LF or MF?

[Larry Kalajainen]

I have recently acquired a Mamiya 7 with a couple of lenses. Been wanting one for a long time to be my travel outfit.

However, given the cost, I have to sell some existing equipment. I'm both a MF and an LF (4X5) user and enjoy both.

Given the present apocalyptic climate with regard to film and silver-based photography, does anyone have a crystal ball with which to predict which of my equipment (Rollei SL66 or Wista SW outfits) is most likely to remain useful the longest? Which will bite the dust first--roll film or sheet film? I love them all, but something has to go.

Larry

[Ash]

Neither format will disappear, it will only become increasingly expensive to use

[alec4444]

...does anyone have a crystal ball with which to predict which of my equipment (Rollei SL66 or Wista SW outfits) is most likely to remain useful the longest? Which will bite the dust first--roll film or sheet film?

Hey Larry,

Nobody here (including you) will live long enough to find out. Per your dilemma...perhaps there's some old furniture you can sell instead? Car?

I have the Rollei 6008 System and I love it. It's heavy, though, for MF and I always wondered if the SL66 system wouldn't have been better. I'd hang onto that if I were you...I haven't seen a lot of them for sale.

--A

[Gary Smith]

Neither format will disappear, it will only become increasingly expensive to use

Agreed. Neither format will vanish and costs will rise, they will survive.

Gary

[Ron Marshall]

I agree, neither will dissapear, but both will be more expensive to use.

[Brian Ellis]

Medium format film will go first I think (though who knows when that will be). It was always much more of a pro format than others, and with no real reason to use it instead of a good digital SLR I don't see much of a future for it. Large format probably has enough serious amateurs to survive longer, though with fewer choices and more cost, because it's a very different kind of photography than any other and has its own unique pleasures not shared by any other format (unlike medium format). Just my opinions of course.

[Michael Graves]

I love my Mamiya 7, too. But I still won't get rid of my 4x5, my 5x7 or my 8x10. I'll just sell my wife's jewelry to pay for film. Heck, I'm still hanging onto my old Kowa Super 66 outfit because I like the square format.

[Rob_5419]

However, given the cost, I have to sell some existing equipment. I'm both a MF and an LF (4X5) user and enjoy both.

Sounds like medium format might be a better option if cost considerations matter.

Might be a hard call, but which format do you use most? I use medium format more than large format, although I like large format more than medium format. If I had your difficult decision to make, I would probably go back to medium format and get a plate camera which costs a fraction of your Wista.

Medium format is cheap enough to continue and a plate camera (costing less than $100 can produce superb whole contact-plates with LF images equal to the Wista images you have. Have a look at your finances and see if you can afford a MF + Plate camera instead of a MF + Wista.

Funny enough! That's what I'm doing - goodbye 10x8" and hello half-plate/whole-plate camera. It's a cheaper option since it doesn't require a 10x8" enlarger which I can't carry at my age...large format doesn't mean large format expenses always....once you have the camera+lens+holder, all you need is film from Efke, Fuji or Ilford, and a cheap 35mm enlarger with a contact printing block and off you go....
whole plate/films have only been available for about 100 years +.


That's my recommendation for anyone who doesn't want the huge expenses of LF photography but traditional LF all the same

[GPS]

Most of the new film cameras are MF cameras! What is more, RF backs are used in many of the new film LF cameras too...

[ronald lamarsh]

I have absolutely no trouble purchasing film at a reasonable cost for both my Lf and MF gear. Paper is the same for me. I do most of my shopping at Freestyle and gave up on kodak a long time ago. Its not their fault they are a huge mutli-national corporation and as such cannot cater to a "niche market" There have always been folks willing to fill the gap i.e Foma, Fotokemika etc. So I use their products......its neither angst nor protest that I do so: its what I do to keep going.
My own personal opinion is that digital will never fully replace film just photography never replaced painting. Many professionals must convert to digital to keep up with the market. Its biggest asset is time and material savings but is it better? Is it inferior? That depends on the viewer......I can't tell you why in quantitative(resolution,tonal scale etc) terms why I prefer silver I just do.
As Hamlet said," Tis niether good nor bad but THINKING makes it so"