How long do you keep your Digital Back

[Yanick Dery]

I am curious to know how long people keep using their back. Do you use it more than 3 years before to upgrade???

[Christopher]

I am curious to know how long people keep using their back. Do you use it more than 3 years before to upgrade???

I think it depends. Right now I am really happy with my P65, I would not need any more resolution, so if next year or so a P85 or P90 arrives with no other features expect giving it more MP, than I won't be interested at all. However if it would have 1-2 more stops DR, clean ISO 1000 or Livew View in the back, I certainly would be very interested.

The same goes for all other cameras. I don't need a new Canon or Leica if the only thing I get is more MP or print buttons or whatever. If a company want's me to upgrade then they have to offer something I don't have right now and could use to make money.

[Mr. Rib]

Heh, I'm reading your post and what you wrote are my thoughts. And from what people write here, everyone here shares the same expectations which are the backs to excel in 2010 and later on in FUNCIONALITY, not MP count. I'm happy with P45+ resolution, I think if I upgrade to P65, I'll do it just to get a bigger sensor (sensor size of P45 with RZ67 is quite an issue), not pixel count. But from there, the only things that could make me switch are quite the same as Christopher's:
1. built-in live view with a high-end LED/LCD screen with higher refresh rate than 0.005 frames per second.
2. clean higher ISO with full res.
3. maybe higher framerate for those who still want to use it for fashion, but that's not for me.

And I'd gladly trade some of MPs for the aforementioned features

[CBarrett]

Man, I haven't even thought about moving on from the P65+.  At least 3 years, hopefully more.  I guess I'm supposed to be putting $10k/year aside for keeping up with technology?

The P65+, though... plenty of resolution, nice big sensor... I agree, I couldn't want anything except more DR.

-CB

[Dustbak]

I have 1 CF39 that is from the summer of 2007, I have a CF39MS that I bought last year and I have just bought an Eyelike M22 from 2004. I might be upgrading the CF39 to something 60's if I get a deal I cannot resist. The other backs I probably will be using a lot longer. I used to buy backs every other year.

I would not be upgrading to get more resolution perse. Other factors are more important, like an improved AF or larger (somewhat) sensor. I would be perfectly happy to drop my money on other stuff and use what I have until it breaks down.

I am now at the point I am happy to part with my money only when I get what I want, the way I want it. I no longer have the feeling I need to upgrade.

[teddillard]

Back when I was selling this stuff, I was pretty surprised by how many studios buying the latest and greatest were keeping their old stuff- makes perfect sense, if it's still working, and you can't get a lot in resale, why dump it.  I think I probably installed over a hundred, I can only think of about 5 that were trading in or selling the old stuff.

The only studio that I can remember specificaly that was figuring on just flat retiring their old system was one that had the original Leaf DCB2.  They were picking up a Canon 20D and a Leaf Aptus 22, it was around 5 years ago I think.  

Many times the decision is simply because the new workstations won't support the old hardware- SCSI, OS issues and such...  

This is the thing that makes me laugh sometimes about when people complain about their new camera being obsolete by the time you get it home.  If it still does the job, it's not obsolete.  Heck, I still shoot with my Olympus E10 on occasion...

[Jack Flesher]

I think it depends. Right now I am really happy with my P65, I would not need any more resolution, so if next year or so a P85 or P90 arrives with no other features expect giving it more MP, than I won't be interested at all. However if it would have 1-2 more stops DR, clean ISO 1000 or Livew View in the back, I certainly would be very interested.

The same goes for all other cameras. I don't need a new Canon or Leica if the only thing I get is more MP or print buttons or whatever. If a company want's me to upgrade then they have to offer something I don't have right now and could use to make money.

Man, I haven't even thought about moving on from the P65+.  At least 3 years, hopefully more.  I guess I'm supposed to be putting $10k/year aside for keeping up with technology?

The P65+, though... plenty of resolution, nice big sensor... I agree, I couldn't want anything except more DR.

-CB

What they said...

,

[EricWHiss]

I have 2 backs from 2004 which are now at least 2 generations behind current tech.

Both have the 9micron kodak sensors and do very close to the same at base iso as the new backs.  The newer backs have lots of improvements but its my belief that these older backs have a few advantages - tiny bit more DR and you can stop down a bit more without diffraction effects being noticable.    I bought both backs for a fraction of the new cost too.

So to answer the question - i think one could continue to use the backs for quite a long time.

[photo570]

I'm still using a CantareXY (on a P2) for god sake, although my Aptus II 5 (H1) arrived the week before Christmas.  :-)

Old backs never die, they just move down the chain.

Cheers.

[HarperPhotos]

Gidday,

I've had my Leaf Aptus 75 now for 3 and a half years and have no desire to upgrade. My advertising clients wouldn’t notice the difference if I moved up to a more pixel back.
If any thing, I would be looking at the next replacement for my Nikon D3x which is a superb camera. It only negative is dust on the sensor.

Cheers

Simon