When you look at that chart, I'm amazed that anyone would think that a P40+ is an "upgrade" to a P45+. You go from a nice big chip, and a large viewfinder image, back down to a cropped chip and a smaller viewfinder image. I just think it's a back that's designed to compete with Canon or Nikon, but in my book, it just can't compete. I mean seriously, how many people need to shoot two frames a second with a medium format back with one autofocus point in the center? Who the hell is shooting the Super Bowl with a P40+? Even in fashion, who *really* does that, unless you're some coked-up Austin Powers dork? Who shoots two frames in a row without checking focus? I still maintain that the P21+ was a killer back; it shot fast, it was super affordable. To me, this P40+ is a replacement for the P21+.
All this talk about "the 3D effect of MediumFormat" is due to the size of the chip; why would anyone want to go smaller, by choice? You wanna see full 3D -- go shoot some 8x10 film. Seems to me you're shooting MF, (with all its hassles), for the optical effect, and the smaller the chip, the more you kill that effect. I still maintain that the P65+ is The Shits; but sadly, how many people are gonna write that check, just for a few more millimeters? Very few. I wish Phase would discontinue every back in the lineup except for the P65+, cut the price in half, and try to get the volume up. Because there is simply no way to compete with Nikon and Canon on their own turf. No way.
I doubt seriously if Phase is after Canon or Nikon Sales. That ship has sailed along with the 10 million ex RZ users that moved to Canons. If there had been p25's, for around 15k, medium format would look a lot different today. but back in the good ol' days, they were all charging 30 grand a hit.
Don't get me wrong, Phase and all the medium format guys would love to have every Canon guy "upgrade" to a P65+ but as far as meeting Canon and Nikon toe to toe with features, it ain't gonna happen.
I think this P40 is to try to put some distance between themselves and Hasselblad and maybe Leica.
It's no secret that Blad is getting damn aggressive and trying to make a push to pick up the digital tech, renters market. That's why you see things like Calumet features Hasselblad or the Hasselblad Univeristy.
It's also no secret that the professional rental market has been dominated for a long time by Phase and to a lesser extent Leaf (both using used H-1s and H2s), so Blad would like a cut of that pie and this new Phase gives them 10 more megapixels and a faster shooting rate than the Hthreedtwothiryone or whatever Hasselblad calls their low price leader.
As far as Leica goes, I guess nobody is worried about them taking the professional market by storm, but there is a lot of dentists out there just itching to buy a bigger camera and the new phase will up the Leica by a few megapixels and medium format has been selling megapixels forever.
Their slogan should be "supersize me".
From this point on the gloves are off. Medium format can't be picking up that much market share so that just leaves 4 people at the poker table all holding a pair of jacks.
You know it's a tough professional market out there when the camera dealer I use says he sold 40 something d3x's but not one to a professional photographer.
As far as the peetwentyone, for a cropped sensor it's a great back and shoots fast, enlarges well and has a nice texture to the files. The lcd sucks (ah the phase lcd) and I'm sure hanging out at the tower club and saying your camera only has 18 megapixels doesn't turn any heads, but it's a damn good deal and the best way to get into medium format.
B
