Mamiya ZD DSLR vs Leica S2

[alan.y]

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Hello, has anyone here used the old Mamiya ZD DSLR with a 22MP 48x36mm DALSA CCD sensor? The sensor is I think a generation before the S2's and seems to be noisier, and the processing is only 12 bit. I'm curious about how it compares to the S2 otherwise.

[John McMaster]

So an older sensor with lenses designed for film (although only taking the central section) compared to a ground up designed for digital solution with +50% more pixels?

john

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[Sarnian]

Been there, done that, sold the T-shirt. The S2 wins on every level.

If you can pick one up for, say, £300 and already have Mamiya lenses then I guess it's fun to play with in a nostalgic kind of way. If you're one of the people who think that the rear screen on the S2 isn't that good then you're in for a shock when you 'review' images on the ZD's screen. Most people don't bother and just treat it as if it is a film camera! It's also very slow and has a very limited ISO range. I'd personally put the money towards another S lens. 👍

Edited February 20, 2021 by Sarnian

[Stuart Richardson]

I had an Sinar eMotion 22, which I believe had the same sensor. The S2 is in an entirely different league in every way. I am not sure how the color is on the ZD, but I found the eMotion to be terrible even at the time. It looked like a 22mp point and shoot camera. It was prone to clipping and had an ancient interface and terrible battery life. I spent a lot of money buy a used one at a large discount in 2006 on a Hy6 and it was a huge regret. Film was far better. The DMR, M8 and M9 all took much nicer photos than it did, with more natural color. The Sinar won on detail, but nothing else, and for the M9 the difference was negligible. The S2 has very little in common with this era of back. It was the best of the CCD cameras ever made, and it is still very usable today. If you are interested in using a digital back on an MF camera, I think the CFV and Hasselblad backs are probably a better avenue for exploration.

[Sarnian]

36 minutes ago, Stuart Richardson said:

I am not sure how the color is on the ZD

Not too bad (but it takes more effort to get there).

 

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[alan.y]

I'm intrigued mainly because it's a bit lighter than the S (body itself, plus those old Mamiya manual lenses are very light and compact) and has a bigger sensor and a 4:3 aspect ratio, which I really like. This is one of the few informative reviews out there: https://www.pebbleplace.com/reviews/medium_format/mamiya_zd/index.html

Overall I agree the S's default output is more pleasing. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Sarnian]

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That review is what started me on my ZD journey (both the DSLR and ZDb). After trying them both for myself I came out agreeing with the reviewer’s comments. It’s telling that he no longer uses the ZD...

The S2 is SO much better in the hand that the extra weight is pretty much nullified.

Having the bigger sensor is nice as you get a wider aspect from the lenses. Having said that, stitching tools are so good these days that taking 2 shots with the S2 will capture what you would have got with the ZD - and result in a MUCH better image. This is probably only applicable to landscape and cityscape work but I trust that you get my point?