Exploring the Beauty of Film, One Frame at a Time

Welcome to my site. Whether you’re curious about this captivating format, looking to reconnect with the tactile magic of film, or searching for practical guidance on getting started, you’re in the right place.

Use the menu to the right to explore recent images, gear reviews, and tips for improving your medium format work.

My site is a bit of highlighting where I go wrong with medium format, so that I can help others not make the same mistakes. I also showcase test shots I’ve taken with various medium format cameras, and medium format film stocks.

My Journey to Medium Format Photography

When I first picked up a camera, digital photography didn’t exist. I learned on 35mm film with Nikon bodies, developing an appreciation for the slow, intentional process that film demands. When digital cameras became accessible, I embraced the technology fully—the instant feedback, the unlimited frames, the evolving tools. For nearly two decades, digital served me well.

But something was missing.

After years of shooting digital, I found myself drawn back to film. Not just any film, but medium format photography specifically. The format struck the right balance for me: it delivers resolution and tonal depth that 35mm can’t match, yet doesn’t require the weight, setup time, and deliberate pace of large format work. After wrestling with 4×5 and 8×10 view cameras—beautiful but demanding systems—I discovered that medium format photography occupies a sweet spot between image quality, shooting pace, and creative satisfaction.

Today, I shoot across multiple systems:

4×5 and 8×10 large format – For those extra deliberate, meditative shoots

Nikon digital and legacy lenses – I’ve owned over 100 Nikon lenses throughout my photography journey

Fujifilm GFX – Digital medium format with superb image quality and fantastic dynamic range

Hasselblad 500cm – My introduction to medium format film photography

Pentax 6×7 – A recent addition I’m eager to explore

What Is Medium Format Photography?

Medium format photography refers to any camera system using film or sensors larger than standard 35mm (24×36mm) but smaller than large format (4×5 inches and beyond). The term encompasses both classic film cameras shooting 120 or 220 roll film and modern digital systems like the Fujifilm GFX series and Hasselblad X cameras.

The “medium” designation places these systems between the compact convenience of 35mm and the expansive capabilities of large format. This middle ground is precisely what makes medium format photography so appealing—you gain significant image quality advantages without the bulk and workflow constraints of sheet film.

Film Formats and Frame Counts

Medium format film cameras produce various frame sizes depending on the camera design:

• 6×4.5cm – 15-16 exposures per roll of 120 film
• 6×6cm (Hasselblad 500 series, Rolleiflex) – 12 exposures per roll
• 6×7cm (Pentax 67, Mamiya RB67) – 10 exposures per roll
• 6×9cm (Fujifilm GW690) – 8 exposures per roll
• 6×17cm panoramic – 4 exposures per roll

The 220 film format offers twice the length of 120, effectively doubling your frame count, but it’s increasingly difficult to find and not all cameras support it.

It might seem counterintuitive to want fewer frames per roll, but that limitation is part of what makes medium format photography special. Each exposure carries weight. You compose more carefully, consider your settings more deliberately, and feel the anticipation build as you work through a roll. Unlike 35mm’s 36-exposure standard—which always felt like too many frames to shoot before I could develop and see results—medium format’s economy forces intentionality.

Why Medium Format Produces Superior Images

The advantages of medium format photography stem from simple physics: larger capture areas gather more light and resolve more detail.

Greater resolution and detail. A 6×6cm negative has roughly 3.6 times the surface area of a 35mm frame. This translates directly to finer grain structure in film and higher pixel counts in digital sensors. Medium format negatives can produce stunning enlargements that reveal details invisible in smaller formats.

Shallower depth of field. To achieve the same field of view as a 35mm lens, medium format requires longer focal lengths. A “normal” lens on 6×6 is 80mm rather than 50mm. These longer lenses produce shallower depth of field at equivalent apertures, giving medium format photography its characteristic three-dimensional quality where subjects separate from backgrounds with creamy, gradual transitions.

Smoother tonal gradations. Larger negatives and sensors capture more information across the brightness range. Shadows hold more detail before falling to black, highlights retain texture longer before clipping to white, and the transitions between tones feel more continuous and natural. This quality is particularly visible in skin tones, skies, and any subject with subtle gradations.

Superior enlargement capability. Whether you’re printing in a darkroom or scanning for digital output, medium format negatives maintain their quality at larger sizes. A 16×20 print from a 6×7 negative looks crisp and detailed where the same enlargement from 35mm begins showing grain and softness.

Why Shoot Film in the Digital Age?

In an era when AI can generate photorealistic images from text prompts and every smartphone includes computational photography that rivals dedicated cameras, film photography might seem anachronistic. But that apparent obsolescence is precisely what gives medium format film photography its enduring appeal.

Film demands presence. Digital photography allows—even encourages—a spray-and-pray approach. Shoot hundreds of frames, delete the failures, keep the lucky ones. Film inverts this relationship entirely. With 10 or 12 exposures per roll, each frame costs money and represents an irreversible commitment. You can’t start chimping the LCD to check your work. You must be present, attentive, and confident before pressing the shutter.

The process creates meaning. There’s a reason people still paint despite photography, still write letters despite email, still cook despite restaurants. The process itself carries value beyond the output. Loading film, composing on a ground glass, waiting for development—these rituals transform photography from image capture into craft practice.

Imperfection conveys authenticity. In a world of computationally perfect images, film’s organic characteristics stand apart. Grain isn’t noise to be eliminated; it’s texture that confirms reality. Color shifts aren’t errors; they’re the signature of specific emulsions. Light leaks, processing artifacts, and happy accidents become distinguishing features rather than flaws to fix in post.

Physical artifacts matter. A negative exists as a tangible object, independent of any digital system or storage medium. Decades from now, those negatives will remain viewable with nothing more than a light source and a magnifier—no software updates, file format conversions, or hard drive recoveries required.

Developing and Scanning: Building a Film Workflow

I process all my film at home—both black-and-white and color negative—using tank development. For color work, I use C-41 chemistry, which has become remarkably accessible for home processing. The tank development process is essentially the same as black-and-white: temperature control matters more, but the actual procedure is straightforward.

For scanning, I use an Epson V850 flatbed scanner. This dedicated film scanner handles medium format negatives well, though it demands careful technique: proper holder alignment, appropriate scanning resolution, and post-scan processing in Lightroom or similar software.

Looking Toward the Darkroom

My goal is to eventually move away from scanning entirely and embrace optical printing with an enlarger. There’s nothing inherently wrong with scanning—it produces excellent results and offers workflow conveniences—but I want to learn the complete analog process.

I already contact print my 8×10 large format work, and there’s nothing quite like watching a print materialize in the developer tray. The magic of that experience—image emerging from apparently blank paper—doesn’t translate to staring at a scan progress bar.

I’ve also heard from experienced printers that optical enlarging offers greater latitude and control than scanning. Dodging and burning become physical gestures rather than software sliders. Paper choice affects tonality in ways that aren’t replicable with inkjet printing. The feedback loop between exposure, development, and result happens in real time.

Bringing that darkroom experience to medium format photography with a proper enlarger is a near-term goal.

That being said, archival ink on high quality rag paper is not as susceptible to fading as color prints from the darkroom. Check out my article on Inkjet Vs. Darkroom Prints to decide which is best from a longevity standpoint.

Understanding Sensor Size: Film vs. Digital

One of the most significant differences between medium format film and digital is the actual imaging area. Traditional 120 film cameras capture images at various sizes depending on the format:

6×4.5cm (645): Actual frame size approximately 56×41.5mm (2,324 sq mm)

6x6cm: Actual frame size approximately 56x56mm (3,136 sq mm)

6x7cm: Actual frame size approximately 56x70mm (3,920 sq mm)

6x9cm: Actual frame size approximately 56x84mm (4,704 sq mm)

Digital medium format sensors, however, are generally smaller than their film equivalents. The most common sensor sizes in current digital medium format cameras are:

44x33mm: Used by Fujifilm GFX, Hasselblad X-series (1,442 sq mm, approximately 62% of 645 film)

53.4x40mm: Used by Phase One IQ4 (2,136 sq mm, approximately 92% of 645 film)

For comparison, a full-frame 35mm sensor measures 36x24mm (864 sq mm), making the 44x33mm medium format sensors about 1.7 times larger, while the Phase One 53.4x40mm sensor is approximately 2.5 times larger than full frame.

Digital Sensor Size Comparison

The following table compares digital medium format sensor sizes with traditional 120 film formats and 35mm full frame sensors.

Format	Dimensions	Area (sq mm)	Cameras Using This Size
120 Film: 6x9cm	56 x 84mm	4,704	Kodak Brownie, Folding Cameras
120 Film: 6x7cm	56 x 70mm	3,920	Mamiya RB/RZ67, Pentax 67
120 Film: 6x6cm	56 x 56mm	3,136	Hasselblad 500, Rolleiflex
120 Film: 645	56 x 41.5mm	2,324	Mamiya 645, Pentax 645, Contax
Phase One Full Frame	53.4 x 40mm	2,136	Phase One IQ4 150MP
Digital MF (44×33)	43.8 x 32.9mm	1,441	Fujifilm GFX, Hasselblad X
35mm Full Frame	36 x 24mm	864	Sony A7, Canon EOS R, Nikon Z
APS-C	23.5 x 15.6mm	367	Fujifilm X-T5, Sony A6000

Join the Journey

Whether you’re a seasoned film photographer or simply film-curious, I hope this site provides inspiration, practical information, and perhaps some entertainment from my ongoing mistakes. Medium format photography isn’t just a capture format—it’s a mindset. Slower, more deliberate, more connected to the fundamental process of making photographs.

I’m still learning. Still experimenting. Still missing focus sometimes. But I wouldn’t trade this experience for the convenience of staying purely digital.

Check back regularly for gear reviews, development tips, scanning experiments, and darkroom explorations. And if you’re starting your own medium format journey, I’d genuinely enjoy hearing about your experience. Reach out anytime.

Let’s explore medium format photography together.