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Author Topic: Digital back for Rollei MF lenses Vs 35 SLR  (Read 4016 times)

Jonathan Wienke

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Digital back for Rollei MF lenses Vs 35 SLR
« on: March 17, 2004, 09:40:06 pm »

You need to re-evaluate your budget projections and premises.

Canon Powershot Pro: ~$1000, but no interchangeable lens option.

6MP Canon DSLRs: 300D, ~$1000 with semi-cheapo kit zoom lens, ~900 for body only. 10D, ~1500 with no lens, but better body build, larger buffer, and more custom functions. 1.6x crop factor compared to 35mm film. Significantly better image quality than 35mm film.

8MP Canon DSLR: The only option is the about-to-ship 1D Mark II, $4500 for body only. 8 FPS, fully pro build, best high-ISO noise performance you'll find anywhere. 1.3x crop factor compared to 35mm film. Probably equivalent to 645 MF.

11MP Canon DSLR: The highly-regarded 1Ds. $7000-8000 for body only, 3 FPS, max ISO of 1250, very good noise performance ISO 400 or below, usable up to 800. Full frame, lenses have same coverage as 35mm film. As good as the most carefully drum scanned 6x7cm film.

MF Backs: Start around $20000 for the back, body is additional. You can spend more than $30000 on a complete system without lenses.

I'm not a MF expert, but I've not heard of a MF body that accepts Rollei lenses and a digital back. That doesn't mean that there isn't such a thing now or never will be one.

I would sell the whole setup now while it still has some resale value and go for the 1Ds. MF film gear that can't be used with digital backs has dropped considerably in value since the 1Ds came out, and the trend is unlikely to change any time soon.
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Edward

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Digital back for Rollei MF lenses Vs 35 SLR
« Reply #1 on: March 18, 2004, 07:30:45 am »

The real unknow is whether someone is going to figure out a way to make sensors cheaper.  As long as the price is close to 3rd power of the diagonal of the chip, there is not going to be affordable MF.  If you have to pay a fortune for a back, might as well use a digital view camera and a 1Ds.  My real worry is the long term availability of film in MF.  It was never a large market, and if the pros get out of it, it will not make sense to keep making the film.
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Paul

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Digital back for Rollei MF lenses Vs 35 SLR
« Reply #2 on: March 19, 2004, 03:01:45 pm »

Quote
Hello,

Questions and options for your input follow at end, below.

I have a Rollei 6 by 6 with original German lenses (3 total) for an older Rollei SLX camera body.  Standard, wide angle, and telephoto. The SLX body was upgraded at the factory from a version of the first body that was sold with the Rollei maybe back in the mid or early 80s. The lenses were made by Rollei, for example an HFT Distagon 50 MM that fits the SLX body; absoloutely magnificent lenses, that I can't imagine parting with.

I believe these lenses can be used with more modern Rollei (6003, 6006?) bodies, as well.

I am considering several options, and want all opinions/ideas, suggestions, even criticisms from any and all who wish to contribute:

1)  Can you recommend a body and a digital back for my Rollei lenses, were I to go that route right now?

2)  I could put modest money ($1000) into a Canon Powershot Pro I 35 MM digital SLR, 8 Megapixels, interchangeable lenses, due out in April (for a trip to Turkey), or save my $1000 and put it toward a digital back for my Rollei lenses. Reactions?

3) Another possibility, if MF digital backs are actually frightfully expensive, is to buy the Canon 35 MM digital SLR at 8 Mega pixels for $1000, go out and have fun and learn the art of digital photography, but hold on to my Rollei lenses, and wait 5 to 10 years for MF digital backs to drop in price. Reactions?

4)  Sell the complete Rollei MF film SLX outfit now for whatever I can get for it, put the money away, and then wait 5 to 10 years for MF digital backs to drop in price, and then decide on a brand, lenses;  essentially, start from scratch and look at MF digital systems in five to ten years.

Other ideas and suggestions I haven't thought of are much appreciated.

Thank you,

Peter
I would recommend to make an appointment and take couple of shots with Canon 1Ds and any MF system with 22mp Phase One or Leaf and decide for yourself what is enouth for your business.

I also would not dump Rollei gear for nothing. You still can shoot cromes and scan `em with something like Nikon LS9000.
Such scan will have, say at 3000dpi 18000x18000 pixels of practically grainless image with a lot of details.

No one 35mm DSLR is able to generate such an image yet.
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Moncho

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Digital back for Rollei MF lenses Vs 35 SLR
« Reply #3 on: March 26, 2004, 05:36:27 pm »

I would suggest option 3.
 Keep your equipment and get started with something not expensive in digital, I myself have a Hasselblad and a Bronica GS-1 and a digital rebel, And Im not getting rid of them in the near future, maybe the bronica if I would be hard pressed. I would recomend a DSLR because of the quality you get with the bigger sensor, And Im just guessing, but I think you got into MF because of that, quality.
Besides , with an inexpensive flatbed scanner you get the equivalent of almost a 50mp camera out of your MF negs! And thats only at 3000dpi.  

Good luck !
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Peter

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Digital back for Rollei MF lenses Vs 35 SLR
« Reply #4 on: March 17, 2004, 12:42:52 pm »

Hello,

Questions and options for your input follow at end, below.

I have a Rollei 6 by 6 with original German lenses (3 total) for an older Rollei SLX camera body.  Standard, wide angle, and telephoto. The SLX body was upgraded at the factory from a version of the first body that was sold with the Rollei maybe back in the mid or early 80s. The lenses were made by Rollei, for example an HFT Distagon 50 MM that fits the SLX body; absoloutely magnificent lenses, that I can't imagine parting with.

I believe these lenses can be used with more modern Rollei (6003, 6006?) bodies, as well.

I am considering several options, and want all opinions/ideas, suggestions, even criticisms from any and all who wish to contribute:

1)  Can you recommend a body and a digital back for my Rollei lenses, were I to go that route right now?

2)  I could put modest money ($1000) into a Canon Powershot Pro I 35 MM digital SLR, 8 Megapixels, interchangeable lenses, due out in April (for a trip to Turkey), or save my $1000 and put it toward a digital back for my Rollei lenses. Reactions?

3) Another possibility, if MF digital backs are actually frightfully expensive, is to buy the Canon 35 MM digital SLR at 8 Mega pixels for $1000, go out and have fun and learn the art of digital photography, but hold on to my Rollei lenses, and wait 5 to 10 years for MF digital backs to drop in price. Reactions?

4)  Sell the complete Rollei MF film SLX outfit now for whatever I can get for it, put the money away, and then wait 5 to 10 years for MF digital backs to drop in price, and then decide on a brand, lenses;  essentially, start from scratch and look at MF digital systems in five to ten years.

Other ideas and suggestions I haven't thought of are much appreciated.

Thank you,

Peter
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Bobtrips

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Digital back for Rollei MF lenses Vs 35 SLR
« Reply #5 on: March 17, 2004, 10:51:22 pm »

First measure the depth of your pockets.  

If you find your way to the bottom without encountering large amounts of disposable cash there's an awful lot to be said for getting a digital 'starter' and using it to learn the basics.

Few of us get the camera that best fits our needs the first time out.  I'd suggest getting something closer to $500, using it to get your feet wet, and making it your 'walk-around' camera for later.   Use your MF gear for a few more months for the 'special shots' that you might want to print large.

Personally I don't expect MF to be around very long.  If you look at how the Canon 1Ds has eaten off the bottom end of MF and you look at improvements in the number of pixels possible on a sensor it may well be that all of MF work will be done with full-frame 35 mm cameras.  5-10 years from now I expect that your Rollei will only be usable with film.  (But that's just my guess.)
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BJL

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Digital back for Rollei MF lenses Vs 35 SLR
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2004, 02:26:03 pm »

Noting that the spatial resolution (MTF, lp/mm, whatever) of good 35mm prime lenses is usually better than for even very good MF lenses, and any MF back under $20,000 has a sensor not much larger than the 35mm frame, you might want to seriously consider a 35mm format DSLR. If resolution is a high priority, Kodak will soon have updated its 14MP DCS Pro series to models for both Canon and Nikon lens mounts, with sensitivity ("ISO equivalent") apparently comparable to (or better than?) what medium format backs offer.
   As far as price, you could get either of those (or maybe even a Canon EOS 1Ds) with three very fine prime lenses to replace the ones you have now, for substantially less than a MF digital back alone.
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Paul

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Digital back for Rollei MF lenses Vs 35 SLR
« Reply #7 on: March 19, 2004, 03:06:26 pm »

Quote
I also would not dump Rollei gear for nothing. You still can shoot cromes and scan `em with something like Nikon LS9000.
Such scan will have, say at 3000dpi 18000x18000 pixels of practically grainless image with a lot of details.

No one 35mm DSLR is able to generate such an image yet.
Sorry, not 18000 of course.
with 5000 dpi it will be 11811, with 3000dpi - 7000 pixels.
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