One of my favorite lenses is my Hasselblad 300mm 4.5, which I use on my medium-format Leica S body. With the Leica S system, Leica makes adaptors so that other manufacturers' lenses can be used on its cameras in addition to its own line of superb optics. This opens an interesting door and widens the possibilities by adding some beautiful glass into the mix.
Regarding the electronics, the Leica S sensor is about 50 percent larger than a full-frame (Canon/Nikon/Sony) camera, and the Hasselblad H system has a sensor that is about 37 percent bigger than the Leica S. What does this mean? A lens has to have a big enough image circle to cover the sensor so that a nice sharp picture can be produced. In many cases, in order to meet a price point or physical size objective, some manufacturers make compromises. Perhaps lesser quality glass is utilized so that the center of the image is sharp, but the edges are not as much so. This is why I only use the best lenses that are available. I’m concerned about image quality above all else. So here are some examples: a typical pro-level Canon lens costs about $1,000 to $2,000, where a Leica or Hasselblad lens costs about $5,000 to $10,000 - and the price difference is reflected in the image quality. Higher quality lenses are also larger and more complex, resulting in sharper images from corner-to-corner. So let’s go back to sensor size again for a moment. Because the Hasselblad H camera has a larger sensor, it makes its lenses big enough to cover that size. Attaching a Hasselblad lens to a Leica S camera offers an even larger image circle to work with, resulting in fantastic shots.
Another consideration with medium format is dynamic range. With a super high-quality lens like the Hasselblad 300mm on my Leica S, I don’t need a Canon camera with a giant white lens attached. In fact, I get better results with a bigger sensor and a shorter and more exotic lens, and I do this by cropping. Because the sensor has so much more resolution than a full-frame camera, there’s a lot more data to work with. I’ve spent a lifetime shooting with all types of cameras and lenses in all kinds of conditions. Having the equipment that I do gives me more options for obtaining a certain look that I’m after. Here’s another example of a wider image circle on a smaller sensor. I also have a Leica SL with a full frame sensor, and this camera also has an adaptor that allows the use of Leica S lenses on the SL. Between the two systems, I have an almost unlimited range of lenses.
When you are thinking about hiring a photographer, please consider what goes into producing images. It’s more than just seeing a few pictures on your phone or your laptop. Shooting with a medium format system requires practicing good technique, and that makes for great results in all formats.