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. 

Coming to you from North Creative Design Co, this awesome video review discusses a year with medium format (specifically the Fujifilm GFX 50S II). It really is great to see how medium format has blossomed in the last few years thanks to Fujifilm and Hasselblad, with it multiple bodies now directly competing with the upper echelons of full frame options. Of course, that does not mean a medium format option is automatically superior to a similarly priced full frame option. The full frame options will generally have faster continuous burst rates, faster and more advanced autofocus systems, more robust video options, a greater variety of lens choices, and more, making them better for fast action and overall more versatile, but for ultimate image quality, it is hard to beat medium format. Check out the video above for the full rundown. 

Alex Cooke's picture

Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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Fine video but really not necessary to get into medium format in order to get Fuji color science or film sims. Full Frame still offers faster lenses with creamier bokeh. I owned the gfx 100s for a year and a half and it's a wonderful camera and system, albeit very beefy. But there's nothing magical about the format. The fuji glass and color science is pretty magical but the format is little over hyped, IMO.

All that being said, if it inspired you to get out and take more photos that's a good thing.