Topic: the zd intro (Read 3924 times)

JJP · « **on:** March 10, 2006, 07:18:30 am »

Could this be the beginning of the end for mf film photography?
jj

michael · « **Reply #1 on:** March 10, 2006, 07:21:01 am »

No, but it could be the beginning of the end for Mamiya.

(Sorry, couldn't resist).

Michael

jani · « **Reply #2 on:** March 10, 2006, 08:59:34 am »

It's certainly close to the end of the beginning for photography ...

Quentin · « **Reply #3 on:** March 10, 2006, 11:45:40 am »

You have to tell it like it is. The ZD is a year too late and a ton too noisy. Similar problems cost Kodak dear when they relased the 14n and they never recovered despite improvements in firmware and a new sensor. I hope a ZD II is round the corner, or they drop the price.

Quentin

JJP · « **Reply #4 on:** March 10, 2006, 12:34:25 pm »

Quote

The ZD is a year too late and a ton too noisy.

Nothing a few firmware updates can't handle.

Quote

I hope they make it.

Me to. You never know....a few years down the road, if I happen to come accross a used zd for a fair price, it could be a good mf dig intro.
jj

michael · « **Reply #5 on:** March 10, 2006, 01:15:55 pm »

I have no desire for anything but success for the ZD. I just believe in calling things as they are.

Michael

Quentin · « **Reply #6 on:** March 10, 2006, 05:07:28 pm »

Quote

Nothing a few firmware updates can't handle.

They have had more than a year to develop it already. It might be optimistic to expect much more. Howver, I do hope you are right. Kodak made great strides with the 14n and SLR/n but that's Kodak (and the camera still got the chop) - will Mamiya do the same? we'll see.

Quentin

JJP · « **Reply #7 on:** March 11, 2006, 06:06:37 am »

Quote

I have no desire for anything but success for the ZD.

Good Day Michael,
I'm very curious...would you test the zd and put it through its paces if given the opportunity?.....a production zd of course.
jj

michael · « **Reply #8 on:** March 11, 2006, 08:17:25 am »

Of course I would. In a heartbeat.

I met with Mamiya America executives at PMA last year and asked them for an early opportunity to test a ZD. They said that they would follow-up. They havn't.

If anyone wants to send me a ZD and a couple of lenses for a week or two I'll be pleased to pay the shipping and insurance charges .

Michael

Marcy · « **Reply #9 on:** March 11, 2006, 08:40:28 am »

Quote

No, but it could be the beginning of the end for Mamiya.

(Sorry, couldn't resist).

Michael
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=59973\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I hope that you are wrong about this and I don't believe that they are necessarily late. There is currently no supplier of Digital MF at prices that readily allow entry into digital MF shooting.

When someone perhaps Mamiya, perhaps Pentax bring a MF digital to market at the price of a top of the line DLSR (apparantly at least Pentax's goal) , a new market has been opened. For the same reason that x megapixels on a full frame DLSR appear to provide some advantages of over a crop DSLR. The same or a few more on a bigger sensor provide advantages over the full frame DSLR at the same time allowing far more non-business photographers to enter the market.

The entry of one or more players in this new market would ultimately put some pressure on the high end makers to reduce prices particularly as they start their product improvement cycles. They would also enable Dalsa and Kodak access to larger markets which of course would help as as well.

I started MF film shooting in 1972 for a little less than $200 ( a used Norita) I upgraded 5 or so years later to a used Pentax 67 for less than $700. What path is available now that doesn't require a mortgage?

Marcy

Author Topic: the zd intro (Read 3924 times)