Leaf vs Phase One

[ericstaud]

Thanks Yair.  Can you make an announcement here when the Leaf Forums go live?  Do you need any more beta testers?

-Eric

[erikhillard]

The reality is that less than 10% of MFDB users do not own the kit, but still your suggestion is very valid and I've requested our marketing team to take care of it.

Yair
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=70644\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Yair,

With all due respect I have a very difficult time believing that only 10% of digital back "users" own the back.  I work nearly every day as a digital tech and don't own a back.  Every day I am renting something from Samys Camera (LA) or DPi (NYC) and know that they have dozens of backs out every day on rental jobs.  They are busy enough that you can never get equipment at the last minute.  

I would suggest that those backs "owned" by rental houses are used more often than those owned by individual photographers AND each day they likely have a "new user."  Maybe you are right but statistics are statistics and that seems pretty strange to me from the world I work within.

Its not that I don't have the capital to invest in a back, but that for my business I have decided not to force any manufacturer or format on my clients.  I pride myself in being knowledgeable on all the major backs and 35mm cameras.  There is not one camera for every job.  I doubt I will buy a back and I find forums to be extremely valueable in troubleshooting software and whatnot.  Especially when new versions are released.

I anxiously await a Leaf forum and think Leaf would make a huge mistake leaving people like myself out of the loop.  I have numerous suggestions that would make Leaf software better (the main complaint from most people about Leaf) and can offer plenty of troubleshooting advice to other users.

[pixpop]

I purchased a phase one p25 a while ago. I did a lot of research (on the hardware) on both the phase one and leaf backs. I figured that more or less, the phase one and the leaf backs are going to have similar file quality. I never had an isssue with it. I use it weather conditions from very very hot and humid to very, very frigid and use it in all environmental conditions from windy beaches to not windy, sandy conditions. I never ever had a hardware issue with the back. I decided to purchase the phase one over the leaf because of its ease of use during all sorts of weather conditions even during frigid shooting conditions when you have to wear thick gloves and navigate through the back's menus. I also respect phase one's decision to have an open forum where everyone can express an opinion or a problem without hesitation and without censorship. A company that's not afraid to be criticized in public, (and because of their capture one software which is IMHO, the best raw workflow software on the market) has my business.

pixpop