petrochemist
TPF junkie!
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- Mar 9, 2014
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If I recall from the 80's-90's, medium format film was never "mainstream", the 35mm market was?
Not in the 80s & 90s but it was in the 30s,40s & 50s.
If you got a camera in that time period it was most likely to take 120 or 220 film. Later 35mm came along and offered a smaller camera that could now give reasonable IQ.
Looking though the history of Photography the sensor/film size of mainstream cameras the size has steadily reduced. Before 120 film it was half plate & quarter plate (5x4 & 10x8)
It's only enthusiasts & professionally who want/need extra quality that really benefit from even APSC let alone 'full frame' & medium format. Without some very significant extra capability the extra bulk will keep digital medium format a niche product, even if price was equivalent to a DSLR.