Film and Formats

My last post was in August and I don't usually go this long without writing. The reasons for my absence were valid but nothing serious and I'm pleased to be back on board. As everyone knows; I am a photographer who thrives on the autumn season but this year my efforts were minimal, as I chose to spend more time with my film cameras. This does not mean that my digital equipment will rest for a long period of time but every so often I feel compelled to play with film; especially black and white. I developed my first roll of film when I was eleven years old and that is sixty-two years ago so I guess you could say that it's in my blood. I still find the negative to be superior to the digital sensor when it comes to monochrome and I am aware that there will be those who would give me an argument on this matter. Also; I might add that I have never used one of the new Leica monochrome cameras, which are digital and extremely expensive, but deliver an impressive image.
The keys to a good black and white image are resolution and contrast. To a print maker the resolution is controlled by the desired size of the final image. For instance; we should never attempt to make a large picture from a two megapixel image or a 35mm. negative because the pixels and grain will ruin the end result. In a digital camera we can shoot in the RAW format, which is a digital negative, to create large printed images. In film cameras we choose a desired camera format for the size of the enlargement we intend to produce. The larger the negative the greater the resolution at higher magnification. The cameras basically break down into three types. There are small cameras such as 35mm., medium format cameras which use 120 and 220 film and view cameras that use sheet film in various sizes from 4 x 5 to 8 x 10 and larger. Each type has a distinct purpose and to a photographer it is usually quality for the required print size.
The images that I have chosen for this post are from varied camera formats and were chosen merely as examples. I hope you enjoy them and might leave a brief comment ( pro or con ) at the bottom of the page. As always; thanks for looking in.

Medium Format  6 x 9 cm

35mm

35mm

35mm

Medium Format   6 x 7 cm

Medium Format   6 x 7 cm

Medium Format   6 x 6 cm

Medium Format   6 x 6 cm

Medium Format    6 x 7 cm

  

Large Format  4 x 5 inches