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Why is MF 'better' than 35mm?


retcheto

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Why have I stopped shooting LF (Both 8x10 and 4x5).......mainly because its a PITA lugging all that gear around, and then having to wait to get the end result. With my S007 and now my H6D100c I get instant results.........shoot spend 5 minutes in PScc and print.......If you know anything about LF photography then there is no need to explain the beauty of digital over film with regards to ease of use.

 

All of the above is a choice, there will be days when I will go out and shoot some street photography or a pretty girl with my 8x10 Chamonix, but again since getting the H6D I haven't done so yet

 

Neil

 

Yes - this is one of the advantages of digital to see the instant result on the screen. PP doesn't need to be faster of digital files from my experience (in fact I find film easier to handle in this aspect), but in general the digital workflow of few selected images is faster. On the other side, I find it sometimes nicer not to be distracted by looking on the camera display and only to focus on the composition itself. But this is personal preference. 

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I blend film and digital in my work, and I would say that 4x5 and the S can work together fairly well. I think 4x5 has the edge on fine detail in certain circumstances, but the S seems smoother in other circumstances since digital at base ISO has no grain to speak of. When I shoot black and white, I often add film grain to the S files so that they blend with the 4x5 (in this context, I think the grain is a net positive for film). I think the 4x5 images often have more presence, which is something to do with the tonality and focal length. But I can understand that people shooting 100mp might disagree. I think the S with 100mp would surpass 4x5 in all practical senses, though of course not offering the possibility of darkroom printing or camera movements. Overall with some care, they blend together quite well, even in large prints. To be honest, however, if you know what you are doing the capture device is usually not the source of limitation...which is not to say it is unimportant. I use MF and large format because I like working with them and appreciate the flexibility they give me as well as the qualities they have in prints (sometimes very large prints). That said, I am making a book where S and 4x5 images are used alongside images that are made using a drone, and even one which I took through a pair of binoculars using an iphone se. It may not stand up to a huge print, but even at 30x40cm, no one can really tell it is an iphone...the aesthetics support the format, which is really where you want to be. I work as a printer, and generally I advise clients to choose gear that they like to work with, which supports their intended output. Most people are better off with 35mm digital. Some nutcases like us prefer something more extreme, whether with MFD or large format film. It does not really matter as long as it is not unduly limiting your work and you enjoy using it...

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I envisage that I will still shoot 4x5 regardless, but in a far reduced capacity. At the moment it’s really getting a bit beyond a joke to manage. Getting a little off topic but this is part of the reason I am gravitating towards the Leica S.

 

It costs me about $15 per sheet which includes processing which I get done in California, I live in Australia. Local processing is limited and it works out to be more economical to send it to the U.S.A. I used to process myself with a Tetenal 1lt three bath kit. That kit only comes in 2.5 litres now which processes about 100 sheets. To accumulate 100 exposed sheets it could take me about a year. I don’t think I have the patience to accumulate 100 exposed sheets, throw them in the freezer and then process to get the full yield of the chemicals (they go off once mixed).

 

So as much as I love my 4x5 camera, I think it is going to be relegated to the once every now and then camera. I’ll send 20 sheets at a time to the States and shoot MF digital, maybe...

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So as much as I love my 4x5 camera, I think it is going to be relegated to the once every now and then camera. I’ll send 20 sheets at a time to the States and shoot MF digital, maybe...

exactly
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