From: edmtl@alf.uib.no (Thor Legvold)
Subject: Re: Big Switch: From 35mm to medium format
Organization: University of Bergen, Norway
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL4
Date: Fri, 22 Jan 93 13:19:10 GMT

dbernard@clesun.Central.Sun.COM (Dave Bernard) writes:
: Has anyone, after years of using 35mm SLRs, been able to
: succesfully shuck off their old investment, and turn entirely
: to medium format, and lived happily ever after?  The ease of
: use, ease of carry, low price of hardware and software (film,
: processing) make 35mm awfully attractive.  But has anyone turned
: their back on all that, and been happy with a shift to medium
: format, which shrugs off some of those attractive features of
: 35mm in exchange for superior image quality?  I'd be interested
: in hearing your experiences.
: 
: 	Dave

YES.  Although it's only been a year since I sold all my 35mm stuff,
I haven't regretted it one bit.  I bought a Bronica SQ-Ai (6x6 w/OTF
TTL flash).  It takes the same amount of room as my old 35mm stuff,
although it does weigh a little more.  I don't carry it around my
neck, but I regularly carry it on my shoulder - something which works
fine for me.  If I go more than 2 or 3 hours with it around my neck I
begin to notice the weight, on the shoulder I go all day, day after day.

I find the extra negative size a big improvement, as I shoot mostly
landscapes and portraits on slide film, and some BW stuff.  When
I make a Ciba of BW print of a picture I really like, I tend to make 
it BIG, so a (as an example) 30x30 ciba is only a 5x enlargement from
6x6, while it is ca. 13x from 35mm - in my opinion the difference is
noticable, and I prefer the 6x6 format.  I also like composing in a 
square, and rarely crop pictures/prints to what others term 'ideal'
format (i.e. landscape or portrait), although I always have the possibility.

I also find that with a well composed 6x6 picture, by printing and cropping
I can produce 2 or 3 well composed interesting prints, each with different
emphasis, balance, etc.

As far as 'features' are concerned, I found more and more I was taking
carefully composed pictures instead of 'snapshots'.  For that I don't
need AF (Note:  I am anti AF, if that helps explain things...), I don't
need a smart alecky meter system (but a spot meter would be nice to have :-),
I need _time_.  Those few pictures where you _have_ to have a AF Auto
exp camera to capture, they go by.  But I can't say that I have been
in so many moments unprepared, and I have used MF cameras enough years
to be rather quick at focusing ;-)

So I would recommend you sat down and looked through your archives/
photo albums and thought about what kind of pictures you usually take.
If its pictures at parties with your friends MF can be a bit much (although
I have done it...)  If its portraits which are either candid or studio,
MF can be a Good Thing (tm).  Even nature photography can be done with
MF, but I think it would be easier (and much cheaper) with a 35mm and
long tele, to be honest.  If it's landscape, macro, or studio work,
MF is very good to have, or even Large format (something I've never
tried so I really can't comment on).

The price is a problem, but here (Norway), one of Nikon or Canon good
models + good lens (i.e. not 3rd party) is the same price as Bronica
body + magazine + lens...   But I don't have zoom lens, not as many to
choose among, etc.  For me the Bronica (or a hassy if I had that much
money) is perfect - it has everything I need/want, and having 100
lenses to choose from isn't so important.  (Same reason I bought a NeXT
instead of Mac or PC - less programs, but _exactly_ the ones I need,
and much better than what was/is available on the other platforms.  But
I digress...  Please - no flames ;-)

So, for me anyway, I have no intention (like I said, it's only been a year
so far :-) of going to 35mm again.  I can take snapshots, I can take my
time and compose pictures, I have a nice balance between carryability
and neg size/quality.  Developing (here, anyway) costs the same for 120
as 35mm, and seeing 6x6 projected on a screen is truly inspiring!
Film prices are also comparable, about NOK 45,- for a 120 roll Velvia,
and NOK 96,- for a 35mm roll of the same.  

And hey - I'm a poor student ;-)

Sorry this is so long.
Regards,
Thor






-- 
--
Thor Legvold                 |    This is the strangest life
NorNeXT User Group leader    |    I've ever known...
University of Bergen         |         - Jim Morrison,
Newsgroups: rec.photo