On May 5, 2008, at 7:50 PM, Jan Moren wrote: > Brings me to a question I've been meaning to ask: what does it entail > today to actually use a 645 film camera? I've been on the fence on > getting one for a long time now, but I have very little experience of > shooting film. It is the slower workflow that appeals to me, as > well as > the very beautiful look of medium-format images. > > For instance, is film readily available? And can you have it developed > or do you have to do it yourself (I'm considering both BW and colour)? > If I have to do it myself, the idea is probably a bust; I don't > have the > space to set up anything. I'd appreciate feedback on the workflow in > practice for medium format.
- 120 roll film is still easily available in a variety of emulsions. - Processing has become a bit scarcer other than at "real" camera shops and pro labs. B&W, color, negatives only, negs and prints, slides ... all are still available. - Traditional B&W film is easy to process at home .. doesn't take either much space or equipment. - Printing at home the chemical way requires a darkroom and all the sundry equipment required. Scanning and printing digitally is much more sensible: since the negative is largish, a modestly priced flatbed scanner with transparency adapter can make excellent scans. - "The very beautiful look of medium-format images" is a matter of how well you learn how to print. Without spending a fortune on equipment, you can get the same look from a DSLR if you know how to expose and render the images correctly. What you can't get with a DSLR is the signature characteristic of medium format: the field-of-view + depth-of-field coupling. That is why I still have a P645 medium format camera, even if I haven't shot an exposure with it in over a year and a half. One of these days... Godfrey -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net to UNSUBSCRIBE from the PDML, please visit the link directly above and follow the directions.
