DickE Loc: Southern California

I have a friend who is a professional photographer. He shoots all his images with medium format film then scans the film images into his computer for editing in Photoshop. He says he gets better results than shooting in digital. Does anyone have information on the relative advantages of using this technique?

BHC Loc: Strawberry Valley, JF, USA

Does he scan the negatives or resultant prints?

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

A properly scanned MF negative can produce results equal to and probably better than a digital camera. Units like the Nikon 800 series and the new 50MP Canon make the resolution much closer, but MF will have a better dynamic range, but not the ISO range.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

It depends very much on the scanner's capabilities.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

There is less forgiveness if you don't nail the exposure with film. That said when you do the results can be excellent

DickE Loc: Southern California

I believe he scans the negatives.

LoneRangeFinder Loc: Left field

I'd like to see how the results compare with a Pentax 645z

DickE Loc: Southern California

One reason for my question is that I have a MF film camera, 6X45 MM that I almost never use anymore since switching to a DSLR. Would it be better to get a digital back for the MF camera or to shoot film and scan it as my friend does?

Bill_de Loc: US

Rent the digital back. Shoot the same pictures on a roll of film and have your friend scan them. Then let us know what you think. Without comparing them side by side you will never know for sure.

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DickE Loc: Southern California

Great advice! I'll try that.
Thanks!

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

It would depend partly on what kind of scanner he uses. My experience with flatbed scanners, which are the only ones I'm aware of that will handle MF, was not good. Any imperfection at all on the film was included in the image, so I spent a lot of time cleaning up the image to get it to what I was getting straight out of my digital camera.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Wouldn't you loose image quality going from a analog film media to a digital file? Why not switch to digital completely?

OBTW, I have friends with extensive 33 rpm record collections who won't make the switch to digital music either.

Darkroom317 Loc: Mishawaka, IN

? Depends. Slide film has a narrow exposure latitude. Negative films have a wide exposure latitude. You can get away with a lot of exposure error with negatives films.

Here is one of the best books and examples on this. Pg. 231

http://books.google.com/books?id=tYmblNt3wG8C&pg=PA232&lpg=PA232&dq=bw+negative+latitude+exposure+get+away+with&source=bl&ots=FUkyyI6dLl&sig=eiJ5eIBJvFfs7IitN7fG4qD93Ek&hl=sv&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiKoJGqsbLKAhUDKyYKHZ3KB_EQ6AEIJjAB#v=onepage&q&f=false

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Dick, first, welcome to the Hog.
BUT, I would argue his claim. A few years ago that was probably true. But I'm pretty sure w/o any supporting evidence that his claim no longer holds water.
I'm pretty willing to bet he has NOT compared his shots to any 80mp MF digi cameras! Most pros would never be financially stable enough to make that comparison. I'm sure even to 50mp FF it may not be a contest anymore.
Yes, I do shoot film once in a while and know the medium pretty well. Personally I would NEVER shoot MF, I feel it would be a waste of time. For one, it's square. Ever see square pics shown anywhere? No! By the time you crop to. 4:5 or 3:2 you've lost any advantage you started with, in dumped pixels.
Again, personally I would shoot 4x5 and skip those little square formats. Just because all the wedding guys used it in the Paleolithic, doesn't mean it's any good. MF is a lot of bother today for such a small negative. Only the most nostalgic would be using it and claiming it was great. Put an 80mp Phase One in your pro friends hands and his song and dance will change in a hurry? He'll never put it down!!!!!
LF yes, MF no! Nostalgia won't be dead until we are all dead and gone, then the new generation is never gonna give MF a whirl. WHY :lol:
SS

Darkroom317 Loc: Mishawaka, IN

Medium format is not only square. 6.45 x 6, 6x6, 6x7, 6x8, 6x9, 6x12 and 6x17 are all sizes that can be shot on 120 film. 6x7 is my main format. It enlarges to 8x10 without cropping.