Last year, Italy's Samuel Mello Medeiros hit Kickstarter with a chunky add-on that gave old 35 mm cameras a new lease of digital life. Now he's returned with a camera back that performs similar magic on classic medium format cameras like those from Hasselblad, Mamiya and Zenza Bronica.
The basic idea for the latest I'm Back family member is the same as the successfully-funded original, and the team has also taken to Kickstarter to fund this project too. The little black box features a 16 megapixel image sensor, Wi-Fi, a touchscreen display, and is designed to fit on the back of classic medium format analog cameras.
I’m Back MF is a $400 digital back for analog medium format cameras: Digital...
The back of the film camera is removed and replaced with an adapter, onto which the I'm Back MF digital back is mounted, which then gives the old Hasselblad or Bronica the ability to capture JPEG and RAW stills and record normal and slow motion video, which can be stored on a microSD card.
Kickstarter pledges start at CHF 399 (about US$405), and backers will need to choose the appropriate adapter for their old medium format film cameras. If all goes to plan, shipping is estimated to start in April 2020. The video below has more.
To address this, let us first consider what made the medium format so popular to begin with, namely the increased negative size. With a consistent height of 6 cm, medium format film (also known as 120) ranges in width from 4.5 cm to 7 cm for the most popular formats (including 6 cm in between for the famous 1:1 aspect ratio) and available in 8 cm and 9 cm widths in some lesser-known and less popular cameras. For the smallest of the more common formats, 6x4.5 offered the chance to shoot what felt like 35mm in its aspect ratio, but you get a lot more resolution in a relatively compact size. Next up, the 6x6 format offered what felt most uniquely different from 35mm film and digital photography; however, in making 8x10 and 11x14 prints, you gain little to no resolution over the 6x4.5 format. Then, we have the 6x7 system, coming in at nearly five times the size of the 35mm negative, while the added resolution on an 8x10 and 11x14 print puts it into a whole other world. Even better, the 6x7 aspect ratio is pretty similar to that of the most common print size (i.e., 8x10) and thus, the 4x5 system. Indeed, shooting 6x7 gave photographers near 8x10 prints while being much more compact and friendly.
In addition to increased resolution, another of the most beloved aspects of medium format is the tastefully shallow depth of field, which can be razor-thin on some of the fastest lenses. More specifically, the fastest medium lens ever made, made for the Mamiya 645 system, the 80mm f/1.9 is approximately equivalent to a 50mm f/1.2 lens on 35mm film (to include full frame digital cameras). Then, we also have the legendary Pentax 67 lens, the Pentax 105mm f/2.4, which has a nearly identical 35mm (/full frame) equivalence of approximately 50mm f/1.2.
At the time these systems were made new, there was no other option for having better-quality photographs than to increase the format, and thus, we still a ton of medium format cameras on the market today. Years ago, prior to the recent rise in the popularity of film photography, medium format cameras were still quite cheap and affordable, so much so that when I once considered selling the Mamiya RB67 I inherited, the going price of it was so low (around $200, if I recall correctly) that I decided against letting it go. That was about 4-5 years ago, and just 2.5 years ago when I wrote up the review for the camera here for Fstoppers (link here), a good copy of the camera with the full kit could still easily be found for around $300, whereas now, you could expect to easily pay double that for a decent to good copy. I would like to say this situation is specific to the Mamiya RB67, but it has indeed spread to every medium format film camera I know of; this is particularly true for the Mamiya and Pentax 645 systems, which have seen an astronomical hike in the used price of a good copy for every version of the camera. So, in my opinion, the only rational thing to do in response to these ridiculous price hikes is to just stick with 35mm and digital.
The 8x10 and 11x14 prints, were those digital scans and printed from a printer or were those prints made in the darkroom? I experience a big difference printing medium format compared to 35mm negatives on silver gelatin paper in the darkroom.Of course, the best option is to forget medium format and smaller and shoot large format. Go big or go home!!! (Kidding.....sort of)
I clicked on this ready to defend my precious medium format but you make a very good case! The price hikes are just crazy, it's been a real problem. I'm a big fan of digital, but I came over to medium format very recently because of the fidelity it can resolve, but I am jealous of the 35mm shooters with th affordable film stocks and the compact sizes!! I would really like to test the resolution on a high quality 35mm film vs a cheap expired 120 film, and see how drastic the resolution difference is, because it might not be as significant as I'd like to think.If I could find a real panoramic 35mm camera around the $300 mark, I'd jump to 35.
Bad article. Medium Format is way superior over 35mm. I gave up 35mm back in 1992 to go exclusively medium format. You only have to look at the quality of the prints and resolution of the larger negatives to realise never to touch 35mm again.
Bottom line that everyone is agreing on is that digital is awfully impressive, even if all you can use is "only" 35mm format. Excepting 8X10 film perfectly executed, I would say that current and future medium format cameras have let film far behind.
Nice piece!The times are a-changing so I suggest avoiding the older (classier) compour shutter lenses as their parts are running out. (Competent repair people are dying out as well.) I unloaded my Hassey set for the Nikon digital (Df) world a while back, which hurt, but the chemical output from analog was getting to me and I had a bit of old Nikon glass on hand. Still, the Hasselblad days changed my shooting for the slower, and I still do no more post work than I did in my darkroom, those habits will last a lifetime.
For those that do not know, Medium Format film gives you a much larger negative than 35mm. Because of this, you get less grain, better tonality, and better details. The files are richer, much like they are with medium format digital. But this is film and with digital MF kits running between $20 and $40k, it almost makes this GF670 look like a bargain. So I wanted to try one out once and for all and see what it was all about.
I do love you blogs and reviews and this is well written. I do disagree with some of your wording and opinions. You are easily a digital blue dog. That is fine, I respect your choice in camera, your love of Leica, your love of fine equipment and experience of reviewing cameraa given to you to review for a few weeks. It is not acceptable that you straight out LIE about the cost involved with film. $18-20 per roll is a lie. Current Kodak cost is $4.50 a roll for either color or B/W. Developing B/W is super cheap (less than $1) and very very easy. Color does cost you if you choose to develop with a top end lab but not that much. Scanners are cheap and a one time cost. Therefore, you are not being truthful about the costs in film. Secondly, 120 film offers better image quality that 35mm digital cameras including the M9. Med. Format Digital cameras are another story. But even if you choose digital. New computers, Mac or PC, Photoshop every few years, Epson/Canon Printers, Color Correction software, Paper and Ink are extremely expensive. If you outsource these things you can easily exceed the cost of film. Making darkroom prints from home especially B/W prints are cheaper than making prints on a computer. It does require a little more learning and effort and is not for Uncle Buck. Lastly, used Med. Format Film cameras are being snapped up just like used leica glass, therefore there is a need for good new Med. Format Cameras. Film will not die and is coming back. Your battery and computer will die before film. Please refrain from barfing your digital dog preferences while reviewing cameras. Thank you
Great review. Flim well be around for a long time. It is a medium that many well enbrace or reenbrace. I am an old photographer. My first camera ( I would only have use of it ) was a Ziess Ikona. It was a folding camera much like the Fuji GF670. I feel if most people do not under stand that Fuji is a world class lens maker. That lens is more that likely very sharp. I have no real idea who makes the camera, but my money would be on Fuji making the camera and lens.One draw back to the camera when I looked at one on line, was using a protective filter and lens shade. One would have to remove in order to fold the camera away. It looks like the kind of camera you love to own and use. Also, Steve look at all the great shots you made. I feel film cameras make you stop and think before pushing that button.
I started back to shooting film a few months ago. I only shoot 35mm and use Portra and Ektar. I shoot differently than with digital. When I use those films I am shooting with color in mind as much as I have in mind the composition. I still shoot digital but at the moment film is my favorite. I do have my film scanned when developed so it does cost more. I may get a dedicated film scanner but for now my workflow does the job for me. I use a Nikon F100 and N75.
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