Shooting Parameters

[david_amberson1]

I've never shot MF. Never even been within 1000 miles of one that I knew of. I use a Canon 1D3. I've been curious

about some of the functions and such in MF.

 

My question:

 

Are the settings reciprical 35mm vs MF. What I'm asking is. Lets say I'm using my 1D3 and I'm using ISO 400 f2.8

and the result is 1/250. If this same settings were used on a MF would they be different. I ask because I know the

lenses are bigger round and the sensors are larger collectiong more light so I figure you could use a faster shutter

speed. Is this wrong. I know the F stop is a fraction of focal length and yada yada. I just thought that because the

lenses were larger and all of the other geometry was larger/different from 35mm that some of this would be different.

 

I thought of getting some MF stuff to play with. I've always been amazed by its DR and sheer IQ. I thought of film

because I know they are getting cheap, but really would like digital but man this stuff is expensive!

 

Thanks for any info.

[q.g._de_bakker]

No, f/2.8 and 1/250, using ISO 400 film, is "universal". The same, no matter what format camera you are

using.<br><br>Do get some MF gear. You'll love the simplicity, only having to deal with 3 technical parameters:

aperture (f-stop), shutterspeed and focus.<br>Discover that those are all all there is to photography, despite 400

pages thick manuals of digital cameras trying you have you believe different.<br>Find out how enjoyable it is to think

about the image you are making, instead of having to spend most of your energy trying to remember how to get

through the all too many menus to select the particular mode that perhaps might make the camera do what you

hope it eventually will do.<br>After that, you'll never want to use the Canon in any but manual mode. If you still want

to use it at all, that is. ;-)

[steve_parrott]

LIght is light, exposure is exposure, it makes no difference as to what camera you are using. If exposure priciples were different between

cameras it would be a nightmare. Look at a light meter. You do not adjust it for various cameras. It measures ambient light, and that light is a

fixed value, it does not matter what camera is being used to "collect" it.

 

I use a Mamiya medium format 645AFD and LOVE it. I even sold my Canon 1Ds and a bunch of L lenses. I still have an old Canon D60 with

a Tamron lens for digital work, but for ART and the pure pleasure of working with a camera and photography, I use the Mamiya.

 

Steve

[david_amberson1]

Steve> I knew it was the same from camera to camera 35mm wise, but since the MF is so much larger and lenses

are so much largerI thought it might me a little different.

 

Good to know though. At least I can carry what I know over to MF and as you say, just think of the image. I would

like to just go to a location. Set my camera on a tripod. Compose the shot. Think about the scene. Set my ISO,

aperture,shutter speed and manual focus the shot until its just perfect, then click. It seems very rewarding to print

that and hang it knowing you did everything to create the image.

 

Perhaps I'll round up some MF stuff soon. I can do that with my 1D3. But theres just something about the thought of

doing that with a old full manual camera where its totally dependent on you. Plus, you dont know how its gonna look

until the films gets developed. Maybe thats it.

 

Dont get me wrong. I love the 1D3. Its a hell of a machine. But sometimes I dont feel like a photographer using it. I

guess because I shoot alot of sports and have to use the AF and at least half auto(Av mode) on the exposure. Night

football. You know what I mean.

 

I feel like I am cheating on my camera. I feel like the guy who says. Oh no, I'm happily married and fully satisfied. All

the while using a online dating service. LOL. This could even cause a devorce as if I were cheating. After $10,000

worth of Canon digital stuff, my wife would kill me if I came home and said, "Honey, I want to experiment with MF." "

Whats wrong with the 35mm stuff. You men cant ever be happy with what you've got. "What, 1D3 isnt good enough

for you anymore" I could see it now.

[benjaminoliverhicks]

Well you can get used medium format film equipment for really cheap now. So if you want to experiment go ahead and

experiment. After $10,000 dollars what's another $100 or $200.

[craig_supplee]

As Q.G. and Steve said, there is nothing quite like using a MF camera, especially if it is manual focus and film

format. I had worked my way up to LF, but found it was too slow for my taste. I settled on a used RB67 proS with

several lenses and 2 backs to carry color and B&W. It is heavy as 2 bricks, but what fun to use. It's you, the scene,

and the camera with only a few controls to adjust. I enjoy developing my own B&W film, so this body style was

perfect for me. Besides, as you have seen, digital MF is not exactly inexpensive. However, I don't think you will be

sorry if you venture into this format regardless of camera type or format.

[gt1]

"I settled on a used RB67 proS with several lenses and 2 backs to carry color and B&W. It is heavy as 2 bricks, but what fun to use. It's you, the scene, and the camera with only a few controls to adjust. I enjoy developing my own B&W film, so this body style was perfect for me."

 

Same here, except that I still don't have a 2nd back, I started with a 645 and then moved up to the RB67. B&W is simply amazing and scans of my color slides/negs are much sharper at large sizes than images from my consumer 8MP DSLR for much less cost than a pro DSLR.

[russ_britt3]

I have never gone digital.....still shoot with my 4 hasselblads, people tell me I am a dinasour.

But can not see the pleasure in a camera that any monkey can point and push the button and get a picture in auto exposure auto focuse. I really dont mean this to sound insulting, this would be great in some situations.

But I like to adjust the shutter speed and fstop, with not even a built in meter, and get back great pictures, knowing I did it all, not the camera did a great job.

As said I dont mean to insult anyone by these comments, all cameras are tools, I guess digital cameras have their uses also, I guess I need to try one one day.

Film and darkrooms are photography to me......

 

I also love black and white, square compositions....... so Hasselblads are my tools of choice.