Hi guys,
Just wondered if anyone had heard any updates about the usability of the zd back on a view / shift camera...either from mamiya or someone else with a solution.
Thanks,
Marc
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Marc,
As you propably recall I had the ZD camera before (same internals as ZD back). I gave it up due problems and paid the extra to get a Leaf Aptus 65. My experience from both (neglecting the problems I had with ZD) can be summarized by that with the Aptus I feel as I am back to photography again. One thing I had not expected was that colors are already beutiful when I open up at default values in CS3 Camera RAW. That is unlike any digital camera/back I have ever come across. The colors are not Velvia like, but this Aptus gives me same sensation as Velvia 50 did in the confidence that I can count on the digital back in similar way as I did with the outcome of the Velvia film. I use the large display to judge if photos are good (histogram, composition etc), and I have gained confidence in that the Aptus consistently produce images that appear even better as I open them in CS3. And... the large display is indeed useful in judging the photos as well.
The Aptus 65 is same as Aptus 75 except a 44mm x 33mm crop of the sensor in Aptus 75. Compared to ZD I now at times also use up to its 800 ISO, while for ZD I could use only up to 125 ISO as useable, referring to low light conditions. Yes, the Aptus 65 can be noisy at those situations, but with 28.6 MP the noise artifacts are small, and by later reducing the photo or printing smaller size, the noise particles can appear more like grain on high iso film. That is very different from the 20MP ZD.
Yes, the Aptus 65 cost more than the ZD, but... it cost less than Aptus 22, and 28.6MP compared to 20MP. The Aptus 65 is newer sensor technology than both ZD and Aptus 22.
I have not tried on a view camera, but have read up on it. Something like an Ebony SW45 and stitching adapter could be used. Compared to a ZD on a view camera, it could be better buying a Aptus 65 of Phase One P30 for the money. If to use on a viewcamera it needs to be a steady one, e.g. the SW45.
Regards
Anders