Film Photography Archives - Medium Format Photography

Optik Old School OptiColour 200 Film

Ken — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 22:08:21 +0000

I’m always interested when a new color film hits the market. It doesn’t happen often anymore, and when it does, it’s usually a rebrand or a repackage of something we’ve seen before. So when I heard about OptiColour 200 from Optik Oldschool — a genuinely new color negative emulsion in 120 format — I had...

The post Optik Old School OptiColour 200 Film appeared first on Medium Format Photography.

Ilford HP5 Plus — History and Developing Tips

Ken — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:30:25 +0000

If there’s one black and white film stock that has earned its place in nearly every film photographer’s bag, it’s Ilford HP5 Plus. It’s not the sharpest. It’s not the finest grained. It’s not even the most visually striking at box speed. But HP5 is the film you reach for when you need to get...

The post Ilford HP5 Plus — History and Developing Tips appeared first on Medium Format Photography.

Kodak Ektar Film

Ken — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 18:52:17 +0000

Kodak Ektar 100 holds a unique position in the medium format world. Marketed by Kodak as the finest grain color negative film ever made, it delivers a look that no other C-41 emulsion can quite replicate — hyper-saturated colors, razor-sharp detail, and an almost transparency-like rendering that sets it apart from the Portra family and...

The post Kodak Ektar Film appeared first on Medium Format Photography.

Pentax 105mm Takumar Review

Ken — Mon, 16 Feb 2026 15:32:52 +0000

There are lenses that photographers recommend, and then there are lenses that sell entire camera systems. The Pentax 67 105mm f/2.4 belongs firmly in the second category. For decades, this unassuming standard prime has been the single biggest reason photographers buy into the Pentax 67 system — a camera that is itself enormous, heavy, and...

The post Pentax 105mm Takumar Review appeared first on Medium Format Photography.

Fogged Film From Light Leaks

Ken — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 12:54:21 +0000

Film Fogging: How to Identify and Prevent Light Leaks in Your Photographs If you’ve ever pulled a roll of freshly developed film from the tank — or received scans back from your lab — only to find mysterious glows, color shifts, or washed-out areas creeping into your frames, you’ve encountered fogging. It’s one of the...

The post Fogged Film From Light Leaks appeared first on Medium Format Photography.

Moore State Park in Winter

Ken — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 18:50:06 +0000

Moore State Park in Winter — Hasselblad 500cm / Ilford HP5 I took this image on Ilford HP5 120 film with the Hasselblad 500cm and the 80mm f/2.8 C lens. The negative was developed in Rodinal, and the enlargement was developed in EcoPro Paper Developer. What drew me to this scene was the scale —...

The post Moore State Park in Winter appeared first on Medium Format Photography.

The Cost of Shooting Medium Format Film

Ken — Sat, 07 Feb 2026 16:08:57 +0000

Shooting medium format film is one of the most rewarding experiences in photography. The massive negatives, the shallow depth of field, the tonal richness — there’s nothing quite like it. But let’s not sugarcoat it: medium format film is expensive to shoot, and the costs have only gone up in recent years. Whether you’re considering...

The post The Cost of Shooting Medium Format Film appeared first on Medium Format Photography.

Why Does Medium Format Film Look So Much Better Than Digital?

Ken — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 17:02:25 +0000

There’s something unmistakable about a well-exposed medium format negative. When you hold a 6×6 or 6×7 transparency up to the light, or pull a contact print from the wash, you’re looking at something digital simply cannot replicate. It’s not nostalgia talking—there are real, measurable reasons why medium format film produces images with a distinct aesthetic...

The post Why Does Medium Format Film Look So Much Better Than Digital? appeared first on Medium Format Photography.

Omega C-700 Enlarger

Ken — Sun, 28 Dec 2025 19:59:40 +0000

I just purchased the Omega C-700 dichroic enlarger and have started enlarging a few b&w 6×6 negatives this weekend. I also bought a Rodenstock 80mm f5.6 enlarging lens to go with it. All-in-all, I’m very happy with the setup. I still need to get an enlarger timer to trigger the enlarger lamp for specific lengths...

The post Omega C-700 Enlarger appeared first on Medium Format Photography.

Kodak Portra Film

Ken — Sun, 07 Dec 2025 01:42:56 +0000

Kodak Portra has become something of a legend in the film photography world, and for good reason. Here’s the story: Origins and Evolution Portra launched in 1998 as a replacement for Kodak’s Vericolor line of professional portrait films. The name itself is a portmanteau of “portrait” and “Kodak” — it was purpose-built for skin tones...

The post Kodak Portra Film appeared first on Medium Format Photography.