Customer Reviews

Medium and Large Format Photography: Moving Beyond 35Mm for Better Pictures

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This book contains a good overview of the various medium & large format cameras currently available on the market. It is however, a little dated in that it does not contain some of the newer 645 autofocus models. This book is highly recommended for those who are considering the purchase of medium or large format equipment,as it describes the strengths and weaknesses of popular rollfilm formats & brands.

The status of this book is unknown: It's not a technical book, it's not an equipment guide, it's not a photography book neither...
Reading it is just having a conversation with the authors you met in a street cafe. They talk to you for 2 hours, they show you your equipment and say "you have to move beyond 35mm for better pictures" and they leave. But you're not convinced...
Why?
The most important reason is: The pictures in this book are awful. Maybe 2 or 3 are aesthetically OK, but the rest is just mediocre. When you see them, you say "If I'll have photos like these, why to buy medium or large format equipment?". It seems like the authors like travelling from time to time, and when you see the pictures they made aronud the world, you say "well they spent their money for nothing", the photos are so uninteresting.
The second reason: Technically, the book is near to level zero. Even the camera movements, which are the main advantage of large format, are not really explained.
All you can find in this book is a couple of tips and tricks, if you already know someting about the topic.

Why I wrote this review?
BECAUSE I WANTED TO CONVINCE YOU THAT YOU MUST MAKE MEDIUM OR LARGE FORMAT PHOTOGRAPHY. Believe me, it worths. When you print your first pictures from a 2 x 3 negative, you understand why. When the camera movements allow you to play with depth of field, sharpness etc, you understand how much you were limited with 35mm or digital. GO TO MEDIUM OR LARGE FORMAT, YOU WON'T BE DISAPPOINTED. THE 2ND HAND EQUIPMENT PRICES ARE SO LOW NOW THAT YOU CAN OFFER YOURSELF SUPER CAMERAS! GO, AND TRY!

But not with this book... No.

If you ever wondered about cameras professionals use, this book will demystify medium and large format photography. For anyone who is serious about photography, you must know all the equipment options out there. This book introduces reader to a subject largely unknown to amatuers. There is a wealth of information in the book and it is very well organized. This book will make you think about very important part of camera; the recording medium.

Authors cover different films, formats and cameras in very easy to read order. They make compelling argument for moving up to medium or large format even if you are not a professional photographer. I was delighted to know that moving up need not mean any more expense than using regular 35 mm equipment. This book is full of insights authors have accumulated over their long professional careers. You will realise why your expensive 35 SLR could not give you professional picture quality no matter how hard you tried.

Some readers may get overwhelmed by the information on a lot of makes and models. However this is very valuable information at one place and as your interest in MF and LF photography grows, you will keep referring back to these details.

What distinguishes large format from other type of cameras is the ability called 'movements'. Movements is what gives large format cameras the ultimate edge. It is not just the large size of negative. It is important to know this to understand LF cameras better.

You will realize that even with the advent of digital cameras, MF and especially LF cameras will retain their edge for a long time to come.

For anyone contemplating moving into either Medium or Large Format Photography, this is a book well worth buying. I have a couple of other books by the duo of Hicks and Schultz, and have not been quite as enamored. With this book, they have hit a home run. Not only is there a great deal of practical information, the photographs and illustrations are all well done and printed with a semblance of quality. It has always amazed me that many books on Photography, are put out into the market with such poor quality paper and printing, that it belies the effort.

This is unquestionably the most worthless collection of pages I have ever read. It consists of very brief factoids strung together with meaningless chatter.

Do not buy this book if you want to learn anything about how to make large or medium format photographs.