35mm vs. Medium Format
Hey guy’s! A while back, I made the switch from 35mm to Medium Format digital and it’s been quite the transition. Before I made the switch, I had a lot of questions about MF systems and getting all the answers proved kind of difficult.
So, this is for all of you who have been wanting a little more information on medium format and have been having a hard time finding it. In this post, we are going to start off with a comparison video which will take a look at a 35mm DSLR and pit it against a Medium Format DSLR.
We’ll break each system down into it’s main parts and then take a close look for a breakdown of the pro’s & con’s of each system.
Video:
More:
35mm Pro's and Con's Quick Breakdown
| Accurate Auto Focus | Image Not as High Quality as MF Digital |
|---|---|
| Many AF Points | Less Dynamic Range |
| Useable High ISOs | Difficult to Clean Sensor |
| Fast Capture Rate – Up to 10fps | Not Impressive to Clients |
| Rear Display | Customer Service Lacks Care and Attention |
| Good built-in Live View | |
| Easy Access to Controls | |
| Weatherproofing | |
| Affordable | |
| Tilt-Shift & Macro Lenses Available | |
| Video Recording |
As you can see, you get a whole lot for your money out of a decent 35mm DLSR system. And the list of con’s isn’t very long at all.
MFD Pro's and Con's Quick Breakdown
| Modular Parts | Expensive Digital Backs |
|---|---|
| Top Image Quality | Expensive lenses |
| Shallower DoF | Single Focal Point |
| More & Accurate Colors | Poor Auto-Focus |
| Large Dynamic Range | Poor High ISO Performance |
| Easy to Clean | Slow capture rate - 1fps |
| Impressive to Clients | Poor Rear LCD |
| High Quality Lenses Available | No Live View (Older Versions) |
| Impressive Customer Service | Non-Intuitive Menus |
| N/A | Poor Access to Controls & Settings |
| N/A | Limited Selection of Specialty Lenses |
| N/A | Poor Access to Controls & Settings |
Image Comparison
Now that we have the basics out of the way, let’s take a little look at some image comparisons to see just exactly how much of an increase in IQ we’ll get when upgrading to this particular medium format system. Of course, results will vary slightly depending on the 35mm DSLR and which digital backs you use.
I wanted to keep the cameras as close in spec as possible for the sake of this test. So, we are using a Nikon D800 with a 50mm f/1.8 G Nikon lens, and we are comparing it to a Leaf Aptus II-10 on a Mamiya 645DF body with an 80mm f/2.8 LS D Mamiya/Schneider lens. The 800mm on the medium format system will give us the equivalent of a 47mm lens on a 35mm system. That’s about as close as I can get them to being the “same”. Each is operating with a “normal” focal length lens.
Sharpness Comparison
Hopefully this post provided a little more insight on a topic not covered to much around the photography world. One things for sure, no matter the equipment you're using, if you love photography it'll show in your work. Remember, these super high quality clean images are a new thing and frankly, now I miss the grain of film.
See ya in the next post!