Medium-format

It’s a step up in size, but is medium-format a giant leap forward in image quality? Matthew Richards tests the big guns

Indulge in some of the finest cameras around in our group test

Modern medium-format image sensors commonly measure between 44 x 33mm and about 54 x 40mm. Even the smallest of these gives a huge step up in surface area in comparison with ‘full-frame’ SLR sensors, at 1,452mm2 compared with 864mm2. This means that much higher pixel counts are possible than is currently available in small-format (full-frame) cameras. In fact, there are medium-format sensors available with as many as 80 million pixels.

At the lower end of the price range that we are looking at, however, 50MP has become a more popular standard. But that is still very impressive compared with the 18.1MP and 16.2MP counts found in pro-level SLRs like the full-frame Canon 1D X and Nikon D4s respectively. It’s also a significant hike on what is offered by models like the 36.3MP Nikon D810 and 36.4MP Sony Alpha 7R, and it should give them the edge for detail resolution.

It’s not just the detail resolution that draws professional photographers to medium-format cameras. Their larger sensor size should also mean that they produce images with an extended dynamic range, super-smooth colour and beautiful tonal rendition. Plus, there’s increased ability to restrict depth of field.

What you don’t get with a mediumformat camera, however, is lots of fancy features. Things that you might take for granted in SLRs, like multi-point autofocus systems, are often missing. There may also be little or no image processing undertaken within the camera, the system instead relying on you to work on raw files post-capture on a computer. These cameras certainly aren’t for sports photographers or rapid shooters either.

Let’s take a look at six popular options and see how they shape up…