In a discussion with a friend recently, I maintained that there were optical qualities unique to large format that medium format digital could not reproduce, regardless of the power of resolution. I claimed that only large format lenses can reproduce things like the many gradations of focus, and that a small or medium format camera would always retain a certain optical affect that related to the physical size of the lenses and film area.

My friend disagreed, saying that it has to do with the power of resolution. Small and medium format film cameras do not show a comparable gradation of focus because the film size is small in relation to the film grain, and that limited resolution power eliminates the optical clarity which large format film instead has. He claimed that, once full clarity is achieved with medium format digitally, that you would see that same optical subtlety as in large format, because that ratio of resolution power to film area would have been greatly increased to transcend the limits previously imposed by film. So he says it is not unique to large format, but is a question of resolution.

I'm awl cornfused! Who is right?!