Recent Medium Format Articles

Review Of The Phase One IQ250 Medium Format CMOS Back

You may have read my previous post previewing the first modern CMOS-based medium format back to hit the world market by Phase One. Soon after my post, Phase One HQ sent me one of the first IQ250 backs to arrive in the US to review for this site. I had a solid 2 weeks to try it out and see what this system was capable of doing.

The Joy of 6x6 Square Medium Format Film

Back in the days of film, the 6x6 format was highly popular among a lot of photographers. Even today, a lot of photographers would still love to have a square format digital sensor. This great video discusses a wealth of 6x6 film cameras, what they are like to shoot with, and the sort of images you can take with them.

How to Get Medium Format Colors With Your Full-Frame Camera

Medium-format cameras have long been known for their excellent image quality and incredible ability when it comes to rendering colors. Phase One's latest camera, the IQ3 100MP Trichromatic, takes this a step further and you can now get extremely accurate and effective colors, straight out of the camera. To learn more about the Trichromatic and how it compares to the "standard" 100MP back from Phase One, check out my previous article. The main issue with medium-format cameras such as these is that they cost significantly more than what most of us would like to pay. What if we could attain that level of quality without needing to spend anywhere as close?

BTS: Photographing Jennifer Lawrence for Her Foundation on a Time Crunch

Clay Cook recently photographed Jennifer Lawrence for the Jennifer Lawrence Foundation, which "assists and empowers charitable organizations that fulfill children's vital needs and drive arts awareness and participation." In what's perhaps the most unique twist, Cook has always wanted to professionally photograph Lawrence, who he and his family actually grew up with in another lifetime. But he describes wanting to earn it, and finally did.

Fstoppers Reviews the Fujifilm GFX 50R: Medium Format for the Masses

Fujifilm have placed themselves squarely at both ends of the sensor-size war, skipping 35mm full frame altogether and instead concentrating on APS-C and medium format. In this review we'll be taking a look at the second addition to their GFX series of cameras, the rangefinder-styled GFX 50R.

Simplify your Photography, It Helped Me Remember Why I Love What I Do

Recently I was lucky enough to have a day off, something that doesn't happen too often. I woke up that morning feeling a little burnt out from the daily non-stop marathon that is living and working as a freelancer in New York City. I dragged myself out into the kitchen, made myself some bacon and eggs and sat down to eat. Over breakfast, I realized I hadn't made a picture for myself in almost a full year.

Phase One Takes On the Future of Photography with Cutting-Edge XF Camera System

A major announcement by Phase One has introduced an entire system of state-of-the-art products to their lineup. The all-new, highly anticipated Phase One XF camera body has arrived, along with new IQ3 digital backs, new Schneider Kreuznach 35mm f/3.5 and 120mm f/4 leaf shutter lenses, and an updated Capture One 8.3. This fully modular platform brings advancements in autofocus, power sharing digital backs, highly customizable user interfaces, and much more.

Fujifilm Announces Mirrorless Medium Format Digital Camera and Six New Lenses

"The world does not fit conveniently into the format of a 35mm camera." Fujifilm quoted W. Eugene Smith as they unveiled their first digital medium format camera system. Featuring a custom-designed sensor and a complement of six new lens, Fuji is dead serious about turning the medium format market on its head.

A Year With Medium Format: Is It Worth the Upgrade?

In the last few years, medium format has seen itself reinvented from a niche, prohibitively expensive option to an alternative to full frame for those who want access to some of the best image quality that money can buy. It is not without drawbacks, though. So, is it right for you? This great video features a photographer discussing their experience after using medium format for a year.

Hands on With the Phase One XT: A Digital Medium Format Field Camera

Phase One’s new XT is the modern-day version of the large format field camera, complete with field camera movements and spectacular large format style lenses. Its distinctive design combined with an IQ4 brain and its innovative tools make for a head-turning technical camera solution.

Comparing Fujifilm's GFX 50S to Canon's EOS 5DS R

I trust I'm not the only one who has had their eye on Fujifilm's GFX 50S. With its 51.4MP, 43.8mm x 32.9mm CMOS sensor, removable OLED EVF, 3.2" 2.36m-dot tilting touch screen, 117-point contrast-detection AF system, extended ISO 50-102400, weather-sealed magnesium-alloy body, and my love for my X100T (predecessor to the X100F), I've been seriously considering Fuji as a full-on replacement for my Canon kit.

Don't Miss This Beast of a Camera

Released between 1987 and 2007, the GX680 is most well known for its sheer size and weight. It lives up to its "beast" reputation, with many photographers feeling it was far too large to use outside of a controlled studio environment. However, as demonstrated in this video, the GX680 can in fact be used in the field for select applications like landscape photography.

The Importance of Taking It Easy

This is it. By now, You will have been inspired, honed your ideas, found the perfect location and booked your talent. You will have taken that little bit of inspiration and nurtured it into a full fledged shoot. If you are anything like me, you will have tossed out far more ideas than you kept and you will have spent hours upon hours solidifying the few that stuck with you. It is safe to say that the hard part is over.

From SLR to Medium Format: My First Encounter With the Hasselblad X1D-50C

Remember that feeling you had as a child, every time you pass a toy shop window and you could see your favorite toy? You pass that window, and your favorite toy sits there, waiting for you to play with it regardless of all the other forgotten toys you have waiting for you back home. All you can do is just imagine the fun you could have with it every day. The toy you'll never get tired of playing with. The toy that allows every day to become a new adventure. The toy that becomes your new best friend.

Phase One Brings 100-Megapixel Resolution to the XF, DF+, and Hasselblad with the CMOS-Based IQ3 100MP

Sony's 50-megapixel sensor found in the latest 645 medium format digital CMOS bodies brought such cameras down in price considerably for the first time while extending ISO usability to the more DSLR-normal ISO 6,400. Today's announcement brings a new iteration of that technology in the form of the IQ3 100MP, also in a CMOS flavor. Although the resolution is doubled (and file size is quadrupled), Phase One also managed to pull out an extra stop of ISO performance on both ends of the spectrum, which now goes from ISO 50–12,800. Dynamic range also increases a stop over other models to 15 stops.

Hasselblad Slashing Prices on H5D and Lenses through December 24th

From now until December 24th, Hasselblad is offering 40 percent off of their H5D series of cameras and lens bundles. They are also offering 20 percent off of lenses when bought with H5D, H5X, and Certified Pre-Owned bodies. If you've been waiting for the right time to purchase a Hasselblad, this may be it.

A Review of the Powerful Fujifilm GFX 100S Medium Format Mirrorless Camera

Fujifilm's GFX series brought medium format to the masses, with prices that competed with the upper end of full frame cameras. The GFX 100 took things further, pairing a 102-megapixel medium format sensor with modern features for under $10,000. Now, there is the GFX 100S, which keeps almost all of the GFX 100's features but costs about half as much, and this great video review takes a look at how it performs in the real world.

A Masterclass in Photo Composition

Joe Cornish is one of the UK's most renowned landscape photographers and a master of his craft. The way he approaches composition makes his photos stand out. In this YouTube video, Alex Nail looks over Joe's shoulder as he shares his technical and creative process.

Shooting Affordable Medium Format Polaroids

There are areas of photography that are revered by many photographers, two of them are medium format and Polaroid. However, combining the two has become tremendously expensive in recent years. Perhaps now there's a solution.

Behind the Scenes of an on Location Fashion Shoot: Oasis

A few years ago we featured photographer Kevin Kozicki in a behind the scenes video using pointsettias for a beauty shoot. Kevin is back with an amazing glamor photo and video shoot with filmmaker Christopher Park in a beautiful pool location using the Phase One IQ180 that was featured in Sessions Magazine. We had the opportunity to speak with Kevin and get his insight on the shoot.

Packing Light for a Long Photography Trip

Packing for a shoot in your town can be a pain, but packing for an extended shoot in another country brings a whole new set of complications into consideration. Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of extended trips for my personal project “Tattoos of Asia.” Over the few trips that I’ve done, I’ve managed to pare down my kit to what I absolutely need. It has been a long process, but I’ve learned quite a bit, and I’d like to share that with you as I prepare my kit for my upcoming India trip.

 A Look at 100MP Raw Files From the Phase One IQ3 Digital Back

Have you ever wondered what a 100-megapixel raw file looks like? In this video, Pratik Naik gives you a glance at raw files from the 100-megapixel Phase One IQ3 digital back. Naik goes through several images and talks about resolution, color depth, dynamic range, detail, file sizes, comparison between cameras, and computer needed to work with these files. If you are a medium format shooter, thinking about upgrading, or just want to learn a thing or two about really big files, check out this video.

What's It Like to Shoot a $30,000 100-Megapixel Camera?

In my ramblings as a photographer over the last decade and a half, I've shot with almost every brand of commercial digital camera out there. However, most of my experience has been in the realm of common crop-sensor and full-frame cameras. I've always seen the more exotic offerings in medium format digital as beyond my reach and therefore, not worth thinking about.

Trying To Catch A Fighter Jet With 24,000 Watts Of Light

Stock Photographer Yuri Arcurs definitely went big with this experimental photoshoot, to see if it would be possible to shoot a fast moving fighter jet, and actually light it up with flashes. This behind the scenes video shows us how difficult it was to pull off, but that the end result justifies the elaborate and at times frustrating work.