Category: Medium Format Cameras

A Deep Dive into the Mechanics — and Longevity — of the Hasselblad 500 Series, Pentax 6×7/67, and Mamiya RB67 Anyone who has spent serious time with medium format cameras has a story about mechanical failure. For many Pentax 6×7 users, that story involves the film advance lever — a deceptively simple-looking mechanism that conceals...

So the inevitable happened with my old camera. The film advance lever has started slipping. If you’ve never experienced this failure, here’s how it feels: you stroke the advance lever and about halfway through the throw, it slips. There’s a brief grinding sensation, the resistance drops, and the lever completes its arc without actually advancing...

Shot with the SMC Pentax 67 105mm f/2.4 on the Fujifilm GFX 100s — Wachusett Reservoir, Boylston, MA The Pentax 67 105mm f/2.4 has a reputation that precedes it. Mention it in any serious medium format photography circle and the conversation almost always gravitates toward its legendary rendering of faces — the buttery compression, the...

Today I took a hike with the 55mm f4 adapted to the GFX 100s. I continue to be pleasantly surprised by this lens. There’s a certain organic quality to the images. It resolves detail exceptionally well without feeling clinical. The above image was shot at 120/sec, iso 100, @f8. My review of this lens can...

A Wide-Angle Legend That Refuses to Retire Three optical redesigns, four decades of service, and a second life on digital medium format — the Pentax 67 55mm f/4 might be the most underappreciated wide-angle in the entire 6×7 system. Above image taken with the Pentax SMC 55mm f4 and Kodak Gold 200 A Lens Born...

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 Giant SLR That Changed Medium Format The Pentax 67 system needs no introduction to film photographers, but it does deserve a proper deep dive. In this Pentax 67 review, I’ll share everything I’ve learned about the camera since adding one to my kit, combined with the history, quirks, and practical knowledge that every owner...

The Early Era: Box Cameras and Folding Designs (1901-1928) The first decades of medium format photography were dominated by simple, affordable cameras designed for amateur photographers. The Kodak Brownie No. 2 (1901-1935) was produced in several versions, all featuring the characteristic box design with a simple meniscus lens and rotary shutter. These cameras produced 6x9cm...

I chose the Hasselblad 500cm to begin my medium format film journey for several compelling reasons: Complete modularity. The 500cm separates into distinct components—body, lens, viewfinder, and film back—each of which can be swapped independently. This design allows you to carry multiple loaded backs for fast film changes in the field, switch between waist-level and...

The Hasselblad 500 series represents one of the most celebrated camera systems in photographic history. Introduced in 1957, this modular 6×6 medium format system became the gold standard for professional photography, famously accompanying NASA astronauts to the moon. Today, these cameras remain beloved by film photographers for their exceptional build quality, stunning image rendition, and...

This image was shot on Kodak Gold 200 with the Pentax 6×7. I also took a similar pic with the GFX 100s, but like this image more. There’s just something about film. Larger image below: Below is the similar image shot with the Fujifilm GFX 100s and GF 63mm f2.8. I prefer the film colors...

Wachusett Mountain, shot with the Pentax 6×7 and 55mm f4, @f4 and 1/500s. Kodak Gold 200. Shot on Memorial day on the way to the summit. Larger image below. The image below is resized for the web. The original image scan is 400mb. There’s something about this image which is so much more pleasing than...

A test image of Kodak Gold 200 taken with the Hasselblad 500cm. Anna took this shot. I’m loving the colors of this film. I noticed there’s a straight line on the photograph. Possibly an issue with scanning. Not really sure. The grain of this film looks great on 120 film. The History of Kodak Gold...

Here is a lake shot I took today with the Hasselblad 500cm. Film was Kodak Portra 400. This scan was wet mounted on the Epson V850 and scanned at 1600 ppi. I missed a small bubble in the top right-hand corner of the photo. This was taken at Wachusett’s Reservoir. Link to larger image below:...

I’ve taken a few test shots with the Pentax 6×7. The feel is completely different than my Hasselblad 500cm. Not worse or better, just different. It took me a bit of time to get the film loaded properly. Once loaded I didn’t have the counter all the way to number 1, and thought the camera...