One place where film can still score over digital is in the medium format realm, especially for hobby photographers. With the fairly specialist, big-sensor camera bodies going for $1,500 and up, savings on film only become apparent if you shoot a lot of pictures. The best way is to pick up a cheap, second hand model, but if you can’t stand pre-fingered goods, you could try Voigtländer’s new Bessa III, due in stores in May.
The camera can switch between two aspect ratios, 6×6 and 6×7, on either 120 or 220 roll film. The most obvious feature is those bellows, which fold out to put the lens in place but also allow a fairly compact box — compact for medium format, at least, as this thing won’t be fitting in any regular pants pocket.
The specs are decidedly old school: a shutter speed of 4 – 1/500 sec, center-weighted metering, manual and aperture priority modes and, and that’s it. You even have to turn the dial to wind the film yourself.
The lens is also fairly pedestrian, at ƒ3.5 and 80mm (the “standard” length for this film size), but, as with any decent medium format cam, the pictures will be stunning. The price will be around £2000 in the UK, €2000 in Europe and ver likely $2000 in the US.
Product page [Voigtländer via AP]
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