I'm an amature 35mm photographer of old grain elevators located in the plains states. Also shoot scenery and wildlife. I understand I can get less grainy blowups by using a larger format camera, such as 2x2 (or maybe its 2x2 film). Please explain or inform me. Where would I purchase such a camera, or do you recommend another format camera??

-- David Britton (dbritton1@yahoo.com), March 18, 2001

Answers

2 X 2 what? Centimeters? Inches? or Feet?

Seriously though, 6 X 6 cm (2.25 square) is usually considered medium format - your Hasselblads, Mamiya C330's Rollei-flex's etc. Plenty of folks shoot that and are pleased as punch with it, but Large Format is more than film size - it's camera movements and a mind set.

Any decent large camera store will carry medium format gear and there's always Ebay. There are also plenty of M.F. shooters on this website (although they don't admit it publicly) and at www.photo.net

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), March 18, 2001.

http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/mf/

http://www.smu.edu/~rmonagha/pw/mf.html

http://www.ex.ac.uk/mfd/

http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-one-category? topic_id=23&category=Medium%20Format

-- Sean yates (yatescats@yahoo.com), March 18, 2001.

Hi David

Large format starts with 4x5 inch and these is also the most used neg. format in LF! Good light!

-- Armin Seeholzer (armin.seeholzer@smile.ch), March 19, 2001.

David, large format usually begins with 4x5in. However superb quality can be obtained with medium format 6x4.5cm, 6x6cm, up to 6x9cm. Their are several medium format cameras which have shift or perspective control lenses which allow one to keep the verticals vertical. However there is a price to pay and they are usually very expensive even on the second hand market. It's often cheaper to buy a s/h 6x9cm view camera plus suitable lens then medium format camera with shift lens which will allow you greater control with the image. Interesting enough I've just started experimenting with a s/h 35mm Olympus OM1 with 35mm shift lens. This I use alongside the larger formats of 6x9cm and 4x5. Good luck,

-- Trevor Crone (trevor.crone@uk.dreamcast.com), March 19, 2001.

If you're shooting scenery and grain elevators, there's no reason why you can't use a tripod and slow, fine grain film, and get results as good as 4x5 so long as you limit your prints to 12x18. You don't say what brand of camera you're using, but the sharpest 35mm lens I've ever owned is/was a PC Nikor (Multicoated), and they're not all that expensive.

-- Bill (bmitch@home.com), March 19, 2001.

David, what film are you using? If your problem is grain and not the lack of details, you are probably shooting with fast film. Fast film (the higher the ASA number is the faster is the film) is grainy. You should try slow slide film (like provia 100F or Velvia) or if you prefer to shoot negative film, Superia Reala 100.

-- Sorin Varzaru (svarzaru@bigfoot.com), March 19, 2001.

It was grain elevators and railroad depots in the plains states that prompted my move to large format. The reason was not the larger negative, although that has helped, but the need to control perspective. Grain elevators tend to be rather tall. You end up pointing the camera upwards to take in the whole elevator or you drive a half mile out of town and use your telephoto. Pointing the camera up causes the elevator to appear in the photo like its tipping over and getting far enough away generally raises new problems of obstructions and the like. The view camera is the solution to these problems. Feel free to email privately if you would like to discuss grain elevators and rural landscapes further.

-- Dave Schneider (dschneider@arjaynet.com), March 20, 2001.

Dear David,

Technically (according to the German Industry Norms DIN), anything larger than 35mm (24x36mm) and smaller than 9x12 (90x120mm) is medium format. This also implies that 6x17 is still medium format.

Practically, most people understand medium format as roll film, and large format as sheet film.

Cheers,

-- David Haardt (david@haardt.net), August 15, 2001.