Is 2x2 film considered Large Format?

[david_britton1]

I'm an amature 35mm photographer of old grain elevators located in the plains states. Also shoot scenery and wildlife. I understand I can get less grainy blowups by using a larger format camera, such as 2x2 (or maybe its 2x2 film). Please explain or inform me. Where would I purchase such a camera, or do you recommend another format camera??

[sean_yates]

2 X 2 what? Centimeters? Inches? or Feet?

 

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Seriously though, 6 X 6 cm (2.25 square) is usually considered medium

format - your Hasselblads, Mamiya C330's Rollei-flex's etc. Plenty

of folks shoot that and are pleased as punch with it, but Large

Format is more than film size - it's camera movements and a mind set.

 

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Any decent large camera store will carry medium format gear and

there's always Ebay. There are also plenty of M.F. shooters on this

website (although they don't admit it publicly) and at www.photo.net

[sean_yates]

http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/mf/

 

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http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/pw/mf.html

 

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http://www.ex.ac.uk/mfd/

 

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http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-one-category?

topic_id=23&category=Medium%20Format

[armin_seeholzer]

Hi David

 

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Large format starts with 4x5 inch and these is also the most used neg.

format in LF!

Good light!

[trevor_crone1]

David, large format usually begins with 4x5in. However superb quality

can be obtained with medium format 6x4.5cm, 6x6cm, up to 6x9cm. Their

are several medium format cameras which have shift or perspective

control lenses which allow one to keep the verticals vertical.

However there is a price to pay and they are usually very expensive

even on the second hand market. It's often cheaper to buy a s/h 6x9cm

view camera plus suitable lens then medium format camera with shift

lens which will allow you greater control with the image. Interesting

enough I've just started experimenting with a s/h 35mm Olympus OM1

with 35mm shift lens. This I use alongside the larger formats of

6x9cm and 4x5.

Good luck,

[wilhelm]

If you're shooting scenery and grain elevators, there's no reason why

you can't use a tripod and slow, fine grain film, and get results as

good as 4x5 so long as you limit your prints to 12x18. You don't say

what brand of camera you're using, but the sharpest 35mm lens I've

ever owned is/was a PC Nikor (Multicoated), and they're not all that

expensive.

[sorin]

David, what film are you using? If your problem is grain and not the

lack of details, you are probably shooting with fast film. Fast film

(the higher the ASA number is the faster is the film) is grainy. You

should try slow slide film (like provia 100F or Velvia) or if you

prefer to shoot negative film, Superia Reala 100.

[dave_schneider]

It was grain elevators and railroad depots in the plains states that

prompted my move to large format. The reason was not the larger

negative, although that has helped, but the need to control

perspective. Grain elevators tend to be rather tall. You end up

pointing the camera upwards to take in the whole elevator or you

drive a half mile out of town and use your telephoto. Pointing the

camera up causes the elevator to appear in the photo like its tipping

over and getting far enough away generally raises new problems of

obstructions and the like. The view camera is the solution to these

problems. Feel free to email privately if you would like to discuss

grain elevators and rural landscapes further.

[david_haardt2]

Dear David,

 

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Technically (according to the German Industry Norms DIN), anything

larger than 35mm (24x36mm) and smaller than 9x12 (90x120mm) is medium

format. This also implies that 6x17 is still medium format.

 

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Practically, most people understand medium format as roll film, and

large format as sheet film.

 

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Cheers,