Mamiya 645 and Phase One

[Gary Ferguson]

I'm thinking of making a switch from Phase One/Hasselblad V to Phase One/Mamiya-Phase One, and I'd like to learn more about the Mamiya-Phase One 645 system.

1. Is it possible to fit a Mamiya film back to the Phase One camera body?

2. When are the promised AF leaf shutter lenses due, and what focal lengths will be available?

3. In the meantime is it possible to use existing manual focus Mamiya leaf shutter lenses, and if so does anyone have any practical experience/personal favourites?

4. Are all the legacy Mamiya 645 lenses useable on the Mamiya-Phase One body?

5. I believe the Mamiya-Phase One body has three, switchable AF points, but I can't find a diagram of how they are distributed within the viewfinder. Anyone know where this information is available?

6. I understand that a 45mm T&S lens is either available or planned, does anyone know anything about this lens?

7. Is there a full frame fisheye available that will fit the Mamiya-Phase One body?

8. Does anyone have any practical experience of manual focusing with the Mamiya AF focusing screens?

9. Would the Phase One back for the Mamiya-Phase One body be useable on legacy Mamiya 645 bodies or current Mamiya AF bodies?

10. Does the Capture software allow distortion correction with the Mamiya AF and/or Mamiya-Phase One lenses?

Thanks!

[digitalcameraman]

I'm thinking of making a switch from Phase One/Hasselblad V to Phase One/Mamiya-Phase One, and I'd like to learn more about the Mamiya-Phase One 645 system.

1. Is it possible to fit a Mamiya film back to the Phase One camera body?

Yes

2. When are the promised AF leaf shutter lenses due, and what focal lengths will be available?

Sept /Oct 2009

3. In the meantime is it possible to use existing manual focus Mamiya leaf shutter lenses, and if so does anyone have any practical experience/personal favourites?

Use but it does not allow for any higher flash sync because the camera body shutter is doing the work at 1/125

4. Are all the legacy Mamiya 645 lenses useable on the Mamiya-Phase One body?

Yes

5. I believe the Mamiya-Phase One body has three, switchable AF points, but I can't find a diagram of how they are distributed within the viewfinder. Anyone know where this information is available?

The ability to move these points on and off center axis wee designed to cover all P1 chips . So for example if you had a P30 attached and the af point was set for outside the crop area it just would not work correctly, so they kept them close to the crop, offering left of center center and right of center. No MF cameras offer anything as powerful as the Canon and Nikon AF points.

6. I understand that a 45mm T&S lens is either available or planned, does anyone know anything about this lens?

Worked a lot with it, P1 right now is not offering due to inventory control. Many used ones out there from Harblie and mamiya 50mm shift is also good option. Cambowide and Alpa are higher resolving solutions due to Digitar lens designs

7. Is there a full frame fisheye available that will fit the Mamiya-Phase One body?

Yes 24mm but it has severe distortion. I have worked with it a lot when mamiya af first came out. Not very useful for straight forward arch work or people.

8. Does anyone have any practical experience of manual focusing with the Mamiya AF focusing screens?

Works fine if you set your diopter setting correctly on camera body. The AF confirmation lights work even with manual lenses. That is a big plus, even at 2 to 1 magnification.

9. Would the Phase One back for the Mamiya-Phase One body be useable on legacy Mamiya 645 bodies or current Mamiya AF bodies? AFD only AFD 1 AFD 2 and now Phase One and AFD 3.

10. Does the Capture software allow distortion correction with the Mamiya AF and/or Mamiya-Phase One lenses?

the new software 4.5 x offers a lens tab full of corrections. C1 has presets for most medium format lenses and also manual control for any 35mm lens, pin cushion, barrel distortion control, even correction for chromatic aberation which we see on many wide angle arch images. Purple lines in windows really correct. this has a lot of control to make presets and recall. really easy

Thanks!

You are welcome


Chris Snipes
Image Production, Inc

Authorized Phase One Reseller

www.imageproduction.com
chris@imageproduction.com

[Gary Ferguson]

Thanks Chris, that's appreciated.

[wolfbellw.]

new leaf shutter lenses inn september/october?

[Steve Hendrix]

new leaf shutter lenses inn september/october?

I would qualify this to say that we are hoping to begin the launch of Leaf Shutter lenses by October. This may start with one lens - the 80mm - and then several lenses should follow shortly thereafter.

Obviously it has taken longer than expected to produce these lenses, based on our initial over optimistic announcement and time frame. We've realized that quality lens development is a time consuming process. And producing Leaf Shutter lenses that work seamlessly with a focal shutter body only adds to that process.

I believe if we could have taken anything back, it would be the announcements and time frame. If we would have known that the actual ship date would exceed our estimates by a year or two - or whatever it was - then my hope is we would just have not said anything until we got closer to a sure date, as we are now.

Certainly the time to produce quality lenses for any manufacturer takes a lot of time. Photographers are always on board for new and improved lenses, and frequently frustrated with how long it takes for them to appear - with any manufacturer. The difference is when your hopes get raised and how long after that period has to be before you receive what you'd hoped for.

In this case, we raised expectations way too soon and hopefully we've learned our lesson from that.


Steve Hendrix
Phase One

[wolfbellw.]

"The difference is when your hopes get raised and how long after that period has to be before you receive what you'd hoped for."

well we are no kids who are disapointed not to get the toys we have been longing for.
we invested our hard earned money into a system that was meant to perform a certain task and it did not so far.
we did that in the naive belief that the necessary lenses were provided within a reasonable time which did not happen.
its nice to get some kind of compunctious apology a year later, it would be nicer to get some concrete information about the type of lenses you are going to ship later this year and as a matter of fact, all those leaf guys (me included) would be more than happy to get some reliable information about the future of their cameras/backs/software from the new owner.
w.b.

[woof75]

I would qualify this to say that we are hoping to begin the launch of Leaf Shutter lenses by October. This may start with one lens - the 80mm - and then several lenses should follow shortly thereafter.

Obviously it has taken longer than expected to produce these lenses, based on our initial over optimistic announcement and time frame. We've realized that quality lens development is a time consuming process. And producing Leaf Shutter lenses that work seamlessly with a focal shutter body only adds to that process.

I believe if we could have taken anything back, it would be the announcements and time frame. If we would have known that the actual ship date would exceed our estimates by a year or two - or whatever it was - then my hope is we would just have not said anything until we got closer to a sure date, as we are now.

Certainly the time to produce quality lenses for any manufacturer takes a lot of time. Photographers are always on board for new and improved lenses, and frequently frustrated with how long it takes for them to appear - with any manufacturer. The difference is when your hopes get raised and how long after that period has to be before you receive what you'd hoped for.

In this case, we raised expectations way too soon and hopefully we've learned our lesson from that.


Steve Hendrix
Phase One

"We've realized that quality lens development is a time consuming process." How could you have known that though!?!?!? Funny, no-one over estimates the amount of time it will take. I wonder why that is?

[BobDavid]

Hendrix sounds like an attorney.

[gwhitf]

In this case, we raised expectations way too soon and hopefully we've learned our lesson from that.
Steve Hendrix
Phase One

With all due respect, in my eyes, I'd say not. Because I agree with that James Russell guy -- the announcement, or non-clarification of why Phase would be buying laying-bleeding-and-dying-in-the-ditch Leaf just makes a customer wonder what Phase was thinking. If they truly bought a jewel in the rough, then why not keep their mouth closed about it, shine that jewel, and then bring it to market? Because the way it was announced, in its vague weird way, it just makes a customer scratch his head, and wonder further about any brand loyalty that they had to Phase One. The announcement created more questions than answers. And in this current marketplace, why would any company purposely add confusion to their brand direction and purpose? Here's everyone and his brother asking for a big, clear LCD, and there they are, at a Yard Sale on a Saturday morning, in their Dodge Minivan, with their 32 ounce Slurpee, buying up scraps and long-dead technology?

I have my Phase back, and I use it, but everything in me says, "Follow Canon. They clearly know where they're going".

As for Phase, well, just seeing them fade away in the rear-view mirror.

[woof75]

With all due respect, in my eyes, I'd say not. Because I agree with that James Russell guy -- the announcement, or non-clarification of why Phase would be buying laying-bleeding-and-dying-in-the-ditch Leaf just makes a customer wonder what Phase was thinking. If they truly bought a jewel in the rough, then why not keep their mouth closed about it, shine that jewel, and then bring it to market? Because the way it was announced, in its vague weird way, it just makes a customer scratch his head, and wonder further about any brand loyalty that they had to Phase One. The announcement created more questions than answers. And in this current marketplace, why would any company purposely add confusion to their brand direction and purpose? Here's everyone and his brother asking for a big, clear LCD, and there they are, at a Yard Sale on a Saturday morning, in their Dodge Minivan, with their 32 ounce Slurpee, buying up scraps and long-dead technology?

I have my Phase back, and I use it, but everything in me says, "Follow Canon. They clearly know where they're going".

As for Phase, well, just seeing them fade away in the rear-view mirror.

Yes, it often feels that way. The remedy for that though is to use a canon and have a good look at the files. Worked for me a few times.

[hubell]

In this case, we raised expectations way too soon and hopefully we've learned our lesson from that.
Steve Hendrix
Phase One

Very doubtful. I think Phase may adopt a rule that it will not announce a product before it is sort of ready to ship, UNLESS they need to announce it to counter the competition, in which case the information will be leaked through appropriate sources ASAP. This is is endemic with MFD. It is what Hasselblad did in announcing a 60mp back for the H3D over a year ago.
BTW, the danger with "pre-announcing" future products is not just the delay factor. It is also the heightened and unrealistic expectations as to just what is coming. Phase has leaked the release of a "new" Phase camera. From what we have heard as to how many years and how many millions of dollars in R&D, tooling and other costs it took for Hasselblad to develop the H camera and  Leica to develop the S2, what are the chances that the new "Phase" camera will be anyrthing more than a slightly modified AFD?