{"id":156219,"date":"2021-11-01T11:02:05","date_gmt":"2021-11-01T11:02:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/?p=156219"},"modified":"2021-11-01T11:02:05","modified_gmt":"2021-11-01T11:02:05","slug":"best-second-hand-digital-medium-format-cameras","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/other.kelsey.host\/amateurphotographer\/round-ups\/camera_round_ups\/best-second-hand-digital-medium-format-cameras\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Second-hand Digital Medium Format Cameras"},"content":{"rendered":"

Take a step up with our guide to the best Second-hand digital medium format cameras available<\/strong>. If you’ve been put off by the price of medium format cameras, then perhaps it’s time to take a look at what’s available in the second-hand market. Fujifilm’s introduction of the GFX system has made medium format digital more affordable than ever, and that’s had a knock on effect to the second-hand market! Here Damien Demolder takes us through the options available!<\/p>\n

Fujifilm\u2019s low-cost GFX system has put pressure on the secondhand market for digital medium format cameras, so there are some bargains to be had, says Damien Demolder<\/h3>\n

The digital age almost did away with the medium format camera. Sensors with a larger surface area and more pixels, as well as the processing power needed to run them, made the early models extraordinarily expensive to the point that hardly anyone could afford them. However, just as the APS-C sensor is now giving way to the reasonably priced full frame sensor, medium format models are gradually coming down in price \u2013 thanks in no small measure to the Fujifilm GFX system. New models are still quite costly though, so it can pay to investigate the second-hand market if you are looking for a lower entry point.<\/p>\n

While an ability to resolve more detail has almost always been the main driver for larger formats, an equally desirable characteristic is their power to direct the viewer\u2019s eye through a reduced depth-of-field. In the current digital world, however, the ability of medium format sensors to produce superior resolution and\/or a more dynamic depth-of-field are somewhat undermined by the current range of 45-50MP+ full frame sensor cameras<\/a> and the range of modern fast-aperture lenses<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There are still advantages<\/h3>\n

Even though there are full frame sensors that can match the pixel counts of medium format models the same number of pixels on a medium format sensor will have a little more room to breathe on the larger chip and will be able to be larger themselves. Pixels with a greater surface area generally collect more light and produce less noise \u2013 though the relationship between larger pixels and lower noise fluctuates with advancing technology. Many older medium format sensors are of the CCD type. These are much loved for their film-like characteristics \u2013 when used with plenty of light \u2013 but they tend to have a limited useful ISO range. More modern CMOS sensors have much better noise performance and a wider ISO allowance, but are said to produce images that look more \u2018digital\u2019.<\/p>\n

A further significant advantage, for some photographers, is the handling experience that comes with shooting on a medium format system. The larger body and lenses may slow the photographer down, and the file sizes bring into consciousness a need to shoot less and to make each shot count.<\/p>\n

While most medium format sensors are not as big as a frame from a 645 film camera they will still be significantly larger than the sensor of a full frame camera. A 645 frame from of film uses an area of 56×41.5mm while most modern medium format sensors have an imaging area of 44x33mm. A full frame sensor measures 36x24mm, so the digital medium format sensor is 22% wider and 38% taller \u2013 an average of 30%. That\u2019s quite a lot less than the 43% relationship between the edge dimensions of an APS-C frame and full frame, but an advantage that\u2019s still worth having.<\/p>\n

Hasselblad Medium Format<\/h2>\n

System Highlights<\/strong><\/p>\n