Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Digital Cameras & Shooting Techniques => Topic started by: Rainer SLP on January 03, 2003, 08:28:36 pm

Title: New Medium Format Back
Post by: Rainer SLP on January 03, 2003, 08:28:36 pm

[font color=\'#000000\']Maybe because the size is 24 x 36mm? and that is not enough for Medium Format?[/font]

Title: New Medium Format Back
Post by: MBB on January 04, 2003, 01:05:28 am

[font color=\'#000000\']Sure the 14n sensor is only 24 X 36 but if you will check(go to Mamiya's web page for example), you will see that many of the other sensors currently used in medium format digital backs are also 24 x 36 right now, very few are larger.  As to the dynamic range... if it's good enough for a high end 35 mm outfit don't you think it would find a lot of applications in the medium format arena?  That 6 or 7 f-stops is better than most film.  Kodak's DCS Pro BAck plus is only optionally tethered to a computer.  It also runs using one or two micro drives for storage.  Obviuosly this new back would not be the biggest nor the best, but I think there is definitely a nitche that manufacturers have missed.  Not everyone needs the $25,000 back![/font]

Title: New Medium Format Back
Post by: Ray on January 06, 2003, 06:12:57 am

Quote

That 6 or 7 f-stops is better than most film.  

Not true. Better than or equal to most slide film. Below colour negative and way below B&W. When you've been used to getting the dynamic range of B&W film with your $25,000 digital MF back, you probably wouldn't be interested in a lower performing product even though the price is lower. Professionals tend to go for the best.

Title: New Medium Format Back
Post by: MBB on January 03, 2003, 06:06:07 pm

[font color=\'#000000\']Why doesn't Kodak put the DCS 14n CMOS sensor in a DCS Pro Back Plus body?  95% of the R&D is already done.  The back would outperform many existing medium format backs that cost $15,000 or more.  You would think they could produce it for less than the DCS 14n (no shutter, etc).  That menas it could sell for less than 1/5 of many existing medium format backs.  They'd kill the competition and make a lot of medium format users very happy.[/font]

Title: New Medium Format Back
Post by: Ray on January 03, 2003, 09:17:14 pm

[font color=\'#000000\']Also, these really expensive 24x36mm sensors for MF, usually tethered to a computer, have a much higher dynamic range - 10 or 11 f stops as opposed to the 1Ds's (and presumably 14n's) 6 or 7.[/font]