Boulder County irrigation ditch, Hygiene Road

As a point of comparison, occasionally I'll make the same frames with the F6 and the Mamiya RZ67 Medium Format camera. This test was on different emulsions: the F6 was loaded with 160VC (shot at 100) and the RZ67 was loaded with Velvia 50. The original purpose was to shoot the same scene with 2 different emulsions to see what adjustments needed to be made to color match. The adjustment layers came close but in a reasonable amount of time I wasn't able to satisfactorily match them - which is no real surprise.

The test yielded a second meaningful comparison: 35mm film to 6x7.
Please click here to view the medium format image
Both images were made with premium-quality, similar focal length prime lenses, only moments apart.

There's no denying the superior quality of a medium-format film image over 35mm film. The gradation in the water, the overall sharpness, even tonality, and smooth but still organic quality of the medium format image is just beautiful. The 35mm film image is less so - but a faithful representation none the less.

When there's time to set up and work, the RZ67 wins the day. For every other occasion, the F6 loaded with 35mm film exhibits far more flexibility and nimbleness, facilitating a completely different image unobtainable by the behemoth RZ. Fast & light coupled with big & beautiful: the perfect combination.

Full disclosure: this 35mm film image was hand-held at 1/40" at F10 with the 105VR; not suitable technique for a serious comparison. The MF shot was tripod shot, Mirror-up with cable release through Mamiya's famous APO series' 250mm. In other words, it wasn't a fair fight to begin with, but the F6 did OK.