gfen wrote: > It doesn't have to be Pentax orientated, but is there a primer on med and > large format stuff out there? I see things tossed around constantly, like > 645 and 6x7 and others, and have no idea what it is.. but am curious.
Must be a primer somewhere, but I do not know where. The basic terminology is simple, though, and I can give a start. The numbers used to describe medium format cameras refer to negative size. All of the medium format bodies use 120 film, which is approximately 6 cm. wide (approx. 2 1/4 inches). So: 6x6 camera produces a square negative 6 cm. by 6 cm. in size. 6x7 camera produces one that is slightly larger, 6 cm. by 7 cm. 645 camera produces a rectangular negative that is, yes, 6 cm. by 4.5 cm. There are other sizes in production, too, 6x9 being one that comes immediately to mind. There are some larger, too, -- some for panoramic images such as, I believe, 6x12. (And some 6x6 and 6x7 cameras have adapters that allow them to produce 645-size negs.) In general, the larger the negative, the higher the quality of enlargements that can be made, which is why people find these things attractive. In photography, as in many other things best not mentioned, size matters. But to get larger negatives requires that the bodies and lenses get larger and heavier -- and the larger you want the negative, the larger and heavier is the gear you need. Hence the term "bloated" for the Pentax 67. :) Bob - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
