The Aptus backs in general are, but the Aptus-II 5 is brand new, so not quite "proven" yet.
And it uses exactly the same 2004 vintage, "ISO 400 with a tailwind" sensor as the ZD backs and bodies, for those who care about low light handling. In fact, I wonder if Mamiya has a stock or purchasing obligation left from a volume purchase agreement for sensors for the poor selling ZD models: it was widely said that the low ZD pricing was based in part on a discount for a commitment to a volume purchase of the sensors.
There is a reason why
- the Aptus-II 5 with its 2004 era 48x36mm sensor with 22 million 9 micron photosites sensor offers only ISO 25-400.
while
- the Aptus-II 7 with its 2006 era 48x36mm sensor with 33 million 7.2 micron micron photosites sensor offers ISO 50-800.
The newer, higher res. sensor has about one third the dark current, half the fixed pattern noise, and 30% less "electrons" worth of amplifier noise. (Along with twice the charge to voltage conversion factor in the amplifiers.) This seems to add up to better "image level" noise characteristics.
BJL, no offence but can I ask you if you have ever handled an Aptus back and/ or taken any photographs with one?
The Dalsa 22MP (which BTW is still in production, unlike other 22MP chips) is considered, by many, to be one of the finest CCDs ever made and as one that is cable of producing, given the right conditions and mounted inside an Aptus, Aptus S or Aptus-II (or even a Valeo), the sharpest, cleanest and richest files compared to most if not all other digital capture devices.
Have a look at Peter Yang's photo which has won him the
ASME's "Best Magazine Cover of The Year" and guess which back it was shot with. Peter has another, bigger back but he chose to use his Aptus 22 for this job.
The Aptus-II 5 is based on the WELL PROVEN technology from the Aptus 22 and Aptus 54S and combines it with some other improvements taken from the other mambers of the Aptus-II family.
Let me know if you would like to see some vintage file from these backs.
Yair