REVIEW: Mamiya 645 Pro - The perfect Medium Format Film camera for beginners?
There is no doubting the allure of film photography. For a number of years it has been in a form of ascendency amongst the photography community. It still struggles to shake off the ‘Hipster’ tag but in truth, there is a lot to love about the format. However, in more modern times, many of us crave better resolution, better aesthetics to the image and just the ‘feel’ that Medium format can give you - step up, the Mamiya 645 Pro!
Once the ‘go to’ camera for working studio professionals, this beast of a camera has been refined over the years and now offers all of the mod-cons you would expect from a modern DSLR. More importantly, it allows you to capture a look & feel to your images that just can’t be replicated by it’s digital counterparts. In the video below, I describe what it’s like to shoot with and who I think it’s for, enjoy!
Why shoot Film Photography in 2020?
The Corona Virus Pandemic has undoubtedly been a terrible time for a lot of people. Personally, I have seen all of my work cancelled which has left me with a lot of free time. Rather than simply binge on box sets, I have tried to use this time productively. One of the things that I’ve wanted to do for a while now is to get back into shooting film. On a side note, I will be making a series of videos about this on my YouTube channel, so keep an eye out for them.
Why Film?
The obvious question for a lot of people, is why shoot film when you have a perfectly good digital camera? The simple answer, for me at least, is to achieve a look & feel that has eluded me for years. Looking at my images, it’s fairly clear that I always try to achieve an element of nostalgia, shooting in soft light and adding grain etc. to make the images feel older than they actually are.
That’s all well and good apart from the fact that digital images tend to be over sharp and well, are clearly digital images. This might sound counter-intuitive to a lot of photographers, ‘you don’t want sharp images?’ - in a way, no. You only have to look at any family album with 70’s, 80’s or 90’s and look at those blurry images to get an instant nostalgia fix! The brain seems to make a correlation between those images and something in our past that always seemed to feel like a ‘better time’. Now, this is obviously not factual, but something in those images makes us feel a sense of comfort - and that is something that I’m always striving to achieve.
OK, so get an old 35mm Camera…
Well, again, things are never quite that straightforward. I’ve shot enough 35mm in the past to understand it’s benefits and limitations. So straight away, I knew it wasn’t going to cut it. So I did what any ‘want-to-be’ hipster photographer would do and went straight to medium format and in particular, the Mamiya 645 Pro. Again, I will make a separate video on the perks & quirks of this particular camera but the simple benefits are that it feels modern enough that I could use it without thinking too much and more importantly, it’s a 120mm film camera - and I want that medium format goodness!
I was always sceptical over people saying that you ‘just can’t replicate the medium format look’ and I still don’t fully subscribe to it, but I do agree that the extra negative size has its own benefits over its 35mm counterpart. Most notably, I love the fall off in the out of focus areas that are very difficult to replicate on 35mm. That combined with the go-to Kodak Portra stocks, is a winning combination for me.
OK, so you just want to be a Hipster?
Well, I do have a beard and more than one check shirt. However, the truth is no. The camera, the medium and even the subject matter are all just ‘tools’ to provoke an emotion. I am not trying to get ‘Insta famous’ - far from it. I have simply found a way to translate the feelings of nostalgia that I want to achieve into an image in the most natural way.
That being said, there is obviously a bit of a trend for photographers turning to film in an attempt to show their credentials as a fully-fledged master of light! Again though, it is not about achieving any acclaim for me, it is simply to understand the process better and to take full control, from start to finish, of the images that I create. So that means I am also developing my own film and scanning my own images - again, more videos on this soon on my YouTube channel.
So no more digital then?
Far from it, I actually still carry my digital camera even when I am shooting film. I will obviously be shooting digital for client work - though I am interested in offering commissions on film, that would be fun! The whole process of shooting film is merely to help convey a metaphor in my images, in the same way, that some might choose to shoot purely black & white because it makes their images feel more ‘honest’. Digital is still absolutely a necessary tool but film simply allows me another option, depending on the subject matter.
What’s next?
I will be shooting a lot more film in the interim and will also be travelling to some of the lesser shot areas of Birmingham to find the kind of gritty, run-down scenes that I like. As previously mentioned, I am developing and scanning at home so I will be looking at simplifying and improving that process too.
Overall, shooting film in 2020 is a great new area for me to explore and allows me to keep developing my own skills. It allows me to slow down a little and work on my composition skills and also improve my ability to meter and read light. All of these will hugely benefit my commercial work and throughout the process, I will, of course, bring you with me to share my experiences and knowledge. I am really excited and glad that I can take at least one tiny positive from the crazy times that we are living in.
The Ultimate Canon EOS-R Cinema Rig
If you want to get the most from your Canon EOS-R for filmmaking, then look no further. Whether you use the EOS-R for cinematic short films, corporate work or simple talking heads, I have compiled what I believe to be the ultimate EOS-R Cinema Rig. These items will boost your cameras abilities and supercharge it to handle almost anything that is thrown at it.
Check out the video and see the links in the description below the video if you wish to purchase any of the items yourself.
VIDEO: MY DREAM DESK/STUDIO SETUP FOR 2020!!!
Being a Photographer & Videographer - I need a space for editing and to store my gear. I also need a space for creating my YouTube videos (don’t forget to Subscribe!) and therefore, I think I have finally created my dream desk/studio setup! Watch the video below for more ;)
VIDEO: The Canon EOS-R is the BEST camera of 2019!!
What is the best camera of 2019? Well, I may have one recommendation for you. There were obviously lots of very good cameras released in 2019, but I have absolutely loved using my Canon EOS-R - Watch the video below to find out more!
How to get the Black & White Film look with the DXO Nik Collection 2.3
If you’ve been in the photography game for a while and done any kind of serious digital editing, you’ve probably come across the ‘Nik Collection’. I’ve been using the Nik Collection for a number of years and swear by the ability for these handy little plug-ins to take your images from a ‘7’ to a ‘10’! So I was obviously intrigued when I learnt that DxO had launched their latest update to the now legendary ‘Silver Efex Pro’ plug-in.
The upgrade sees the introduction of a range of new film effect emulations from top brands such as Polaroid, Bergger and Rollei. Not only does this allow you to expand your creativity by lifting your black & white edits to another level, but it also allows you to stay true to those halcyon film days with the introduction of the 10 new film types.
To find out more and purchase, visit: Nik Collection
VIDEO: The Loupedeck CT for Photographer & Videographers
The Loupedeck CT is genuinely perfect for Photographers and Videographers looking to improve their editing workflow. It support apps such as Lightroom, Photoshop, Ableton, Premier Pro Final Cut and more - it really is a great tool, but it has one massive drawback! Would you stump up for the Loupedeck CT?
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VIDEO: Zhiyun Weebill S - HONEST first Impressions!
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