If you're thinking of trying something new or making the most out of your Pentax 645N, a film photographer's medium format experiment may inspire you.
In the video above, UK-based film photographer Kyle McDougall shares his experience shooting with a modified Pentax 645N to create half-frame images on medium format film. One of his viewers figured out a way to produce panoramic images that One of his viewers figured out a way to produce panoramic images that are the full 6x4.5 cm in width, while the height is half that of medium format. This yields a total of 32 images per roll instead of 16. Since film photographers are often an experimental lot, it's easy to see why McDougall took the chance to try out the camera when he was offered the chance to borrow one.
Then, he takes us around different locations as he explains how the camera's unique system works. Essentially, the camera operates normally as any Pentax 645N would; the difference lies in the masked film gates and viewfinder, and the film is loaded differently (later on, he shows how this is done). As we can see in his results, this setup turned out great for creating panoramic photos. It produces twice as many images out of a single roll, which is an economical way to shoot medium format film.
McDougall also notes how the frame size is very close to photos taken with a Hasselblad XPan, showing some 35mm and 120 film negatives for visual reference. Since the modification allows for twice as many photos from a medium format film roll, this setup is a good, cost-effective alternative to the XPan, which is now going for outrageously high prices. So, if you have a Pentax 645N, this could be an interesting experiment for you!
Make sure to watch the full video to get McDougall's complete insights about using the modified medium format camera route to shoot panoramic photos!
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