Watch as Ted Forbes from The Art of Photography introduces us to 120 film and looks at a range of cameras for people interested in trying their hand in medium format photography.
Today we are getting a little introduction to medium format photography. Over the last few years film photography has been making a bit of a comeback and many people are being introduced to the medium for the first time. So why medium format? Is it the same as 35mm film? Watch as Ted Forbes from The Art of Photography explains and looks at a range of cameras for people interested in trying their hand in medium format.
“Medium format photography typically refers to images produced on 120 type film which is much wider than the standard 35mm film. 120 film has a constant width, however, the aspect ratio can vary depending on the type of camera used. The most popular ratios are square format or 6×6, 6×9, 6×7, 6×4.5 and you can also occasionally find wider ratios for panoramic usage on cameras such as the Noblex or the Russian Horizon.
The allure of medium format is its size. Being much larger than 35mm, you achieve a much higher image quality. Of course moving to large format you get even more resolution, but the cameras and methods become much more difficult and clumsy than using a medium format camera. So being in the middle its a nice tradeoff of decent resolution, portability, and speed.
I’ve arranged a cross section starting with a $5 box camera and moving up to the more expensive Hasselblad. My point is that all of these cameras provide decent imaging at their respective price points. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to shoot medium format. In fact, in many cases, the cheaper cameras are more sought after for the more “artist” look that you can achieve with the distortions and imperfections that come with cheaper lenses. Its all about experimentation and finding what works best for you.” [Ted Forbes]
We have a range of black & white and colour negative film (35mm and medium format) available in store at Orms. We can also process, scan and print, find out more about that here.
Watch more of Ted’s videos on The Art of Photography YouTube channel and while you’re there, make sure you click the subscribe button. You can also follow him on any of these social channels: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest or the Website.
