[Leica] Film format

[lrzeitlin at aol.com]

		George writes:

620 roll film, 120 roll film, 70 mm roll film, 
which included 6 x 4.5 cm, 6 x 6 cm, 6 x 7 cm, 6 x 9 cm frame cameras and or backs
were all referred to as ?medium format.?

4 x 5" sheet film and larger were referred to as ?large format?
even though 4 x 5" seems rather small when compared to 11 x 14" and 12 x 20".

2 1/4 x 3 1/4" sheet film - fell into a void - terminology wise.

+ + +
Of course everyone remembers that all sizes below 6x9 cm were called "miniature." Especially when compared to the 4x5 inch standard of press photography. My favorite camera of the 40s and 50s was a three pound "miniature" Kodak Medalist that took wonderful pictures on now obsolete 620 film. Despite the efforts of photographers like HCB, 35 mm postage stamp sized negatives were regarded as too small to be taken seriously. Leica were expensive pieces of jewelry, sort of like photographic Mont Blanc pens, carried to show how rich you were.
Larry Z