Medium Format Photography

Medium format systems are widely known as being the best, producing the most detailed and technically superior images. The lenses are supposedly the best available too, such as the 40mm from Rodenstock which is praised for its amazing performance.

Fujifilm has made quite the name for themselves in the camera industry. They completely changed the game with the release of the original X100 and have since been turning out great camera after great camera. In a similar fashion, Fujifilm is looking to change the way you view medium format cameras with the recent release of the Fujifilm GFX 50s.

It's been a month or so since I started printing in the darkroom, and what a ride it has been! After going through tons of paper and chemicals, making a mountain of bad prints, and generally messing up in every way possible, I've managed to be able to make some decent prints. Here are a few of most important lessons I've learned so far in my darkroom adventure.

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.

Phase One announced today their new, first-of-its-kind 101-megapixel achromatic medium format digital back. The IQ3 100MP Achromatic, which is manufactured without a Bayer filter, does not record any color information which allows “all available light to be captured unaltered and unobstructed.” 

Can you imagine the insane amount of detail in aerial shots that can be captured using a 100-megapixel medium-format camera? This could previously be done only by taking to the skies yourself in an airplane or helicopter. DJI has relieved us of buying a plane ticket, but has yet to announce a price tag for this flying contraption. 

When you're shooting video, you're typically working with sensor sizes that are smaller or comparable to the average stills camera. What happens when you shoot with a sensor 2.5 times bigger than a full-frame 35mm sensor? Check out this review to see. 

Cambo recently announced a new lens adapter for Fuji's GFX 50S medium format camera, which will allow full-frame Canon EF lenses to be mounted on the camera. 

As if shooting actions sports such as trial biking isn’t difficult enough as it is, doing it in a dimly-lit historical hotel (without damaging anything) would certainly prove to be more challenging. 

I trust I'm not the only one who has had their eye on Fujifilm's GFX 50S.

Hasselblad was the first to follow Pentax's lead with a smaller, more manageable, and more affordable medium-format system; except in the case of the X1D, the company was also the first with a mirrorless medium-format system for the modern era.

We’ve all been there — forking out for a personal project to make what you envisioned for your images a reality. But fine art photographer Nicky Hamilton takes that one step further — he spent months building these incredible sets for his photos.

In the past few years, flash manufacturers have put a lot of efforts to let cameras’ x-sync fade into obsolescence. However, the current solutions are not perfect and aren’t always intuitive to use for non-tech-savvy photographers. In 2016, I made a comparison between Hi-Sync and HSS.

Competitions are fantastic to push yourself and create the best work you’ve ever produced. It’s also a great way to compare your imagery to others and see how you could improve your craft. Broncolor announced their NextGen contest for photographers under 30 a few days ago, and now it’s Hasselblad’s turn to open their traditional Masters Awards 2018. 

This is more or less the camera that started film photography for me. Since developing an appreciation for Joey L’s work, I wanted to shoot medium format. The focus falloff and rendering was just so surreal compared to full-frame and crop-sensor cameras that I had been shooting with. Unfortunately, the cost of entry was a little steep for a digital back.

Being a celebrity photographer means you have access to interesting subjects, and you may have the new and cool gear. However, this is not the key to make iconic portraits. A great photographer can get the job done with almost any gear that works properly. What would you say when you see someone shooting with natural light when they have Profoto equipment at hand? 

Ansel Adams once said “you don’t take a photograph, you make it.” I have always thought that what he meant by this quote was the process involved in reaching the final image. It has never been about clicking a picture simply, but it involves the creativity the photographer pours into his image.

Phase One introduces its third feature update for the XF camera system. The freshly released firmware adds a couple of new features, including the world’s first complete electronic shutter in medium format photography.

Since the days of film, medium format has been far from reach for many photographers. Even working professionals can have trouble justifying the high price point of these systems: when used, they can be $8,000-10,000. Medium format film bodies, while cheap now, were always several thousand away from even the most exorbitantly priced 35mm bodies.

As Photokina is kicking off, almost every brand is releasing new products. The Danish medium format manufacturer is no exception and is introducing a new digital back, the IQ1 100MP, along with two new Blue Ring lenses and Capture One 9.3.

"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. 

Photographers Kristina Sherk and Chris Crumley have been a dynamic pair for years with their underwater photography.  Crumley's shots of Sherk's mermaid modeling have gone viral around the world. However, Sherk decided to take on a new endeavor and create her own underwater art.  

In partnership with Schneider Kreuznach, Phase One has added two Blue Ring zoom lenses to their impressive lineup of high-end imaging products. These new full-frame 645 lenses, the 40-80mm LS f/4.0-5.6 and 75-150mm LS f/4.0-5.6, promise prime lens quality with improved precision and advanced electronics.

I really thought I was the cool kid on the block with my DJI Phantom 4; then DJI got together with Hasselblad to make this 50-megapixel, medium format monster. I'm no longer the cool kid on the block. 

Hasselblad is touring the country (and the world) with prototypes of the new 50-megapixel X1D camera and the two lenses launching alongside it. Priced way below any other Hasselblad on the market (and in line with Pentax’s 645Z), the X1D ushers in unparalleled portability while creating a entirely new segment: the medium format mirrorless camera.

Since its transition to digital, medium format has been thought of as bulky and heavy systems for high-profit commercial jobs or for wealthy photographers. Despite the attempt of Leica to create a smaller camera with the S series, no real alternative to the Hasselblad H and Phase One DF/XF has found a place on the market.

2015 gave us two great things: the incredible and groundbreaking Phase One XF100 digital back and the Academy Award-nominated film, “The Martian.” While the XF100 brought us to a new frontier of image quality and performance, “The Martian” has brought the idea of Mars exploration back into the spotlight. NASA has even gone so far as to build a prototype Mars mission astronaut helmet.

Hasselblad recently announced that you can buy the new H6D body with the 50-megapixel CMOS 50c back and decide later to trade up to the newer 100c (100-megapixel) back for the original difference in price. This promotion works for anyone who buys the H6D-50c at the full $25,995 price between May 1 and May 27, 2016.

After recently buying 200 tintypes from the deep archives of estate sales, eBay, and Etsy auctions, I became transfixed by seeking out if there was still anyone making imagery using this 160-year-old process. I found a wide range of Instagram accounts ranging from those just starting out to those with thousands of followers.

Medium-format cameras have long been in the hands of working pros because of their combination of ease of use and incredible image quality. While large format was always the king of resolution and dynamic range, it is difficult to work with on location and cumbersome. Today, medium format is a little different.

Hasselblad has launched a brand new medium format digital body, the H6D, in both the familiar 50-megapixel CMOS flavor and also in a new, 100-megapixel CMOS configuration with the same Sony sensor found in Phase One's XF IQ3 100 MP released earlier this year.

Nearly every photographer owns a film camera whether it be in the dark recesses collecting dust or they use it on a regular basis. The most common reaction when people see one of these film beauties out and about is shocked that you can still acquire the film to shoot with one of these models. So if you own a 35mm, Polaroid, or even a medium format film camera, Dust it off!

Phase One released its new camera body last year, the XF. However, it was not clear if it would ever be compatible with the Leaf Credo backs. It was first said that it would be, and then, months later, the support told everyone who'd ask about it that they could not give any answer. Well, today we finally have one: Leaf Credo backs are compatible with the XF body. 

Midway through 2015, Phase One released the XF camera system, an impressive digital medium format system which combines modularity, software upgradability, and image quality into the ultimate shooting package.

Let us venture back in time for a minute. 35mm film was always considered small. In fact, it was developed in the early 1900s as a means to make high-volume shooting and consumer photography possible. If you were a working professional, you were shooting at least medium format (6x4.5-6x19 cm) or even more likely, large format, like 4”x5” or 8x10”.

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.

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.

There used to be a time when getting into digital medium format meant you had to put a mortgage on your house and your family. This time seems far gone now that a full kit can be found for under $20,000. With the promotion Hasselblad is running, it looks like Christmas is early this year. 

Last time I wrote an article for Fstoppers was almost a year ago when I had just picked up a Hasselblad V-system medium format film camera for the first time. If you remember my first post, I taught myself to shoot 120 film while traveling in Europe. I reported my findings as best as someone with only a month of practical experience could.

Phase One just acquired Mamiya Digital Imaging and took over their factory as well. This will strengthen the Danish company by making them the only medium format camera company that has full internal control of all critical components in a world class imaging system.  

Today marks the end of a full week at Photo Plus Expo in New York City. In the mayhem that comes with such a large expo, one of the stand out presentations for me was hearing Gregory Heisler speak at the Canon booth on Saturday.

Some photographers like that soft, ethereal feel as they specifically seek out types of plastic to stick in front of the lens, or even go so far as to buy defocus control lenses and LensBabies that will allow them to distort an otherwise true image. That has its value. But this isn’t for that.

The other week, I wrote that I was excited about Phase One's newest gear announcements for a multitude of reasons. Well, thanks to my friends at Digital Transitions and Phase One, I was lucky enough to do a photoshoot with the BRAND NEW Phase One XF body, the updated IQ350 50 megapixel CMOS medium format back, and their newest 35mm leaf shutter lens.

Hasselblad's controversial partnership and reskinning of Sony's consumer and prosumer digital cameras that led to Frankenstein creations such as the Stellar and Lunar cameras also got some of its models on a number of "worst camera of the year" lists.

This week, Phase One announced a brand-new camera platform, the Phase One XF, and three new IQ3 digital backs. Every photo media outlet in the world has the press release and various levels of speculation and information, all focused on those two main announcements.

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.

Photographer, director, and writer Tyler Shields is known for his world class, oft avant garde, work. We've covered many of his previous over-the-top projects here on Fstoppers, including feeding a $100,000 purse to a crocodile, his Mouthful exhibit, and blowing up his Rolls Royce Silver Shadow — all in the name of art.

That's 10K – as in your 4K monitor, but not really...because it's 10K. Yes, photographer Joe Capra created a stunning 10K time-lapse with a PhaseOne IQ180 that shoots images with a resolution of 10,328 x 7,760 pixels. While this video is clearly put together in a proof-of-concept style, the clips still astound.