Yaya,
I don't think anybody begrudges Leaf, or Phase or even General Motors desire to make money and protect their brand. That's what commerce is all about.
Given that, you are coming at this from the view of a digital back manufacturer and I'm coming at this from the view of a photographer that transitioned from film to digital.
It seems to me that Canon is now the way of the world. One camera, one digital solution, one set of lenses. To me, for medium format to mirror that is not the most positive move as it limits my options as an artist and a business person.
Ask any photographer what he has more passion for, the camera, or the digital device? I would bet 10 to 1 it's the camera, regardless of the fact that the business model has changed to where the camera is now considered a "give away' compared to the price of the digital device.
What we had, until the last few months were options.
With film we could load twenty different looks into our cameras and with processing options multiply that another 20 times and get to the result pretty easy.
Today the digital backs are the film and the software the lab and especially when we tether we are married to one base film and one lab with a few processing options.
When the Hy6 becomes a Leaf and Sinar only product we are even more limited to one camera, one set of lenses, one film and one lab, maybe two or three labs if the software like Lightroom and RD become fully developed and allow tethering.
For every photographer I know that likes an all in one solution, I know 10 others that don't want to be locked into one camera, lens, "digital film" and lab.
Also today with my Contax, I use Contax, Hasselblad, pentax 6x7 and Urkraine tilt shift lenses.
(BTW: All of my bodies and lenses are also probably 1/2 the cost of the comparable H1/2/3 platform.)
I can put a phase, sinar, Leaf or Hasselblad back on my camera. Actually I own a P-30 and an A-22 and can find use for both of them.
With the HY6 being proprietary to Sinar and Leaf and with Leaf having a vested interest in seeing this platform succeed what happens to the R+D towards other platforms like the Contax, Mamiyas, Hasselblads, etc.?
If we try to continue with our Contax, Hasselblads, Mamiyas, will we be locked out and forced to move to the Hy6 and if so what are we actually gaining, other than more limitations?
JR
http://www.jamesrussellphotography.comIn this digital age, the two important components (and where most of your money goes) are the digital back and the lenses. The shutter/ mirror box in between is secondary but does serve the purpose of making it all work as a system and has to be thoughtfuly designed.
For this discussion, let's also put the software component to the side.
Over the last 4-5 years we have seen a decline in sales of MF cameras and saw Contax, Bronica, some V-models and the GX680 dissappearing.
At the same time, nearly every new MF camera is being sold with a digital back.
With regards to the business model, body and lenses are basically tools for selling digital backs. Take a look at the various offers from pro dealers who give a camera+lens at a discounted rate (or free) if you buy the back from them.
The new camera and lens line are designed to allow for advanced features and qualities that are currently not available on other platforms. Therefore you can assume that Sinar and Leaf will have "better" backs for this camera, in the same way that Hasselblad offer "better" backs for the H system. It may well be "the same" back that if attached to the new camera will preform better then if attached to another platform, becasue the camera allows that.
There is no business gain for Leaf in selling the camera or licencing its spec to other DB makers (the licence belongs to Jenoptik) and therefore the camera will not be sold as a separate item (unless is it a second backup body etc.).
Going forward, it is unlikely that you will see digital backs other than Leaf and Sinar sold with the new camera.
Yair
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