Mamiya, Leaf make it official

Japanese camera maker Mamiya has officially 'tied the knot' with Leaf, the digital back makers once owned by Kodak. Leaf is already a Phase One company and is believed to have shares in Mamiya. It looks likely that Mamiya branded cameras will use Leaf backs, while the Phase One branded (Mamiya-made) 645D will continue to use P1 backs. I'd expect to see a new Phase camera this year, but I can't see Mamiya adopting the same body, strictly due to differentiation.

Press release:

Mamiya Digital Imaging, a trusted manufacturer and developer of medium-format cameras and optics, and Leaf Imaging Ltd., a leading manufacturer and developer of digital backs for the medium and large-format photography markets, today announced that they have created a new, worldwide Mamiya Leaf brand that integrates both companies’ product lines into one complete medium-format digital camera system offering, streamlines new product development and establishes more efficient customer sales and support.

The new Mamiya Leaf brand represents a synergy of the best that these two companies can offer as highly competent suppliers of comprehensive, fully-integrated high-end digital photography systems comprising digital camera backs, bodies and lenses. Together, the companies are focusing on delivering new Mamiya Leaf camera systems. Unified support from worldwide Mamiya Leaf partners/distributors is also expected to be a major advantage for photographers; they will now be able to enjoy one-stop expert service for all of the various components of a Mamiya Leaf medium format digital camera system.

“Creating a new Mamiya Leaf brand represents a win-win situation for photographers” said Dov Kalinksi, Leaf General Manager. “Not only will photographers be able to immediately benefit from a highly advanced, fully-integrated medium format system from the industry’s leading suppliers, but they will also be able to enjoy powerful new products emerging from a unified R&D effort.”

“We are aligning our resources to ensure that customers will benefit from the extensive expertise residing in both Tokyo and Tel Aviv,” said Mamiya Digital Imaging President Toshio Midorikawa. “We are confident that the synergy created and the efficiency gained by simplifying our operations will enable us to serve our customers faster and better.”

Mamiya Leaf medium format digital systems comprise a broad range of equipment -- from 22 to 80 megapixels. Camera bodies are manufactured by Mamiya; digital backs are manufactured by Leaf. Also available are Mamiya focal plane shutter lenses and Schneider Kreuznach-designed leaf shutter lenses. Cameras, lenses and backs will retain their respective Mamiya and Leaf labels and they will still be sold as individual components.

Included with all Mamiya Leaf systems are two native software options: the award winning Phase One Capture One and Leaf Capture.

Contact

For more information, please visit www.mamiyaleaf.com

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Mamiya DM33 review

Mamiya DM33 review

With the closure of Franke and Heidecke* the medium format market has been dominated by just two players, namely Hasselblad and Phase One. Hasselblad has since chosen a closed system preventing third-party backs to be fitted, while back-maker Phase One hastily became the majority shareholder of Mamiya. Phase One also deftly acquired the assets of back-maker Leaf from Kodak recently, giving the company a second line.


Leaf's higher end backs are still marketed using their brand-name, but the three so-called 'entry-level' 22/28/33-megapixel Aptus II models are being re-branded as the Mamiya DM22, DM28 and DM33, respectively. Each back is being bundled with a Mamiya 645DF body and sold as kits at much lower sticker prices. It can't of escaped even casual observers that the prices and resolutions challenge current high-resolution Canon and Nikon models, while the 33-megapixel DM33 should at least match or better the new EOS 1Ds Mk IV in resolution when finally announced presumably sometime later this year.


The upper-end of the three, the DM33, reviewed here, uses a large Dalsa made 48x36mm CCD, but is otherwise functionally similar to the other two backs, while the Mamiya 645DF body is identical to the Phase One 645DF. This body in-turn differs from the relatively new Mamiya 645 AFD III, which has been offered in the past married to Leaf Aptus backs, by possessing principally faster autofocus and a dual shutter system. Some minor body and viewfinder information changes have also been made, as well as accepting a still to be released optional battery-pack.


Prior to an extensive briefing from Phase One / Leaf's amiable and extremely knowledgeable product manager, Yair Shahar, I must confess to some confusion between the models on my part, but the marketing material and websites haven’t as yet caught up with the product. Once explained, though, it’s straightforward and logical.


I was particularly interested to see how the Mamiya DM33 would suit my needs, as a few years back I considered the Mamiya 645AFD with the ZD back, but invested in a EOS 1Ds Mk III instead. Things have moved on since then and the difference between 35mm and medium format digital has widened considerably. It’s most noticeable at the high-end, naturally, but it’s not too difficult to see the expansion and upgrade possibilities from one of the DM series cameras.

In the hands, the DM33 works as well in the studio as out, a fact helped by three superb new Mamiya branded, but Schneider-Kreuznach designed, leaf shuttered lenses (55mm, 80mm and 110mm f/2.8) with a 1/800sec flash sync. This is bolstered to an unprecedented 1/1600the sec flash sync through firmware with the back. The DM33 is compatible with another 13-or-so superb Mamiya Sekor lenses, including an full-frame autofocus 28mm f/4.5 (17mm-equivalent**), a worthy 75-150mm f/4.5 (47-93mm-e) and an APO 300mm f4.5 (186mm-e).


Both the back and body don't feel 'entry-level' in any way; indeed they are very heavily metaled and no doubt could survive extended pro-level use. While it’s a bit of a stretch to call the ergonomics of the 645DF body, ‘SLR-like’, they are, by and large, excellent. The viewfinder is a real highlight and I was pleased to see the troublesome lock on the 645AFD III shooting-mode dial has gone, but you still have to switch between the focal plane shutter and leaf shutter using the fiddly custom-function mode. 

I’m not keen on the additional lithium-ion battery slung camcorder-style under the back, and I can’t understand why power couldn’t come from the camera’s AA battery pack. Or, perhaps at least, why the new DF body couldn’t have been designed to use a high power lithium solution instead of the AA cells. However, the secondary power source does allow the back to be used with technical cameras, away from the usual powered FireWire 800 connection and Mac laptop, though that's still an option.


All the same, AF using the 645DF body seems sprightly enough for most likely encounters though obviously not as fast as 35mm systems. Continuous shooting using the DM33 tops out at roughly 1.1fps, which is excellent, especially when considering the file sizes (67MB uncompressed, 35MB lossless compressed). What’s more, there’s no stalling for 32 frames using the lossless setting, or 13 using the uncompressed option with a high-speed CF card.

 Apart from the image quality, the back has some notable features. For instance, the 3.5-inch monitor doubles as a touch screen for the menu, and it’s very slick in operation. As well as a custom white balance feature there’s an AWB option and a number of presets, which is a big improvement over the old ZD back. The playback image is very grainy though, but at least there’s a 1:1 view with the option to select anywhere within the image is extremely handy. Another nice feature is an excellent histogram option that uses the RAW data rather than displaying the brightness range of an embedded JPEG.

Despite the huge sensels, noise levels while good don’t match the best DSLRs at the higher ISOs. Noise is visible onscreen at 1:1 at ISO400, and the image looks decidedly noisy at the maximum ISO800. But, that doesn’t translate in print. At the base sensitivity of ISO50 and at ISO100 the color depth, gradation and micro-detail is stunning. So would I now choose the DM33 over the EOS1 Ds MKIII? Well, maybe, but my work is still very varied, and there advantages to both systems. However, where I once thought of the Mamiya as being an alternative, I now view the DM33 as being an ideal tool to complement the EOS 1Ds, much like I did in the not too-distant days of medium format film.

Samples

You can use the excellent Leaf Capture (as above) or choose Phase One Capture One, either will do just fine.

Bleeding Tooth Fungus, Schneider-Kreuznach 80mm f/2.8 LS (1/45th at f/5.6, ISO200).

End of summer, Schneider-Kreuznach 80mm f/2.8 LS (1/900th sec at f/2.8, ISO200).

Woodpecker's favorite, Schneider-Kreuznach 80mm f/2.8 LS (1/22nd sec at f/3.0, ISO200).

Dappled sunlight, Schneider-Kreuznach 80mm f/2.8 LS (1/160th sec at f/3.0, ISO200).

Pond weed, Schneider-Kreuznach 80mm f/2.8 LS (1/160th sec at f/6.3, ISO400).


Contact

Calumet (UK main dealer), www.calumetphoto.co.uk

Mamiya, www.mamiya-usa.com

Sales

Please note the Schneider 80mm f/2.8 LS lens has been renamed to Mamiya-Sekor 80mm f/2.8 LS.

Buy from Adorama (thanks for buying from this site's links):

Complete kits from here.

Mamiya 645DF body here.

Leaf Aptus II backs here.

Mamiya 645 lenses, here.




*the makers of the Rolleiflex Hy6 camera with partners Leaf and Sinar. The latter two makers marketed their own versions.

**20mm-equivalent using the ZD back (due to the smaller sensor).




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Leaf Imaging enter new Phase

Mamiya announce affordable pricing on DM22, 28 and 33 MFD systems

In a bid to rival that of studio-level DSLRs, Mamiya Digital Imaging have announced that the DM22, 28 and 33 MFD systems will be available at more affordable prices. The 22-megapixel DM22, for example is now listed at $9995/€6995.

Press release

Tokyo, New York, and Tel Aviv (PRWEB) July 14, 2010
Mamiya Digital Imaging today announced the first step in a global campaign to offer up-and-coming photographers creative freedom beyond their DSLR cameras. Following successful test marketing in the United States, Mamiya has announced that three of its popular medium format camera systems -- the Mamiya DM 22, DM28 and DM33 -- are now available worldwide at affordable prices.

Systems are based on a “Team Phase One” approach, which consists of technologies developed from Leaf, Mamiya and Phase One – companies that have decided to work together to offer the widest selection of choice to professional photographers. This approach achieves synergies in procurement, production, development, and service/support that help reduce costs and facilitate offering more affordable high quality digital camera solutions to customers.

The Mamiya DM 22 digital camera, for example, is available at a retail price as low as $9995/€6995. All systems feature the Mamiya 645DF camera body, proven digital back technology from Leaf Imaging, and Phase One Capture One software, the powerfully precise and flexible raw processing and image editing application. These camera systems are known for producing exceptional image quality, clarity and detail under many different conditions, and for offering a truly “eye-opening” shooting experience.
Mamiya customers also enjoy a wide range of lens choice -- more than 15 different lenses, including lightweight focal plane lenses and the new leaf shutter lenses designed in Germany by Schneider Kreuznach, which offer flash synchronization of up to 1/1,600 per second.

“We want to introduce the medium format ‘WOW’ sensation to more photographers, which is why we are offering equipment that’s affordable for up-and-coming pro shooters and passionate amateurs,” said Ziv Argov, marketing director for Mamiya. “Instead of purchasing a second DSLR, their new gear can introduce them to a new visual language that helps them realize an even more creative portfolio.”

“We offer proven, reliable technology, that’s designed and manufactured so that our customers are free to focus on capturing their visions,” said Mamiya president Toshio Midorikawa. “It’s not our cameras that take great pictures, it’s our customers who do."
“We are very enthused about the success of Mamiya DM systems in the United States,” said Jan Lederman, president of Mamiya America. “It is exciting that photographers worldwide now will have the opportunity to own such powerful digital camera systems at such affordable prices.”

Technical highlights include superior performance data, such as high resolution, richly detailed files up to 190MB 16bit TIFF per image. Each system features the largest medium format touch screen display (6x7cm) available for simple handling. The 645DF camera is designed to be the most reliable and durable medium format camera on the market.
Pricing and Availability The Mamiya DM 22, 28 and 33 medium format digital camera systems are available now. For detailed product specifications and where to buy, please visit http://www.mamiya.com About Mamiya Digital Imaging For almost 70 years, Mamiya has been a name synonymous with excellence and innovation in professional photographic cameras and lenses. Mamiya Digital Imaging is dedicated to the professional and advanced amateur markets.

Mamiya continues to be a pioneer by continually improving and refining the finest professional photographic products with state-of-art advancements such as superior apochromatic lens technology and practical, ergonomic camera design and function. For Mamiya it’s always been about one thing: the love of photography. A passion shared by enthusiastic owners of Mamiya cameras all over the world.

For more information visit www.mamiya.com.

Mamiya offers $1000 trade-in for RZ33 MFDC

Photographers who purchase a new Mamiya RZ33 camera kit between July 2010 and the end of September 2010 can trade-in their existing RZ67 or RB67 and qualify for a $1000 credit towards the new camera.

Elmsford, NY (PRWEB) July 8, 2010 -- Mamiya announces today a new trade-in program created to make its new Mamiya RZ33 digital camera kit even more affordable. Designed specifically for existing owners of Mamiya RB67 and RZ67 film-based camera systems, this new trade-in program allows photographers to update their equipment to the latest digital version of the legendary Mamiya RZ system at an exceptionally reasonable price.

 

Mamiya Announces $1,000 Trade-in Program for the New RZ33 Medium Format Digital Camera
From July 2010 until September 30, 2010, photographers who purchase a new Mamiya RZ33 digital camera kit can trade in their existing RZ67 or RB67 camera body for a credit of $1,000 towards the purchase of their new Mamiya RZ33. There is a limit of one trade-in per RZ33 purchased.
“The positive response to the announcement of the new Mamiya RZ33 digital camera kit has been overwhelming among existing Mamiya RB and RZ owners,” says Mamiya Product Marketing Manager Mike Edwards. “Photographers are eager to update their equipment to the new digital RZ33, but still want to make good use of their previous RB or RZ67 camera body. Our new trade-in program gives these photographers the perfect way to do this, and makes transitioning to the new Mamiya RZ digital system even more affordable.”

About the Mamiya RZ33
The Mamiya RZ33 is a new large-sensor digital camera kit featuring a high performance 33 megapixel CCD sensor. This new camera advances the long adored Mamiya RZ line to a new level, bringing the famous ease-of-use and versatility of the Mamiya RZ camera system to the large-sensor digital arena. With no cables necessary, RZ33 users simply add their favorite razor sharp RZ lens and a CF card, and they are ready to produce large, detailed, and gorgeous images. The RZ33 leverages the large availability of lenses and accessories from the previous generations of the Mamiya RZ67 family, allowing photographers to utilize premium-level equipment they already own.

Pricing and Availability
The new Mamiya RZ33 digital camera kit, including Capture One and Leaf Capture software, will be available in the U.S. this month for $17,990. Photographers taking advantage of the $1,000 trade-in program will simply coordinate the trade-in with their authorized Mamiya Digital Dealer at the time of the new RZ33 transaction.

For more information visit http://www.mamiya.com.

Phase One ready to launch 'ground breaking' product

Phase One are holding demonstration days on Thursday May 14th and Friday May 15th at Holborn Studios, London. Registration is required, for both days:

Thursday May 14th

Friday May 15th

As well as having the new P65+ (60.5-megapixel) medium format back on show (see above), Phase One say they're set to launch a 'ground breaking product'. We'll let you know more details when we have them.



I'm also pleased to see from the company's April newsletter, Canadian photographer Walter Borchenko will be giving a presentation and guide through the new features of Capture One PRO v4.7.1 including the support for JPEG/TIFF files, the new proprietary .EIP format and working with multiple sessions.

We had the good fortune to meet Walter this year at Focus, and discovered we share the same exuberance for the Arca Swiss Cube (as well as C1 PRO of course).

I was sent a Cube by the UK distributor, but unfortunately there wasn't space to review it in the British Journal of Photography at that time. Perhaps we'll review it here, if we get the chance again. How about it Liz, if you're reading?