Film Mamiya M645 1000s

I really like that 2nd shot, awesome.

How are you finding the Mamiya M645? I haven't shot medium format yet, but was looking at this system as a way to try it out.
 
I like it a lot. It's smaller than most modular systems, but still fairly large. But it also has the claim to fame of having the fastest MF lens ever made, the 80mm f/1.9. That's what grabbed my attention. Not sharp wide open, but stopped down to f/2.8 or f/4 and it's spectacular.

If you do go with this one, I would recommend getting the M645 1000s model over the original M645, since it gives you a 1/1000 max shutter speed over against 1/500 of the M645.
 
I like the aspect ratio, feels right.

Sad to say, but I get put off by the idea of 6x6 negatives because the photos are too reminiscent of instagram.
 
I like the aspect ratio, feels right.

Sad to say, but I get put off by the idea of 6x6 negatives because the photos are too reminiscent of instagram.
I hear you. I'd like to give 6x7 a try, as well as 6x9--the latter for the appeal of its size especially (.43x crop factor).
 
I hear you. I'd like to give 6x7 a try, as well as 6x9--the latter for the appeal of its size especially (.43x crop factor).

This doesn't make any sense.
"Crop factor" is generally used to refer to the ratio of sensors smaller than the nominal "full frame" (24x36mm) to the nominal "full frame"

In the case of a 6x9 camera, the nominal size is 60x90mm, which means that in terms of area of sensitive material, it is a little over 6x the nominal area of a 35mm negative.

Where does .43 come into it?
 
This doesn't make any sense.
"Crop factor" is generally used to refer to the ratio of sensors smaller than the nominal "full frame" (24x36mm) to the nominal "full frame"

In the case of a 6x9 camera, the nominal size is 60x90mm, which means that in terms of area of sensitive material, it is a little over 6x the nominal area of a 35mm negative.

Where does .43 come into it?
The nominal size of 6x9 is actually 56mm x 84mm, roughly. The full 60mm and 90mm aren't used.

And the crop factor does make sense in the same way as before--a ratio in compared to 35mm film/sensor size. If a 24x36mm sensor is 1, then the crop factor of micro four thirds is 1:2 because it's 1/4 the area. In the very same way 6x7 is 1:.5 (or better to turn it around 2:1) because it is 4 times the area (56×67mm; so technically 0.505x). Compare the diagonal of 35mm film (43.3mm) to the diagonal of 120 in 6x7 format (87): 87 x .5 = 43.5.

And it's the same with 6x9. With a diagonal of 101mm, .43x is what you multiple that diagonal by to get the 35mm film's diagonal of 43.3mm (roughly) and can be expressed either as 1:0.43 or as 2.33:1.

Other crop factors for medium and large formats:

Fuji FP 100C has a crop factor of .31
4x5: 0.29x
5x7: 0.238x
8x10: .143

And so on.

Image sensor format - Wikipedia
120 film - Wikipedia
 
I think it just feels strange because 35mm seems like a weird basis to compare medium format frames. I bet medium format photographers back in the day wouldn't have dreamed of doing that, 35mm was for amateurs!

Also, crop factor becomes a bit limited and confusing when you are comparing frames that are different aspect ratios.

If you look at 6x6 and 6x9 the ratio of their diagonals, or of their crop factors, is 0.785. But if you go from a 100mm lens on the 6x9 down to 78.5mm on a 6x6 you won't be able to replicate the full 6x9 frame, at least not horizontally.

You get the same problem comparing micro four thirds to 35mm. The common crop factor is 2, but actually that factor of 2 is too small if you want to replicate the full frame horizontally. And the factor of 2 is too big if you aren't interested in the sides of the image, and were going to crop to 4:3 anyway!
 
I think it just feels strange because 35mm seems like a weird basis to compare medium format frames. I bet medium format photographers back in the day wouldn't have dreamed of doing that, 35mm was for amateurs!

As someone who also shoots micro four thirds with its 4:3 aspect ratio, I certainly don't disagree. The 2x crop only makes sense within a narrow set of parameters. If you crop 35mm to a 4:3 aspect ratio, it's less than 2x. For me, it is simply useful knowledge to have for quickly establishing:

(1) What is a normal lens?
(2) What is the comparative DOF?
 
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I have the M645 1000s. Love it more now that I got the WLF for it; it's much lighter now than with the metered prism (which meters but doesn't relay shutter speeds back to body, anyways).
 
I have the M645 1000s. Love it more now that I got the WLF for it; it's much lighter now than with the metered prism (which meters but doesn't relay shutter speeds back to body, anyways).
I had always thought the inability to rely SS back to the body was because my prism was simply broken. Glad to hear it isn't!

The waste level finder is definitely on my list...
 
The nominal size of 6x9 is actually 56mm x 84mm, roughly. The full 60mm and 90mm aren't used.
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Yes, that is exactly what I said: the NOMINAL size is 60x90, however the ACTUAL size (as you point out) is ~56x~84mm, depending, of course, on the camera. The actual image dimensions will vary from model to model.

You may wish to check a dictionary, a Fowler's or similar usage guide to ensure you fully understand how the word "nominal" is most appropriately and accurately used.


I still think your use of the idea of a "crop factor" in the way you have used it is wrong-headed and misleading.
 
You may wish to check a dictionary, a Fowler's or similar usage guide to ensure you fully understand how the word "nominal" is most appropriately and accurately used.
You are, of course, correct. I suppose I deserve just such a censure when I simply go about copying and pasting directly from your own post without taking the time to edit and write for myself. I accept the rebuke. Still, I wouldn't touch Fowler with a 10 foot pole. He clearly knew grammatical analysis, but there's more than a little eccentricity in there, particularly in the manner that goes about making his decisions.
I still think your use of the idea of a "crop factor" in the way you have used it is wrong-headed and misleading.
I'm regularly switching between four to five different formats. Personally, I find it useful to have a mathematical equation to helping me adjust to FL differences between them (What is a wide? What is a normal? What is a telephoto? What is the relative amount of DOF at f/5.6 in each for a given FL?). Eventually I anticipate not needing the maths--I have the equivalent focal lengths down for the most part. It's the relative DOF at a given aperture that I'm not yet fluent in for each of them.

Now, if you have a better way of going about it, I'm all ears. I certainly don't like doing things that are wrong-headed and would appreciate any suggestion or alternative you might have.
 
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Here we go with some new shots...

These are all with the Sekor C 210mm f/4 (more or less like a 135mm f/2.4) Bokeh is nice and smooth, but this version lacks contrast (which I then boosted in Lightroom after scanning). I would expect the 'N' version that replaced it is superior with its multi-coatings. Still, I like it. Focusing is really hard--you can see on the first picture (my wife) and I missed focus by a couple centimeters.
 

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Bringing this thread back to life as I have another M645 1000S on the way, after selling mine last year and later wishing I hadn't. While I wait for mine to arrive on a slow boat from Japan, I went back through results from my first 1000S. First three are Portra 400, last is Ektar 100.

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I just bought a Mamiya 645 tl with 80 mm lens for $200! I put a roll of HP5 through it and got the following pics. Processed in Sprint standard at 1+9 dilution, 10 min @ 20C.
 
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