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Medium Format Lenses

Medium format lenses need a proportionally longer focal lengths than 35mm lenses. 50mm lens is considered standard in 35mm format, but it is a wide-angle lens with medium formats. Regardless of the lens or focal length, all lenses of the same focal length give the same depth-of-field. A 100mm lens used on 35mm or medium format, yield the same depth-of-field. Medium format users need to focus more accurately to gain necessary depth-of-field. Focus on the near and far points of the scene and check the distance on the lens' focusing ring. Select an aperture that will cover the near and far distances. Use depth-of-field preview to visually check the depth-of-field. For equivalent lenses in 35mm see Formats & focal lengths

Standard lenses

Chances are you purchased a standard lens when you purchased your camera. Standard lenses give a perspective, close to the human eye. They are among the sharpest optics available. Standard lenses have a faster wide open aperture compared to wide-angle and telephoto lenses. They can be used to cover a wide variety of subjects including landscapes, architectural, still life, and even close-ups. With extension tubes, you can push these lenses into macro range with excellent results. They are also perfect for copy work. With bellows attached to the camera, you can use these lenses for duplicating your originals, including 35mm slides on roll film. The price of a standard lens is usually lower than wide-angle and telephoto lenses. Below is a list of currently made standard lenses for different formats and models.

645

6X6

6X7

Wide-angle lenses

Wide-angle lenses have a wider field of view than standard lenses, and are mainly used for open spaces, such as landscapes or building interiors. You can include more of a scene with wide-angle lenses. They are much more difficult to compose and focus with. You can include unwanted objects in your pictures, if you don't pay closer attention to your framing. Many people like to include everything they see with their wide-angle lenses, but this usually results in poor composition. The hardest part when using a wide-angle lens is, deciding which objects to include and which to remove. Don't forget to check the edges of the frames. You can easily get lost in the middle of the frames, and include unnecessary and distracting objects in the corners. It is usually best to have a strong foreground when using these lenses. Wide-angle lenses exaggerate the foreground which can immediately grab the viewer's attention. A strong foreground should be followed by a sharply focused background. You'll find that this is not always easy. You have less depth-of-field with medium format wide-angle lenses than you do with 35mm. A 45mm wide-angle lens for example, has the same depth-of-field as a 45mm lens in 35mm, but it is considered a standard lens in 35mm. To achieve the same image with a 35mm camera, you need a 24mm lens, but a 6X7 format needs a 45mm. Focusing is more critical. You must focus on a part of a scene that gives the best depth-of-field with the f-stop you select. Always refer to the hyperfocal scale on your lens, and use depth-of-field preview to check sharpness. If you want to carry only one wide-angle lens, consider a 45mm if you use 645, or a 50mm for 6X6 and 6X7 formats (equivalent to about 24mm in 35mm format). This focal length should cover most of your wide-angle needs. A 45mm and 55mm in 645, 40mm and 60mm in 6X6, and 45mm and 75mm in 6X7 format, make good pairs for those who need more than one wide-angle lens.

645

6X6

6X7

 

Telephoto lenses

Your choices in telephoto lenses is limited compared to 35mm. Lens speed is another problem with medium format telephotos. Maximum aperture with some of these lenses is only f-8, although some go as wide as f-4. Since telephoto lenses are generally used for wildlife and sports, where you require faster shutter speeds, you are forced to use faster films. Faster films are not as sharp as slower ones and grain is much more visible, especially with ISO 400 and faster. However, You can successfully use longer lenses even with slower films for a variety of subjects. With an ISO 100 film in bright sun and an aperture of f-8, you can shoot at 1/500 sec for a frontlit medium tone subject, and 1/125 sec for a backlit subject. This should be enough to freeze action. You can always switch to a faster film if you need higher shutter speeds or when shooting in low light. Since medium format negatives and slides require less enlargements, grain and lower sharpness of faster films won't be as noticeable as a 35mm negative or slide. Pentax 67II users have an edge over other systems. Pentax offers the largest selection of telephoto lenses for wildlife and sports photography. Take extra care when using long lenses. Even a slight movement during exposure can blur your images. Use a heavy and sturdy tripod to minimize vibration. You can use a 1.4X and 2X converters with most telephoto lenses for extra reach. Keep in mind that you loose 1 stop of light with 1.4X converters and 2 stops with 2X converters.

Zooms

I didn't like zoom lenses before, but now I'm a great fan. Today's zooms are so good that they rival the best fixed focal lenses. Now, you can have them with your medium format camera. The convenience of having several focal lengths in one package is a major plus. With one lens you can fine tune your composition and shoot faster without having to change lenses. If you use both 35mm and medium format cameras, you can carry both systems much easier with your zoom lenses and cover almost any subject. The range of medium format zooms are not as wide and long as 35mm zooms. You won't find a 28-300mm or a 100-500mm zoom, but zooms that are available still replace two or three lenses. With autofocus and zoom lenses, medium format cameras can now seriously challenge 35mm systems. If you are in the market for a new lens, consider zooms. The quality is very good and they make photography much easier.

 

 

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