Handling a Medium Format Camera

Ever since I started shooting 35mm film, I’ve wanted to switch to shooting with a medium format camera on 120 film.

I love the pure colors 35mm film produces but always find myself wishing there was less grain in my final images. 35mm cameras are typically much cheaper and more accessible than medium format cameras, and I wasn’t willing to purchase a good medium format body until I knew I could get good results from 35mm film.

In August 2021, I finally splurged and purchased a Mamiya M645 J with a 150mm f/1.5 lens for about $700 from eBay.

My Mamiya M645 J

My first shoot with the Mamiya was an absolute fail. Even though I knew the camera was heavy (~5lbs with the lens), I thought I could take the camera out for a walk and shoot handheld.

This was a mistake. The photos turned out hilariously blurry and out of focus. It looked almost intentional. Believe it or not, I had no idea that I was moving the camera this much, so these images were a shock to me when they came back from the lab.

The Mamiya sat on my desk for five months after I shot this roll. I was intimidated and scared to spend more money on medium format film that might just be wasted.

Last month, my friend convinced me to get the Mamiya out for another quick portrait shoot. We set up the spare bedroom in my apartment with professional studio lighting and put the camera on a tripod. It worked!

The photos were so clear! Unfortunately, I acted as a stand-in model and my eyes were closed in 13/15 of the frames. This is why I tend to stay behind the camera.

I’m slightly less scared of using the camera now, although it may be a while before I take it out of the apartment. For now, I’m hoping to shoot more studio-style portraits until I feel comfortable with the images I can produce with it.