Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Medium Format / Film / Digital Backs – and Large Sensor Photography => Topic started by: ronno on February 01, 2007, 05:18:32 pm

Title: ZD samples?
Post by: ronno on February 01, 2007, 05:18:32 pm
Anyone know where to find some decent images shot with the ZD? I guess it has been selling outside of the US for some time now, so there must be images someplace...(I am looking for images from actual use, not the Mamiya samples that came out last year...)
Thanks.
Title: ZD samples?
Post by: BernardLanguillier on February 01, 2007, 08:59:36 pm
Quote
Anyone know where to find some decent images shot with the ZD? I guess it has been selling outside of the US for some time now, so there must be images someplace...(I am looking for images from actual use, not the Mamiya samples that came out last year...)
Thanks.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=98772\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

you might want to query this very forum, Quentin and I posted sampels here before.

Regards,
Bernard
Title: ZD samples?
Post by: stefan marquardt on February 02, 2007, 03:23:35 am
I have been using my new zd for interior jobs the last weeks. Quite happy with it (apart from the  frontfocus).
the dynamic range ist just great. no more overlying two 5D images to get a better  range. (that was my main reason for the ZD). the colors and contrast are better to.
And you get that lovely 4x5kind of frame! (allthough my clients all seem to crop it down to a 35mm frame again :-(


this picture:
http://www.stefanmarquardt-architekturbild...eiss_tisch.html (http://www.stefanmarquardt-architekturbild.de/reiss_tisch/reiss_tisch.html)

has an enormous DR from the shadows to the window, there was no part of the image above 255. especialy the reflextions from the window on the floor were keept nicely. with the 5D this would have been imposible and would have required two exposures (not such a big either).

But my feeling: if you intend to use the ZD handheld (perhaps to shoot people or other moving objects) I would stay with the 5D.
I see my 5d and zörk as my mediumformat substitute and the ZD as my new 4x5 (sadly without it´s shift ability).
The ZD has an impresive mirror/shutter slab - sounds great, much more professional ;-) then the 5D "clack" but you need the mirror-lock-up and the self timer or the remote MLU from the notebook/remote capture to get the resolution advantage.

anyway, if you want a file, let me know.

stefan
Title: ZD samples?
Post by: ronno on February 02, 2007, 09:21:17 am
Stefan, those images look great, and I would love it if you could arrange for me to download full-size file. I used to use Leaf backs, but am now mostly back to Canon.

Like you, the main reasons I am considering the ZD is for the dynamic range and the shape of the frame. And I'd rather not go bigger, heavier, and more complex with a back/body solution.

By the way, how much more dynamic range do you think you are getting?

Best,
-ron
Title: ZD samples?
Post by: MichaelEzra on February 02, 2007, 09:51:45 am
Please take a look at this full-size image: 15 Mb JPG, Mamiya ZD SilkyPix 3.0 (http://timelessme.com/temp/mmfc0016_s2.jpg). Shot hand-held with 80mm lens. EXIF has all information.

Michael Ezra
www.michaelezra.com (http://michaelezra.com)
Title: ZD samples?
Post by: nik on February 02, 2007, 12:11:30 pm
Here's an architectural job I did with it a few months ago; images in the gallery are with the ZD except 4-6 & 9 (counting left to right on pg 1) http://www.5longwalk.com/gallery.asp?pageid=9 (http://www.5longwalk.com/gallery.asp?pageid=9)

-Nik
Title: ZD samples?
Post by: Quentin on February 02, 2007, 02:58:21 pm
Quote
Anyone know where to find some decent images shot with the ZD? I guess it has been selling outside of the US for some time now, so there must be images someplace...(I am looking for images from actual use, not the Mamiya samples that came out last year...)
Thanks.
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a] (http://index.php?act=findpost&pid=98772\")

Here are links to two samples (full res, converted to jpegs) I posted before

[a href=\"http://www.pbase.com/image/64654543/original]http://www.pbase.com/image/64654543/original[/url]

http://www.pbase.com/dougas_freer/image/65081388 (http://www.pbase.com/dougas_freer/image/65081388)

Quentin
Title: ZD samples?
Post by: stefan marquardt on February 02, 2007, 04:31:24 pm
<By the way, how much more dynamic range do you think you are getting?
Best,
-ron
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=98861\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
[/quote]

(ron, I just send you a private mail)

about the dynamic range: I am not sure. depends a bit on the raw converter you use. I just downloaded the RAW developer. It creates the shapest files if have seen. but I cant seem to extract as much highlight and shadow-information as with lightroom. but than again, I am just experimenting since an hour or so.


stefan
Title: ZD samples?
Post by: MichaelEzra on February 02, 2007, 04:33:14 pm
Dynamic range: You can overexpose ZD by 4 stops and recover file completely using SilkyPix3.0. Camera Raw 3.6 does not do justice to ZD's files.
Title: ZD samples?
Post by: mcfoto on February 02, 2007, 05:34:40 pm
Quote from: stefan marquardt,Feb 2 2007, 04:31 PM
<By the way, how much more dynamic range do you think you are getting?
Best,
-ron
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=98861\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

(ron, I just send you a private mail)

about the dynamic range: I am not sure. depends a bit on the raw converter you use. I just downloaded the RAW developer. It creates the shapest files if have seen. but I cant seem to extract as much highlight and shadow-information as with lightroom. but than again, I am just experimenting since an hour or so.
stefan
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=98924\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
[/quote]

Hi
With RAW D take off the sharpening that is set in default. You can always do that in PS. Also with RD you can build pre sets for the different cameras you use. It is a very fast developer also.
Title: ZD samples?
Post by: ronno on February 04, 2007, 05:38:28 pm
Thanks for the samples guys.
The D.R. does look lovely.

Keep them coming.

~ron
Title: ZD samples?
Post by: stefan marquardt on February 05, 2007, 02:52:30 am
<With RAW D take off the sharpening that is set in default. You can always do that in PS. Also with RD you can build pre sets for the different cameras you use. It is a very fast developer also.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=98934\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
[/quote]


I actualy like RD´s detail-extraction but I just cannot seem to be able to extract as much dynamic range. with lightroom you can use highlight recovery and fill-light to get a very good range. But I am still (as always) in the learning stadium.

I downloaded now silkypix, RD and LR. It´s the same as with digital cameras: there isn´t one that does it all. I probably end up using not one software for all the images, but have to choose (depending on the scene/image/lens used) the right software for each image.

stefan