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Manuductor

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Hello. I bought a used Mamiya 7 some years ago and used if for about 2 years and loved the quality of the B&W photos. I have one on my wall that is incredible in its detail and contrast. I switched to digital but have recently found I miss the quality of the M7. I have a Nikon D100 and D40 which are great for candids and vacations. But I want to get back to taking pictures that I can put on my wall. Are there any medium format digitals that folks recommend that a person on salary can afford? Or should I stay with my M7 and hope I can find someone to develop the film?

Thanks.

Matt
 
Welcome. The only medium format digital that I am aware of is the Hasselblad and it runs about 30k (cheaper used) + lenses. Maybe, someone else knows of another. I'd stay with that Mamiya 7 and look for a good lab. Even a good printer for digital home use is limited to the size of its print. The prints from a Mamiya 7 can be larger than a home printer will produce & still be of excellent quality.
 
Hey Matt, welcome.

Well, for quality of lenses and system I don't think you will find many choices better than that M7. I bet it is on the wish list of a good % of our members. You won't find many other systems which will offer better wall hanger potential.

And for processing B&W, if you are convinced to keep your current kit, why not invest a few $$ for the stuff necessary to process the film yourself.
 
Medium format digital is currently priced in the realm for millionaires and working pros only. Who else can afford $35K for a camera? However the current crop of DSLRs with high pixel counts (Canon 5D, Nikon D3, the other high-end Canon's) do approach medium format film resolution at certain image sizes. Even images from the Leica M8, at its lowest ISO setting -- 160, has that count-the-eyebrow-hairs quality that Hassie users know so well. I think that there is a lot to be said for scanning medium or large format film, in terms of the best detail you can get in a digital scan for the lowest cost.

Welcome to the forum! Show us some snaps!

Ben Marks
 
A digital back for a Mamiya 645 AFD is about $7000. The camera without lens is about $3000.

The back also fits the Mamiya RZ Pro IID. I saw that at BHphoto.com for about $2000. The lenses for this camera can be relatively cheap.

Other companies make digital backs for Med Format cameras and that topic has been discussed a few times on photo.net.

Of course Hasselblad makes a totally integrated camera as was mentioned above.

Post some pics when get your kit.
 
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As far as developing film, I think Dwaynes in Kansas still develops 120 film. You get it to them by dropping off the film at Wal-Mart of all places. It does take over one week to get the film back. Of course you can DIY, and buy a Nikon scanner for about $2000 and save yourself a lot of money and still be digital.
 
I'm no expert, and there are MANY more qualified folks here to answer your question, but...

I'd keep the 7. I'd also spend a bit of time learning to develop the b/w film (it's easy...), a bit of money for a scanner that would handle the medium format negatives, and be prepared to do some experimentation. If I had a scanner that would handle the format, I'd buy a medium format camera in a hurry!

Welcome, and Regards!
Don
 
Benjamin Marks said:
Medium format digital is currently priced in the realm for millionaires and working pros only. Who else can afford $35K for a camera? However the current crop of DSLRs with high pixel counts (Canon 5D, Nikon D3, the other high-end Canon's) do approach medium format film resolution at certain image sizes. Even images from the Leica M8, at its lowest ISO setting -- 160, has that count-the-eyebrow-hairs quality that Hassie users know so well. I think that there is a lot to be said for scanning medium or large format film, in terms of the best detail you can get in a digital scan for the lowest cost.

Welcome to the forum! Show us some snaps!

Ben Marks
Click to expand...

Thanks, Ben. All this is REALLY new. How do I scan medium format film into a digital scan? Sorry to be so ignorant. And how do I show some snaps?

Matt
 
Steve Bellayr said:
Welcome. The only medium format digital that I am aware of is the Hasselblad and it runs about 30k (cheaper used) + lenses. Maybe, someone else knows of another. I'd stay with that Mamiya 7 and look for a good lab. Even a good printer for digital home use is limited to the size of its print. The prints from a Mamiya 7 can be larger than a home printer will produce & still be of excellent quality.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Steve. Matt
 
Thardy said:
A digital back for a Mamiya 645 AFD is about $7000. The camera without lens is about $3000.

The back also fits the Mamiya RZ Pro IID. I saw that at BHphoto.com for about $2000. The lenses for this camera can be relatively cheap.

Other companies make digital backs for Med Format cameras and that topic has been discussed a few times on photo.net.

Of course Hasselblad makes a totally integrated camera as was mentioned above.

Post some pics when get your kit.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I'll post some pics when I figure out how. I'm still exploring my way around this site. The comments of folks have encourage me to get back to the M7. If I learn how to scan some of those pics, I'll do so.

Matt
 
Thardy said:
As far as developing film, I think Dwaynes in Kansas still develops 120 film. You get it to them by dropping off the film at Wal-Mart of all places. It does take over one week to get the film back. Of course you can DIY, and buy a Nikon scanner for about $2000 and save yourself a lot of money and still be digital.
Click to expand...

Thanks. This is very helpful. Matt
 
rover said:
Hey Matt, welcome.

Well, for quality of lenses and system I don't think you will find many choices better than that M7. I bet it is on the wish list of a good % of our members. You won't find many other systems which will offer better wall hanger potential.

And for processing B&W, if you are convinced to keep your current kit, why not invest a few $$ for the stuff necessary to process the film yourself.
Click to expand...

Thanks. A few folks have suggested learning to develop the B&W myself. Will that require all those chemicals or is there a new dry process? Matt
 
You still require all the proper chemicals to develop film by your self. They are readily available online to buy. If you're wondering about scanners, the epson 4490 is a very reasonably priced scanner, and a good cheap alternative to a dedicated scanner like the nikons. We had the nikon scanner, and the epson 4990 at school, and i did some tests, and there wasn't a huge difference, and certainly no difference for prints under 12x12. It you're just looking for a way to upload your images to the net to share, you don't have to worry about huge resolution.
 
Manuductor,

I did mention the Nikon 9000 dedicated film scanner, which scans 120 film, but
there are much cheaper options for the scanner, such as different levels of flat beds. But you did say you wanted to print and I don't think the flat beds are good enough to allow that.

But then again I have not tried it. I only scan then upload to the web. Someone here may be able to shed some light on the quality of scans from consumer grade flatbed scanners as far as for printing.
 
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