Medium Format

Desert Island Cameras No. 08 – Medium Format Edition

2800 1575 James Tocchio

I’d forgive you if you’re not familiar with our Desert Island Cameras feature. It’s been exactly six months since the last installment, after all. Blame the editor. Now let’s get you up to speed. Our Desert Island…

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Why Every Photographer Should Try Medium Format

2000 1333 Chris Cushing

Quentin Tarantino’s The Hateful Eight is an oddity. A film that blends classic elements of old-timey westerns with modern sensibilities, it’s an unusual throwback. Perhaps most unusually, Hateful Eight was shot on 70mm film, an…

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The Mamiya Press Camera – With Great Weight Comes Great Versatility

2200 1238 Chris Cushing

I like things to be small, light, and simple, and these preferences apply equally to nearly any product. My favorite car since the close of the Second World War is the original Golf GTI, and…

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Tahbes Synchro and Synchrona – an In-Depth Look at the Machines of an Obscure Dutch Camera Company

2200 1237 James Tocchio

Europe in 1945 was not a great place for manufacturing, yet it was there and in that moment in history during which a small, Dutch company successfully manufactured and sold some of the most beautiful…

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We Shoot the Kiev 60 TTL, a Medium Format Monster from the Soviet Union

1970 1108 Jeb Inge

“If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.” How many times have we heard the tired cliché? Often it’s uttered in reaction to some unwanted change. And just as often, businesses have proven the utterers right.…

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Rollei 6008 Professional Medium Format SLR Camera Review

2000 1125 James Tocchio

In 1976, Rollei released the SLX, a fully electronic medium format SLR to compete with Hasselblad’s famous machines. With a built-in light meter, automatic motor advance, and shutter-priority auto-exposure, it was in many ways a…

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Holga Medium Format Camera Review – Still Worth It, or Total Cliché?

2000 1125 Josh Solomon

A too-familiar plastic camera appeared in my friend’s hands after rummaging through his junk box. “I wasted too many rolls of film with this,” he said. “I figure you’ll be able to get something out…

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Pentax 645 Camera Review – The Best Entry Level Medium Format Film Camera

2000 1334 Jeb Inge

The desire to jump into medium format photography is usually accompanied by visions of Hasselblads, Rolleiflexes, and the Contax 645. And that’s understandable – the first has pedigree, the second has cool factor, and the…

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Six Months with the Rolleiflex 2.8 D – Medium Format TLR Camera Review

1999 1331 Josh Solomon

After reviewing vintage cameras for a while, you tend to become distrustful of any camera or lens with a legendary reputation. All of us here at CP have stories of disappointment with well-regarded cameras. It’s not…

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Kodak Brownie No. 2 Camera Review – Shooting a Hundred-Year-Old Film Camera

1280 720 Josh Solomon

[Author’s note: Many thanks to Nick Marshall for lending this camera to us for review. Check out his instant/toy camera photography here] It’s 2017, and most people don’t think of photography as any kind of…

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Fuji GW690 – Medium Format Camera Review

1280 720 James Tocchio

After nearly three years of running this website, I’ve finally discerned the characteristics that make up my ideal camera. I like versatility and affordability, so interchangeable lens SLRs are my starting point. I really love…

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5 Best Medium Format Cameras for Beginners

1600 987 James Tocchio

It happens to the best of us. At some point in the photographic journey, every photo geek is going to run into a wall. Things get stale. You’ve been shooting the same subjects with the same…

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How To Process Black and White Film at Home – Part One: What You’ll Need

5985 3351 James Tocchio

There’s no better way to connect with the very essence of the medium than by shooting black-and-white film, and while the C-41 process B&W films are at times excellent, our curiosity will inevitably get the…

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Kodak Portra 400 – Film Profile

2000 1125 James Tocchio

There’s no such thing as a “perfect” film. Let’s just get that out of the way. Every shooter has different tastes regarding tone, color, grain, etc., but if ever a film could manage to be…

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