Medium Format Cameras

Taking photos with a digital or film medium format camera is becoming increasingly popular. Today the medium format doesn't mean a huge and cumbersome camera body, it is a portable camera that can produce magnificent high-quality images. Find out what are the best digital and film medium format cameras.

So, what is medium format? This term refers to a class of photographic equipment that has a frame measuring 45 by 60 or 60 by 90 mm. The main difference between the medium format and ordinary cameras is image quality. This is definitely not the best camera for amateur photographer. Due to the large matrix size and the larger frame area, the camera captures more information, and the pictures are more detailed. Initially, such cameras were used by professionals who take photos for advertising and billboards, and the 60x90 mm film was used to print material for magazines and posters.

So why medium format cameras have become so popular again? The answer is simple - no matter how hard the developers of digital cameras try, they still can not reach the quality of common film cameras. A film camera, released in the last century, has a resolution of 50 megapixels, exceeding all digital analogs. Of course, the pictures it takes will be chosen for printing large banners, because it has a stunning detail with minimal distortion. I have prepared a list of 10 medium-format cameras, both digital and film ones, which are considered the best in their class.

Most of the times when professionals understand that they lack the quality that full-frame cameras can offer, they choose medium format cameras. Manufacturers realized this and in 2010 they started to release the new digital cameras with a large digital sensor, which is similar to the film format. As in the case of film cameras, turning from usual 35 mm to the medium format, you get the color rendering accuracy and high image detail.

Hasselblad X1D II 50C is an elegant and notably valid camera, excelled by its elaborate design and outstanding imaging qualities. This second-generation X System camera comes with an optimized and amplified functionality mastered to provide accelerated running and shape the entire operation easier to use and more tuned up.

The cornerstone of the X1D II is still the large 43.8 x 32.9 mm 50 MP CMOS sensor, which secures high-resolution imagery with a wide 14-stop dynamic range, 16-bit color depth, and an ISO 100-25600 sensitivity range. This sensor also implies Hasselblad’s Natural Color Solution, which produces representational, adorable color tones for excellent consistency and leveled tonal transitions.

At last, an updated electronic system ensures a more rapid 2.7 fps continuous shooting rate and faster startup time, reduced shutter lag and blackout times, and more sensitive autofocus operation.

If you regularly make extra-large prints, need extremely high-detailed images, you’d better use this medium format camera. This Pentax camera body will impress you with amazingly high-resolution details of each shot. This is one of the most astonishing cameras I ever happened to use. The photos demonstrate a truly impressive dynamic range, with no alternatives among other medium format cameras. 

The high dynamic range and color sensitivity make it optimal for shooting landscapes, portraits, and still-lives. The camera has two SDHC slots, so there will be no problems with the cards.

Fujifilm GFX 50S is a mirrorless medium format camera for those who need the highest image quality. The camera allows capturing the object in high detail, rich undertones, bright and vibrant colors. In addition, it preserves a significant number of details in shadowed and highlighted areas of the frame that can be later “pulled out” during the image editing.

The 50-megapixel sensor hidden inside the GFX 50C provides stunning image quality along with an extended dynamic range, greater depth of the image and excellent color rendering.

The GFX 100 is offered at a rather high price tag compared to standard cameras but when it comes to the medium format photography niche (full-frame sensors over 35mm), it’s still a great deal. It’s also a cutting-edge model that completely flips the script on what you can expect from a medium format camera.

It has a resolution of 100MP and it’s also the first medium format camera to offer built-in stabilization while the hybrid autofocus system offers great performance, particularly after the latest update.

The GFX 50R is a terrific medium-format camera by Fujifilm with a recognizable Rangefinder style. If you are on the lookout for a camera that has a sensor larger than a full-frame one, you should definitely consider this model with its 51.4MP sensor.

Another advantage of the GFX50R is its weather & dust protection, so you can work in unfavorable conditions with minimum risks. The camera weighs 1/7lbs and has an amazing 3.69 million dot EVF. Besides, you are bound to admire its ultra-crisp 2.36 million dot LCD.

The camera has dual UHS-II card slots and fantastic film simulation. Besides, there are 117 AF points so you can get very detailed images.

S2 refers to medium format cameras because it is equipped with Kodak photosensitive CCD sensor with a 30x45 mm frame size, which has a capacity for 37.5 million useful pixels. But at the same time, it practically does not differ from DSLR cameras with a full-frame 36 x 24 mm sensor, in terms of size and weight. 

Professional studio photographers often have to work in strict time frames, so they have to think out clear schemes and conditions for portrait, event, interior photography, etc. Leica S2 provides an opportunity to save up to four user settings of the camera (profiles), which will allow you to start working with a familiar subject quickly.

This is a camera, which was released in collaboration of two companies (Danish Phase One and the Japanese Mamiya), that’s why you can meet different names of this product. You can use this medium format camera Mamiya for reportage and street photography. The back is most likely the main advantage of the camera, and you will spend long hours viewing your photos in 100% crop. This camera’s raw photos can be edited deeper in Capture One.

Hasselblad is the name and brand, which photographers primarily associate with their film models. This product has earned a good reputation thanks to its durability, mechanical precision, and various high-quality lenses. Let's be honest, the medium format camera Hasselblad is fantastic, but it has drawbacks too. 

It is heavy, so you will not be able to work with it for a long time without a tripod. Another thing that lacks here is a built-in exposure meter. I used iPhone application, and later Pentax exposure meter. The camera allows you to change the types of films without having to finish the roll. This medium camera offers great bokeh and depth of field, excellent sharpness combined with a unique Hasselblad shade in your photos.

This is the camera that was especially popular in the era of film photography and is still gaining popularity. The camera has a relatively small size for medium format and a very simple design. Pentacon Six TL medium format film camera is not the easiest to use. You really need some time to understand how it works. 

Don't get me wrong, it's easy enough to shoot, but Pentacon Six TL requires extra accuracy with inserting the film into it, as well as taking it out. There is no autofocus here, but there is a viewfinder, which is quite bright to get into focus. The camera has a fantastic Zeiss lenses range available. Everything in this camera is completely manual as well.

This product has become an alternative to the classic heavy cameras. It has a medium format sensor size of 60×60 mm. In the front part of the body, there is a shutter release button and a sync connector for flashes. The synchronization is coordinated by the electronics that control the shutter speeds, so the lens cannot be accidentally disconnected from the camera. 

It is not protected from damages. A great advantage of SQ-A is all electronic and well-designed mechanical interlocks that work throughout the camera. They are created to protect the user from inappropriate removal of the wrong module.

If each medium format digital camera gives you a perfect image, and the question is about choosing a brand, additional functions, and financial capabilities, finding a film medium format camera requires being responsible.

I know what comes to mind when someone talks about the advantages of medium-format film cameras over digital ones – what about the film cost? What about the costs of its development? And the scan?

Do not worry, because a usual cheap medium format camera will cost you about $4000, and among the film ones, there are many available full-featured medium format cameras, new and used. For $500, you can purchase a very good film camera, add the cost of a scanner that scans 35mm and a medium format that costs less than $150. In total, you will spend about $700, and you can buy films for several years ahead with extra $3300.

There are two medium format film types. 120 film has a paper coating along the entire length and can accommodate 12 frames of 60x60 mm per reel. 220 film does not have a paper coating over the entire length and can accommodate 24 frames of 60x60 mm per reel. Not all medium format cameras are compatible with 220 films. Therefore, I recommend working with the 120 film.

For this purpose, I recommend purchasing a flat-bed scanner with a backlight in the cover. On the market, there're some models from various manufacturers. There're also special film scanners for medium format film, but they're very expensive.

A flat-bed scanner is an excellent decision, and it will help you achieve great results. My Epson 4490 allows me to scan film strips up to 120 mm long, which means that it can work with the negatives of the most interesting devices on the list of medium format film cameras. Just search the flat-bed scanners that are labeled as “photos” or something like that. My cheap film scanner scans a 35mm negative so that the big side turns out to be of 6300 pixels. It means that, theoretically, 35mm negative is 26 megapixels. But if we consider the grain on the film with different photosensitivity, it is not so much. But if we scan the negative 60x60 mm so that one side turns out to count more than 10,000 pixels, it will be more than 50 megapixels. There're digital backdrops and medium format digital cameras that can take 50-megapixel pictures, but they cost over $20,000.

Everything is a little different here. If you have the opportunity to change the lens for your film camera, just pick up the lens that is suitable for its bayonet. But film cameras are of two types:

TLR

The medium format camera includes several types. TLR - Twin Lens Reflex. One lens is needed for focusing, and the second is directly for shooting. In these cameras, you look through the top of the device to see the image. It's the cheapest kind of "professional" cameras. The main benefit of them is that they're equipped with non-replaceable lenses. Therefore, you are attached to the lens with a certain focal length that the camera is equipped with.

SLR

We all realize what SLR cameras look like - Single Lens Reflex. Such type of camera is the most common and accessible among advanced cameras. But medium format SLRs may look completely different. Depending on the budget, I'd advise considering SLR cameras from Bronica or Hasselblad. In such cameras, you can change your lenses, and the choice of lenses depends on the manufacturer. There're also adapters that will help you, but if you look at the lenses from the camera manufacturer, then the situations are often good, as these cameras were produced quite a long time ago, and they have collected a large optical stock.

If all the DSLR cameras have almost the same shape, then everything is different with medium format ones, as each has a unique shape and weight. One looks like a cube and the other looks like a more classical camera. If you take the weight of a medium format camera with a lens, it will be about 4.4 pounds, which is significantly more than the usual weight of a camera. Therefore, choosing such a product, you should pay attention to its convenience as well, because there are more compact and convenient variants, such as Fujifilm GFX 50s, and there is Hasselblad 500cm, which is much larger and not so convenient.