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Medium format film (120, 6x6), Hasselblad cameras. I personally think we're barely starting to match the quality of medium format film with modern medium format

Medium format film (120, 6x6), Hasselblad cameras. I personally think we're barely starting to match the quality of medium format film with modern medium format sensors https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/camera-hasselblad-70mm-gemini/nasm_A19770556000 https://airandspace.si.edu/collection-objects/camera-hasselb...

tecleandor 1y ago
Film in big formats is incredible, gives great images even on shitty cameras...
- kjkjadksj 1y ago
  These hasselblads not shitty cameras. A holga is on the other hand, and the images are shitty as a result despite being medium format.
  - tecleandor 1y ago
    Wasn't talking about those cameras umin particular, but about bigger format film in general. Even on shittier cameras, like a Holga 120 leaking everywhere with a plastic lens, the results with medium format film is always surprising and gives you a lot of leeway.
bbatha 1y ago
Depends on how you define quality. While medium and large format photography are extremely high resolution that’s not the only factor. Space age lenses were significantly lower resolution than the film. Modern mirrorless lenses are starting to come close to being able to out resolve film but still aren’t there. Meaning that you get more functional resolution out of modern digital. Digital also beats the pants off film for dynamic range and low light. That said the noise (grain) and dynamic range fall off in film are more pleasing than digital to most eyes. So it’s not all about technical specs.
- thw_9a83c 1y ago
  > Digital also beats the pants off film for dynamic range and low light. While this is true now, it took a surprisingly long time to get there. The dynamic range of professional medium format negative films is still respectable. Perhaps not so much in a low light, but it's very immune to overexposure. Also, you can buy a cheap medium-format camera in a good condition and experience that "huge sensor" effect, but unfortunately there are no inexpensive 6x6 digital cameras.
  - buildbot 1y ago
    In fact there is basically only one digital back ever made at that size, the dicomed bigshot.
    - thw_9a83c 1y ago
      Interesting. I didn't even know that. I had to look up what's the size of the modern Hasselblad digital camera sensor, and it 43.8 × 32.9mm.
      - buildbot 1y ago
        It’s incredibly rare and specific, many people in the DB world don’t even know about them. 60x60mm sensor, larger than the actual film gate of 56x56mm There was also a version for the Rollei 6x6 6000 series, the Rollei Q16. I’ve only seen one for sale ever. Technically larger than 6x6 film sensors have existed since the 80s or 90s at least but are typically only used for government things… Some digital aerial systems use huge sensors.
- bhickey 1y ago
  > Space age lenses were significantly lower resolution than the film. Can you say a little more about this? Modern lenses boast about 7-elements or aspherics, but does that actually matter in prime lenses? You can get an achromat with two lenses and an apochromat with three. There have definitely been some advances in glass since the space program, like fluorite versus BK7, but I'm wholly in the dark on the nuances.
kjkjadksj 1y ago
Even the fuji medium formats don’t have sensors as large. They are more like 4cm x 3cm.

tecleandor 1y ago

Film in big formats is incredible, gives great images even on shitty cameras...

kjkjadksj 1y ago
These hasselblads not shitty cameras. A holga is on the other hand, and the images are shitty as a result despite being medium format.
- tecleandor 1y ago
  Wasn't talking about those cameras umin particular, but about bigger format film in general. Even on shittier cameras, like a Holga 120 leaking everywhere with a plastic lens, the results with medium format film is always surprising and gives you a lot of leeway.

bbatha 1y ago

Depends on how you define quality. While medium and large format photography are extremely high resolution that’s not the only factor. Space age lenses were significantly lower resolution than the film. Modern mirrorless lenses are starting to come close to being able to out resolve film but still aren’t there. Meaning that you get more functional resolution out of modern digital. Digital also beats the pants off film for dynamic range and low light. That said the noise (grain) and dynamic range fall off in film are more pleasing than digital to most eyes. So it’s not all about technical specs.

thw_9a83c 1y ago
> Digital also beats the pants off film for dynamic range and low light. While this is true now, it took a surprisingly long time to get there. The dynamic range of professional medium format negative films is still respectable. Perhaps not so much in a low light, but it's very immune to overexposure. Also, you can buy a cheap medium-format camera in a good condition and experience that "huge sensor" effect, but unfortunately there are no inexpensive 6x6 digital cameras.
- buildbot 1y ago
  In fact there is basically only one digital back ever made at that size, the dicomed bigshot.
  - thw_9a83c 1y ago
    Interesting. I didn't even know that. I had to look up what's the size of the modern Hasselblad digital camera sensor, and it 43.8 × 32.9mm.
    - buildbot 1y ago
      It’s incredibly rare and specific, many people in the DB world don’t even know about them. 60x60mm sensor, larger than the actual film gate of 56x56mm There was also a version for the Rollei 6x6 6000 series, the Rollei Q16. I’ve only seen one for sale ever. Technically larger than 6x6 film sensors have existed since the 80s or 90s at least but are typically only used for government things… Some digital aerial systems use huge sensors.
bhickey 1y ago
> Space age lenses were significantly lower resolution than the film. Can you say a little more about this? Modern lenses boast about 7-elements or aspherics, but does that actually matter in prime lenses? You can get an achromat with two lenses and an apochromat with three. There have definitely been some advances in glass since the space program, like fluorite versus BK7, but I'm wholly in the dark on the nuances.

kjkjadksj 1y ago

Even the fuji medium formats don’t have sensors as large. They are more like 4cm x 3cm.