Subject: Re: Medium Format-Which one is best?
> > Best? Well, the 6X7 yields larger negative/positive. Thats the extents of it's plusses. The 645 is smaller and lighter. Has more features, more automation like motor drive. And don't forget the DOF issue. For the same image you get less DOF with larger format. If you like to shoot those landscapes where everything from you toes to infinity is in focus you may run into problems with larger formats. This is, indeed an issue with 6x7. I don't have enough experience with an extended 645 system to know if the problem goes away with the smaller negative. The focal lengths used for 645 are not that much shorter (the standard lens for 645 is around 75mm, with 6x7 it is around 90mm), which leads me to believe that 645 is going to have most of the same DOF issues. If you really need a large negative, and lots of depth of field, 4x5 is probably the best compromise. For me, the bigger negative is a much more important feature than exposure automation and automatic focus, which is why I went to 6x7. > > > >What about 6x6 (I don't think > > Pentax makes one, but they're probably the least > > expensive to start with). I know a couple of people who do magnificent work with Hasselblad, and their lenses are superior to just about anything out there. If you are going to do justice to the square format, you do need to learn to use it to it's advantage, which means square prints. A different compositional strategy is required. But, no, I don't see 6x6 as being a waste of space, just a format that requires a different mindset from rectangular. > > > > > But, in terms of Pentax, > > which format do you prefer and why? Is one better > > than the other? > I prefer 6x7 because I like the bigger negative, I like the negative orientation in an enlarger, and there is not so much of a weight penalty as P�l would have you believe. As an example, this past fall, I hauled my 6x7 with meter prism, 45mm, 75mm, 105mm, 135mm, 165mm and 200mm up a 15km mountain hike, along with a Moanfrotto 028 tripod and 025 head. I'm 45 years old, 30 pounds overweight and definitely not in top physical condition. Do a search of the Pentax websites for weight specifications, anf remember, you don't need as many lenses with 6x7, because you can, if needed, crop the negative to 645 if you need to. You can't crop 645 to 6x7. William Robb
