QUOTE(PhaqueName @ Oct 29 2006, 07:32 PM)
If I was starting fresh I would probably now purchase the H3 system and the lenses??? (Only because Hasselblad is still in business)
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I hear this all the time that Hasselblad wins by default.
As far as we know, Mamiya still makes cameras but the 645 is pretty much off the list of most people because it feels cheap, the lenses are lego construction (sharp or not) and If I had a nickle for everytime someone told me their cameras got an error message I could buy a house next to Cher in Malibu.
The blad is ok, but I don't understand that mirror distortion in the viewfinder. Stick a person's head in the corner and it looks like a fun house mirror. The file is ok but man, what a brain breaker to look at a stretched forehead and the mirror slap is really unforgiveable. Once again a nickle for every complaint and I could buy Cher's house and evict her.
What a sad state and tells you a lot about our industry and one of the reasons the Contax is still selling, that and the fact that the Contax feels good, has a focal plane shutter and won't jerk everytime you fire a frame.
Knowing this I wouldn't worry too much about buying a back with a contax mount. After all there is no moving firware upgrades so whatever Phase or Leaf figured out two years ago is still good today.
Also from what I'm told mfdb sales for Contax have taken a big jump up and you can buy a Phase back with a contax mount and have it delivered tomorrow. For some reason leaf takes longer.
You can also buy three contax systems in good shape for the price of one hasselblad system and last time I looked everybody still rented Contax gear.
There really is a lesson here that few of the camera manufacturers are looking at.
JR
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