http://photoethnography.com/ClassicCameras/filmformats.html
I found this page while looking for a list of which medium format cameras shoot 6×7 … not exactly what I was originally looking for but wanted to make a note since this is useful information. Photoethnography.com has a lot of other interesting stuff worth checking out.
120 film: Kodak numbered all of its film types, starting with 100 (I think). So 120 roll film is actually a rather early format. It was used in the Kodak Brownie cameras. The film is 60mm wide and comes on a reusable plastic spool with an opaque black paper backing. This is because unlike 35mm film, 120 film does not come in a light-tight cartridge.
Unlike 35mm film too, 120 film has no standard size. There are a variety of framing options that manufacturers have used:
| Format Name | Actual Frame Size | Shots/roll | Cameras |
| 6×4.5 | 56mm x 42mm 2352 sq.mm |
16 | Pentax 45, Mamiya 45, Hasselblad H1, etc. |
| 6×6 | 56mm x 56mm 3136 sq.mm |
12 | Hasselblad 200/500, Rollei TLR, Yashicamat TLR, etc. |
| 6×7 | 56mm x 67mm 3752 sq.mm |
10 | Pentax 67, Mamiya RB67/RZ67, etc. |
| 6×8 | 56mm x 75mm 4200 sq.mm |
8 | Some large-format roll-film backs Mamiya RB67 motorized back |
| 6×9 | Some large-format roll-film backs Fuji wide-angle panoramic rangefinders Fuji SLR medium format camera |
||
| 6×17 | Some large-format roll-film backs | ||
Compared to 35mm, medium format uses 3~4 times as much film surface. This allows for better tonality (smoother gradations), finer detail, and less apparent grain. The downside is that medium format cameras are bigger, heavier, more expensive, darker lenses (f/2.8 or f/4 is usually the largest aperture), and film-developing costs more.
|
35mm
24x36mm 864 sq.mm |
|
6×4.5 2352 sq.mm |
|
6×6 3136 sq.mm |
|
6×7 3752 sq. mm. |