It’s LENSEL, part newsletter, part secret weapon. Delivering you your weekly dose of news and insight from the world of wedding photography. Here’s what is on today:

• What medium format film cameras are worth exploring at weddings? We have some (soft) RECS to dive into.

• Industry reports let you know if you are a normal photographer, or NOT.

• The rest of the news, and inspo to keep you ahead of the game.

  
  Now, let’s get to it ⬇️

NEWS

Happening this Week

• The popular X100 series goes medium format. Fujifilm just dropped the GFX100RF — a medium format, fixed-lens BEAUTY of a camera, with a 28mm equivalent focal length and all the vibes of the cult-classic X100. It’s sleek, VERY expensive, and maybe overkill — unless you’re a resolution junkie casually shooting weddings at 100MP+. Still tempting though? Very.

• White Lotus x Weddings? White Lotus actor Patrick Swarzenegger and his fiance modelled this week for SKIMS weddings campaign. And YES we loved the direct flash look + all the styling.

• Are you normal? 2024 Industry Insights. Pic-Time released their 2024 industry survey data. Observing interesting trends like the rise of portrait orientation images (this is the hard data), and average number of delivered photos. Check it out here to see if you are ‘normal’.

• B&H NYC supersized. This week B&H announced their purchase of a HUGE new building, just around the corner from the old one in New York. Can the supersized camera store get even more supersize? Because that would be dreams.

• Canon Teases. Canon is leading us on with a new camera announcement set for the 26th of March. No official specs yet, but the internet’s already buzzing. It’s been a long while since they made a great compact camera - so here’s hoping for something good.

• Try out AI Editing for FREE. If you haven’t yet tried some AI editing help, now is a very good time. Narrative is letting you edit for free all March.

• What it looks like to rebrand. This week two legendary photographers teamed up and rebranded together, here’s RATTA STUDIO, the new concept from Anna Roussos and Thanos Asfis.

FILM

🙌🏼 Medium Format Recs - elevating your film game

If the new film wave is here to stay, then 2025 is the year of getting more serious with film. Let’s not just stick with point-and-shoot party snaps please. We want to see more intentional, well-exposed, framed, toned work. Film that says PRO, not just another ‘film bro’… SO today we are simply diving into a few medium format film camera recommendations to explore:

Firstly, why medium format? Well, simply put, bigger can equal better. Medium format film (typically 120) just has a bigger negative and gives you way more resolution than 35mm... this can equal better tones, depth, skin tone, grain, and flexibility in the scan. Yes, 35mm is cheaper and more efficient. But IF you're looking to elevate your film portfolio, medium format can give you a look that stands out from ‘film smash.’

We chatted with film wedding photographer and well known film nerd danielknightharris this week and put together a little list of cameras and a few thoughts on each⬇️

Mamiya RB67 / RZ67
“The most beautiful 6x7 negatives with close focus but the least viable for weddings without an assistant. Unreal for printing.” Yes, it’s big, slow, and fully manual — no autofocus, no metering. Not going to be the best for in the moment photos and would be reserved for slower portrait sessions. A wedding maybe.

Mamiya 7II
“Lenses which are sharp and create stunning, exhibition-like 6x7 negatives — but just don’t knock the rangefinder or wind on the film too enthusiastically or you’ll need a big repair.” One of the nicest blends in the 6x7 range between image quality and portability, but no autofocus (rangefinder only) and very fragile. Handle with care. Another wedding maybe.

Pentax 67 and 67ii
“In theory incredible, in practice it’s all about how physically ripped you are. A portrait photographer’s dream and a lower back nightmare. The 105mm and the 55mm are legendary.” Gorgeous images full of character, especially with that 105mm f/2.4. But it’s enormous, loud, and slow — and again there's no autofocus. Again, a win for a portrait session or a slow getting ready. Plus it helps that legends we love like James Harvey Kelly constantly show off what this camera can do. A wedding sometimes.

Pentax 645N / 645Nii
“Plastic fantastic but a real winner. A workhorse and maybe the best mix of everything— but buy the N or Nii version.” A real option for weddings. And why? AUTOFOCUS, built-in metering and the 645 negative size. It may not be the coolest looking camera, but it’s got a great mix of ingredients for weddings. Get in quick to nab one of these before the prices skyrocket - we’ve been seeing these get popular. A wedding yes.

Contax 645
“A beauty, a legend, and a bit of a back/bank breaker. The lenses are something special and it’s not just the 80mm that has character. Modular, which somewhat means you can replace instead of repair — but the film backs can be temperamental and shift the plane of focus, so buy tested and warrantied.” Autofocus is there again, 645 again. And beautiful. It’s one of the best systems for wedding film, if you're willing to deal with the weight, quirks, and price tag. A wedding yes.

Makina 67
“A beautiful and iconic design that creates stunning images with the 2.8 Nikkor. Hard to repair and has bellows and a rangefinder that you need to baby to avoid repairs.”
No autofocus, delicate bellows, and a known repair headache — but when it works, it really works. Better suited to personal work or controlled shoots than full wedding days. Although, legends like Joel & Justyna go SO well with this camera.

Hasselblad H1 / H2
“A forgotten Contax 645 contender, but with film backs that are so expensive and can scratch the film.” Autofocus is decent, but the reliability issues (especially with the backs) make this one a gamble. Still worth a look if you find a perfect condition setup.

Fujifilm GF670
“Stunning images and fun to use — similar to the Makina. When it goes down, the rangefinder gets out of alignment or the bellows crunkle and it’s a repair nightmare.”
Beautiful 6x7 images in a surprisingly portable body. But like the Makina, it’s fragile. No autofocus and difficult (sometimes impossible) to repair. Think of it as a luxury sidearm — not a main tool.

To Sum?
The lack of autofocus from many of these amazing cameras put them in the category of a sometimes and maybe for weddings. A compliment to other cameras, but not the main (film) camera. IF you are looking for a medium format allrounder to use during all stages of the wedding, our LENSEL recommendation is to look into one of the 645 systems from Pentax or Contax. These offer the best balance between a large negative with medium format benefits, and the speed and autofocus of many 35mm cameras. Essential at weddings.

An alternate view
Daniel also pointed out that some photographers chasing “better film work” might be skipping a step. Yes, medium format is beautiful. The depth, the tones, the detail — it’s all real. But so is the power of a dialed-in 35mm setup.

A late-model 35mm camera with a sharp, fast lens — like the Canon 1V, 3 or 30v with the 40mm pancake, or the Nikon F100 with a 35mm — gives you everything you actually need: reliable metering, blazing-fast autofocus, and a setup built to move fast on a wedding day.

Get your exposures right. Work with a good lab. Learn how your scans behave. And adjust. That alone can put you ahead of most film shooters out there and again, ahead of all of the ‘film smash’ out there.

Because while moving to medium format can get you a unique and standout look, it won’t help much if you skip the basics.

Let’s make 2025 a year of better film in weddings. Let’s go.

WORKSHOPS

🛠️ Announcing GREG FINK Workshop

SO excited to announce this.
Our MAY workshop inside Lensel PRO is with none other than, Greg Fink.

Greg is hands down one of the most sought after wedding photographers in the world and is an legend of the wedding game. With his timeless style, relentless consistency in framing and editing, and outstanding business success he is truely a photographer to admire and emulate. Don't miss this chance to dive into his world! 

Wednesday 14th of May, 5.30pm CET - Live with GREG FINK
Join Lensel PRO to access this workshop + SO many exciting announcements to make in the coming weeks.

INSPO THIS WEEK

⬇️ In love with these creative, minimal and symmetrical frames.

⬇️ Editorial meets a bit of film, and a bit of chaos. The perfect mix of style and moments. Perfect for 2025.

⬇️ We’re going to forgive the orange skin tones a second and embrace this colour vibe and wildly out there series of frames. SUCH a unique perspective on weddings with a special shout out to pulling the grooms tie into the frame - WE DARE YOU at your next!

⬇️ ICONIC dad photos to celebrate Dad’s day in Spain from Norwud. Each of these is spectacular inspo.

⬇️ We can’t let this issue end without you laying eyes on the rest of this wedding. And specifically the photography. It’s no mean feat to capture such a mix of concepted ideas, documentary moments, and perfect details at such a high profile wedding… Mixed in with an amazing colour vibe. This is 10/10. Take notes for your 2025 season everyone.