our investment.  I think the challenge that Hasselblad has is not the quality of their products but can they develop a strategy that brings them financial stability.  There will likely be other entrants into this market continuing to put pressure on Hasselblad.  It seems to me, for them to survive long-term they need to be part of another company.  Hopefully, DJI can provide them the necessary resources (people, strategy, money and production know-how) going forward.

donbga

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Re: Mirrorless Medium Format's Future
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2017, 09:58:35 am »

I've always desired a Pentax 67D, a true 6x7cm full fram sensor, with a big ass mirror (kerr-thuuuunk!) just like the 67/67ii models...
Same mount, just updated designs on the lenses, manual focus only, cuz, why the heck not ;). Put some early 70's era 67 glass in front of that sensor(just a mere 50mp, so fat pixels!) and away you go!

Or, a full frame digital Mamiya 7. Hybrid optical/digital rangefinder like the Fuji X100S.

Hopefully reality one day, not just pipe dreams!
You can by a vintage Pentax 6x7 with a great lens kit and a Nikon 5000 NIB, for a lot less money along with a lot of film than a comparable digital system. Oh course you'll also need a back brace! ;)
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