Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Medium Format / Film / Digital Backs – and Large Sensor Photography => Topic started by: jools230575 on October 04, 2009, 06:31:24 am

Title: Medium format help
Post by: jools230575 on October 04, 2009, 06:31:24 am: Originally posted this on Equipment and Techniques

Good morning folks

I am thinking of going from 35mm to medium format. of course, the question begs as to what do you go for! I don't have oodles of money but I'd like to make a sensible choice that I won't regret.

So far I have looked into the following:

Bronica SQ series
Mamiya RB series
Mamiya RZ series

I shoot landscapes in the main and I find the interchangeable backs on all of them to be great. However, I have some nitty gritty details that I am not sure of, which is mainly based on shutter speed/ aperture.

Which ones of the above will allow you to adjust the shutter speed by half stop/ thirds increments? Having a camera that only allows 1 stop between shutter speeds seems a tad restrictive. Am I being overly picky with that requirement?

Any advice is greatly welcomed.

Jools
Title: Medium format help
Post by: Graham Mitchell on October 04, 2009, 07:01:16 am: Do you want a wide angle in your system? Those 67 cameras don't have any short focal lengths and on a 48x36mm sensor that's a big problem.
Title: Medium format help
Post by: jools230575 on October 04, 2009, 07:07:08 am: Hi there

Yes. I'd like to be able to do wide angle shots. Will that be an issue with the ones that I mentioned
Title: Medium format help
Post by: Graham Mitchell on October 04, 2009, 07:23:02 am: Quote from: jools230575
Hi there

Yes. I'd like to be able to do wide angle shots. Will that be an issue with the ones that I mentioned

Have a look at the rectilinear lenses available for those cameras. I think the RZ's shortest focal length is 50mm, for example, and it is not a great lens (from what I've heard). That would give you a 35mm equivalency of around 38mm.
Title: Medium format help
Post by: Dick Roadnight on October 04, 2009, 03:29:55 pm: Quote from: jools230575
Bronica SQ series
Mamiya RB series
Mamiya RZ series

Jools
What is your budget, and how little could you get a Hasselblad system for?

Roll film "V" system Hasselblads were very popular with pros... and they must be out there somewhere.
Title: Medium format help
Post by: jools230575 on October 04, 2009, 03:37:38 pm: I guess, from looking at Ebay and various shops online in the UK, that I am looking to get started for around £200 to £250. After that it would be a case of buying whatever lenses I feel I would need.
Title: Medium format help
Post by: MichaelKan on October 04, 2009, 09:29:39 pm: If you shoot film, have you considered 4x5 or 5x7 large format systems?
You can shoot either sheet film or use a roll film back to shoot panoramas.
If you are sticking to medium format only, give the Fuji GX680 some consideration. I have the III series and it is a wonderful system, albeit heavy. The Fuji lenses are superb and the front element can be raised and swiveled for perspective control.