Hi Steve,
Thanks for making that point. Just to make things clear, I used to be an engineer. Iliah Borg is a photographer and one of the major developers of LibRAW, RawDigger, among other things.
Great scientists can be great photographers, and great photographers may learn a lot about science. Ansel Adams was a great photographer, but he also had deep knowledge of sensitometry.
Bill Atkinson was one of the main developers behind the McIntosh, but he is also a fine art photographer. Bill Atkinson wanted to print a book, "Within the Stone". So, he teamed up with a Japanese printing firm and helped them implement colour management, in return, they printed his book...
I don't think there is a conflict between Art and Science. But, there is a conflict between supernatural and science.
Phase One had the bad taste to present some extremely bad info with the introduction of the Thrichromatic. In a way it is typical of the MFD industry to spread bad information and talk about magic instead of real benefits.
Just to mention, early speak about MFD advantages mentioned 6EV DR advantage and 16 bit file formats. At the same time it was quite clear that MFD was pretty much limited in ISO. If you have a 6EV DR advantage it would convert to 64 times an ISO advantage! Did MFD deliver good performance at 6400 ISO? No, that was not the case.
It has also been demonstrated that MFD files mostly have been 14-bits wide. This was most clear with PhaseOne files. Once the IQ3100MP arrived, it actually needed a 16 bit file format and a new file format was developed for it.
It is a bit unfortunate, but MFD and foremost Phase One has always been doing a lot of marketing based on "alternate phacts", the Trump Guy just took on that note from Phase One. Was Hasselblad any better? Not really, but they at least had a 16-bit file format, although they just used 14 of those bits. The honest guys were Pentax, Fuji and a guy called Steve Hendrix. Steve Hendrix have never talked BS and for that he should earn a lot of credit!
I think that MFD has some advantages. It could be a larger sensor collecting more photons, it could also being a larger sensor making less demands on the lenses. It could also be that MFD doesn't have those f/1.4 lenses, but the lenses they have perform well fully open?!
But, things are a bit more complex. Some guys like Zeiss or Sigma make really great lenses for 24x36 mm. Lenses that work reasonably well at full aperture.
Personally, I am a guy who prefers to work directly with vendors. I download the manuals, check the MTF data, evaluate raw samples and feel that I make an educated decision.
As a matter of fact, most cameras I bought in 30 years I never had in my hand before delivery:
- The Pentax 67 I bought at B&H in the US. I am living in Sweden.
- All my digital cameras were bought over the net.
- Both my P45+ and the Hassy gear were bought over the net.
When I bought my P45+ there were some parts missing. So, I contacted the local dealer in Sweden and they never heard anything about viewfinder masks. Fortunately, I found another dealer in Sweden and he was most helpful.
I would suggest that there are great dealers and not so great dealers. Would I live in the US, I would trust in Doug or Steve, in Sweden we don't have that option.
Best regards
Erik
Ouch Geoff! Unfair use of Titles! Salesperson... I prefer Business Partner, at least, or 411/911 Client Advisor.
Steve Hendrix/CI