We arranged to shoot with one, to test it against the 35mm DSLR's we're currently using. We retired our Mamiya 645 gear when we switched to digital, because at that time the Leaf model was completely out of our price range. Years later we still had all that Mamiya gear sitting around, and we wanted to revisit the Leaf question before upgrading our DSLR's again.
IQ was excellent with the Leaf, but frankly still not "enough" better to justify the extra cost. Understand that my wife is really nitpicky about photos and loves her Mamiya gear, but couldn't bring herself to make the switch. She's currently selling portraits as large as 30"x40" from the DSLR's, and I suspect you'd need to print even larger before a quality "improvement" would be seen with the Leaf. We simply don't have a market for such large prints, so the cost isn't justified.
If you already have a bunch of Mamiya gear and could easily go the extra cost for a Leaf, it certainly is good gear. But if the Leaf needs to pay for itself and you had to buy more Mamiya gear, it would be a hard sell to pick it up rather than sticking with 35mm.
Posted by Pat Sampson on November 18, 2011 at 9:17 PM
Thanks hank I appreciate the feedback. That's pretty much where I'd gotten to. It's good to get the confirmation.
pat
Posted by Graham Welland on December 5, 2011 at 12:24 PM
It really depends on your needs.
What you'll gain with the Leaf Aptus II 28 / DF system is basically better color and tonality in images. THAT is the biggest difference you'll see and if that matters to you then it's the real advantage. For studio and landscape you should really be able to see the differences. Try it and see for yourself.
Resolution is kind of moot these days although the lack of AA filter on the digital back will give you an element of extra sharpness, at least in the RAW image before post-processing. You won't see much difference if at all between 28mp from the Leaf vs 22mp from a 5DII or D3x but that's not really what's important. You should see more micro contrast and detail, depending upon the glass you use.
You would need to assess your own thoughts regarding workflow but personally I find that using the large LCD and stylus/finger tip is a very nice way to work when shooting landscape images. Also, you get a review of the raw file and it's raw histogram, not a rendered processed jpg which your 35mm DSLR produces - this matters in terms of assessing highlight clipping etc. For studio use you also have great tethering and preview capabilities via Capture One and the iPad client too. Obviously you can tether your existing DSLR too but it's a full integrated end to end system with the Leaf/Mamiya. It's what these camera systems are made for.
Full disclosure, I do shoot with a Phase One 645DF/IQ160, and previously have shot with the Leaf Aptus 65, P25+ and P40+. I' also shot for years with pretty much every Nikon up to the D3x. I would never go back for landscape work. Now nature ... that's a completely different situation and that's where the 35mm DSLRs still rule the roost.
Discussion
3 repliesThanks.
pat
IQ was excellent with the Leaf, but frankly still not "enough" better to justify the extra cost. Understand that my wife is really nitpicky about photos and loves her Mamiya gear, but couldn't bring herself to make the switch. She's currently selling portraits as large as 30"x40" from the DSLR's, and I suspect you'd need to print even larger before a quality "improvement" would be seen with the Leaf. We simply don't have a market for such large prints, so the cost isn't justified.
If you already have a bunch of Mamiya gear and could easily go the extra cost for a Leaf, it certainly is good gear. But if the Leaf needs to pay for itself and you had to buy more Mamiya gear, it would be a hard sell to pick it up rather than sticking with 35mm.
pat
What you'll gain with the Leaf Aptus II 28 / DF system is basically better color and tonality in images. THAT is the biggest difference you'll see and if that matters to you then it's the real advantage. For studio and landscape you should really be able to see the differences. Try it and see for yourself.
Resolution is kind of moot these days although the lack of AA filter on the digital back will give you an element of extra sharpness, at least in the RAW image before post-processing. You won't see much difference if at all between 28mp from the Leaf vs 22mp from a 5DII or D3x but that's not really what's important. You should see more micro contrast and detail, depending upon the glass you use.
You would need to assess your own thoughts regarding workflow but personally I find that using the large LCD and stylus/finger tip is a very nice way to work when shooting landscape images. Also, you get a review of the raw file and it's raw histogram, not a rendered processed jpg which your 35mm DSLR produces - this matters in terms of assessing highlight clipping etc. For studio use you also have great tethering and preview capabilities via Capture One and the iPad client too. Obviously you can tether your existing DSLR too but it's a full integrated end to end system with the Leaf/Mamiya. It's what these camera systems are made for.
Full disclosure, I do shoot with a Phase One 645DF/IQ160, and previously have shot with the Leaf Aptus 65, P25+ and P40+. I' also shot for years with pretty much every Nikon up to the D3x. I would never go back for landscape work. Now nature ... that's a completely different situation and that's where the 35mm DSLRs still rule the roost.