Posted by Andy Astbury on September 4, 2008 at 2:04 PM
I've been tinkering with the latest PhaseOne camera and the P30+ back at the behest of KT and the boys at The Flash Centre.
It's taken a hell of a long time for me to get the hang of the 120mm Mamiya macro lens, which is cripplingly short (equates to 72mm in normal parlez) and so plays absolute hell with the background.
Plus - this little tike was nearly inside the lens hood I was that close
This is a crop, in 8bit format it's 57.3Mb, and the full image is 92Mb so you can tell how much of a crop it is - if only they'd make a 400mm macro then we could shoot small stuff like this full frame.
PhaseOne 645 camera
Mamiya (or Miami as Tom would call it!) 120mm f4 macro
The staggering P30+ digi back
ISO100
1/4 sec @ f11
PP in CapOnePro
I don't know what you folks will think, but over the last month this back has amazed me with its resolution - and there 2 bigger ones out there - one with nearly TWICE the resolution.
Please take time to view the links then you can see for yourself
Nice one Kev
Posted by jack chapman on September 4, 2008 at 2:21 PM
very nice shot and very impressive the detail even at a resonable crop, not sure you've convinced me to shell out the money for it though
Posted by John Robinson on September 4, 2008 at 6:28 PM
Great damsel shot - but -
Come on Andy to tyhickies like me what the hell does
"I've been tinkering with the latest PhaseOne camera and the P30+ back at the behest of KT and the boys at The Flash Centre. "
mean ??
Cheers
JohnR
Posted by Andy Astbury on September 4, 2008 at 6:50 PM
Sorry John
KT is Kev Treadwell - fellow UKNPN'r and head honcho at The Flash Centre in Birmingham.
PhaseOne - medium format digital SLR system of obscenely huge image size and cost - Hasselblad cousin
It's basically a studio cum wedding/event/fashion/portrait system that I've been pushing to its limits and a bit beyond.
Posted by John Robinson on September 4, 2008 at 7:00 PM
Oh !
John
Posted by Mark Sisson on September 5, 2008 at 3:44 AM
Great kit (and shot ) - files are amazing but not really practical for our filed of work methinks.
but not really practical for our filed of work methinks
I wouldn't be so quick to write the Phaseone backs off for nature photography.
These Phase One backs are astounding in their quality and completely practical for some types of nature photography i.e. Landscapes - or for that matter anything roughly stationary that you would have required up to a 200mm; for example look at Heather Angel's website for the work she has done on Hasselbald medium format kit.
I can not see many people moving away from 35mm because of the cost of such medium format digital ready equipment - especially the digital back - but those that do and use the equipment with its operational limits ( or just on the edge) can be rewarded with astounding detail and quaility that those on 35mm will simply, technically, will not be able to acheive and, all other things being equal, the better quality the better chance of a sale.
The achilles heel of medium format digital at the moment is not these Phaseone backs it is the fact that the current medium format lens are not really designed for and up to the high resolution digital job...
...but there is a way around that for landscapes at least.
You forgot another issue too Tom, that of cost . We'll all be needing even bigger hard disks to keep all the shots on too .
Posted by Matt Cole on September 5, 2008 at 6:31 AM
interesting stuff. The level of detail on those 100% crops is remarkable.
Matt
Posted by Dave Bartlett on September 5, 2008 at 7:13 AM
Stunning detail and well worth a look at the links - thanks for posting them. Its not an area of kit I am familiar with (struggle enough with regular gear ) but looks like it could produce some belters!
Dave
Posted by Andy Astbury on September 5, 2008 at 7:18 AM
Mark - from a professional image production stand point the PhaseOne backs offer unparalleled image quality - in a competitive marketplace their images would outstrip all competion from photographers on conventional 35mm format equipment - and even those relying on drum scans I suspect.
The system has limitations imposed purely by the availability of glass - the body is as versatile and easy to handle as anything else I use.
Said limitations are very limiting, but then again so's a 500mm f4 - there's only so much you can do with it!
Capital outlay on digital medium format is quite steep to say the least - but from the enquiries I've made so far, the fiscal returns on the images are potentially very high too - far higher in proportion to outlay than anything 35mm based.
This is a saga that I'm certain will continue
Posted by Danny Green on September 5, 2008 at 5:47 PM
Ah so thats where you have been.
Very nice sir
Danny
Posted by eric weight on September 6, 2008 at 1:11 PM
Hi Andy. Tremendous detail on this one, perhaps even more than usual. Anything that gives you an edge needs looking at these days.
Hope all is well. see you soon.
Eric
Posted by Graeme Lee on September 6, 2008 at 8:40 PM
Blimey!!! I want one! Incredible detail Andy
Posted by Andy Astbury on September 7, 2008 at 3:08 AM
It so happens that I'm using the older macro lens - they are sending me the latest one to try, which I'm told out performs the Zeiss f4 V Macro Planar from the Hasselblad range, which is something of a legend. So, even more detail may be on the cards
Eric - I should bloomin' think so, the sensor is big enough to play a game of 5 a side on
Discussion
14 repliesIt's taken a hell of a long time for me to get the hang of the 120mm Mamiya macro lens, which is cripplingly short (equates to 72mm in normal parlez) and so plays absolute hell with the background.
Plus - this little tike was nearly inside the lens hood I was that close
This is a crop, in 8bit format it's 57.3Mb, and the full image is 92Mb so you can tell how much of a crop it is - if only they'd make a 400mm macro then we could shoot small stuff like this full frame.
There's a bigger version HERE http://wildlifeinpixels.com/img/Phase/damz/damz001X.jpg
and 2 unsharpened low rez 100% crops on the links below:
http://wildlifeinpixels.com/img/Phase/damz/CBcrp1.jpg
and
http://wildlifeinpixels.com/img/Phase/damz/CBcrp2.jpg
Techs.
PhaseOne 645 camera
Mamiya (or Miami as Tom would call it!) 120mm f4 macro
The staggering P30+ digi back
ISO100
1/4 sec @ f11
PP in CapOnePro
I don't know what you folks will think, but over the last month this back has amazed me with its resolution - and there 2 bigger ones out there - one with nearly TWICE the resolution.
Please take time to view the links then you can see for yourself
Nice one Kev
Come on Andy to tyhickies like me what the hell does
"I've been tinkering with the latest PhaseOne camera and the P30+ back at the behest of KT and the boys at The Flash Centre. "
mean ??
Cheers
JohnR
KT is Kev Treadwell - fellow UKNPN'r and head honcho at The Flash Centre in Birmingham.
PhaseOne - medium format digital SLR system of obscenely huge image size and cost - Hasselblad cousin
It's basically a studio cum wedding/event/fashion/portrait system that I've been pushing to its limits and a bit beyond.
John
Wouldn't mind a play with one though!!
Mark
I wouldn't be so quick to write the Phaseone backs off for nature photography.
These Phase One backs are astounding in their quality and completely practical for some types of nature photography i.e. Landscapes - or for that matter anything roughly stationary that you would have required up to a 200mm; for example look at Heather Angel's website for the work she has done on Hasselbald medium format kit.
I can not see many people moving away from 35mm because of the cost of such medium format digital ready equipment - especially the digital back - but those that do and use the equipment with its operational limits ( or just on the edge) can be rewarded with astounding detail and quaility that those on 35mm will simply, technically, will not be able to acheive and, all other things being equal, the better quality the better chance of a sale.
The achilles heel of medium format digital at the moment is not these Phaseone backs it is the fact that the current medium format lens are not really designed for and up to the high resolution digital job...
...but there is a way around that for landscapes at least.
T
Matt
Dave
The system has limitations imposed purely by the availability of glass - the body is as versatile and easy to handle as anything else I use.
Said limitations are very limiting, but then again so's a 500mm f4 - there's only so much you can do with it!
Capital outlay on digital medium format is quite steep to say the least - but from the enquiries I've made so far, the fiscal returns on the images are potentially very high too - far higher in proportion to outlay than anything 35mm based.
This is a saga that I'm certain will continue
Very nice sir
Danny
Hope all is well. see you soon.
Eric
Eric - I should bloomin' think so, the sensor is big enough to play a game of 5 a side on
Graeme - be careful what you wish for