Part I: Camera Formats
Photographers are always looking for the next great camera. When photography first started transitioning to digital, the innovation started with micro four thirds, then aps-c and then full frame. One of the latest innovations is the digitization of medium format cameras.
Praised for their resolution and high dynamic range, medium format images are arguably more lifelike than those taken by cameras with smaller sensors. In this blog, I’ll explain what medium format is and outline some of its advantages and disadvantages.
What is Medium Format?
The history of medium format is as old as photography itself, and hence, I won’t discuss it here. However, Park Cameras’ blog or The Art of Photography’s video are both great sources to learn more.
A spectrum of typical sensor sizes. Note that there are even more formats at the smaller end of the scale, but for the sake of simplicity, I have left them out.
The naming convention of the various camera formats can be confusing — particularly in this digital age, as we have the ability to manufacture sensors of all sizes and types and commercialize each one of them. Despite modern technological advancements, most sensor manufacturers and photographers have based their definitions on film formats. Generally, a medium format camera refers to any camera with a sensor larger than the 35mm (full frame), but smaller than large format (4x5”, 5x8”).
Digital medium format
For a while, medium format was reserved for film photographers. In the 1990s though, camera manufacturers and photographers began the digitization of medium format. They accomplished this by retrofitting “digital backs” which contained an electronic sensor, in place of the traditional film holder. For this series, I have focused on digital medium format cameras — I haven't shot with a film camera for a very long time.
From the illustration above, you can see that there are a few "agreed" medium format sizes. My personal camera is Fujifilm's GFX 50S Medium Format Mirrorless Camera. First introduced in 2017, it falls under the "cropped medium format or medium format 645" and is the smallest in its class.
Medium format "look"
One of the most discussed (and not yet unanimously agreed upon) benefits of medium format is the "medium format look." The “look” is the result of a combination of factors discussed in the “advantages” section below, which can be "experienced" when you produce large prints (36" x 24" and above) or view images on a large TV screen (larger than 48" and supporting resolutions 4K, 5K, 6K, 8K and above).
The medium format look loosely refers to the real world feel of these images. When photos are produced at such a large scale, without any loss in clarity, it is truly an immersive experience.
This picture, while it does not look majestic on the mobile phone or computer screen, it does looks life-like at 40x30 on my wall, all the while retaining every detail.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Medium Format
Different formats tailor to specific needs, and hence, are all important. When picking a camera, it’s important you understand the context and application of its system. Like any other type of camera, medium format has its own advantages and disadvantages to consider. Below is a non-exhaustive list, based on my personal experience.
Advantages
Better image quality - In general, larger sensors produce better image quality and tonality as opposed to a smaller sensor.
Shallower depth of field - While full frame or other formats are getting better at achieving a shallow depth of field due to advancements in lens design, a medium format camera will typically have even shallower depth when compared to a 35mm equivalent at any given field of view and aperture.
Cropping - Although pixel density in smaller formats can compete (as a general statement), when you try to create a mini composition out of a larger image (cropping and blowing certain parts of the photo) and retain the clarity for printing, the outputs from the smaller sensors cannot hold up to medium format.
Real life look - Often defined as the "medium format look," this refers to the details captured and tonality maintained by the sensor. Images are much closer to reality, due to the format’s ability to retain more detail when viewed as a large print (life-sized) or on a large screen.
Dynamic range - This refers to the ability to increase the light from a shadow without losing pixel information (or the other way around when it comes to highlights). Human eyes have excellent dynamic range (22 stops of light) and this becomes more apparent when shooting images in low light, since the images often look the same as what you actually saw. Medium format cameras generally have a dynamic range of 15-17 (however, Sony's recent flagship full frame claims to provide a DR of 15).
Noise level - Modern medium format cameras have less noise than most other formats at ISO 3,200. Innovation in full frame sensors has closed the gap or even surpassed it. But, for the most part, medium format cameras reign supreme here and I suspect will continue to, as the digital medium format continues to innovate.
Field of View - Medium formats have a wider field of view at the same focal length of a lens used on the smaller sensors.
Disadvantages
Below are some of the disadvantages of digital medium format as of today:
Slow - The ability to focus and shoot images in succession is not on par with smaller format sensors, despite the massive strides made by the likes of Fuji’s GFX-100.
Accessories - The choices are quite limited in this area, although they are growing
Lenses - Sensors alone won't win you images. It is the sensor together with the lens that produces stellar images. You will not find extensive collections of modern lenses for digital medium format, as opposed to full frame
ISO performance - Depending on the system, you might find this to be a mixed bag of results. The newer digital medium format cameras have made strides in this area, but you may find images being noisy at high ISO (ISO 3200 and above).
Size - Most of the digital medium format cameras are bigger than the smaller sensor systems at any level. Mirrorless technology and components industry have worked in favor of digital medium format to bring the camera size close to a professional full frame, but it is still larger and heavier compared to smaller sensor systems.
Expensive - The medium format, compared to the smaller systems, is still expensive.
Conclusion
Shooting medium format evokes an emotional response in the photographer and challenges them to advance their skills level. As a result, in my experience, shooting on medium format medium format has been very rewarding. Despite the decrease in camera sales over the past decade , APS-C, full frame and medium format will survive. Medium format will be the new full frame and future innovations will make it even more accessible and on-par with full frame options.