Medium Format advice

kingpin · 28th November 2002

I'm thinking of getting a MF system. Mainly for protraits and scenery shots. So have to be fairly light and portable. Must have digital back as an accessory. Appreciate advice and recommendations. I'd read about Hasselblad H1. Seem rather ex for a Fuji joint effort.

roti · 29th November 2002

Quote:

Originally posted by kingpin
I'm thinking of getting a MF system. Mainly for protraits and scenery shots. So have to be fairly light and portable. Must have digital back as an accessory. Appreciate advice and recommendations. I'd read about Hasselblad H1. Seem rather ex for a Fuji joint effort.

wa.....MF ar.....get the mamiya 645AF la.....if u looking for digital backs.......not cheap for it lay......leaf digital back cost abt 18k the last time i ask cp....but i dun really like their lenses.......prefer contax or pentax.........contax uses carl zeiss lens(not cheap) and there is a digital back for it.....while pentax hav great lens but no digital backs.......

hongsien · 29th November 2002

Wait a few more years abd there will be more affordable digital backs coming out for MF cameras. Don' t forget however that you need to lug around a laptop and some batteries to enable you to use the camera and digital back outdoors, so not so light and portable after all.......or are you using the digital back in the studio only?
Pentax has a nice superwide angle zoom (33-55mm/4.5 equivalent to a 21-35mm lens) which is tested quite good. Pentax also not so hard like mamiya and at full opening they are better, stopped down no difference. Think it can also take digital backs, or maybe they will come out with one which will take a digital back.

roti · 29th November 2002

Quote:

Originally posted by hongsien
Wait a few more years abd there will be more affordable digital backs coming out for MF cameras. Don' t forget however that you need to lug around a laptop and some batteries to enable you to use the camera and digital back outdoors, so not so light and portable after all.......or are you using the digital back in the studio only?
Pentax has a nice superwide angle zoom (33-55mm/4.5 equivalent to a 21-35mm lens) which is tested quite good. Pentax also not so hard like mamiya and at full opening they are better, stopped down no difference. Think it can also take digital backs, or maybe they will come out with one which will take a digital back.

ya .....wait lor......

Jed · 29th November 2002

Quote:

Originally posted by kingpin
I'm thinking of getting a MF system. Mainly for protraits and scenery shots. So have to be fairly light and portable. Must have digital back as an accessory. Appreciate advice and recommendations. I'd read about Hasselblad H1. Seem rather ex for a Fuji joint effort.

If you are going to get a digital back, then expensive though it may be, the H1 really shouldn't be your cost concern. Put another way, if you factor in the cost of your digital back then the price of a H1, as opposed to say a Mamiya 645AF, really is a drop in the pond.

And what of the fact that it's a joint Fuji effort? Fuji I know is not enough for a legion of die hard supporters in Singapore who for some reason believe Japanese glass is fatally flawed compared to German optics. But if it is good enough for Hasselblad, then as far as I'm concerned it should be good enough for whoever.

Maybe this might lead snappers to realise that the massive premiums we have to pay to get continental gear like Hasselblad and Zeiss is not necessarily (but not unnecessarily) an indication of better quality.

kingpin · 29th November 2002

Agree with Jed that the quality of Fuji glass is good especially since a renown company like Hasselblad had deemed Fuji good enough to joint venture. It probably also endorse the quality of Fuji earlier products. But given the relative low price of Fuji's products can't help but feel that the H1 is over priced. Of course one can say we are paying for Hasselblad's name on the product.
I'm looking at the Japanese brands. Think they are very good value and quality for the money. Especially now that even Hasselblad had acknowledged that with this joint venture.
Question: Is 6x6 or 6x4.5 the more usable format, considering digital as well?

kh_drew · 5th December 2002

you could try a used Rolleicord TLR for less than $500. there are some good samples at CamX and also TCW. The basement of Adelphi has some good selections too. These are 6x6 and will give you a general feel of MF. ALternatively, a throw-away Seagull at $200+ is also pretty good for initial explorations in MF. For me, I'm saving up for a Hasselblad 500 system

andrew

rueyloon · 6th December 2002

err... looking like you're spending over 10K, or 20k for the system and you're still not very sure about which format you want to shoot ? err... are you really sure you know what you want ? or if you really need it ?

but then if you just "want" it ehehhe then I nothing to say also

hehhehe

Jed · 6th December 2002

The XPan is very expensive, and made exclusively by Fuji and sold under that name in Japan but under the Hasselblad badge elsewhere in the world. I don't hear too many people complaining, but then as I said, it's called a Hassie everywhere except in Japan, where unsurprisingly there is probably less loss of goodwill in it being badged a Fuji.

As a matter of fact I have a Fuji and frankly I use it interchangeable with my German glass. I don't see much of a problem and the images it produces are excellent.

kingpin · 9th December 2002

Jed - want to clarify- you have the Xpan badged as Fuji or other Fuji lens. Cheaper to get the Xpan in Japan?

28th November 2002	#1
kingpin Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 1,414	Medium Format advice I'm thinking of getting a MF system. Mainly for protraits and scenery shots. So have to be fairly light and portable. Must have digital back as an accessory. Appreciate advice and recommendations. I'd read about Hasselblad H1. Seem rather ex for a Fuji joint effort.

6th December 2002	#8
rueyloon Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Posts: 1,527	err... looking like you're spending over 10K, or 20k for the system and you're still not very sure about which format you want to shoot ? err... are you really sure you know what you want ? or if you really need it ? but then if you just "want" it ehehhe then I nothing to say also hehhehe __________________ 36frames Wedding Photography - http://www.36frames.com rueyloon - http://www.rueyloon.com

29th November 2002	#3
hongsien Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 2,904	Wait a few more years abd there will be more affordable digital backs coming out for MF cameras. Don' t forget however that you need to lug around a laptop and some batteries to enable you to use the camera and digital back outdoors, so not so light and portable after all.......or are you using the digital back in the studio only? Pentax has a nice superwide angle zoom (33-55mm/4.5 equivalent to a 21-35mm lens) which is tested quite good. Pentax also not so hard like mamiya and at full opening they are better, stopped down no difference. Think it can also take digital backs, or maybe they will come out with one which will take a digital back.

5th December 2002	#7
kh_drew Member Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Singapore Posts: 417	you could try a used Rolleicord TLR for less than $500. there are some good samples at CamX and also TCW. The basement of Adelphi has some good selections too. These are 6x6 and will give you a general feel of MF. ALternatively, a throw-away Seagull at $200+ is also pretty good for initial explorations in MF. For me, I'm saving up for a Hasselblad 500 system andrew

6th December 2002	#9
Jed Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: UK Posts: 3,078	The XPan is very expensive, and made exclusively by Fuji and sold under that name in Japan but under the Hasselblad badge elsewhere in the world. I don't hear too many people complaining, but then as I said, it's called a Hassie everywhere except in Japan, where unsurprisingly there is probably less loss of goodwill in it being badged a Fuji. As a matter of fact I have a Fuji and frankly I use it interchangeable with my German glass. I don't see much of a problem and the images it produces are excellent.

9th December 2002	#10
kingpin Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 1,414	Jed - want to clarify- you have the Xpan badged as Fuji or other Fuji lens. Cheaper to get the Xpan in Japan?