Hey How are you..:+}
Well I do not want to get in an argument, But You have posted reviews that are pretty old and the 2 or 3 examples here are of trees or Some sky line. That is it.
Not much portrait or fashion. Are just Landscapers using it at the moment?
Well the fact is that there is VERY little if any information about it.
Also I never said they came in one time and if I did I restated that a couple of times meaning maybe twice at most they were in at B&H.
certainly there is not much about on the net about the ZD really.
So that makes many wonder what is going on.
Like I said I probably will being going with a Leaf aptus 22 so it really does not matter for me. It was just curiosity really and maybe hoping it would be better.
Thanks for the information.
Snook
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Snook and others,
Snook I know you have thought of the ZD back for quite some time now. Why not buy/try the ZD to see if it works for you? If it works it will save $$$ money over the Leaf or Phase. From what I understand B&H has good return policy. That is also a way to ensure that you get a ZD back that do not have any problems with it.
Lets face it, Mamiya is smaller than Nikon and Canon. I am just back from travel on my vacation today and last I heard from my agent was a couple of weeks ago. Around that time they said that Mamiya was informed and was working on the problems.
ZD vs. DSLR -
Whether we compare the ZD to DSLR or not depends on our shooting and budget. Personally I do compare to that. I do not like the backs because they are bulky. Likewise I am not interested in spending more on a camera than the ZD because buying the ZD camera was already stepping up in $$ from D200. The ZD does seem to excel over anything that has been posted of photos from 1Ds Mk3 and D3 as far as ISO50-125 and DR + darkest/lightest regions. Do a search on all those three cameras and review samples. It would be great if any of those were better or close, because DSLRs come with other advantages such as speed and low noise at much higher ISOs.
ZD Reviews -
Why not more on ZD? It seems like 95% of internet is dominated by USA sites and the ZD back is just recent available in USA. Also as pointed out in above it is MF and not DSLR or point and shoot. Thus not what is most of sales for webpages or magazines. Per my knowledge, LL is the forum with most on MF, at least based on posts per day.
ZD Camera vs. ZD back -
That depends on preferences. The ZD back allows you to switch back or replace back. The ZD camera does not. On other hand, the ZD camera feels much nicer at least in my hands and has the best user interface that I have seen on any digital camera period. It is worth checking out for anyone who is in an area where it is available (seems anywhere except in USA). The ZD camera does not consist of two pieces as does the ZD back with AFDII. This to me seems is benefit with the ZD camera because the ZD back+AFDII comes with an additional joint through which dust can penetrate and a contact between back and AFD camera that shall be clean at all times. The hollow void chamber of the AFDII is also much larger than the one in the ZD camera and thus a larger space to keep clean. Granted, to upgrade the ZD camera it needs to be replaced. So what? Is there much difference in cost? What of compared to 1Ds Mk II/III? Per my experience the ZD camera feels rather lovely to shoot with. Unlike Nikon and Canon DSLRs that feels like complex computers in their user interface, the ZD camera handles like a DSLR and feels like a real camera, very photographically oriented. Of course it is slower than a DSLR because it is a medium format handling SLR.
Samples of ZD -
There are more Leaf and Phase backs out there because they have been out longer, thus more users of such brands. Also, there is more info on Canons and Nikons because they sell higher volumes than MF. Any other reasons? More people than me have certainly posted in forums: Quentin, Michael Ezra, Stefan Marquardt, Frank Doorhof, Frank Richardson, Denis Montalbetti to name a few here at LL (all have been very helpful ). For model photos propably Frank Doorhof has posted the very best. Before my purchase I read all I could find on internet on the ZD, searching not only LL, but all I could find on internet period, including also Chinese, Japanese, Dutch etc writings using Google! To be frank, I think all I say in this post is already available here on LL, at least near all of it, just search and read.
Limitations -
Something that shall be said of the ZD camera and ZD back is that they are limited to 50-125 ISO for very high quality results, and preferably need good light. To be frank, these are what I experience as limitations for some of my shooting. So yes, I am keenly reading of the 1Ds Mk 3 also, but... I do not like white blobs at sunset for a sun... just to mention one example, nor near pure black as shadows. Yet... we shall see when more examples are available from the 1Ds Mk 3 (yet its user inferface seem to literally suck in comparison, too many steps!).
Attached Samples to my Post -
Attached are three photos and a crop from one, of an amateur model shoot I joined in Shanghai the other weekend. The light conditions were not good. It was a bit rainy and I was really struggling for light with slow shutters & HANDHELD. Thus I took my chance to push the ZD and shot attached photos at ISO160 and doing my best to hold camera very still, supporting my arms on anything when I got the chance. Where dark the shots came out rather noisy, but those ones still look ok to me in small size. Do bear in mind that I am an amateur and that I until now have less than 600 exposures on my ZD camera! The girl in window was shot with the 55-110 wide open and remaining ones with the 80 f/1.9 manual focus lens at wide open. The 80mm f/1.9 lens is awesome: cheap, light weight and super optics. I focused by moving camera instead of using focus ring, simple. I guess this lens corresponds to a 50mm f/1.0 on 35mm terms... Ah yah, here we go again... I am posting photos with chance of being executed! Check out the scrutinization of my entire photographic hobby and person when I posted on Dpreview that I sold my D200 because I never liked it, and was considering the ZD. Absurd. I only post my experience, but not all appreciate... In regards to ZD, the lenses are top notch but lighter in weight and for most part cheaper than Nikon of Canon equivelents, at least in Asia.
Apart from the limitation of 50-125 ISO and the problem I have found with my sensor I am very pleased with the ZD. That problem is still to be corrected by my agent. What has delayed it is simply me living in Korea and not being able to send it out of this country because they here require an export license when one sends a camera exceeding value 2000 usd out of Korea, absurd but true! I will get the problem rectified before end of this month when I will visit my agent same time as I go on a business trip. I feel they support me, which is different from what I felt from Nikon. Nikon was just as they do business.
Someone mentioned a ZD II. Why? The ZD back is brand new. The best that can happen is that all problems are corrected and that Mamiya update firmware so that ISO up to 400 is fully useable to high quality! Add to that wishlist that they come out with a manual focus stepped down metering 28mm lens that is cheap and low weight. The current 28mm is too expensive. Well something like a manual focus stopped down metering 20mm (equal to 14mm for 35mm format) would be awesome... dream...
Woops, long post (and wording corrected after work)! I should add that actual focus for my photography is landscapes and people living traditional lives on travels. The model shoot was just for fun
Regards
Anders
