Sinar/Eyelike Precision M22 demo -- worthwhile?

[Let Biogons be Biogons]

I have been offered a "demo" Sinar/Eyelink Precision M22 digital back.  Given that it is an obsolete, discontinued, and outdated product, is it worth buying?

The cost is less than half the price of a new Sinar 54H (are refurbished ones available?) which essentially replaced the M22.  But a few thousand more than a Mamiya ZD back (and a bit more than a complete new Mamiya 645 AFD2-ZD).

Relative to the ZD, the M22 has multi-shot capability, but is there any other advantage to it?  From what I understand the ZD is probably a bit easier to use (at the very least because it has an LCD), has better high ISO performance, but is thousands less costly.  What factors would make the decision to spend more money to get the demo M22 over a new ZD?

Does the ZD dominate the low-end of the market, such that it is even cheaper (and a better value) than used, older backs?

Or is it worth the extra funds to find a refurbished 54H?  How much better, and in what ways, is a 54H than a M22?

Is there a user manual, or a complete brochure available on the M22 somewhere on the web so I can better understand the the product?  So far I have yet to find one.

I know there is a subjective component to this (do you like the output of one over the other), and that it really can't be completely reduced to objective, even quantitative, analysis -- but I can try.  I am sure that many of you have an opinion (subjective or objective) on this -- so what do you think?

[jimgolden]

that sounds, IMHO, to be a bit much for this back...even if it does multishot

[pprdigital]

I have been offered a "demo" Sinar/Eyelink Precision M22 digital back.  Given that it is an obsolete, discontinued, and outdated product, is it worth buying?

The cost is less than half the price of a new Sinar 54H (are refurbished ones available?) which essentially replaced the M22.  But a few thousand more than a Mamiya ZD back (and a bit more than a complete new Mamiya 645 AFD2-ZD).

Relative to the ZD, the M22 has multi-shot capability, but is there any other advantage to it?  From what I understand the ZD is probably a bit easier to use (at the very least because it has an LCD), has better high ISO performance, but is thousands less costly.  What factors would make the decision to spend more money to get the demo M22 over a new ZD?

Does the ZD dominate the low-end of the market, such that it is even cheaper (and a better value) than used, older backs?

Or is it worth the extra funds to find a refurbished 54H?  How much better, and in what ways, is a 54H than a M22?

Is there a user manual, or a complete brochure available on the M22 somewhere on the web so I can better understand the the product?  So far I have yet to find one.

I know there is a subjective component to this (do you like the output of one over the other), and that it really can't be completely reduced to objective, even quantitative, analysis -- but I can try.  I am sure that many of you have an opinion (subjective or objective) on this -- so what do you think?
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Biogon:

The 54H would be better in only one primary way, which is that the ISO is adjustable. The ISO on the M22 is stated as ISO 25, and cannot be adjusted, while the 54H goes from 50 to 200.

Also if one were interested in developing a system, the 54H will work seamlessly and take full advantage of the integration with the Sinar P3 View Camera. With this configuration, the Live Video from the 54H would also be superior (if used with the LC Shutter/P3).

Obviously the M22 is a completely different tool than a ZD, for example. It does not possess a CF slot/LCD screen, so can only be shot tethered, but does provide extremely high quality images in terms of color fidelity, lack of noise, and sharp detail - in my opinion, some of the best quality images ever produced by a digital back. It also performs multi-shot captures as well for even greater quality.

See also:

[a href=\"http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=22090]http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....showtopic=22090[/url]

And I agree that if you're saying around $12k-ish, that is a bit high for the street price of a used M22. More like $7K - $10K.

Steve Hendrix
www.ppratlanta.com/digital.php