The pinnacle of the competition (?)

[adan]

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Michael Reichmann's review of the Phase One 65+ 60-Mpixel back and Phase One 645AF camera (ported Mamiya) is up:

 

P65+ Field Review

 

Yeah I know it's a bigger sensor and a bigger box to lug around and a bigger price than even the worst nightmares about the S2. ($45K with camera and one (1) lens, 40K back only).

 

Maybe they can't, or shouldn't, be compared. But it's still interesting background information.

 

Only 1.6x more pixels, 1.27x more linear resolution

[wattsy]

Only 1.6x more pixels, 1.27x more linear resolution

 

That's an interesting point. Reichmann (who is, of course, the ultimate gear head) rather fancifully describes these advances as exponential improvements.

 

I like the fact that he welcomes the inclusion of a 4GB card with this $40k camera.

[stevelap]

Also a tad odd that he didn't much fancy $7.5k for the new top of the DSLR heap (D3x, too expensive, too big) but $40k+ for the top digital MF monster is ok.

 

I can understand why he preferred the price of the a900 now...... saving all his cents for the P65;).

[paulmoore]

Michael Reichmann's review of the Phase One 65+ 60-Mpixel back and Phase One 645AF camera (ported Mamiya) is up:

 

P65+ Field Review

 

Yeah I know it's a bigger sensor and a bigger box to lug around and a bigger price than even the worst nightmares about the S2. ($45K with camera and one (1) lens, 40K back only).

 

Maybe they can't, or shouldn't, be compared. But it's still interesting background information.

 

Only 1.6x more pixels, 1.27x more linear resolution

 

there is that something extra which the back produces that is not exponential but takes it a leap further. I remember getting my epson 4800 and wow, it crossed the line from inkjet to photoprinter.. not sure how much better it really was from my epson3000 but it was the first printer that could produce photo-looking prints.. at least to me. So too is the p65+ by michael's definition..giving true large format appearance in good size prints.

Whether it is worth the money is another issue, and an individual one..but nobody doubts that it is at the top of the heap right now.

[ptomsu]

I heard the same great things about the P65+ back. It seems to be the first REAL MF back if these words have some meaning. Great IQ and great technical features!

 

If it is worth the money - not for me, I simply would not sink as much money in such a fast changing technology. My idea is to go for the H3D2 and the 50MP back which is around €17990.- excl. VAT here in Europe, Sitll lots of money, but half the price of the 65+ and the 60 back when HaBla will have it available later this year.

 

I have similar observations though that there is a certain border in quality and once you cross it you get the real AHA feeling. For me this came with buying the Hasselblad Flextight X5 scanner to scan my 6x6 films and 645 films and of course 35mm material. This machine is outstanding, superb, great etc. etc! And suddenly all my analog / digital workflow came to new life (actually came to life) and I enjoy now finetunig photos I scanned and try to prepare now for large scale fine art printing. So this investment (I was happy to get a used one but almost new for a very good price) was actually the best I did for my photography over the last 10 years or so.

 

Similar it must be with that 65+ back. But coming back to the Leica S2 I would wish this camera would bring a similar step in digital photographic life, but I doubt because it is well below the size and capabilities of the 60MP backs.

[paulmoore]

for me the p65+, and the yet to be seen hasselblad 60mp and the leaf 60mp are all in what use to be called large format and the S2 is squarely in the realm of medium format..and in a small format package..I have not seen or has anyone really seen a raw S2 image and lived to tell about it.. but I would bet it exceeds any med.format film from any camera. I am fine with the S2 being the best it can be in a small package.. and like all the old 120 film cameras that were smallish they had limits..sure guys like brett weston and Ansel Adams and others shot some great stuff with medium format, but they still had the big guns they shot with.. Films got to be so good that weston shot a lot with a rolleiflex the last 20 years he photographed. So it is with digital.. the S2 will be good enough for almost everything..but there will always be bigger cameras and sensors.

[ptomsu]

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for me the p65+, and the yet to be seen hasselblad 60mp and the leaf 60mp are all in what use to be called large format and the S2 is squarely in the realm of medium format..and in a small format package..I have not seen or has anyone really seen a raw S2 image and lived to tell about it.. but I would bet it exceeds any med.format film from any camera. I am fine with the S2 being the best it can be in a small package.. and like all the old 120 film cameras that were smallish they had limits..sure guys like brett weston and Ansel Adams and others shot some great stuff with medium format, but they still had the big guns they shot with.. Films got to be so good that weston shot a lot with a rolleiflex the last 20 years he photographed. So it is with digital.. the S2 will be good enough for almost everything..but there will always be bigger cameras and sensors.

 

I would love to see that become true. I am desperately waiting for some real results to judge. Best landscape!