On The Road with Vicky Lamburn

Part One – To Medium Format and Beyond… for sixty quid…

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To most people, film is 35mm. In fact for most people, it never enters their mind that there is anything beyond their digital compact, their 35mm camera or indeed something beyond, “one of those fancy SLR things.” Mention medium or large format to most people and they will go, huh?

In case you are one of those, think of a piece of film like a piece of paper. With 35mm, imagine sketching a landscape on that size of paper? It’d lack a lot of detail and the only way to pack more into that sketch would be to make the pencil ever sharper (my analogy to ISO/ASA speed.) If you enlarge that piece of paper from 1 by 1½-inch to say 2 ½ by 2 ½-inches you can make a more detailed sketch of the landscape because you have more room, even without using the sharpest of pencils. And the same happens again when you move from medium format to large formats like 5×7, 8×10 and so on.

Medium format is a loose definition but in basic modern terms it’s generally always 120 film which allows for exposures in the following sizes (camera dependent.) All sizes are quoted in metric centimetres:

• 6×4.5
• 6×6
• 6×7
• 6×8
• 6×9
• up to 6×17

That is quite a lot larger than a 35mm ‘full frame’ exposure so it stands to reason why medium format is a good proposition. It means greater picture fidelity, finer grain due to not needing to enlarge as much for standard print sizes and in that, the ability to enlarge at a better quality than 35mm. 20×20-inch prints are possible in 35mm but it is likely the equivalent exposure on 120 film will look much better at that size with less grain and greater detail.

So medium format is in this case a larger piece of film than 35mm whereas large format tends to be sheet film for sizes beyond 5×4 inches. Medium format also exists in digital form but is hideously expensive and unlike top notch 35mm digital, medium format film still holds a clear edge over digital medium format although the forthcoming Leica S series and Hasselblad 50 and 60 megapixel sensors (a selling price of £19200 according to Robert White) should be interesting to look at. However, for those you are look at tens of thousands of pounds, certainly from £8000 in the UK for a 16 megapixel Hasselblad system.

But you can get the equivalent quality camera for £60 including a lens. You’d have to shoot a lot of 120 before you get close even to the cost of a 16 megapixel digital medium format camera, let alone the 31 and 39 megapixel models that are out there right now. And as for 50 and 60… The quality of that can’t be in doubt but for the average amateur it’s out of the price range and in my case a 60mp H3DII would be 85% of my entire gross annual income!

If you want to make large enlargements, or have the finest picture quality for your serious, more considered work, 35mm has its limits and medium format can remove those limits. It does not have to be expensive either, the Mamiya TLR (twin lens reflex) camera range is a case in point and can prove to be a stellar bargain.

Unlike every other TLR with one fixed lens (usually a standard 80mm field of view) the Mamiya TLR series features interchangeable lenses from a mild wild angle of 55mm (about 31mm in 35mm focal length) to a positive tele-photo at 250mm.

The second consideration for the Mamiya TLR and TLRs in general is that they take square pictures. Virtually every photo today is in 3:2 format, though some cameras now shoot 16:9/16:10 and Olympus has its Four Thirds system – essentially most photos are now rectangles. But the square format can have a lot going for it and as I have found out and will show you here, some landscapes just cry out to be square.

How cheap can the Mamiyas be? Well I bought a very well used example, it was sctuffy but OK. The paint had worn on corners and it definitely showed signs of heavy use but it was 100% functional and had twelve months of warranty. It also came with an 80mm standard lens, which was a bonus. In total I paid £59 which is nothing for a decent camera. Agreeably I also purchased a 55mm wide angle for £69 and a fantastic Cokin A filter holder for it for £25 (I will go into this special gizmo in the review) but even with all of that I have only just spent over £150 on a camera system that can chuck out fantastic photos in the right hands. It’s a shame it’s lumbered with mine then!

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