I sent mine in to Mamiya bc of soft focus,but I am wondering if anyone is terribly happy with their ZD. Are the ZD backs really commercially viable or are we just getting a cheap back and fooling ourselves ?
I hope mine comes back and surprises me but it's going to have to be much better than it was and not just a little tuned up.
I read the review on the associated site and it scares me. Maybe mirror slap or something is really a problem.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=210220\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
Love? Well, no. Certainly not. But, it has been a great tool to get me involved in Digital MF at a price point that is, at least relatively, inexpensive. It's a starter back in a very expensive realm. I don't know if Mamiya planned it this way, but it has become a "entry version" into a system that will continue (If I stay) to produce profit for Mamiya as my kit grows. I am now, already, contemplating buying into a Phase system, with the Phase version of the AFD III. And of course that will mean buying more expensive new, digital Mamiya glass, etc.
I've had both great shots come out of my ZD back and some really lousy shots come out of it (and of course many more that were certainly user error ) but all in all, I've enjoyed it, tolerating its shortcomings. My ZD back is also now visiting Mamiya USA in NY for some testing of small issues, but I'm not really worried. It'll either be fixed or replaced and then I'll have it back.
In the meantime, I get to decide how to move forward. Maybe I keep it as a backup to a newer Phase One or Leaf back, or one that I use in harsher conditions or maybe I'll sell it to someone else who wants to get into digital MF and doesn't have $15-25K just yet.
So, to answer your question, no, I'm not sure anyone loves the ZD. It does some things fine but can't match the higher end gear MF gear. I still can get better DR, color rendition, and detail than a 35mm DSLR. It's user experience isn't as fluid as Nikon or Canon, but I'm not sure any system in MF is yet. That's what folks are clamoring for and it will come, eventually.
Yes, there is a bunch of mirror slap, as compared to a DSLR. Remember, it's a bigger mirror .
My suggestion is to consider how you shoot, and try to make some adjustments to isolate the possible problems. Use a tripod and see if the soft focus disappears. Shoot with the mirror Up function and see how that works. Then you can slowly re-adjust back into a more familiar style that is aligned to you. I had to do this for a while. I first expected MF photography to "feel" the same as with my previous Nikon DSLRs, and it doesn't.
But it's great fun, nonetheless, just different.
Best of luck and keep us posted on your ZD's visit to Mamiya.
-Josh