Buy a digital back for my Contax 645?

[william]

Leica S.

[ynp]

Leica S006 and shoot film with the Contax


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[Theodoros]

Well, it's decision time for me, the original poster. I have identified two backs for the Contax, and I am anguishing over the decision--or whether to take the advice of an early poster who suggested the Leica S with a Contax lens adapter. Here is what I have narrowed the filed down to:

1) Phase One 45:  I realize finding a P65+ would be ideal, but they are rarer than hen's teeth in the Contax mount

2) Sinar eMotion 75LV: Has the Dalsa sensor, built-in white balance, and reputedly better color than the Phase One. However, the cost of a Sinar adapter plate (still available) for the Contax is breathtaking at nearly $2K! Is that good money chasing after bad when it comes time to sell or upgrade?

3) Leica S (006): Same ballpark price with a Contax lens adapter, and I'd have two wonderful cameras, though the Contax would not be digital. Also, with its higher crop factor, the beautiful panoramic look of the Contax 35mm lens would be lost.

Please just, tell me where to spend this money! ;-)

Well, IMO to trust a third person's opinion on what to do is a very risky way to spent your money... What one can do (IMO) is to collect individual information depending on the different needs for the different use one would do if he was facing your dilemma and then compensate the different suggestions to your own needs! IMO, all suggestions that have been made are reliable but one must take in mind that they are based on third persons needs...

What I would do if I was in your place, is first to decide if I would ever use a view camera or not... If I would, I would first reject the Leica S out of my choices as I can always decide on it later on and replace my DSLRs altogether with one... If you are sure that you won't be ever using a view camera, do consider the Leica by all means... It's wrong to think that the lesser image area of the Leica will degrade your lens performance... The sensors you are considering are all between 45 & 48.7mm of width... They will all take the best out of the Contax lenses leaving out the part of the image circle that could be an issue with only some lenses if the sensor was wider than 48.7mm...

About the cost of the C645 adapter on a 75LV, I must say that it shouldn't be more difficult for one to find a C645 fit 75LV back than it is to find a C645 fit P45 back... If you do find a 75LV however that it is for different fit than C645, do contact me as I know that the man I sold my E-motion 22 Contax fit back some 6 years ago, he sells his back at a silly price and there is a C645 adapter (the same as the one needed for the 75LV) already fitted on the back... (note that he is asking 1.6K euros - 1.7$  for the back with the C645 adapter).

The P-45+ would be my choice only if I would need its 60' long exposure capability... Otherwise I think I would be better off with the same sensor Hasselblad CF-39 back which would be more accurate for color and additionally wouldn't need a "one-shot" cable as to use it on a view camera... But then again, the 75LV is a better image quality back than both and doesn't need an "one shot" cable either...

Mind you that Hasselblad's new calibration method for the Phocus Raw processor should bring a CF-39 close (if not equal) to a 75LV for color accuracy, but still the Dalsa 33mp sensor should be (slightly) better for noise and DR...

[kipdent]

Well, IMO to trust a third person's opinion on what to do is a very risky way to spent your money... What one can do (IMO) is to collect individual information depending on the different needs for the different use one would do if he was facing your dilemma and then compensate the different suggestions to your own needs! IMO, all suggestions that have been made are reliable but one must take in mind that they are based on third persons needs...

What I would do if I was in your place, is first to decide if I would ever use a view camera or not... If I would, I would first reject the Leica S out of my choices as I can always decide on it later on and replace my DSLRs altogether with one... If you are sure that you won't be ever using a view camera, do consider the Leica by all means...

This advice is, of course, very true--and in fact, when I asked how I should spend the money, it was partly tongue-in-cheek since I know only I  can make this decision. Nonetheless, all of the responses have been have been extremely helpful because so many here have so much experience. Thank you very much. Because the idea of using a view or tech camera some day is more easily accomplished with a digital back, the Leica S is, I think, out for me. The decision between the Sinar or Phase One back is tougher, but my gut tells me the refinement of CaptureOne and the Phase One workflow will make choosing the P45+ right for me.

Again, a big thank you to everyone who contributed to this thread.

[yashima]

Sent you a PM Kipdent.

[Sam C]

Photography is not my sole income source but I do monochrome portraits professionally and do landscape, wildlife and some astro photography for fun. Although I've had digital cameras for years, for professional use, I only made the jump from film to digital in 2015 when I bought a Phase Achromatic+ back last year.

The Contax 645 is my favorite system, period, bar none. I have the a7r and a7rii and like most of us here, piles of other gear, including the Monochrom version of the M9. For the OP, I would consider a leaf aptus back--they can be had for a song (about the price of an a7r) and I used one for fun years ago. They are 28MP, can be found with a Contax mount, and have amazing IQ. Today I use a phase IQ250 for the Contax today. It cost 10x more money than the leaf aptus back but it is not 10x "better" than the leaf aptus. I think bear images in Palo Alto may have my old leaf aptus 65s I traded in last March to get my achromatic+ (no it wasn't a straight across trade  )

A shot with the leaf aptus back on the Contax 645:





Some other thoughts for the OP:

1. Phase one no longer makes digital backs with a Contax 645 mount. There is no adapter plate or modification possible the IQ2 generation is the last phase made that has a Contax mount available.

2. Cambo tech cameras take a Contax 645 mount--I use the same digital backs on the C645 on my Cambo - cambo makes a plate that goes on any cambo tech camera that accepts a Contax back.  It's really nice to be able to swap the same back around.

3. For the money, the Sony a7r (even the old one) with adapters for whatever glass you like, is the best bang do your buck. The 36MP sensor is plenty for your 4990 (I have the same printer).

4. Flash sync - although I loved flash sync at 1/500 in the olden days on my Mamiya LS glass, syncing at 1/125 with the Contax is plenty. With the right strobes I can freeze water or hummingbird wings or whatever I need to do. I love leaf shutters--don't get me wrong. But the C645 does just fine without it.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

http://flic.kr/p/qXfTY2

Welcome to the forum!

Fixed the image link for you:


Macro Hummingbird - 8000 pixels wide - 120mm Zeiss Macro lens by SandHill Photo, on Flickr

[kipdent]

Great info and a beautiful shot with the exquisite Contax 120mm Macro, Sam. I, too, love the Contax 645, and am happy to report that I have my new-to-me P45+ back in hand, thanks to all the advice I received from this thread. I will post an image as soon as I feel I understand its use and Capture One 9 enough to share a worthy image.

My first test images are simply jaw-dropping to me. There is something about the richness, depth and feel to the images a sensor of this size makes, which is, of course, old news to everyone here. But for me it is thrilling. It reminds me of the difference between listening to a CD and a safety master tape. Just shocking.

Thanks again to everyone--now to start saving for a P65+ so my Contax 35mm lens draws as the intended 21mm, not a 24mm lens!

The Contax 645 is my favorite system, period, bar none. I have the a7r and a7rii and like most of us here, piles of other gear, including the Monochrom version of the M9.

A shot with the leaf aptus back on the Contax 645:


Macro Hummingbird - 8000 pixels wide - 120mm Zeiss Macro lens by SandHill Photo, on Flickr