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What is the "big lens" look ?

trioderob

Member
Well I have read that term a few times related to very large lens of medium format or even more old time view camera lens.

here is a wet plate I had made with a civil war camera that had a huge lens.

the subject is my daughter - image is about 7 years old

 

Shashin

Well-known member
But there are a bunch of things going on with that image to give it its "look." One is the DoF. But the process and lighting are also creating the illusion. But you could take the same camera, use a different process and get a "small lens" look.
 

EH21

Member
Lenses with huge image circles have a different look - definitely. But what do you get when you cross a "big lens" with a "fat pixel" back? :)
 

weinlamm

Member
I think you mean the smaller Dof.

Yes; that's one of the things MF has for me. It's possible to shoot pictures with a MF + 80/2.0 or 80/1.9 which look a little bit like made with a Leica Noctilux. That's one of the areas, where MF is more favorable.

The other thing I like with MF is that you can stop down your lenses more than with 35mm. If I could really remember the reason is the bigger image circle.
 

Ed Hurst

Well-known member
Never heard the term either, but can only guess (as others have done) that because medium format lenses have to be longer (in order to provide a given angle of view), and depth of field is a product of focal length (all other things being equal), that medium format tends to provide narrower depth of field on a given shot - which is characteristic of long lenses on any format. But just a guess.
 
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