On Thu, 10 Jan 2002, Charles Loeven wrote:
> ====I'm looking at a few of the MF's like the Mamiya 645, which looks pretty
> cute, and the aftermarket seems somewhat affordable, and it's fairly
> compact.
>
> I'm just curious, how much will I gain going from 35mm to 645 format? Will
> I notice the difference, or not really until I pass the 8x10 threshold?
>
> Albert====
>
> I would say there is a definite improvement with 645 over 35mm with 8x10
> prints.
> You are hardly enlarging the thing at all compared to 35mm.
> Besides you will almost always use a tripod.
I think you have more of a point here, than you may intend ;) I find, that
after I started taking MF seriously, I've also become a better 35mm
photographer. Why? Well, simple....
MF is more troublesome: lenses are more expensive (hence, I have fewer),
film is more expensive (and more annoying to develop in the
darkroom), there are fewer shots before I have to change film. The
camera is heavier and less easy to hold. Ohh, and I also, just by the fact
that it is MF, expect better pictures (both technically and
"artistically").
So I develop a habit of using a tripod, I spend more time on getting the
light right, the framing right. I spend more time on learning the
capacity of the few MF-lenses I have, I learn more about how to utilize
the films qualities etc.
This becomes habits, which I carry over when I use my 35mm equipment. And,
indeed, I observe that the ratio of "good" frames of a film goes up, while
the total number of films goes down. I become less likely to "shoot an
extra frame just because", less likely to "bracket rather than think" etc.
Now, I am building a LF-camera, to see if that makes me even better
at using those Olympus'es and zuikos ...;)
> The Mamiya 645 gives a solid stable platform to reduce vibration. It has MLU
> and the lenses have aperture stop down. The mirror slap is intense but I
> found it not to affect photos with flash. I totally regret selling my M645
> without first replacing it with something else. It is a great format for
> 8x10 prints but if I go MF again it will probably
No doubt, Mamiya makes great 645 cameras - at affordable prices.. That's
what I use, and I can only reccomend it (unless, of course, you have a
fortune to shell out for a Hassy...).
--thomas
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