Just like most people reading this, I starting shooting medium format to get larger prints with more resolution/sharpness. Of course, medium format itself is not going to be the silver bullet here. There are factors such as lens choice, film choice, camera , ISO, shutter speed and so on that could help increase resolution/sharpness when wanting to make larger prints. 

And like most of you, I did not really want to spend a lot of money on gear and developing costs. My first foray into medium format was getting a 1960s Voigtlander 1 off of Esty. It did not come with various frame inserts, so the default here was 6X9. When I got a photo in focus, the resolution was great. However, rarely, was I able to get my shots in focus. This is even after downloading the manual and really reading up on scale focusing. Shooting with this camera became sort of a mystery I wanted to solve or lottery I wanted to win … just one more role of film and, surely, all the photos will be in focus. It was just not meant to be. (My esteemed respect for anyone who can take 8 photos in focus with the Voigtlander 1.)

So, this leads me to the main focus here: the Fuji 645 Wide 60. This is a medium format rangefinder camera where getting your shots in focus is easy. The only minor headache is when you are shooting in very bright light as the light can overpower the parallax function in the view finder. You can cut a small piece of  developed film remnant and tape it over the viewfinder if this becomes a big issue for you.

There are a quite a few other pages/videos out there on the technical aspects of this camera. I will just say that loading the film, selecting the shutter speed and focusing will be relatively easy after a few sessions with this camera. It will feel different at first, but you will definitely grow to like how it functions. Note - it is totally automatic … no auto focus or anything like that. There is, however, a built in light meter, which works really well. After a few roles, you will realize you do not need to keep bracketing your shots. It is a center weighted meter that is really spot on, except maybe in really, really bright light. In this scenario, especially with black and white film, it will over expose a bit. The meter requires a cell battery; I have had the same battery in for over two years. 

The majority of my Virginia: Changing Topography series was shot with the Fuji 645. So, you can judge the picture quality there. When I scan film, I use a Hasselblad Flextight drum scanner. You will be able to print very large prints if you wish. I opt for 8 by 12 or a little bigger so I do not have to spend hours editing out all the dust and whatnot on such a large file scan. With that said, the more affordable Epson V600 will do very nicely as well for scans to print.

In addition to the reasons above, I also really like this camera because of its ability to flash sync up to a shutter sped of 500. 500 is the fastest shutter speed for this camera by the way. This makes getting shadows out of shaded portraits easy if that is what you you want to do. It also does a nice job of balancing the in the overall photo. Also, although at night you cannot really see out of the viewfinder, you can scale focus and just set your aperture at F8 or a touch higher and set your shutter at speed at 500, assuming you have 400 speed film in, and get a lot of great night shots of people or other random things you would like to shoot. 

Finally, one of the most intriguing aspects of this camera is its looks. When you pull this out of your bag, most people will definitely ask about this camera. When you are shooting in the street or whatever, most people will think you are a professional because of the unique look to the camera. (It even says “Professional” on the camera.) You could also even pass as a civil engineer if you put on a hard hat and a reflective vest, which would be an interesting way to get some candid shots if you are into that. 

There are, of course, a few negatives about this camera. The build quality is not all that great. As you can see from the picture above, I had to re-tape the viewfinder back on. 
It sort of got disconnected by getting caught on another camera in my bag. I probably could have added a touch of glue, but the tape seems to keep it in place and give it that “in-the-field-look”. Another slight negative is its size, but it is pretty light and will not cramp your back like a Kiev 60 or Pentax 645. Last, some may not like that the widest aperture is F4. However, this has not really been an issue for my photography.

Overall, if you are thinking about getting a medium format camera that takes very crisp pictures, is lightweight, and easy to use, the Fuji 645 Wide 60 is definitely a great choice. 

The links below show all the necessities if you are ready to get this camera: 

Fuji 645 Wide 60:   found on Ebay here and here and here.

Battery for Fuji 645 Wide 60:  https://amzn.to/2F4VVWc

120 Film (Medium format film): One thing nice about all the films below is that if you have local photo store that processes film, these are all C41. So, most local labs can develop these.

* Ilford XP2 Black and White Film: found on eBay here.

* Portra Color Film: https://amzn.to/2Q66QFy

* Fuji 400h Color Film: https://amzn.to/2tUFsS7

* Ektar 100 Color Film: https://amzn.to/37ldIo6

Epson Scanners: 

* Epson V600 - https://amzn.to/39i32bT

*Epson Perfection V850 Pro  - https://amzn.to/2Q7ccjJ

Yes - the links above are affiliate links. The artists’ hustle is truly real.