# What digital camera rivals 6X7 Medium Format Images?



## Andy100 (Nov 15, 2012)

Hello,

I come from shooting slide film with my Pentax 6X7 II.  The printed images (30X40) from this camera are excellent in terms of clarity and resolution but I hardly use this camera due to its size, weight and the need for a heavy tripod.  I have also be using a Nikon D80 which gives me nowhere near the image quality in comparison.  My goal is to sell off my current equipment and get a digital body that could rival the output of my Pentax 6X7.  Which digital should I be looking at for this purpose?  It would be great to get some opinions.


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## unpopular (Nov 15, 2012)

PhaseOne P80.


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## HughGuessWho (Nov 15, 2012)

Yeah, and they only start at $22,000.00


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## DorkSterr (Nov 15, 2012)

D800 :-D


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## unpopular (Nov 15, 2012)

HughGuessWho said:


> Yeah, and they only start at $22,000.00




More than that. I have no idea how much the OP has to spend, but I doubt very much doubt he'll find what he's looking for with his budget. Unless he has a hell of a lot of equity.

Oh, and I was wrong, it's the IQ180. The P-series only gets to a measly 65mp.


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## unpopular (Nov 15, 2012)

Looks like Leaf/Mamiya offers an option at a more competitive price tag:

Mamiya DM-Series 80Mp DSLR Camera Kit with 80mm LS Lens


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## Mike_E (Nov 15, 2012)

Get a Mamiya 7 and a new scanner.

Small format just isn't going to look like medium format.  As always it's all about the lenses.


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## HughGuessWho (Nov 15, 2012)

If your gonna go big, may as well go ALL THE WAY. $34,495.00


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## christop (Nov 15, 2012)

Mike_E said:


> Get a Mamiya 7 and a new scanner.
> 
> Small format just isn't going to look like medium format.  As always it's all about the lenses.



And the size of the recording medium. You have to have very high quality lenses on smaller formats to even try to rival medium/large format with just an average lens.


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## unpopular (Nov 15, 2012)

Mike_E said:


> Get a Mamiya 7 and a new scanner.
> 
> Small format just isn't going to look like medium format.  As always it's all about the lenses.



I agree. It makes more sense to get a drum scanner from the 90's than a medium format back.


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## AlexanderB (Nov 15, 2012)

DorkSterr said:


> D800 :-D


Are you kidding? No way it will be near in quality. P80 may be somewhere near, but not D800.


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## Derrel (Nov 15, 2012)

Nikon D3x, Nikon D600, Nikon D800, D800e, Canon 5D-II, Canon 5D-III, Canon 1Ds Mark IV. I think all of those cameras can give a 6x7 a good fight, with normal, regular "everyday" imaging chains/workflow....the film needs a high-end scanner to make the most of its images, or wet prints, so that changes the workflow quite a bit. if you want super-telephoto or ultra-wide, the 35mm system camera have a HUGE edge in available optics choices. And zooms? The 35mm systems have FAST zooms galore! GOOD ones too....with 6x7...not so much...

LESS GRAIN with the digitals at ISO's of like 160,200,250,320 and so on...

The only images that COUNT are the good ones that are composed right, and focused right. Let';s say I need to photograph surfers...my ancient POS Nikon D2x will blow a 6x7 out of the water in terms of coming home with 50 good images in a day out of 1,000 frames...I could not LOAD enough magazines in a friucking day to shoot 1,000 frames of 120 rollfilm, and I'd probably hit focus only 1 out of every 20 frames on 6x7.

SO...

6x7 cameras that I am thinking of are for the most part, slow-in-action, big, heavy boxes best suited to fairly deliberate, work, tripod-mounted mostly, but okay hand-held with studio flash. TRhe 35mm-style cameras focus faster,m shoot faster, and handle in a different manner.

Still, there is something very,very alluring about a good-sized piece of 120 rollfilm with a lovely image captured in it...


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## unpopular (Nov 15, 2012)

I agree. If you scan in it a $500 scanner, you're better off with a D800.


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## Mike_E (Nov 15, 2012)

christop said:


> Mike_E said:
> 
> 
> > Get a Mamiya 7 and a new scanner.
> ...



   Details, larger formats require larger image circles and on and on and on..

point taken though.


I mentioned the Mamiya 7 simply because it's the same size neg and, being a rangefinder, it's much smaller and easier to carry around.


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## unpopular (Nov 15, 2012)

^^ and chicks dig the Mamiya 7.


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## spacefuzz (Nov 15, 2012)

Get yourself a D800, its files should be able to print 100". Or if you have the budget, the IQ80 is amazing.  I was using my D800 next to a friend using the IQ80 and I was drooling.


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