is Medium Format worth the HYPE?

Disc Cam vs 8x10 glass plate next.

You and Nick Carver need to form a film posse with those hats!

When i used to photograph weddings in the 90’s with my Nikon F100, i would rent the 6x7 if i had large groups or big wedding party. After this i got into Hassey’s. I wish i still had them. The Pentax 6x7 is my dream camera right now, just looking for a good deal. Great Video!!!

Pretty sure I’ve commented this before but I just love the editing lately. Feels fresh and nothing like anyone else’s content

I love all your videos, but this one was top tier for me. Stellar presentation and comparisons. Keep up the great content ❤

Caleb and Jason, Jason and Caleb: A love story. What I like about 120 is that 8-16 120 or 16-32 220 and I can send it in. I seem to load up my 35mm and it takes me forever to get through 38 shots. Also the HUGE finders.

I have paired up my 6x7 to a gfx50s for this very reason. The 105 2.4 and the Mitakon 65 1.4 give more or less the same DOF and FOV. Even though the GFX "Medium Format" sensor is smaller than 645. It is such a convenient combo to carry around. Well maybe not convenient in terms of weight...

Great video. Loved the clear comparisons. Some ripper shots in there Is 6x4.5 worth it or does it HAVE to be 6x7??

Damn bro watching your videos are sooooo dang enjoyable. This was good one ☝️ thanks!!

For medium format, I use TLR cameras. Not as versatile with just one lens, but it's a very satisfying experience using those cameras. For 35mm I like the Canon 1N HS (I have three of them) which is the most satisfying camera to hold ever made. I also have a Nikon f4, f5, and f100. And I also love my 'plastic fantastic' Nikon N75 cameras which can even use the VR of modern Nikon f mount lenses. I like a mix of films, including Ilford, kodak, and once in a while goofy stuff like Lomo purple and adox ii. I shoot digital as well, and occasionally large format. I just like to have fun. By the way, you remind me of the guy in the Ford explorer advertisement who sees bear tracks and then goes to a restaurant. You look and sound similar and have the same impish grin.

Thank you a lot for this nice comparison 👍🏼 So nice to watch your emotional statements 😎

I shot exclusively digital up until late 2022 and jumped right into medium format with a Pentacon Six TL, but I also paired it up with a Kodak Retinette 1A. Brought both to Japan last February. Pretty hooked on the medium format look, but I do want to dabble in 35mm panoramas. Probably will try for an ETRS and a 135W back or maybe might try adapting a 220 back to run 35mm. Love the depth of field separation in medium format.

congrats on 30k subs brother.

I invested in medium format last year but eventually got out because the slight quality upgrade is not worth it considering the size of the camera you have to lug around. Most of my best photos come from a Canon EOS 7s with the entry level 50mm and 35mm. With a subtle dash of noise reduction in Lightroom the photos looks nearly as good as medium format and, from my perspective, the grain on the cheap lenses is just as dreamy as the medium format pics I took. Having said that, I preferred the 120 in all of your comparisons.

Heck yeah it’s worth it! Especially if you are making big darkroom prints from the negative and not some computer file. Go rock a Holga for some real fun! Or an RB 67!!

I recently had the opportunity to put one big difference between 35 and 120 the test! I've looked at 35mm Ilford HP-5 pushed to 1600 vs 120 HP-5 pushed to 1600 in my Mamiya RB67, and I found that despite the fact I pushed that sucker super hard, there was almost no grain compared to 35mm. This was actually kind of disappointing to me because I'm one of those weirdos who likes grain in certain contexts. Nonetheless, I was overall impressed and very happy with how it turned out, and it goes to show that format CAN make a difference! I don't know if this has been the same for everyone, but that's my experience. What I choose depends more on my use case than preference. Am I shooting something that could benefit more from a larger framing? Do I want grain or not? Is the subject I'm shooting so special that the overall resolution and quality of medium format to do it justice? And sometimes, it's just a plain old difference of speed. This is especially true of bright light or dark night, moving vs non-moving target, etc... frankly, my F5 is a speed demon and has way more reliable shutter control and slow speed compared ridiculous amount of precision the T mode requires. Overall, if you're just trying to be a casual photographer who doesn't particularly care about the technical end of things, you maybe don't need a medium format. But if you're a serious hobbyist and/or someone who really wants expand their creative options, a medium format can be super worth it. Consider needs before investing!

I really wondered if it was worth a medium format. So i just bit the bullet and got myself a Pentacon 6. Worth it ! Even Kentmere 400 looks good in 120 format

Nothing like a definitive conclusion! 🤣 Good points, good comparison work. Another fun outing in the desert.

When I first got back into shooting film at the beginning of last year, I slapped my 24-70 f/2.8 II on my almost 30-year old EOS 5. It was the first time that was used since 2008 and also the first time ever seen through a modern lens. The mark II glass has so much resolving power, even on 15-year old expired Gold 100, the sharpness rival something came out of my R5. Every since, I have not seen any lens from any of my 135 film camera resolve anywhere near as sharp, until I got my M3DS, my CLA'd Summitar is now just as sharp as what I had seen of that faithful shoot with the 24-70. My problem with my Pentas 6x7, or even my RB67 is that even in the best condition, I still cannot nail focus as good as my Leica focusing patch.

It's really just all about, "the look" for me. I light the tighter grain on 120, and the higher "resolution" 3d-pop kind of look you get out of 120. Having said that, I think a lot of the time 120 looks like digital with light grain added. I don't think it's hype, they are just different for me... Is 120 worth the cost... Nah, but I don't mess with it to be economical.