Cheap digital backs

[mahleu]

I'm looking for a digital back for a Hasselblad 500c/m. But i'm looking for something
quite cheap. Probably around 10mp but with a decent dynamic range.
Any suggestions?

[mahleu]

No suggestions?

[Jonathan Wienke]

Anything that is likely to fit your criteria is going to be a scam or stolen. There are no "cheap" MF digital backs, at least not semi-current models that have decent image quality and DR. Those start around 16MP and still cost several thousand dollars, even used. What exactly do you mean by "cheap"?

[mahleu]

Anything that is likely to fit your criteria is going to be a scam or stolen. There are no "cheap" MF digital backs, at least not semi-current models that have decent image quality and DR. Those start around 16MP and still cost several thousand dollars, even used. What exactly do you mean by "cheap"?
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=140432\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Cheap as in sub $2500 (yes I know it's not "cheap" but its all comparitive. I'm happy with something well used that's completely out of date and slow as long as it has a DR better than say, a 5D and it will keep working.

[Jonathan Wienke]

AFAIK, you have several years to wait before you'll get what you are looking for.

[Dustbak]

You want to have one of the following:

Leaf Valeo11
PhaseOne H10
Sinar 43
Eyelike M11

All 4 of them have the same DR as any current digital back, eg. 12stops. All four of them are 16bits in color capture. They will all blow any DSLR, including the 5D, out of the water IQ-wise when used under the right circumstances. They are all around 11MP with a 4:3 ratio.

They are for sale sometimes on Ebay or second-hand (check out Calumet second hand) and cost around 2K to 3K USD.

Mind you, none of them have a display. Only the leaf can be used without tethering by means of a digital magazine. All of the others need to be tethered to a computer. The Leaf can only be used with a Mac. The others can (as far as I recall) be used with both Mac as well as Windows.

There are other more exotic things (Fuji Luma, Dicomed Bigshot, S3, etc.) however these are no longer current. The models I mentioned above officially are not taken in for upgrades but most manufacturers in reality will.

Another option, when you want to spend a little bit more, would be the Imacon 96C. This will cost you between 3K and 4K. Advantage is that it is a square chipped back (37mmx37mm), 16MP, DR 12 stops. It has adapterplates so it can be used on other systems as well. It has a display (the older ones are monochromatic) and it can be used with a digital magazine for portability. These appear regularly on Ebay

Why didn't you put this on the MFDB section, there are a lot more knowledgable people over there. By coincidence I noticed this topic.

[mahleu]

Thanks a lot Dustbak. That's just the kind of list I needed to start looking. I don't have a mac so the Leaf drops first.

I didn't put it in the MFDB section as i assumed the " Digital Cameras, Backs..." included MFDB. I can't move it can I?

[Dustbak]

The Leaf has Beta software for Windows. The files from the digital magazine can be processed via ACR (Bridge, Lightroom and PS).

Don't scratch it of your list too fast. I have worked with the Valeo11 and found it a really excellent piece of equipment. Very reliable and sturdy with lovely files.

Having said that, I would opt for the Imacon when it is going to be used mainly on the 500.

[Morgan_Moore]

I dont think sinar or eyelike have windows support

There was some eyelike software but it was only half there

these 11mp back used with a view camera can be stitched to equal the quality of current backs (still subject)

And in 16 shot mode eyelike11 will beat current 22mp backs for quality!

(static subjects)

(at low ISO 25 or 50)

S