Dear Hans,
The 36mmx48mm format of most medium format digital backs will add approx 1.2x to your 645 lenses (1.33x for your 6x6 lenses).
As such, wide angle lenses become somewhat less wide angle and long lenses act somewhat longer.
For some photographers, this multiplier is a benefit, for others a handicap. YMMV
Please note: Modern digital lenses are not necessarily "sharper" than their analog relatives.
Consequently, there are plenty of fabulous "old' lenses out there for sale on eBay that will work extremely well with a digital back.
That being said, the new cameras from Hasselblad, Mamiya/Phase1, and Sinar are tightly-integrated and well-executed -- unfortunately, hideously expensive if you include the new glass.
The Phase1 back on an older model camera body with analog glass would give you a "relatively" inexpensive entry point with the potential to upgrade to a full Mamiya 645afdIII system later on. Leaf also makes backs that work with the old Rollei 6008 system with a clean upgrade path to the new Sinar Hy6. Sadly Hasselblad has no upgrade path so you are pretty much going to have to use one of their old 5xx bodies with a digital back OR buy into their new system, lenses and all.
Michael
J Michael Sullivan
Editor/Publisher, MAGNAchrom
www.magnachrom.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Hans Klemmer [mailto:hansklemmer@xxxxxxx]
Sent: Sunday, September 14, 2008 03:03 PM
To: 'List for Photo/Imaging Educators - Professionals - Students'
Subject: Medium format digital
Friends, I'm looking to move from my 4x5 camera to a medium format digital system and am weighing the merits of Hasselblad vs. Mamiya and their new digital cameras vs. putting a Leaf back onto one of the older film style cameras (Hasselblad 501 or 503, or Mamiya RZ67). Has anyone in the group experience or opinions on either of these? I'm wondering about sensor size in respect to the internal image projection size, lenses made for digital imaging vs. those for film, costs of the cameras as well as parts availability (lenses and such). Predominantly, I'm an outdoor shooter currently working on a project of documenting dolmens and stone circles in Northern Ireland (currently on sabbatical from my college near Chicago). I'd love to hear you all weigh in before I go out and make a wrong choice. Thanks in advance, Hans
