dougpeterson
Workshop Member
Medium format color is a different world. However, the advantage of medium format is not necessarily that it is more saturated/vibrant than smaller formats (this can be done in post processing with even crappy point and shoots) but rather that subtle differences between similar colors will correctly show and can be exaggerated (or minimized) in post. As you saturate the files (or add contrast, clarity, or curves) the ability for the sensor/system to tell the difference between subtly different subjects becomes more important.Anyone?
Post processing can enhance the colors that are captured, but you cannot create a difference between two colors that was not captured in the first place. If a dSLR does not capture the subtle varieties of a color then when you go to saturate the image in post-processing the result can look unnatural with pasty fake looking color. The same thing can happen with a medium format image, but in general only at a higher level of saturation/enhancement.
Also to record good color the scene has to fit within the dynamic range of the camera. Medium format backs excel at recording a wide dynamic range, and recording subject matter with good color accuracy and tonal differentiation deep into that range.
Therefore, in general, a medium format image will take more post-processing abuse and still look tactile, dimensional, and "real".
Of course this is just simplifying one of many differences that exist between two very different kinds of cameras. Here is a partial list of the things that affect the final image (the point is to show there are many factors - it is a system):
Lens Hood / Flare > Lens coating > lens > aperture/shutter > body's internal blackness > IR filter > microlenses (or lack thereof) > AA filter (or lack thereof) > sensor size > sensor resolution > sensor pixel type > readout speed > sensor-to-AD-convertor path, A/D convertor (both bit depth and quality) > heat sinking / cooling > raw file compression > black calibration > in camera raw data manipulation > characteristic curve > ICC profile > demosaic algorithm > deconvolution algorithm > noise reduction type > up-res or down-res algorithm > sharpening
Note that resolution is on that list (it's what most first-time-lookers focus on) but is really only one part of the overall system.
You may find for instance, as many here have, that Capture One Pro produces much better color with your existing Canon than LightRoom or Aperture. The profiling and demosaicing in raw processing is often overlooked by users as being just something that happens in the background which takes a raw file that contains no color (only Red pixels, blue pixels, and green pixels) and lots of issues (e.g. chromatic aberration, noise, stuck pixels, color crossover, uneven spectral response etc) and makes it into the "true image" when in fact the raw processor is largely responsible for the end result (even before you go to enhance or style the image).
In medium format raw processing benifits from tight coordiantion between the hardware and software. The guys who make Phase One digital backs work down the hall from the guys who write the Capture One software that is recommended for Phase One backs. They speak constantly with Leaf and Mamiya engineers who make those backs. They all take mutual pride in making each other look better and both have a financial/business incentive to make the best total system.
Suffice it to say that medium format cameras don't have low cost, high ISO, fast shooting speeds, or a huge number of features, and they are more difficult to learn and to use; so if they don't deliver fantastic image quality and a good user experience then they won't be purchased by anyone. As a result the engineering, marketing, and resources of medium format companies goes very heavily into making the image capture the best quality images (even if it means sacrificing a convenience or non-quality-related feature).
So in short, yes, medium format colors are just better .
That said, part of it is often just better overall craftsmanship - users of medium format backs tend to be (though of course not always) more sophisticated overall photographers (composition, subject matter, post processing, lens selection, use of polarizers where useful, shooting at better times of day (even when it means waking up very early!), willing to get off the beaten path to find good stuff, patient etc). Both because it requires a major investment that usually indicates a higher level of seriousness/commitment and because the equipment itself is not conducive to run-and-gun thoughtless photography but rather encourages slower, more considered effort.
Probably you didn't get many answers quickly because this is primarily a thread intended to post images and is considered a respite from more technically/equipment oriented threads. Also because most of the difference is hard to explain until you've used medium format - the internet is full of folks trying to prove/disprove the difference using numbers or posting web JPGs. If you want the real answer to this question you really must try a back yourself by rental, purchase, or one of the workshops put on by the GetDPI folks. Of course I should point out for full disclosure that I'm highly biased in all that I've written here in that my company (Capture Integration) is a medium format dealer.
Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
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