Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Medium Format / Film / Digital Backs – and Large Sensor Photography => Topic started by: haring on January 13, 2011, 10:13:06 am
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Which one would you get? The Phase One DF or the Phase One 645AF (Mamiya 645AFD III)?
Did the engineers make a big improvement in respect to the Phase One DF compared to the Phase One 645AF? People say that they are almost the same...except the price tag...
What are your thoughts?
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I liked the Phase One 645AF. When I tried the the 645DF, it was noticeably better with AF. Much faster and more accurate. The improved AF is particularly noticeable in dimly lit interiors. The DF is definitely the better camera body---unless you still want to use a filmback on occasion. The decision to upgrade to the 645DF with Capture Integration was very easy...
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the DF is much the better body. no it is not "just the price" - AF is the main improvement, but you can hear the difference when the shutter fires.
The 645AF is a good backup body and can still use FILM backs. the DF cannot, I believe. Also the DF can use the vertical grip, etc.
I too was very happy with the upgrade, but would be happier still if they improve the DF a lot more... It is the weakest link in the Phase product range. Lenses are very good, backs are world leaders, but the camera body is mediocre, and belongs to the early 90's, not 2011.
Hopefully the Pentax645 has raised the bar a lot on them, and they will be forced to bring out a radically better body soon, with multi point AF, faster handling and single power source for camera + back.
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I traded the AF for the DF .... nice improvement in many ways as mentioned. One other feature I like is the ability to use the back (not sure if it works on all backs but it works on the 65+ and I believe the 40+) to set up your custom functions.
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Can you please tell me the exact differences between this 2 camera bodies?
Is the AF good also for the new IQ backs?
Is there any link that you can give me where I could find more informations?
Thanks.
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Can you please tell me the exact differences between this 2 camera bodies?
Is the AF good also for the new IQ backs?
Is there any link that you can give me where I could find more informations?
Thanks.
There's a review on this very site (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/phase-DF.shtml)!
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I recently acquired a 645AF and am still exploring its quirks and limits. One thing I noticed early about the AF system is that it doesn't seem to lock on to distant objects at infinity very well. I've confirmed that the middle of the infinity sign on the lens scale indeed corresponds to infinity on all 3 of my lenses and produces the sharpest result. The AF will stop a bit short of the infinity sign most of the time. Manual focus with focus confirmation, on the other hand, often (but not always) hits the correct spot. Does anyone know whether the 645DF behaves better?
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Been researching for a year on this and waiting for the right reason to move. The word about the difference for most is one simple thing. Shutter actuations. The AF is built for film so basically it will go wrong, and it will do it quickly. New shutter is as much as the camera.
Whilst many survive in the wild a dealer I know well will tell you he gets lots in the door. The DF built for digital, it will also fail as these units are not built like SLR's but this one will last.
Need to check the warranty but I think the DF is warranty for 80,000. Example the D3s is 300,000. But they last longer.
Go with the Df or more likely a new camera will be launched this year if Phase are feeling creative.
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I recently acquired a 645AF and am still exploring its quirks and limits. One thing I noticed early about the AF system is that it doesn't seem to lock on to distant objects at infinity very well. I've confirmed that the middle of the infinity sign on the lens scale indeed corresponds to infinity on all 3 of my lenses and produces the sharpest result. The AF will stop a bit short of the infinity sign most of the time. Manual focus with focus confirmation, on the other hand, often (but not always) hits the correct spot. Does anyone know whether the 645DF behaves better?
My experience with the DF is that it is exactly the same. When I'm shooting landscapes I always shoot manual focus and eyeball infinity (or near infinity) otherwise if I use the AF to lock on an object, with focus indication, it may or may not be sharp. I notice this primarily with longer glass such as the 210 & 300mm but it is pretty consistent for me.
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The DF built for digital, it will also fail as these units are not built like SLR's but this one will last.
The 645DF is an SLR.
???
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Need to check the warranty but I think the DF is warranty for 80,000. Example the D3s is 300,000. But they last longer.
So the DF body has a built-in shutter activation counter? I didn't realise this. But it would be the only way to enable a shutter activations warranty; because people can swap digital backs, so the activation count on the current back is a useless indicator for a body warranty.
Ray
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Ray,
The old bodies track actuations. MAC can access this info.