Having done a lot of reading about the new crop of medium format cameras, I am seriously considering the Mamiya DL28. I have been shooting 35mm for over 33 years and currently have a Canon 1Ds (the original 11.1 megapixel) and a lot of Canon gear. It is time for me to upgrade and I am having a hard time trying to decide between staying with Canon 35mm or moving to medium format. I know that as you pack more pixels in a smaller sensor a new crop of problems arise.
Ultimately, image quality is my main goal. I mainly shoot landscapes, portraits and commercial subjects and realize that medium format would suit my style of photography. The new offering by Mamiya seems to be a good compromise for me, but I have yet to read a full review of this set up. Would the Mamiya DL28 allow the use of a leaf shutter lens to increase the flash sync capability?
Any information would help me decide, but I am really looking for someone who has purchased the Mamiya DL28. I know it is just a combo of the Leaf Aptus II-6 back with the 645AFD III camera with 80mm f2.8 D lens. At $15,000. this seems like a great deal.
If you money burning a hole in your pocket and think a new camera will change your photography, then take a deep breath and go look in the bone pile of KEH, or any dealer and see what the ex-new shimmy shiney $30,000 cameras go for today.
In fact in the world of medium format a 31mpx p30 on a Mamiya afd II or a contax, under most conditions produces the same image quality as a new p30+ on the Mamiya III. You can pretty much say the same for Leaf, Sinar and Hasselblad.
You gain some features on new equipment, slightly better iso, slightly better lcd's, but you also double to triple your costs and like buying a new car, once you turn the key the depreciation takes a steep drop.
Same with the dslrs. The 1ds3 is better than a 1ds2 but not jaw dropping better, the Nikon D700 is exactly the same image quality as a D3, the 5d2 the same as the 1ds3, for 1/2 the price.
If it's ultimate image quality you want then open your wallet for $50,000 but if your looking at a price compromise, then look to the world of used.
Most used medium format cameras and backs don't have 10 million shots fired through them and will usually last for a long, long time.
If you could test every camera made in every condition you work, you will probably find that not one camera will do everything. The Canons cross more territory than any system, but they're not perfect, nothing is.
You'll also probably find that a 25mpx sony, or a 5d2 along with a used digital back will give you more options (obviously some form of backup) and equal or less costs than spending $15,000 to $18,000 on a new medium format system.
Now if you want a new system, go for it and enjoy yourself, or if there is some new feature you must have to do your work, then it' might be worth it, but for image quality, the medium format sensors that are on the market today haven't changed in a few years, so the final "quality" will all be very close to the same, regardless of vintage, or brand. The same holds true for medium format cameras. They all have single point (or almost single point) autofocus, they all have a comparable lens set, though the H system has the most options for lenses with leaf shutters and autofocus.
If you work a lot, under high expectations and only have one camera body and lens set, then look to the Hasselblad H1 or 2 (chose your own back), as in the world of medium format that is the only camera that is in rental in almost every world market.
This is just one person's suggestion, but keep in mind that most of the people you see posting in this medium format area are not working with the latest and greatest they are sitll in the 22 to 31mpx range of cameras and I assume working quite successfully.