It would be good to know more about what you shoot (genre/speed/style/commercial-vs-personal), where you are located (support/rental/dealers), what you own now (for more relevant comparisons), and what you hope to get out of moving to medium format (for reality checks or reassurance). Any previous experience you've had with medium format would also be helpful. These sorts of things will help everyone on the board provide more specific and relevant answers to your questions.
Note my signature; As a Value Added Dealer of Phase and Leaf I have an inherent bias. Though I (and hopefully our customers) would argue strongly we (Capture Integration) try very hard to provide honest and real-world advice.
Some differences:
IQ has USB3 as an option. This port is not yet functional - it is waiting for a firmware update due "soon" (it is actually overdue). However, when it becomes functional it will add the option to shoot to smaller laptops which lack firewire ports. Both backs have FW800 and both backs transfer the image quite quickly to the computer.
Capture One support for both backs is roughly the same. There were some initial bumps in the road when Phase bought Leaf and added support for Leaf in Capture One (disconnects or slower transfers or errors) but that period only lasted several weeks and now Capture One is exceptionally stable with both.
The Mamiya/Leaf backs require steady/sufficient firewire power. This is also true of most other competitive digital backs and of Phase earlier backs. However, the IQ has an internal battery whereas the Mamiya/Leaf back's battery can only be used while shooting untethered and is therefore entirely dependent on the computer for steady/sufficient firewire power while shooting tethered. The vast majority of issues I've seen with Mamiya/Leaf stem from a computer which is not putting out consistent firewire power - the cure for which is shooting with a powered hub (preferably one specifically tested to provide good FW power like
the ones we've tested) and/or testing a specific back with a specific computer to make sure there are no issues. I'd consider this a hassle more than a show stopper since most photographers only own one back and only own one laptop and the majority of combinations were perfectly well. But it is an advantage of the IQ over the Mamiya/Leaf. The IQ will also charge the battery while plugged in by FW which is a nicety.
The IQ can eke out modestly longer exposures than the Mamiya/Leaf. Both backs are supurb at several seconds but the Mamiya/Leaf is spec'd at a maximum of 30 seconds and is pretty sketchy (depending on your needs and the ambient temperature) at 20 seconds. The IQ is spec'd at 60 seconds and does quite well up to around 45 seconds.
IQ has a nicer screen as defined by brightness and overall crispness but I wouldn't discount the Leaf screen. It shows a pretty good view at 100% and is quite nice in the studio. Outside the brightness can be somewhat of an issue but depending on your shooting style and speed simply ducking under a cloth or shielding the LCD with a hand is usually sufficient. And if you're shooting tethered it's largely moot since the computer will be the point of most judgements.
Capture Pilot can be useful here as an iPad is both wireless, portable, and a darn good screen (brightness/sharpness/other). Again, the worth of the screens will largely depend on your style.
The IQ interface and boot speed is significantly faster. The Leaf interface however currently offers more total flexibility and features. For instance the Leaf interface will allow you to make annotations on a file, change naming schemes, and apply LCC's (an important tool - but specific to
technical cameras) in the camera.
If you are in the US then most service for Leaf/Mamiya is done in the US and has a significantly faster turn around time than Phase One or other digital backs which must go to Europe. The chance of needing a repair on a digital back is pretty small but if/when it happens this could be of significant value.
The base warranty for both products is one year but the Value Added Warranty (which also includes other accessories and niceties) of the IQ is 5 years versus 3 years for the Leaf.
Leaf backs have a historical reputation for excellent skin tones. My feeling from extensive experience is that this is part myth/marketing (e.g. many great fashion shooters who had good workflow and good models used Leaf) and part reality (higher emphasis in the lab at targeting development of more and higher quality skin tone oriented ICC color profiles and other technology/priority differences). Certainly the gap in this regard has narrowed since Phase started using Dalsa sensors rather than Kodak sensors. There is also an element of personal taste and aesthetics here) But overall I'd still have to give Leaf the edge here.
Mamiya/Leaf backs are less expensive for any given sensor and resolution. As you point out this not only means less cost but that you might be able to afford more accessories and lenses which can have just as much impact on your shooting as a different back. For instance I think you'll like the
VGrip Air which has a built-in wireless flash transmitter capable of wireless sync at 1/1600th. No extra battery/cable/device-sticking-up-above-the-camera needed.
Going wider by having a larger sensor is a double-edge sword. On all the medium format lens lines I've extensively used (which is all but the AFI line) the widest lenses are not the stars of the lineup, and the issues are most often in the corners of the frame as viewed on large sensor backs. So you may find that a 28D with a smaller sensor is actually sharper corner-to-corner than a 35D with a larger sensor. What having a smaller sensor does most of all is limit the absolute widest you can go - if a 28D with a cropped sensor isn't wide enough for you then you're out of luck. I'm quite adamant however that if you want the best possible wide angle quality that a
tech camera is the way to go - but that's best suited for shooting relatively stationary imagery (architecture/landscape/interiors).
The IQ also has a feature called "Sensor+" which reduces the resolution to 1/4th normal, increases maximum shooting speed, and increases the native ISO of the back two stops. This allows very good ISO1600 (at 10 megapixels) and kinda-sorta-usable ISO3200 (I use it in black and white, add contrast, and add a bit of grain and I think the look is very very nice - albeit definitely NOT 'clean + commercial' looking). This is less of a big deal with the IQ150 than I think it is for the IQ160 since the IQ160's 1/4th resolution sensor+ file is 15 megapixel and in my experience compares very favorably to a 5DII (22 megapixel ladened with an AA filter). But it's still something to consider IF you have part of your shooting that does not require high res files (e.g. website only, large volume headshots for max 8x10 prints, etc).
The IQ has a limited-functionality Live View on the back's LCD itself. It works quite well if the right amount of light is hitting the sensor and the subject is not moving. For controlled-light-interiors, still life, product, and dawn/dusk photography it works quite well. In bright sunlight or other situations where there is a lot of light or the subject is moving it's more or less useless (depending on what you're shooting and your shooting style you can use an ND filter to reduce the ambient light to something that works well). It is not like Canon/Nikon live view but as outlined above if you're style/subject is conducive it's a fantastic (and unique in MF) tool to have available.
Another point to consider is where you live and who will be around to support you. This means other photographers, digital techs, rental houses, and value added dealers. If most of your assistants know Leaf and not Phase then your shoots with Leaf are inevitably going to go better than they would with a Phase back. If you have a value added dealer you like that can train you on the IQ and will turn a panic'd phone call and turn it into a simple 30 second answer that gets you up and running (e.g. you didn't know where a setting was) then that will greatly influence your experience as well. If you have a rental house near you that you have a good relationship with you and they stock one back or the other than in the case that you need a replacement (or just want an on-hand backup for a super critical shoot) then that should be considered.
So in summary the major differences are features and functionality untethered. When tethering and shooting at lower ISOs the image quality is essentially identical (maybe some difference in color - specifically skintones). When shooting in the field untethered the IQ has a distinct advantage in feature set and screen quality and interface speed.
Depending on your needs the Mamiya will make a great kit for you and save you a lot of money - or create needless headaches and frustration that investing in the IQ would have solved. As always the needs of the photographer are the primary determiner of how "good" a tool any given camera is. :-)
Doug Peterson
(e-mail Me)__________________
Head of Technical Services, Capture Integration
Phase One Partner of the Year
Leaf, Leica, Cambo, Arca Swiss, Canon, Apple, Profoto, Broncolor, Eizo & More
National: 877.217.9870 | Cell: 740.707.2183
Newsletter |
RSS FeedBuy Capture One 6 at 10% off
