What are the advantages of medium format photography?

Question: What are the advantages of medium format photography!?
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

better image quality than little sensors or little film, far superior for enlargements

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It is a fact that a 2 times enlargement from a 6 x 6cm film will be much bigger than a 2 times from a 3!.6 x 2!.4 cm film!. This means that image for image the larger format will beat the small one!.
Many folk argue that if they use a fine grain film in a 35mm camera they can match a medium grain in a larger format!.
But what happens when a fine grain is used in medium format!?
Back to square one!.
The same thing applies with a digital image to a certain extent!.
With digital though at the moment it is too expensive to have a multi megapixel sensor in a 6 x 6cm camera!.
This means the an image from say, a Sony A350 with the 14!.2 megapixel sensor can match the average larger image of a 6 x 6, in spite of it being only 2!.4cm by 1!.6cm!.
So - at the moment - the larger format for film - yes!.
But again - at the moment - a high grade sensor on a DSLR can match the average larger format!.
Price for price - for now - the DSLR wins!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

There are only a few advantages in this day and age of digital photography!. Unless, of course, you're talking about medium format "digital", which I really don't think you are!. A medium format "back" (only) for a Hasseblad Camera (2 1/4 X 2 1/4) will cost you approx!. $30,000!.oo!. Few of us are that wealthy!.
Medium format images are only used today IF the image is going to be blown up quit large or used in a publication where the client is willing to pay the price, and few are!. The cost of shooting medium format is far higher than shooting 35mm or digital!. The equipment is more and so is the processing, etc!. And, the available accessories are not as extensive!.
As I scan all my previous medium format film positives for my upcoming website, it produces a digital image of over 200 MBs "each"!. That's a very large file!. Too large actually!. Very few software programs can handle files that large and it is a lot of work and hassle!.
Therefore, the advantages are slight, and do NOT outweigh the costs, etc!. compared to 35mm DSLR images produced by a good camera like a Nikon D2X or especially a D3 which uses a full size 35mm sensor!.
Remember, film is dead, no matter what anyone tells you!. My agent will not even accept film images anymore, and is returning all slides and negative to their photographers!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Don't fall for the megacrystal silver halide myth!. It's just a gimmick created by camera manufacturers and Enzyte salespeople!. Size doesn't matter!.
Don't take my word for it, "Resolution has little to do with image quality!. Color and tone are far more important technically!." - Ken Rockwell!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

It forces you to make every shot count!. You WILL take time to compose and expose correctly!.

You will get superior prints and enlargements from the larger negative size!.

People will look up to you, because it will give them the idea that you must know what you are doing!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Carrying a medium format around all day with a nice heavy flash will build strong biceps!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Much larger film or sensor makes for far superior image quality!.Www@QuestionHome@Com