Please Explain

*Fl_Gulfer* · 10-13-2009, 02:20 PM

Why is it called Medium Format? Dosen't the 6x7 and 645 take a bigger FOV photo? Like a larger photo than a 35mm.

*Ash* · 10-13-2009, 02:38 PM

It's only medium because it's not bigger than Large Format! Bigger FOV, yes - bigger sensor/film size, and the lenses are designed accordingly...

Full frame (35mm), despite the name, is not as big as it gets!

Nesster · 10-13-2009, 02:50 PM

Back in the '30s, 120 film was lumped in with 35mm as 'miniature format'. Somewhere along the way this changed, and as Ash says, medium format is called medium because it is larger than 35mm but smaller than large format (i.e. sheet film).

So yes, the frames are much larger than 35mm frames, but small compared to, say, 5x7 and such.

*Fl_Gulfer* · 10-13-2009, 08:24 PM

Thanks for clearing that up.

D W · 10-13-2009, 08:46 PM

Large Format - 4X5 and larger sheet film.

Small format - 35mm roll film or smaller.

So that leave 120 roll film and all its 6 by ?? format in between. Medium seems like a good term to use.

tuco · 10-13-2009, 10:05 PM

Originally Posted by Nesster

Back in the '30s, 120 film was lumped in with 35mm as 'miniature format...

I thought it was 135 was miniature, 120 small and 4x5 medium and 8x10 and bigger was large format back then.

D W · 10-14-2009, 02:33 AM

It is all relative

Nesster · 10-14-2009, 07:02 AM

Originally Posted by tuco

I thought it was 135 was miniature, 120 small and 4x5 medium and 8x10 and bigger was large format back then.

I'd have thought so too, but I have books and magazines from back then that clearly consider all rollfilm to be 'miniature'. I think this was rapidly changing though, with Leica and Contax.

For example:

This 1938 book defines "miniature camera work" as the use of 120 and 35mm cameras. Morgan & Lester are famous for their Leica Manual.