Phase One P25+ or P30 for landscape?

Phase One P25+

5 (83.3%)

Phase One P30

1 (16.7%)

Total Members Voted: 6

[pjtn]

Right now I have a Phase One P25+ and P30 available to me for about the same price. The P30 is from a dealer, the P25+ is a private sale. I'm a little unsure which is the better to go with and would just be interested in any opinions people might have.

I'll be using it to make 32" x 24", so the resolution of the P30 might be nice to have.

Reasons for P25+
- Newer
- Better screen
- Longer exposures
- Larger sensor (I like the 3D look and feel)
- Larger viewfinder
- Has ISO 50

Reasons for P30
- More resolution
- Better border quality (from the smaller sensor)

[Doug Peterson]

Do you have any plans to use a tech camera in the future? The P30 is not compatible with tech cameras for wide-angle work.

[Ken R]

From what info I could gather resolution wise I dont think there is a huge difference. The P25+ does have a larger sensor and it is supposedly quite good at long exposures. Both very good qualities to have for landscape. Also, the P25+ is a much more recent design. So, If it were me, I would pick the P25+  

[pjtn]

No plans for any tech cameras at this stage Doug.

[Ken Doo]

P25+ better screen?  Not much really, and in the field I think you'll find that bump in screen quality between the P and P+ series to be pretty darn small, and barely noticeable if at all.

Long exposures?  How long?  P30 isn't exactly a slouch either. 

I used a P30 for quite some time and think it is a great MFDB.  Nice files right out of the box.  If you have any thoughts of going to a technical camera, this would be the deal killer.

The crop on the P30 sensor is slight.  And the plus side of this is that lenses that might be considered weak or soft on the edges (think Mamiya 28mm on a full frame sensor) are no problem with the P30 sensor----and all work exceptionally well.

ken

[Don Libby]

 While I don't have any experience with a P25 I do with the P30+ using it several years until switching to a tech cam.  I found my P30+ (and a loaner P30) to be a great back on the 645 using lenses as wide as 28mm.  As to print sizes, 32x24 will be no problem whatsoever as I have one print from the P30+ (2-shot pano) that prints at 60x30 and have no problem selling it. (This same print has been licensed by Phase One.)

The one major drawback is what Doug says - it does not play well with a tech camera.  On one hand you could begin with the P30 then if you ever decided to go with a tech camera later on use it to get into another back.

The other thought is that all things being equal, I'd go with a sale from a dealer (so long as it also sells medium format and not just a one-off) than a private sale unless you know the individual.  Dealers should be able to offer after sales support whereas the private individual won't.

Just my 2¢

Don

[pjtn]

Thanks everyone. I'm quite sure whichever I pick will work out fine. It's very helpful to get insight from people with more experience than myself of course.

I was very much leaning towards the P25+ for the long exposures, bigger sensor and newer technology. But I'm a little less sure about the seller now. The P30 definetely has the edge being from a dealer.

Ken, you say the P30 isn't too bad with long exposures, I haven't found much information on this? I've looked around on Google but find mostly P30+ info. I don't imagine any of my exposures would stretch out into multiple minutes, 30 seconds would usually be the extent of it.

[Ken Doo]

....

Ken, you say the P30 isn't too bad with long exposures, I haven't found much information on this? I've looked around on Google but find mostly P30+ info. I don't imagine any of my exposures would stretch out into multiple minutes, 30 seconds would usually be the extent of it.

Thirty seconds?  That's it?  P30 can do it without breaking a sweat---as can all the P series backs.      IMHO, the P30+ wasn't much of an upgrade of the P30.  I'd place bets that the latest C1Pro 7 will have the greatest impact on image quality because of the new algorithms.  Of course, that goes for the P25+ too.   

[pjtn]

Ah ok, I didn't realise the P30 non plus model was a good performer in that regard. Thanks!