I am settling in to my new camera system, and am getting a lot of enjoyment from it. I decided to take my camera, tripod and three lenses on a hike today, and went a bit further afield than I normally did with my digital camera. My Mamiya camera encouraged me to go just "a little bit further" and take "just one more" photograph. By the time I got home, I had walked something like 20 km over fairly persistent hills and valleys, with roughly 30 lb. on my back. By the time I got home, I was beat. I fell asleep after supper, but am sure I was smiling as I did so. It was a great day.
In the course of my travels, I had three or four other people approach me to ask "what kind of camera" I was using. These questions led to a few interesting conversations, with one young lady saying "her dad had a camera like mine in storage" and she was going to ask him to let her use it. She though film was "cool" and couldn't believe how much more she could see through the viewfinder of my camera compared to her own Nikon D-300.
I sat down the other day to figure out what the cost of a modern medium format digital camera system would be if purchased new. A Mamiya Leaf system with Credo 60 back and three good lenses will run about $40,000. $40,000! Mind you that is JUST for the camera, digital back, and three lenses. Getting a new shift/tilt lens would easily add another $5,000 to the total.
At this point, I am now into my medium format Mamiya camera system $300 more what I got from selling my old one. But I now have 7 great lenses for it, from an 50mm f/4 shift lens to a 300mm f/5.6N. A new Mamiya Type B Remote Shutter Release and WG-401 Power Grip are on the way for it. I even have a Vanguard Supreme 40F water tight hard storage case coming. I got $2,300 from selling my Nikon camera and three lenses, so have $2,600 invested in my new system so far.
I have decided to get the PlusTek OpticFilm 120 scanner for Christmas, and have given a deposit to my local camera store to get one brought in. My total investment will still be less than $5,000.
Spending $5,000 for a manual focus medium format camera with digital added in the post-production phase, versus spending $40,000 to have it "built-in" to a new camera with auto-focus and better low light performance. Some might take the high road, and buy that shiny new digital camera setup. Professionals needing that capability have no other real options, given the time constraints they work under. But as a retired amateur photographer living on a pension, my approach suits my sensibilities (and my budget) a lot closer.
Does it really matter where digital technology is introduced in your photography, as long as you get good digital images at the end of it? Let those with deep pockets or pressing needs buy the shiny new digital medium format cameras and lenses, with their attending costs. I can't afford to do the same, nor do I have any real desire to.
My camera shines at what I need it to do, and encourages me to engage with photography with a lot more enthusiasm. Putting digital technology in at the post-production stage will allow me to convert my film images into high quality digital files at a reasonable cost, so they can be stored and distributed more readily. I can't ask for much more than that.
