Medium format photography - Workshop

There are two kinds of rolls that a medium format camera can use: 120 or 220 roll film. Below is an image that show how different a medium format roll is from a normal 35mm film roll.

Medium format comes wrapped in paper and a normal film is usually in a metal thing. Following is an example of a medium format 6x6 contact sheet. It is 6cm by 6 cm and there are 12 exposures on a 120 film. 

Camera formats: 

Medium format is 6 x 7cm and a 35mm film is 36 x 24mm. There are also different measurements in medium format. Those are: 6 x 4.5, 6 x 6, 6 x 7. 6 x 9. 6 x 17 and 6 x19. This means that different formats or sizes can be shot with the same medium format film roll. It is always better to shoot on a medium format if the scene that is being shot is staged or if the situation that is being shot is more in control and you know exactly what you are doing. The seize obviously matters because the quality of a medium format will be much higher than an ordinary 35mm film and a large format is even better than medium format which is quite obvious. Following is a guide of all the different sizes and how they defer from one and other:

The kind of camera (or size) also effects how the image will look like at the end because a square negative will obviously look much different than a rectangular negative. They both might be shot on the same scene but can still be giving different vibes of ideas to the viewer. 

6 x 4.5 negative us 2.7x bigger than a 35mm negative

6 x 6 negative is 3.6x bigger than a 35mm negative

6 x 7 negative is 4.3x bigger than a 35mm negative

Twin Lens Reflex:

Roleiflex users: Bill Brandt, Diane Arbus, Steve Pyke, etc. Following are a few examples of those photographs taken on a medium format:

Rangefinder Cameras:

Those are the ones that have a little window to look through whereas twin lens reflex has a viewing lens and another lens that takes the image. Plaubel is one of the range finder cameras. 

There are also a few medium format cameras that take panoramic images such as the one below. I think it is amazing to take shots such as landscapes or cityscapes or just in general of something really large. I would definitely want to try it out if I get the chance to do so. 

Medium format Standard Lenses:

35mm standard lens = 50mm

6 x 4.5 standard lens = 75mm

6 x 6 standard lens = 80mm

6 x 7 standard lens = 90mm 

Following is a guide of how a good negative would look like for it not to look too over or under exposed: 

(I have done a few medium format shots that I will be adding soon here on this post)