Canon 1Ds Mark III or Mamiya DL28?

[Martin_Doudoroff]

A potentially useful examination of the DL28.

[Jerry Skrocki]

Originally Posted by Martin_Doudoroff

A potentially useful examination of the DL28.

Thanks Martin,

I have read what Digital Lloyd posted in his blog. His full review requires a $30 membership. I know.... I am contemplating a $15,000. camera purchase but do not want to spend $30 for access to his review.

Jerry

[Noel_Carboni]

Jerry, can you describe your "ideal photo"? Is it a super-big enlargement, an extreme crop, a night shot? Does it have an utterly noise-free feel?

Are you okay with doing a lot of Photoshop processing to reach your goal, or do you hope for quick, almost out-of-camera usability?

What can't you do with a 35mm layout body? What can't you do with a medium format body?

Just questions to help you think about this choice in possibly different ways.

-Noel

[Jerry Skrocki]

Noel,

I'm looking for an image with great tonal range, including shadow detail that will print 20" x 30" or larger.

The Leaf Aptus II-6 digital back does not use an anti-aliasing filter and produces sharper images straight from the sensor.

Compared to the !Ds Mark III sensor 35 x 24 (6.4 µm), the Leaf Aptus sensor is 44 x 33 (7.2 µm).

Canon had to actually reduce the size of the photosites from 7.2 µm on the 16 megapixel 1Ds Mark II to 6.4 µm on the Mark III to pack in 21 megapixels. To me this seems like reverse engineering.

Jerry

[Martin_Doudoroff]

Originally Posted by Jerry Skrocki

I have read what Digital Lloyd posted in his blog. His full review requires a $30 membership. I know.... I am contemplating a $15,000. camera purchase but do not want to spend $30 for access to his review.

Suit yourself. It’s a five page review filled with examples, discussion of ergonomics, the RAW processing software & sharpening, noise performance, and dynamic range performance. From someone who has actually used the camera, unlike—apparently—anybody else who has materialized here on this thread. It may not be definitive, but it’s a hell of a lot more empirical information than you’re getting here.

[Noel_Carboni]

To me this seems like reverse engineering.

I would agree with you if the larger photosites were capturing all the detail the lenses could deliver. However, it's quite clear they're not. I was likewise skeptical with the 40D's even smaller photosites, yet they really do seem to add quite a bit of detail in practical terms over the 8 MP 20D.

Have you ever tried my fractal sharpening actions, by the way? They're the cat's meow for landscapes. Email me an image some time and I'll show you.

Regards antialiasing, there will be color artifacts you really don't want in your big enlargements, so a lack of AA filter isn't all gravy. Personally, I find color fringing and aliasing on edges one of the most annoying things to see in an image.

And don't forget if you don't feel 21 MP is enough for a nice 20 x 30 - and in my opinion it is well more than enough - you can always use a higher focal length and stitch e.g., for landscapes that are essentially unchanging. With the latest Photoshop versions this is utterly painless. This seems a small extra effort in light of the additional cost of a medium format system.

All workflows don't deliver the same amount of image detail. I find converting to an upsampled resolution (25 MP in case of the 1DsIII) yields an even better starting point for processing.

I've often wondered why Canon has not engineered a square (or even roundish) sensor. They could offer modes where the data is automatically cropped to 3:2, or a full raw mode where the image carries essentially all the usable image circle the lens delivers. Of course there would be issues with redesigning the shutter box, but so what? They're redesigning the parts all the time.

-Noel

[Martin_Doudoroff]

Originally Posted by Noel_Carboni

I've often wondered why Canon has not engineered a square (or even roundish) sensor. They could offer modes where the data is automatically cropped to 3:2, or a full raw mode where the image carries essentially all the usable image circle the lens delivers. Of course there would be issues with redesigning the shutter box.

This is one area where future improvements to live view and electronic viewfinders could really pay off: eliminate the mirror box entirely, have a sensor that covers the entire image circle and slice and dice however one sees fit.