So you’ve seen some medium format film photos and you want in on that glorious analog goodness? Nice. Follow me into the world of 120 film!

Getting into 120 film photography can be a bit intimidating. When we hear “medium format”, we tend to think of professionals and prestigious photographs. However, I’m here to tell you that it can be for anyone who wants to try it. Now, the medium format world is large and complex. Let’s jump in and break it down.

• Medium Format Film Cameras

1. Twin Lens Reflex (TLR) cameras
2. Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras
3. System cameras
4. Folding cameras
5. Box cameras
6. Rangefinders and point and shoot cameras

• Medium Format Film Sizes

1. 6×4.5
2. 6×6
3. 6×7, 6×8, 6×9
4. Bonus: 6×17

Medium format film cameras

If you want to get into medium format film, you need a medium format camera. Boy, are there a lot to choose from! There are so many types of cameras to choose from that it can be overwhelming. In this section, we’ll discuss what these camera types are and some pros and cons to each.

Twin Lens Reflex cameras

Many people’s experience with 120 film starts here, myself included. As the name suggests, Twin Lens Reflex cameras (or TLRs), are cameras with two lenses. Usually, the top lens of a TLR is referred to as the viewing lens. This lens is what projects the image into the viewfinder that you look into to frame your photos. It has no other functions.

The lower lens of a TLR is usually the taking lens. This lens has a lot of jobs. Mainly, it is the lens that puts an image on your film. This lens houses the aperture and a leaf shutter. Basically everything that goes into the technical side of making a photo happens in this lens.

TLR cameras will generally make 6x6cm photos and twelve photos to a roll of 120 medium format film. That makes TLRs the second most economical camera we’ll cover in this guide. The 6×6 format means that the sides of your photos are equal in length, giving you square photos. If you’d like to see more from my TLR, check out my recent blog post.

So what are the pros and cons of a TLR for a medium format film beginner?

Pros

• On the small and light side of the medium format camera spectrum
• Simple to load and operate, very self contained
• They look awesome and are great conversation starters
• Leaf shutters and waist-level viewfinders lead to a very stable platform
• Some of the most affordable but good medium format cameras

Cons

• Except for some Mamiya models, the lenses are fixed to the body
• Prism viewfinders aren’t as common for the more affordable cameras (Except the Mamiyas, again)
• Some people struggle with the waist-level viewfinder experience
• Generally less advanced and bare-bones features (could be a pro to some)

Single Lens Reflex cameras

Now that we’ve discussed the TLR, it probably isn’t much of a leap to imagine what an SLR is. A Single Lens Reflex camera is a camera that uses a single lens and a mirror to reflect the image from the lens up (and usually through another mirror or prism) and into your eye. If you’re coming from 35mm or digital cameras, you’re probably pretty familiar with these already.

This is the camera type that is ubiquitous to 35mm film. If you already have experience with SLRs via 35mm or digital, starting medium format film with one will quickly feel familiar. Cameras like the Pentax 645, 6×7, and variants of these, along with the Pentacon 6 are basically 35mm SLRs on steroids. The film loads in the back, the lenses are interchangeable on the front, and the viewfinder/prism is on top.

There are a few other, more complex SLRs around. However, we’ll keep this section to the type that most resemble 35mm cameras. We will discuss the more complex SLR cameras in their own section next. So for this type of SLR, here are some pros and cons for a medium format film beginner.

Pros:

• Familiarity to 35mm and DSLRs
• Many options that span from low tech to relatively modern tech
• Tons of lens choices
• Available in multiple film formats (6×4.5, 6×6, 6×7, etc)
• Can tackle most genres of photography
• Incredibly versatile cameras

Cons:

• While some cameras and lenses can be had affordably, SLR kits can get expensive
• SLR cameras can have more complexity, moving pieces (things that can break or cost money) than TLRs
• Mirror slap in some bodies can cause soft images at lower shutter speeds
• Can be larger and heavier than TLR cameras

Coming up with a solid list of cons for SLR cameras is tough. These are by no means universal, as SLR cameras are quite diverse and photographers needs differ. That said, there is a reason the basic SLR design has lasted so long. Even modern mirrorless cameras kept a lot of the good stuff.

System cameras

I’m not sure that the “system camera” is an official classification, but I felt these cameras needed a section to themselves. While they are technically SLRs (they have a single lens and a reflex mirror), they have a lot of added functionality that cameras like the aforementioned Pentax cameras don’t. What I’m calling a system camera can also be called a modular camera.

This class of camera is the Lego of medium format film. They are very flexible and can be assembled in many different ways. My Mamiya RB67 is a prime example. The main camera body is just a box with a mirror and connection points on it.

The lens houses a leaf shutter and aperture, like the TLR. The viewfinders can be swapped out to your hearts content (waist level, eye level prism finders, chimney finders, metered finder, etc). Even the rear most part of the camera, the film back, can be changed. These cameras can be molded to suit particular uses incredibly well.

So, this all sounds amazing, right? System cameras are so versatile and changeable that they must be the superior way to get into medium format film. Or are they? Pros and cons time.

Pros:

• Super modular cameras can transform in many different ways
• Often can use the different film size formats on the same camera
• Removable film backs make using different rolls of film interchangeably possible (mid-roll film changes!)
• Cool features like rotating backs, leaf shutter lenses, bellows focusing bodies (no need for macro lenses), and more

Cons:

• Generally larger and heavier than other cameras that use the same film size/format (The RB67 and Fuji GX680 are massively heavy compared to a Pentax 645 or most TLR cameras)
• Can be highly complex and have many different interlocks and procedures to learn
• More modular parts can mean more parts to buy. Depending on the camera, this can get expensive quickly

Other types of medium format film cameras

There are other types of medium format film cameras out there. This section will identify a handful of them, but it is not an exhaustive list. The more common cameras you may come across outside of SLRs and TLRs are folding cameras, box cameras, and rangefinder cameras.

Folding cameras

The folding camera has many variations. The two above are common configurations. They will have a viewfinder, focusing by scale (guessing/measuring distance manually, then selecting the distance on the lens), shutters in the lenses, and a folding mechanism with bellows. Some of these cameras are also rangefinders.

These cameras can be quite compact when folded. Also, they are available in many film formats. This makes it vital to understand what film the camera takes before buying one. They may take 616, 127, 126, 620, or any number of other out of production film types. Some of these can be adapted to use 120, but some can’t. It’s also important to be aware that the bellows on many of these cameras are over a half-century old and may not be light tight anymore.

If you’re looking at a folding camera, the size is the primary benefit of this form factor. Otherwise, I would advise caution unless you want a collector piece or a project. These cameras are incredible pieces of history, but they often have been neglected and need some love. Of my cameras above, the shutter in the Kodak needs servicing and the Agfa needs that as well as new bellows. Also, the Agfa’s focusing element in the lens is frozen.

Box cameras

Box cameras are by far the simplest and easiest to use cameras in this guide. Some of them have no settings to change whatsoever. Most of them allow you very little control outside of framing up a photo. The box camera is more or less the original point and shoot. It helped to bring photography to the masses.

Box cameras span a wide range of makers, film types, and quality. Some were literally a wooden box with a hole and a spring loaded metal plate behind it to act as a shutter. The Brownie Bull’s-Eye pictured above has a single, non-adjustable aperture of about f/11, a single timed shutter speed of around 1/50th of a second, a scale focus lens, and a long shutter mode that lets the user hold the shutter open as long as they like.

The Bull’s-Eye is one of the more fully featured and high quality box cameras I have come across. Generally, the photos you can get from one are of middling to poor quality. However, these cameras are a lot of fun to play with. Just make sure that if you get one, it was originally a 120 medium format film camera, or a camera that can be converted to use 120 film! The Bull’s-Eye worked by trimming a 120 spool down to size.

Rangefinders and point and shoot medium format film cameras

I saved this section for last, as I don’t have any examples to show for this camera type. I have rangefinders and point and shoots that use 35mm film, but none for medium format film. That said, like their smaller relatives, these cameras offer many of the same benefits and negatives.

A rangefinder camera can often be more compact than an SLR or a folding camera that is deployed. Rangefinders don’t need mirrors and can typically have their lenses quite close to the film. This combined with the way that rangefinders focus (by matching “double images” in the viewfinder) makes them quite speedy cameras to work with. Street photographers in particular tend to love this form factor.

When it comes to rangefinder medium format film cameras, there are just a few to choose from. Many of these are quite expensive, now. From the Mamiya 6 and 7 (the Mamiya Six is a folding version), to the Fujica line of rangefinders like the GS645 and the “Texas Leica” GW690, to the Plauble Makina 67, these cameras are becoming highly sought after, expensive, and difficult to obtain.

Many of the same things apply to point and shoot medium format film cameras. However, there is only one of these that I am aware of, the Fujifilm GA645Zi. It offers fully automatic usage and also allows for some manual control. These are super cool cameras. However, they are aging cameras that rely entirely on electronics to run. Getting one would be awesome, but risky.

Medium format film types and formats

There are many types of film out there that are considered medium format. Unfortunately for us today, most of these types of film are no longer in production. The main film available for medium format cameras today is 120 film. This is something to be mindful of when shopping for your first medium format camera. If it takes another film type, it may be very difficult to use (or near impossible) depending on the type of film it is supposed to use.

Of the different historic types of film out there, the most commons ones you will see are 127, 116, 616, 620, and 220. While none of these common films types are currently in production, there are ways to either adapt, cut, or re-spool 120 film to work for many of the cameras that require these film types. There are also a few places that sell re-spooled film as well. Just be sure to research availability if you are getting a camera not natively made to use 120 film.

Medium format film sizes

To further narrow this discussion down, 120 film can be used in several different formats. You have probably heard of cameras and terms like Mamiya 645, Pentax 6×7, or maybe the Fuji GW690. The numbers in these camera names refers roughly to the size that your photo will be on the film. Let’s look at the common sizes a little closer.

6×4.5 format

The smallest common frame size used in 120 medium format film is 6×4.5. As you can see in the photo above, even the smallest common 120 format size is quite a lot larger than 35mm film. It is nominally 6cm by 4.5cm in size compared to 35mm being nominally 3.5cm by 2.4cm. Since every roll of 120 film is standardized in length, using a smaller frame size like 6×4.5 means you get more photos per roll. 6×4.5 cameras will get you either 15 or 16 photos per roll, depending on the camera.

I would also like to add that, yes, 6×4.5 is a pretty good quality boost over 35mm. Now that I have a Pentax 645, I’m not sure how much my big old Mamiya RB 67 will be used going forward. 645 cameras are generally much smaller and easier to use in the field. I think they may be the sweet spot in 120 film. Although, the next category is also a strong contender. Also, if you don’t believe me, check out this Kyle McDougall video.

6×6 format

As you’re likely figuring out, the frame sizes of 120 medium format film keep growing from here. 6x6cm is the next size up. It holds a strong potential for best compromise in film size as well. With 6×6 format, you get 12 photos per roll of 120 film. 6×6 is a fair bit larger, and offers good flexibility for cropping to different aspect ratios.

6×6 cameras also span the gamut of camera types mentioned above. Most TLR cameras are 6×6. There are 6×6 regular SLR cameras like the Pentacon 6, and even system cameras in 6×6 like the legendary Hassleblad cameras or the hidden gem Bronica SQ series of cameras. If you are into square photos, this is the format to look at for you!

6×7, 6×8, and 6×9 format

These medium format film sizes make up the bulk of the other common formats. 6×7 is one of the most common options for larger system cameras like the Mamiya RB/RZ 67 cameras. It is also the negative format of choice for the wildly popular Pentax 67 series of cameras. 6×7 negatives give a wonderfully rectangular aspect ratio, a large surface area for very high resolution, and the cameras are still somewhat usable in the field. 6×7 cameras will yield 10 photos per roll.

6×8 is the least common of all the sizes mentioned here. There are a few Fuji/Fujica rangefinder cameras in 6×8, as well as some conversion parts for cameras like the RB67. There isn’t much to gain by doing this, however. You don’t actually get a full centimeter extra on the long side and the list of parts needed to convert an RB to 6×8 is longer than you’d expect. You also only get 9 photos per roll.

6×9 is the largest common size you will encounter in medium format film cameras. This size will provide a familiar 3:2 aspect ratio, the same as 35mm film and most digital cameras. It also provides amazing resolution with it’s huge size. Of course, the downside to that is getting 8 photos per roll.

6×9 cameras are also a different beast. They were common in the era of folding and box cameras, but became less so as time went on. The Fuji GW690 “Texas Leica” is probably the most common 6×9 camera on social media today. There are a few system-like options around like the Mamiya Press camera. These things get huge and awkward in a hurry, though. The other possible option is view cameras, which we’ll mention next.

Bonus mention: 6×17

While this is definitely not an incredibly common medium format film size, I feel that it deserves to be mentioned here. A few popular YouTube film photographers embrace this format and I would be remiss to not try to help explain it a bit. 6x17cm is format that is much longer than it is tall. You may see where we’re going here.

If you want to explore panorama photography on film, this is probably the best way to do it. Medium format film panoramas offer a lot more area than 35mm. However, unless you’re into 3d printing cameras and learning about all of that, camera selection is slim (though slightly better than 35mm). There is a Fuji camera similar to a giant GW690 out there, and the only other fairly common option is what is called a view camera.

View cameras are probably what you think of when someone mentions Ansel Adams. A large wooden camera with droopy bellows, a lens way out front, and a person bent over with a cover over their head while they try to focus. These cameras can be quite complex, but boy do they offer you a ton of control that no other system can. Of course, I don’t have room to discuss these in detail in this guide, but I highly recommend you check out more Nick Carver if you’re interested in this!

Medium format film: Man, that was a lot to cover!

If you have stuck with me for this long, wow! Your tenacity and will to get oriented to medium format film photography is commendable. However, this beginner’s guide has been a mile wide and a couple of inches deep. I truly hope that reading this has been helpful in getting you started, though.

Armed with some new knowledge on medium format cameras and film, do you feel more ready to take the plunge? The effort is truly worth it, in my opinion.

If this guide was helpful to you, or even if it was a complete waste of your time, I would really appreciate you leaving a comment to tell me. I haven’t attempted to tackle such a large topic before, and it would be great to get some of your opinions!

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