{"id":66891,"date":"2017-10-06T14:00:08","date_gmt":"2017-10-06T21:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=66891"},"modified":"2017-10-06T14:00:43","modified_gmt":"2017-10-06T21:00:43","slug":"my-experience-shooting-digital-medium-format-in-street-photography","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/10\/06\/my-experience-shooting-digital-medium-format-in-street-photography\/","title":{"rendered":"My Experience Shooting Digital Medium Format in Street Photography"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"NYC,
NYC, 2017. Pentax 645Z<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I recently shot a friend’s wedding on a digital medium-format Pentax 645Z<\/a>, and wondered– what would it like to be to shoot street photography with it?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The viewfinder rocks.<\/h2>\n
\"Cindy
Cindy in my friend Alexander’s home. NYC, 2017. Pentax 645Z<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

First of all, the reason why I love the Pentax 645Z is the viewfinder. The viewfinder is the most massive optical viewfinder I have ever used– which simulates seeing the world at almost a 1:1 ratio, just like my human eye. What this means in a practical sense: when I bring up the camera to my eye, I continue<\/em> to see the world like I did before<\/em> I brought the camera up to my eye.<\/p>\n

The irony of shooting with a massive digital medium-format camera is this:<\/p>\n

\n There is less obstruction between me and reality.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In other words, the reason why<\/em> the Pentax 645Z is so big, is because it allows for the ‘Lens Reflex’ mechanism to help you see the world through the massive viewfinder. Therefore, I feel more connected<\/em> while shooting and taking pictures.<\/p>\n

The most beautifully-sculpted camera, ever.<\/h2>\n
\"NYC,
NYC, 2017. Pentax 645Z<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Pentax 645Z is big, heavy, yet well-balanced. Personally, I was able to walk around with it all day, shooting the streets of NYC with little fatigue. Why? I generally held it in my hands, which was a lot less tiring than hanging it around my neck all day.<\/p>\n

And the thing is– by constantly holding the camera in my hand all day, I saw more opportunities. Technically speaking, I kept the camera in ‘P’ (program) mode, at ISO 1600, and center-point autofocus. Whenever I saw a good moment, I just brought up the camera, and shot.<\/p>\n

The lens I shot with was a Pentax 55m f\/2.8 lens, which is roughly a 35mm ‘full-frame’ equivalent.<\/p>\n

Small JPEG<\/h2>\n
\"Suits.
Suits. NYC, 2017. Pentax 645Z<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I shot all the pictures in small JPEG which is around 5,300 pixels by 4000 pixels — more than enough for me. And the reason why I shot JPEG– I set the JPEG setting to ‘reversal film simulation’ — and I like the look. I also prefer shooting smaller JPEG for the smaller file sizes, and also less time for the pictures to load when selecting (editing) them.<\/p>\n

I loved the look of the picture on the Pentax 645Z. The color rendition is smooth as milk and honey — and for almost all the pictures, they were straight-out-of-camera JPEG. I even tried applying presets, but hated what the presets did. I preferred the epic dynamic range of the pictures, which reminded the smooth rendition of color 35mm film. To me, the biggest benefit of the camera is this:<\/p>\n

\n I can just shoot JPEG images, and barely<\/em> post-process the pictures. Just a little of exposure-compensation afterwards. Most of the time, I don’t even need to do that. Which means, less<\/em> time post-processing, and more<\/em> time shooting.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Easier workflow<\/h2>\n
\"Man
Man cleaning display. NYC, 2017. Pentax 645Z<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One thing I loved about shooting 35mm film was the ability to just shoot, get them developed and scanned by a lab, and just using the JPEG scans I got — without having to post-process the pictures.<\/p>\n

For the RICOH GR II, I really like the ERIC KIM MONOCHROME 1600 preset<\/a> I made (for RAW images), to make a nice-looking gritty black and white image. Yet– I still haven’t been able to make digital color pictures I really like. Digital medium-format has been able to give me the color-pictures that I like looking at.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“Don’t mind me, I’m just a tourist taking pictures.”<\/h2>\n
\"Two
Two women having a conversation. NYC, 2017. Pentax 645Z<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In terms of shooting the Pentax 645Z on the streets, most people ignored me. Because it is such a big camera, I think people just assume I’m another tourist. I generally did was this when shooting– get close, and just start clicking, and when someone made eye contact, I just kept shooting, and didn’t drop the camera. I would then pretend like I was shooting something behind<\/em> them.<\/p>\n

Other instances, when I wanted to shoot a ‘street portrait<\/a>‘, I just started to chat them up, and ask for permission to make a portrait of them. Nobody responded any differently with me shooting with a massive camera, than with a small camera.<\/p>\n

Which made me realize this:<\/p>\n

\n It doesn’t matter how big or small your camera is– what matters most is your confidence while shooting street photography.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In other words, I always thought that I could overcome my fear of shooting street photography by getting a smaller, more discreet camera. In reality, no matter how small or low-key my camera was, my inner-fear of shooting street photography always held me back.<\/p>\n

\"Man
Man with glasses crossing the street. NYC, 2017. Pentax 645Z<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Therefore, buying a new camera won’t make you a more confident street photographer, or a better street photographer. However, buying a different camera for street photography will make your pictures look different, and will change how you shoot a bit differently.<\/p>\n

\"Suit
Suit in the bathroom washing his hands at whole foods. NYC, 2017. Pentax 645Z<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For example, on the Pentax 645Z in street photography, I didn’t use a flash. I usually shoot almost exclusively with a flash on the streets with the Ricoh GR II<\/a>, but didn’t with the Pentax. Why not? Because– setting up the flash settings on the Pentax 645Z is a bit slower than the simple pop-up flash on the RICOH GR II. And also, I found I actually prefer the smooth look of non-flash pictures on digital medium-format. I practiced shooting flash with the Pentax 645Z, and actually found the images to be too harsh<\/em> and too sharp<\/em> for my personal liking.<\/p>\n

Pentax-Ricoh is where it is at.<\/h2>\n
\"Woman
Woman laughing. NYC, 2017. Pentax 645Z<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I’ve shot with the Fujifilm GFX 50S<\/a> in Bangkok, and liked it a lot. Yet, the autofocus was quite slow, and I generally don’t trust first-generation products. The Pentax 645Z is the successor of the older Pentax 645D<\/a> — which means, the ‘Z’ edition has probably refined the camera enough, to make the camera more stable, and robust.<\/p>\n

Also strangely enough, I forgot how much I missed shooting with a ‘through the lens’ optical viewfinder (like a DSLR). I like how I can see the edges very clearly– which helps me frame more precisely. Also, shooting with an LCD screen now feels too laggy — I prefer the ‘real time feedback’ of the optical viewfinder.<\/p>\n

Try it out for yourself<\/h2>\n
\"Skyscrapers.
Skyscrapers. NYC, 2017. Pentax 645Z<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Now, the million dollar question is, ‘Should I buy a digital medium-format camera for street photography?’<\/p>\n

Personally, I really like digital medium-format for street photography. Having a heavier camera makes you hustle and work harder on the streets, and makes your shooting more intentional. Also, if you shoot color, the color rendition of digital medium-format is far superior to any other sensor– because of the additional subtleties of the dynamic range, the smoothness of the images, and when you photograph people on medium-format, they just ‘pop’ more, and look more ‘3d’– because of the additional depth-of-field, and the sharpness and detail of the pictures.<\/p>\n

\"Cindy
Cindy sleeping. NYC, 2017. Pentax 645Z<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The best ‘bang for the buck’ digital medium-format camera is the Pentax 645Z ($5500 on Amazon)<\/a> or BHPHOTO<\/a>. I recommend the Pentax 55mm f\/2.8 lens (I recommend getting it used on Amazon for less than $1000<\/a>, or brand-new for $1,100 on BHPHOTO<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Another option if you want to experiment, the older Pentax 645D is available used for less than $2600 USD on Amazon<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"New
New York Public Library. Pentax 645Z<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I personally think that digital medium-format is the future of photography<\/a>. Why? I don’t see digital medium-format superior for the megapixels, but for me — the pictures look more real. Whenever I photograph people on medium-format, they pop more. And as a photographer and artist– I am trying to immortalize my fellow human beings in pictures. And whatever equipment that can help me make that possible, it is worth it to me.<\/p>\n

\"Man
Man with hands in prayer. Wisconsin, 2017. Pentax 645Z.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Of course, ignore all my advice. This is just what my<\/em> experience is like. Yours will totally be different.<\/p>\n

So if you’re interested in digital medium-format photography, just try it out for yourself. If you don’t like it, you can always return it within 30 days. Personally I really like it, and feel excited again about innovation in photography.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

ERIC<\/p>\n

\n

Digital Medium Format Photography<\/a><\/h2>\n

Articles on Digital Medium Format Photography<\/h2>\n

\"Cindy<\/p>\n