Noob Question. What to buy? LF vs MF

[go_jmo]

Hi Guys,

I am a new member, joined a week ago and since then I have been reading many interesting posts here. I have a few questions and wanted to gather opinions. I don’t own any LF gear but have been shooting 35mm film with a Leica / Nikon for about 6/7 years. I process film at home and I’m about to finish my darkroom. It is pretty generous, I have a Durst M670 enlarger with space for another and room to develop using 20x24 inch trays if needs be. I am a total darkroom novice, so plan to use this coming winter as training time.

I have mainly shot street/documentary style images with my 35mm which works perfectly, however I want to shoot a series of landscapes / buildings / Interior details / portraits in a much more considered fashion. LF looks very appealing and like I said I have been reading posts about what to buy (Ebony RSW45 vs Walker Titan vs Shen Hao - metal vs wooden field cameras etc.) and I am excited, but overwhelmed. The shots I am planning will involve driving around, jumping out of the car and setting up quickly (in different kinds of weather). They may also involve some trekking (but not a huge amount). So I would be looking for a 90mm, a 150mm for full body portraits and potentially something in the region of a 210mm (eventually). I am new to portraiture so need something I can learn and set up quickly so as not to piss the subject off too much.

My photography usually has a very deep depth of field and I plan to stick to this, although I have been reading how LF gives infinite creative control using movements and this does appeal. However, I have also been looking at the Mamiya RZ67 MF to fulfil these needs. I can get a full Mamiya RZ67 3 lens kit plus accessories for the same price as a LF camera body. I know to truly get the best out of LF I need to do more than contact printing, but I then need another enlarger (suggestions welcome). I am pretty sure that printing 20x24 will be excellent quality with the MF and it is quicker to set up - I know I would love to have a go at LF at some point, but does anyone have words of wisdom or an opinion as to what I should do?

Many thanks - and apologies if this is the wrong area to be posting this question in.

James

[neil poulsen]

What size do you want to make the prints?

[BrianShaw]

How many pictures do you want to take and how fast? MF is more amenable to taking more pictures faster than LF. Either will get you the deep DOF if on a tripod. Either will be OK for carrying around in the car but set up with MF will be much faster than LF. And either will piss off a portraiture subject if you are spending lots of time setting up and fiddling.

But all that said, as they say... LF is a real experience that you may not want to miss.

Honestly, though... you need one of each.

[go_jmo]

Thanks for the swift replies! And yes, both would be good I would be planning quite a few pictures in order to make a series. That said, there is something deeply appealing to shooting landscape on LF.

I would be planning to print no bigger than 20x24 (although who knows - maybe in the future some bigger prints may be on the cards?).

[Bill_1856]

That's pretty easy. Unless you will take time to carefully set up and compose your images, Large Format would be a total waste for you.
The Mamiya is a great camera -- probably perfect for your needs.

[pdh]

I'd just question the op's assumption that getting the best from lf means enlarging.

[Ari]

Image quality, ease of use, quick to set up, fast or slow shooting, shooting moving subjects, re-composing on the fly, etc etc - medium format is the best option for your project, and it enlarges very well.
If you want to get acquainted with LF, get a cheap Graphic kit here (camera, lens, film holders) at some point and play with it in your spare time, get good with it.

[go_jmo]

Please don't get me wrong, I would still be setting up and composing the image. I just wanted to give some idea of how I would be using the camera. After reading many 'what should I buy posts' I thought I would step back and look at what I planned to do with it first and get an understanding of opinion. Although the allure of LF is strong, and in the future I would love to dabble, maybe the Mamiya is best for what I have in mind?

[go_jmo]

Thanks Ari - appreciated.

[Jim Jones]

Careful camera work should permit up to 20x24 prints from a Mamiya RZ67 that would satisfy most people. After all, it's the same degree of enlargement as a 8x12 print from 35mm, and the larger prints are usually viewed from a greater distance. Also, MF cameras are much better for grab shots than tripod mounted cameras. The proper 4x5 press camera may be an adequate compromise between a street photography and landscapes, buildings, etc. Consider using 35mm for those shots for which it is best suited, and a view camera where versatility and maximum image quality is paramount. For decades I concurrently used Leica RF and Nikon SLR gear for many subjects, and 4x5 where it was distinctly better. Rarely did MF equipment tempt me. Older but good LF equipment is inexpensive enough that one can usually afford both formats. Remember, many iconic photographs were made with LF cameras of 50 or 100 years ago. The same equipment, if properly maintained, can do exactly the same today. For many years my main LF camera was a 1950s 5x7 Burke & James flatbed, usually with a 4x5 back. A similar camera without a lens should not cost over $100 now.

It is often said that smaller format cameras provide more Depth of Field. This is partly true. However, for comparable set-ups, stopping a LF lens down so the aperture as seen through the front of the lens has the same diameter as the aperture of a 35mm camera, both will yield exactly the same DoF in the same size prints. A view camera does have adjustments that extend the DoF in some, but not all, photos. It also permits perspective correction unavailable in most MF and 35mm lenses. This can be very important in urban and some scenic photography if perspective correction can not be done in editing or printing.