digital backs outperforming medium format lenses?

[schotter]

I keep hearing claims about MF lenses not being up to the high resolution provided by the latest backs. Is there any truth to that? I know, it's been discussed but is there any coherent real life comparison or test out there? cheers

[damien]

My HC lenses are far better than my CF lenses (via adaptor) for resolution and bokeh on my H1. I'm only using P25 but the image even at the edge has not exposed issues with my HC lenses. The 100mm at f2.2 (wide open) is at the limit of my back. at f4 it is noticeably sharper. I happen to like the look of this lens at f2.2 for portraiture though. So it is horses for courses.

Damien.

[Jack Varney]

Although I made no direct comparisons I did notice a marked improvement in detail  when I upgraded from a P25 to a P45. I used a Mamiya 645 AFD and the 55-110mm zoom lens was used for my first impressions.

[MarkKay]

I believe Micheal R. made a comment that his LF digital lenses were a tad better than his  hasselblad HC lenses but they were close.  This was stated in an earlier thread and he wrote an article and did a number of comparisons with some of his colleagues. In the end, the images I observed in these articles  were so close.

Although I made no direct comparisons I did notice a marked improvement in detail  when I upgraded from a P25 to a P45. I used a Mamiya 645 AFD and the 55-110mm zoom lens was used for my first impressions.
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[schotter]

thanks for the knowledgeable input, I tried to do my own little test today. It is not accurate in a technical sense but as close as I can get: I am right now looking at two files from recent people shoots, unfortunately from two different ones, with different cameras/lenses (P45/RZ, 50mm+P30/H2, zoom somewhere 65-70mm), but very similar lighting. Both are processed the same way (no sharpening, 16bit HighRes): Both are similarly crisp (if that term applies to an unsharpened file), can't really judge sharpness differences since I don't know how exact I focused. But I shot both from a tripod indoor with Profoto flash. What's apparent (at the same magnification) is that the P45 looks a tad less 'aggressive' with softer color gradients, the skin a tad more real with that 'transparence' I know from film. Noo huge difference, but enough for someone walking into my studio to see it immediately at 200% on the monitor. Thought I share this, even if insufficient as a technically representative reference. Thanks again!