Handsdown review ZD back with 645AF/DII

[Frank Doorhof]

WEBMASTER...
I have posted a link to my page with the review because I don't know if I break any rules by the large pictures.
If you want to copy paste feel free, but for safe keeping I used the link.

http://www.doorhof.nl/blog/index.php?topic=1123.msg3225#msg3225


Greetings,
Frank
www.frankdoorhof.com

[Asher Kelman]

A most important examimination. How on earth did you get this done in 4 hours!!

Frank, kudos to you, a great job.

Asher

[Klaus Esser]

WEBMASTER...
I have posted a link to my page with the review because I don't know if I break any rules by the large pictures.
If you want to copy paste feel free, but for safe keeping I used the link.

http://www.doorhof.nl/blog/index.php?topic=1123.msg3225#msg3225


Greetings,
Frank
www.frankdoorhof.com


Molto interessante! :-) . . . but - will they release it? Rumors say: no. That would be sad.

best, Klaus

[Georg Baumann]

Yeah, thanks for that Frank, a lot of work went into it, that is for sure.

I would expect the 3D (trees) aspect to be even more dominant in the print results, would that be right?

[Georg Baumann]

Molto interessante! :-) . . . but - will they release it? Rumors say: no. That would be sad.

best, Klaus

Hi Klaus,

yeah, really weired, a lot of conflicting information in deed.

[Klaus Esser]

Hi Klaus,

yeah, really weired, a lot of conflicting information in deed.

yes, you name it, man :-) !

best, Klaus (ich hab immer noch nicht zurückgerufen, schei . . - mach ich aber noch! Bin elendig viel unterwegs und in Hotels)

[Georg Baumann]

no problem Buddy! Just let me know when you have time. I am in germany in July.... mhhh....let me think whether I can manage to come to that parkingspace in front of cologne. <grins> I am in Marburg on business, and time is tight.... we'll see....

[Asher Kelman]

So how do you like the pictures Frank showed here here (http://www.doorhof.nl/blog/index.php?topic=1123.msg3225#msg3225)?

Asher

[Ray West]

It is not easy comparing jpegs across the web, but the detail looks fine. Roughly speaking, I guess as the 5d is an improvement on a 7Mp crop camera, the zd back, being twice the size again, will be four times as good as the 5d ;-). I'm happy to trust Frank's judgement.

The only reservation I would have, other than justifying the initial cost, is the longer term viability of the company. I think, the camera and a range of lenses would not be that much more expensive than Canon L glass and a 5d, plus the choice, since MF is feasible, of using alternatives. I expect, if your business is selling photos of a certain type, then the price difference, if any, would be recovered pretty quick. If they published the serial coms protocol, then I may try and justify purchasing just the back.

I think the larger format, gives a more gradual focus fall-off, thus increasing the 3d look.

Best wishes,

Ray

[Klaus Esser]

"I am in Marburg on business, and time is tight.... we'll see....>

why not meet somewhere at half way? let´s see :-)

best, Klaus

[Frank Doorhof]

I'm not afraid of Mamiya dissapearing.
With this back they made a huge opening for MF doubters like me.
I think it will boost their sales enourmously.

For the pricing of a Phase one or Leaf I would have probarbly bought the 1DsIII and kept on dreaming for a MF system.

[leonardobarreto.com]

I think that collecting a Mamiya optic system and a AFD body is probably a safe and sound moove. The quality of the lenses is good, the cameras are --accordingly to some -- more ergonomic than the H system, and is the platform with the most second-hand and new alternatives for digital backs (the Hasselblad V mount is also a popular one). My dealer told me that "the most communication between camera and back is with the AFD")

Mamiya was the master of MF and Hasselblads are basically Fujifilm cameras.

Probably the ZD back is a "work in progress", and making it almost brings down the company but they may have passed the worst part of the storm and may land well and sound...

So, I would go for the camera system and wait a bit to know more about the ZD back

[Nicolas Claris]

WEBMASTER...
I have posted a link to my page with the review because I don't know if I break any rules by the large pictures.
If you want to copy paste feel free, but for safe keeping I used the link.

http://www.doorhof.nl/blog/index.php?topic=1123.msg3225#msg3225


Greetings,
Frank
www.frankdoorhof.com

Bonjour Frank
Sorry but these last days (and next ones!) were really busy so I haven't seen your post before.
Some comments ;-):

[From the webmaster,]
posting here your entire article would have been no problem for OPF (au contraire!) the normal size of an image is 800 pix wide, but here have been some exceptions in the past... the only limitation is 4 images per post so you would have had to split your article.
[End of webmaster comment!]

Now mines! I HATE YOU! ;•-)
It's been some time I do think about moving from 1DSMkII to MF (as IDSMk3 is sleeping somewhere in the Canon marketing limbs) but my business can't afford the delta of expenses... And now you bring these very, very interesting article Grrrrrrr!
I'll have to dig that even more precisely… I feel I would like it (hence the title of this §)

- Do we have an idea of costS for such gear? (body, back, lenses (new, no Ebay))
- Pardon my newbie to MF, stupid, dum question, but what focal variety of lenses can we find on such combination?
I love focals I have for the Canon (from 12 to 500mm), I know that with bigger sensor, larger file I'll may crop, but though this happens to me I don't like that much cropping an image, I prefer to compose when I shoot... and anyway, ther's nothing in common but framing between to shots one cropped and not the other, crop 50% of a 200mm, you'll never get what a 400mm can bring to you, in terms of contrasts, dynamic, compression etc.

Now I wonder what Pentax will put on the market next fall...

THANK YOU

[Asher Kelman]

Well, I just read the additons to Franks report and it just gets better.

Thanks Frank!

Nicolas, the wide angles with the MF will be staggering!

Look up the available lenses. You will be happy.

Looks like you will go for vone of each!

Actually you can get a used Mamiya and try it out with film. That is not expensive at all!

Asher

[Nicolas Claris]

Nicolas, the wide angles with the MF will be staggering!


¿¿ What do you mean ??

What would be a good as wide as possible? Equivalent to 20mm more, less?

What should I google to find infos?

What are the rules to convert/understand beside 24x36 lenses?

[Klaus Esser]

"What would be a good as wide as possible? Equivalent to 20mm more, less?"

to get an equivalent to a 1DsMkII´s 20mm as MF is going to be very expensive. If there is one at all . .
the only equivalent of fine quality i know is Hasselblads SWC´s Zeiss Biogon 38mm. About 5000$ as i remenber.

best, Klaus

[leonardobarreto.com]

I got my 35mm AF for Mamiya at under $1k demo and it is a good lens. A little barrel distortion, but easily fixable with LensFix.

Mamiya has also announced a 28mm lens to compete with the Fujifilm (Hasselblad) one. I don't know when and what price will it be, but probably less than $5k

You can also use things like Schneider 25mm APO Digitar. This is what B&H has about it...

The Schneider 24mm APO f5.6 XL lens has a helical focusing mount and Wide DS lensplate. With a 22MP CCD this lens gives coverage equivalent to a 17mm lens on 35mm format. With a 17MP CCD this lens gives equivalent coverage to a 19mm lens on 35mm format. This lens is intended for use with digital backs, and can be used with roll film if there is sufficient coverage - It does not have sufficient coverage to be used with 4x5" film.

but it IS $3,500

[leonardobarreto.com]

http://www.alpa.ch/picture.php?pict=images/products/151/alpa_160025020_001.jpghttp://www.alpa.ch/index.php?path=products/lenses/lenses

[Nicolas Claris]

Thanks Leonardo and Klaus
any input on (very) long lenses?

alpa looks... nice!

[leonardobarreto.com]

http://photosig.pcphotoreview.com/mfr/mamiya/medium-format/PRD_84526_3113crx.aspx

[Asher Kelman]

Hi Nicolas,

At $3,200 and equivalent focal length to 35mm of 186mm this 3lb lens 300mm f4.5 lerns is fine for some of your work, but a lot of money for nevertheless. could you infact use it in your work?

Asher

[Nicolas Claris]

Hi Nicolas,

At $3,200 and equivalent focal length to 35mm of 186mm this 3lb lens 300mm f4.5 lerns is fine for some of your work, but a lot of money for nevertheless. could you infact use it in your work?

Asher

Bonjour Asher
I would need to try if I want to know...

I am not a tacatacatacataca shooter but obviously it would push me to slown down shooting, I see, forsee, this more as a good thing than as a bad one...

For the rest of it ? Maybe I'll rent some for a real life test... but I would like to rent the same set of gear that I would be eventually on the market for... hence all my newbie questions.

BTW, why : the wide angles with the MF will be staggering! I don't get it, can you explain? thanks!

[leonardobarreto.com]

I know that the 645AFD mount is the same as the 645 PRO Manual F. but have no experience on actually using the older lenses on the new body. There are probably other alternatives for the PRO since the AF is a much newer system. Probably the worst would be the communication regarding the diaphragm.

[Frank Doorhof]

Lens choice will be not a real factor for me to be honest.
I now own the following lenses:
35mm Manual (on its way)
110-210 AF (on its way)
120mm Macro manual focus
80mm f2.8 AF

I was thinking about maybe buying a 300mm manual second hand but I think I will forget about that, I still keep the 5D for the reach, I still have the 100-400, 1.4x/2.0x, 28-75, 15-30 and 70-200 f2.8 L IS so I have a whole reach there.

The mamiya will be used for my modelphotography, product, landscapes (getting into that thanks to LL) and of course urban, nightscenes, street etc.

For sports/birding and zoo's I will keep the 5D, it's also a stunning camera, and maybe replace it in a year or so with the 5DII.

So I will keep both systems making the lenschoices very easily.