Leaf-Mamiya

[Carlton]

Just got my PPA mag and in it I see advertised a "Leaf-Mamiya Pro Digital 6" ("The first integrated medium format digital camera"). Price $6999 US gets the digital back, camera body (645AFD) and 80mm lens.

I guess it's a 6 mega because it says at the bottom of page "available in 11 and 22 Megapixel models".

This camera looks very fine, but I just wonder how it stacks up to the S2 or S3? Of course the 11 & 22 megapixel would be better for large images, but can it be that much better?

Thoughts?

[coolrun]

Originally posted by Carlton
Leaf-Mamiya Pro Digital 6
Thoughts?

Re-read mlsphoto's thoughts on the PMA show. He said medium format is dead.

Quoting professor Michael:

"Or MF backs; but don't get me started on MF. Dinosaurs in the tar; asteroid's already hit the planet, and they don't yet know they're toast. Brains the size of a walnut. They had a good run though. Dinosaurs, I mean. Funny, I didn't see Hassleblad AT ALL at PMA. Hmmm. The once mighty, and still classic Rollei was stuck off in a corner; kinda sad if you are "old school". The fish seem to have grown legs."

[Wichita Wayne]

Rummers have it that the Nikon F6 will look like a MF camera but smaller. You will be able to shoot film or digital backs, and you might even have a choice of digital backs. Seems like I remember a German built Contax that was built like this, maybe it will rear its head once more. I have also read that the new Hasselblad H-1 will get a square format digital back that stores raw files on CF cards or microdrives. Lenses will be made of liquid filled things that can change like the lens in your eye (see DPreview news today). As far as medium format, I think it will evolve with everything else. In fact I wish I was a fly in the Hasselblad Engineering facility in Sweden. With regards to the Mamiya mentioned before it is going to have an impact on the industry for sure. Has anybody heard anything about Rolli or Bronica?

[Swampy]

But Kodak has thier DCS645 back for the H-1 already. Maybe everyone is happy with that?

[ianmcc]

Kodak is officially out of the MF back retail game. They will continue to make chips for everyone else, but they quit selling backs. Already gone on the website.

Everything right now is designed to fit existing gear. The H1 is the sign of things to come, a camera designed from the ground up for this kind of work.

As to the advantage,.. ever tried something like a H1? A dream to shoot with, the viewfinder alone makes it worthwhile to shoot and not THAT much bigger than say a Kodak 760 in weight.

[Swampy]

I've shot the H1 with the 645 back. It is VERY nice. Focus, viewfinder, shutter feel... first class all the way. Picture quality was outstanding as well.