Mamiya Leaf Branding

[Guy Mancuso]

Thought this maybe of interest.



FYI

New “Mamiya Leaf” Brand Delivers Strong Worldwide Synergy

Companies Integrate Products, Consolidate Worldwide Support, Service and R&D

TOKYO and TEL AVIV, January 16, 2012– 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.

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. 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.

About Leaf Imaging, Ltd.
Leaf Imaging has been a pioneer in professional digital photography. In 1992, Leaf introduced the world’s first commercial digital camera back. Today, the Leaf Aptus-II digital backs are the choice of leading photographers. Leaf is dedicated to improving the quality of its products, technologies and services to support the advancement of professional digital photography.

For more information, please visit the new Mamiya Leaf website at www.mamiyaleaf.com

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

Interested to know what this knows in the future!

 

[Poul]

It looks like the Mamiya RZ has disappeared?

 

[kuau]

So does PhaseOne no longer have anything to do with Leaf?
Since I own a Leaf Aptus II 7 AFI, I wonder who will support and service it Mamiya/Leaf

 

[JorisV]

I believe it makes a lot of sense to leave the Leaf labels on the backs.

For a while I thought they were going to be rebranded as DM22, DM28, etc. That would have been a mistake in my opinion.

The name Leaf means something in digital back country, the name Mamiya a lot less.

 

[yaya]

So does PhaseOne no longer have anything to do with Leaf?
Since I own a Leaf Aptus II 7 AFI, I wonder who will support and service it Mamiya/Leaf

Leaf Imaging Ltd is wholly owned by Phase One.

Your AFi-II 7 is supported and can be serviced by Mamiya Leaf through any of our dealers or in your case also via MAC Group in the US

BR

Yair

 

[kuau]

Thanks Yair

 

[Oren Grad]

Yair -

What on earth is going on here? This is at least the third different branding/marketing "identity" that Mamiya has had in the US over the past year. And this time, the entire Mamiya USA website is gone - poof! - and the URL is redirected to the partially-baked Leaf site.

So please tell us: what has happened to all the Mamiya legacy products? Are they still being sold and supported? Will all of the information that was on the old MAC site be ported to the Leaf site, or is everything going to require a phone call or email? Are we even allowed to telephone a live human any more? I don't see a phone number on the Leaf site.

Sorry if I sound annoyed. So far this feels like a big step backward, making Mamiya more opaque, less accessible and harder to deal with. Please explain how this is supposed to work.

Thanks...

...Oren

 

[Stefan Steib]

Hi Yair

a new website that opens many questions.
Does this mean the RZ Pro II D is discontinued ?
And - what happens to Mamiya Germany ? I cannot find a link to them on the mamiyaleaf.com

Greetings from Munich
Stefan

 

[FredBGG]

Phase Leaf Mamiya seem to shuffle names around more often than they come out with new cameras. Hopefully this will do away with different firmwire updates in DM backs and Leaf branded backs.

Well it looks like they killed the RZ... so the Phase one ownership finally killed film for Mamiya.

If they have killed off all the 6x7 cameras ... this would lead me to believe that Mamiya has no intention of developing digital cameras with a format larger than sub 645.

I wonder where things will head in the future.

Strange that the Mamiya Leaf release makes no mention of the RZ... dead... not dead...

Interesting times in the MF world. Hasselblad changes ownership, but is bought up by a venture capital group and not by it's manufacturer and developer Fuji.
Pentax (the best body) is bought up by office giant Ricoh.
And then there are the to giants lurking. Samsung in alliance with Alpa and Schneider.
And then their is the MF heavy weight Fuji that has been hinting about making a flagship luxury interchangeable lens camera system under it's own brand.

Both Samsung and Fuji are giant companies compared to Hasselblad and Phase One.

 

[FredBGG]

Leaf Imaging Ltd is wholly owned by Phase One.

Your AFi-II 7 is supported and can be serviced by Mamiya Leaf through any of our dealers or in your case also via MAC Group in the US

BR

Yair

MAC USA is not listed as a partner on the MamiyaLeaf.com site.... I guess they come under the MamiyaLeaf umbrella.

With the lot being owned by Phase one what is the logic behind having the leaf and the phase brands?

What's the word on the RZ?

 

[PeterA]

Enjoy the ride whilst these backs are still made guys - it aint a never ending story too many peopel clipping the ticket in this market for too much.

 

[Shelby Lewis]

Well it looks like they killed the RZ...

At least now I'll maybe get lumped in with those "cool" photographers who shoot antiquated unsupported systems

Strange times!

 

[yaya]

MAC Group are the Mamiya Leaf & Mamiya (legacy product inc. RZ etc.) distributors in the US and can be contacted by e-mail or by phone: 914.347.3300

AFAIK the RZ is still in production

There are some legacy products that do not meet the RoHs regulations and as such they cannot be imported into the EU and this includes the RZ body. This is not new and goes back a few years already

 

[Anders_HK]

Leaf Imaging Ltd is wholly owned by Phase One.

Your AFi-II 7 is supported and can be serviced by Mamiya Leaf through any of our dealers or in your case also via MAC Group in the US

BR

Yair

Yair,

Would you please clarify further. Will Leaf and Mamiya remain two different companies and it is only the branding (marketing) that are merged? Service?

I hold much faith, respect and appreciation to Leaf and the Leaf agent in Hong Kong, including all staff. Very top notch professional and very superb and excellent service. I do not at all have same experience of Mamiya, including problems and inadequate service when products have gone back to Mamiya Digital in Japan!!! There is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY anyone Mamiya will touch my back. NO WAY.

I am likewise very unimpressed with Mamiya products which are far inferior to the excellent Hy6 system, including the D lenses I have had. Somehow I wish Phase One and Leaf would really continue the Rolleiflex and Hy6 path rather than with inferior company and products. It would yield far better products for the customers. Have had both AFD and AFDIII cameras and many Mamiya lenses, and they complete pale in comparison in every way to Hy6 and Rolleiflex lenses.

Very regrettably it seems as if Phase One, Leaf and Mamiya is run by marketing, rather than what should per what is the very best product for a photographer. A new camera will change? Mamiya lenses with Schneider glass will not be same. Nor will the excellent quality and preciseness of the Hy6. You can try. In end I will bet that made in Japan will not reach same levels. Period, and certainly not by Mamiya.

Appreciate if you pass on to right people. And, I do very much and sincerely value also your excellent work, help and information, always. Thus indeed no bashing, but appreciating all Leaf. Thank you!

Best regards,
Anders

PS Please also note that due many problems I have had with Mamiya and Mamiya systems, when in future it will come to time to upgrade my AFi-12, if the only choice of camera would be one from Mamiya, sorry... will have to look at who else use Dalsa and quality camera made in Germany. Why? I spent and lost enough $$ on products made by Mamiya and in Japan. Enough said.

 

[yaya]

Anders I'll be in HK next month so perhaps we'll get a chance to meet up

To your question. Yes; Leaf and Mamiya remain two separate legal entities but from now on we use one brand, one dealer network and one service/ support system.

BR

Yair

 

[Lee Love]

Hey guys don't get your panties in a bunch, this is all good and long over due.

The main thing that is happening here is BRANDING. This is very common after mergers and acquisitions. The Mamiya and Leaf brands were very confusing, you had Aptus and DM models and by bring the names together it makes it less confusing.

I am not familiar with the process over seas but all service for Mamiya and Leaf is has always been handled in NJ. It is my understanding the facility is sophisticated enough to do almost any repair of the Leaf backs except interface changes. This requires a trip back to Israel.

From what I see everything Phase One has done is an attempt to integrate and improve on a photography platform. Instead of having pieces and parts they are bring every thing together to offer a complete solution. From a product marketing perspective this is exactly the right move necessary to compete with Leica, Hasselblad and Pentax.

Every large company (especially in a global economy) has divisions that specialize in different expertise. Look behind the curtain of IBM, Apple, Leica, etc. you name it and development is done all over the planet. Yet the final product has one name on it.

I think if you look at Hasselblad owners you will find many people want that integration of camera, back, lens and software from one company. Propeller spinning beanie specifications is NOT the only reason photographers purchase a MF system.

Re-branding of the product line is a good move and is a standard corporate communications decision happens everyday.

 

[Anders_HK]

Anders I'll be in HK next month so perhaps we'll get a chance to meet up

To your question. Yes; Leaf and Mamiya remain two separate legal entities but from now on we use one brand, one dealer network and one service/ support system.

BR

Yair

Yair, Will check with Gavin locally on what is situation in Hong Kong. Please do pop me an email or message if you are visiting. It will be very good and a pleasure to meet you. Current I am in Shanghai but we might make it back to HK next month some time.

---

While many posters are in USA... Things are NOT same elsewhere and with a big service center from an equivalent to MAC group. Else my view strongly as stated already. To add, Leaf support and their agents are very very different than Mamiya: It is quick and to help. Repairs on Mamiya in HK are sent to Japan which takes LOOOOOONG time, and frequent comes back with a judgement blaming user or unclear to cover their a**... and at times with the original fault still remaining there. Besides the Mamiya agent do not at all understand digital back here or even how to test for focus accuracy..., just some samples. Leaf agent is as I stated, excellent.

Best regards,
Anders

 

[Ben Rubinstein]

http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/01/17/MamiyaLeaf

The short paragraph written by DPReview actually made me understand this for the first time!

 

[yaya]

What's the word on the RZ?

Legacy products section