Medium format still an advantage over full frame?

4 years 9 months ago #647166 by ThatNikonGuy
Our photography group had a heated discussion this evening on this subject.  I would like to hear your option.  When you compare full frame giants like the Nikon D850, Sony A7R III, Panasonic SR1 and so on, has the gap between medium format remained large or closed up a bit? 


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4 years 9 months ago #647172 by Nikon Shooter
As the D850 offers 45.7 MP, my IQ3 has 80 MP
and now the 100 MP line has been crossed.

For the D850, I have an arsenal of 16 lenses, for
the IQ3, 2 only.

Two different tools where the MF will always have
the MP advantage and the DSLR the flexibility.

Light is free… capturing it is not!
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4 years 9 months ago #647314 by fmw
Medium format still an advantage over full frame?

I think so.  I think pixel density is pretty low in importance in this day and age.  But larger format cameras have larger pixels in the sensor and larger pixels do a better job in virtually every way..

Larger format camera make narrow depth of field easier to obtain because the lenses are longer for each field of view.  I didn't shoot many portraits in my commercial days but, when I did,  I used a 250mm lens on my 6X7 format camera for head shots.  Depth of field control can be the difference between a successful image and a failure.

My personal opinion is that the medium format cameras have higher quality lenses since they are aimed at professional use.  The 6X6 Zeiss lenses are what made the Hasselblad popular in my view.  The camera itself was an unreliable kluge.  The Mamiya lenses I used were amazing - right up there with the finest cinema lenses.

I think a digital medium format makes no sense for amateurs.  Overkill and expensive overkill at that.


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4 years 9 months ago #647475 by ThatNikonGuy
Well I was asking because I was one of people standing up for the D850.  Seriously why would you need anything more?  Now unless you printing for magazine, which most don't.  So this is plenty of camera.  


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4 years 9 months ago #647479 by Nikon Shooter
The D3X is my go to camera when working for magazines.
Its 24MP are well enough for the task unless shooting wild-
life — the only time I use the D850 (with the 600mm ƒ4).

Light is free… capturing it is not!
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4 years 9 months ago #647515 by fmw

ThatNikonGuy wrote: Well I was asking because I was one of people standing up for the D850.  Seriously why would you need anything more?  Now unless you printing for magazine, which most don't.  So this is plenty of camera.  


Actually it is more than plenty.  I'm a Fuji mirrorless user and there are several professional magazine shooters who use the system - APS-C format and all.  The truth is that cameras have little to do with good photography.  They simply capture the good photography.  Nevertheless, larger formats with bigger pixels are better overall.


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