What is large format (film photo) look?

[Jon Warwick]

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In the past, I’ve shot (and had drum scanned) 5x4 E6 to gauge some thoughts vs my GFX100. For 50-60” wide prints, I’d say resolution was very similar, it took 100mp to match 5x4 to my eyes at that print size. The difference I see is more to do with acutance, there is a gentle feathering of edges in film (mini halation?) that gives large format film a charming mix of recording lots of fine detail - but in a more gentle way than digital in terms of edge sharpness.

Regarding the tonality of film, the only camera in digital that I think gets me to be truly satisfied with the result (and not think I wished I’d taken it on film instead) are the Monochrom cameras. I have an M11M, and used to have an M10M. A lot to be said about ditching the color filter array and extra digital processing to make a digital file have a starting point that looks “less digital”, imho.

Tim Parkin has done various projects to decipher differences between digital and film in terms of resolution. For example, I found this to be a fascinating read - https://www.onlandscape.co.uk/2020/02/8x10-film-vs-iq4-150mp/

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[sblitz]

On 9/29/2025 at 9:14 AM, BernardC said:

One of my favourite learning experiences as a young photographer was a shoot that one of my mentors did with a friend who cultivated a Marylin Monroe look. He did a session with an old 4x5 "portrait camera" and lens from the 1950s, which he had inherited them from one of his own mentors, and replicated three-point studio lighting techniques from that era. The negs were TXP, which is similar to many emulsions that were available in the 1950s, and I printed them on Agfa Portriga. Frankly, the prints were/are stunning, and she treasures them to this day.

One of his sayings was "if you want to make vintage pictures, use vintage lenses." I could probably replicate the look today, given the right "portrait lens" and the right paper, but any attempts to do this on digital would fail. I might get something that is very pleasing, but it wouldn't look the same.

What lens did you use?

[BernardC]

1 hour ago, sblitz said:

What lens did you use?

I remember that the camera was a Rembrandt Portrait Camera with a 4x5 back. A web search tells me these were made in the early 1950s by Burke and James. 

Unfortunately I don't remember what lens was on it, but it was a contemporary portrait lens, probably 8 or 10 inches (short telephoto on 4x5).