[photo-3d] Why Not MF?

[markaren@xxxxxxxxx]

One word can describe what stands between me and medium
format...........marriage. :-) No, seriously.... here's a partial list
of my reasons for not making the leap:
Ignorance and Education- with time and practice I have a strong
understanding of my 35 equipment, films etc. When I press the shutter
the results are almost always predictable. I would have to " start over"
with MF in the sense that I'm unaware of most equipment, would have to
learn focal lengths, hyperfocal relationships etc. to obtain controlled
and predictable results etc. 
Photo Style: my favorite images reveal some special effects or fleeting
motion etc. How would I change my shooting style to accomodate MF? Would
I burn less film, shoot more conservatively, change the way I approach
stereo? I see it as a trade-off.....I would appreciate the advantages of
MF while still favoring 35 in many situations. This would feel like
having 2 wives. :-) I'm not sure I could handle the emotional pressure.
:-)
Stereo Services: I thought I'd try to model myself after Dr. T and turn
a few bucks offering stereo related services....primarily shooting and
mounting services etc. I can precision mount my 35 film quickly with
little effort. STL viewers are still expensive in bulk....but affordable
enough to give away sample images here and there in an effort to get
work. MF is impractical for resale purposes........although I would
enjoy compiling such a portfolio.
I could go on and on but to summarize let me just say this.......if you
own a twin rig or an 7-8p quality camera like an RBT, a quality viewer
like a T'd Red Button, a proficiency for precision mounting, and use a
fine grain film ( provia is my favorite) you are 80%+ there.
Understanding the law of diminishing returns, you buy the best equipment
you can possibly afford to obtain the best results you can within your
budget. I'd rather have 1 RBT camera than 8-9 Nimslo, realist, kodak (
insert camera name here) etc. I'm sure many folks have gone through a
stereo consolidation and dumped tons of cameras, viewers and related
goodies to move into a 35mm RBT or MF rig. I know I did! But dumping 35
for MF is not the same thing! I have to figure out a way to own both.
:-)
                                                 Mark Dottle