Where MF still shines is color fidelity. CMOS is getting better -- to the point it is excellent -- but IMHO, CCD still rules the day when it comes to color; there's just a look to it that CMOS can't replicate. And to get enough CCD pixels to get extreme detail and the associated processing power to run them, you pretty much need an MF back.
Thanks Jack for this helpful comment.
I just tried to photograph a twilight parade on the weekend with my Contax645/eMotion75 MFDB on a monopod and found it so tough that I have thought about investing in a D800 not least since the used price seems to be going down quite a bit. But I was not sure what difference if any apart from convenience and higher ISO would be the outcome, until I read this thread that convinces me it may be worth sticking with my MFDB system despite the inconveniences and scoring fewer keepers with the hope that those shots with the clumsier MFDB system that do turn out all right will be worth the hassle of working within its limitations.
I am firmly in the same camp.
There are certain combinations that bring personal satisfaction or even pure pleasure beyond that which is rationally defensible against competitive, "on paper" comparisons.
And yes, sometimes they present challenges or hassles which one has to over-come with skill and judgement, but even that old fashioned mastery is part of the personal attraction to certain favored tools.
I understand your affinity for the Contax 645 and that Dalsa equipped back. I struggled/exhalted with a similar combination for years, but never doubted the possible end result which could be magical.
"There's just something about it", as the saying goes.
In recent years it has been my S system that provides me with that whole
"love/hate/love it even more" relationship with my favorite tool of choice. I can rationally tout its optical excellence, versatility as a dual shutter camera with an array of leaf-shutter capable lenses, its relative speed of use, or relative portability for MFD … but if it didn't deliver the magic it would all be a hollow defensive argument. It is the image in the end, and how we subjectively favor it that counts.
I also am still a believer in "horses for courses" … and still have my workhorse 35mm Sony SLT gear, and my "super convenient" A7R Mighty Mouse solution. They are fantastic things, but bring no real joy on that visceral level that certain special tools have brought me over the years.
My first question is always
"can I do this with the S? Have I mastered it well enough to make it happen without jeopardizing my vision? With each passing month the answer becomes increasingly … yes.
- Marc