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Wahooo!!! MF Digital

fotografz

Well-known member
Hi all, I'm a MF addict. Film, digital, love it all.

Do weddings and commercial work with MF digital, and personal stuff using MF film scanned on an Imacon 949.

Here's a few shots from the last commercial job done with a Hasselblad H3D/31 & H3D/39. It was for "Muddy Creek" horse back riding gear. A bunch of these images are being printed 8" wide for a trade show display ... including these two:
 
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Jim Stone

Workshop Member
fotografz,

Beautiful work !! The color is sooooo vibrant! Used to shoot a Hassy 205tcc and still have a brand new Contax 645 with a couple of lenses(long story! LOL) Have considered a Phase One back, but have hesitated since Contax is no longer around. Also, with the way technology is progressing, wanted to see if MF is going to survive. It's a huge expense as you know, and since I'm a hobbyist, not sure whether to pull the trigger. Also have considered an Alpa/P1 combo. I shoot mostly landscapes and some wildlife at my home in Montana. Keep posting, maybe you'll inspire me to do it............as long as my wife doesn't find out about this forum! :eek: Any input would also be appreciated. BTW, we're MSU alums and my wife is from St. Johns.
 

gogopix

Subscriber
fotografz,

.....and still have a brand new Contax 645 with a couple of lenses(long story! LOL) Have considered a Phase One back, but have hesitated since Contax is no longer around. Also, with the way technology is progressing, wanted to see if MF is going to survive. ......
He who hesitates is lost :eek:

As owner of Contax 645, except for these forums I wouldn't know they were discontinued!
Why?
No problems, and lots on used market.
Unless you want to be stuck with a narrow range of lenses, the C 645 has
best AF Zeiss
All the Hassey V series
Many others in hassel or C 645 mount (Hatblei, others)
Leica Viso lenses (the LTM) wth 6x6 image circle, truth)

I have had kodak >P25 >P45>P45+ and it gets better and better.

In 10 years I will STill likely be with Contax mount.

Most forget the glass aspect, The cameras are all pretty good (ok, live with 125 synch speed :)

Regards
Victor
 

Jim Stone

Workshop Member
:) Thanks for the encouragement !! Just have to "pick up" one of those cheap digital backs and I'm ready to go !! And, have a friend who's a the P1 rep......think I'm in trouble??? :eek:

Jim
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Marc so nice to have you here among us , welcome my friend. :)

Have to say Jack and i really nailed it with regards to background on this site . Images are just jumping off the page. Well it takes photographers to know this stuff, and the design was for images. . LOL
 

PSon

Active member
Marc, great inspiring images; these reminded me when I first shoot Hasselblad V system in the 90's and Monte Zuker's location wedding portraits.

Guy, I always love the way FM forum background more than any other forum I have visited. However, this background you are putting together is even more pleasing. It is funny that you made the statement because I was looking and comparing the backgrounds between this forum and FM and your forum has a more warmth touch to it in colors and in personality.

I may have found a new home here.

-Son
 

PSon

Active member
BTW I am also a big fan of the Contax 645 system and like Victor mentioned in his post, the Contax 645 system has some of the most modern Zeiss optics. In addition, it is the best mirror dampening medium format system I have come across. The new Hy6 is much more improved over the Rollei 6008 AF but still no match to the Contax 645 IMHO.

-Son
 

PSon

Active member
If you are concerning about the Contax 645 system, here is something to think about a discontinued product: Phase One is considering supporting this system as a hot swap promotion.

-Son
 

fotografz

Well-known member
I shot Contax 645 for many years before (carefully) going to the H system. The Contax 120/4 Macro is still the best of it's type ever made IMO. I had adapters that allowed use of Hasselblad V lenses and Mamiya 645 glass also ( 500/8 Mirror, 24mm fisheye and other weird stuff). It helped fill out needed focal lengths unavailable from Contax.

I now use Zeiss CFE and CFi glass on the H3Ds using the CF Adapter to round out the H/C line-up.

I'm also using an Aptus 75s back with a Mamiya mount on a 645AFD-II ... using an adapter for Zeiss 500 and 200 series lenses. Mostly use Zeiss FE glass ... 50/2.8FE, 110/2FE, 150/2.8FE and 250/4FE

Like the Contax did, the 645AFD-II provides in viewfinder focus confirmation for manual focus lenses ... and provides a shutter speed up to 1/4000th for shooting wide open in bright conditions.

Variety is the spice of life ... and the Zeiss V lenses have proven to be part of the equation throughout one camera platform change to the next.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
This section of the forum is something I should not be reading , you guys are going to cost me money. LOL

Marc and Son glad you guys are carrying the torch here and any of your MF friends want to come play please invite them. The future of MF will get more interesting as new camera's are coming out . I played with a demo Mamiya 645 and for 10 k body , back and lens deal at 22mpx it was pretty nice little package. And canons big gun coming and let's not forget what leica is working on for the R10 down the road. We will see some industry movement that is for sure. Great stuff guys
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Thanks Guy, and all others that put in the hard work to fire this up.

Just e-mailed Peter A who shoots an Aptus 75 on a ALPA and invited him to take a look. We were just lamenting not having a place to swap info and show photos dealing with MF digital. Looks like you guys could be the White Knights : -)

I'll get my pal, the Russian Photographer Irakly Shandize to sign up when he gets back from teaching in Moscow. He's amazing. Shoots a Contax 645 MF Digital ... and Leica M8 (which I talked him into, and now he's a M convert : -)

There are more of us MF digital users than you may think !
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Marc there all welcome here. We want to build a nice community of shooters here so we have a open arm policy. BTW I love Irakly's work
 

David K

Workshop Member
Beautiful captures Marc. Like Victor and Son and my good friend Chuck Jones, I'm a believer in the Contax 645 system. I shoot mine on the Aptus 75S and the versatility of being able to use the Hassy lenses with adapter is part of what makes this such a great choice. The cameras are built like tanks and I love not having to deal with menus and submenus to change settings. Great site here Guy, I'm looking forward to being a regular here with many of my other forum friends.
 

PSon

Active member
I shot Contax 645 for many years before (carefully) going to the H system. The Contax 120/4 Macro is still the best of it's type ever made IMO. I had adapters that allowed use of Hasselblad V lenses and Mamiya 645 glass also ( 500/8 Mirror, 24mm fisheye and other weird stuff). It helped fill out needed focal lengths unavailable from Contax.
The Contax 645 Apo-Makro-Planar T* 4.0/120 is an amazing lens with one slight flaw, flare in strong background light condition. This signature of the 120 macro is commonly shared by other 120 macro lens such as the Rollei 120.

I also thought about putting the Mamiya 645M 24 mm fisheye and the Apo-Tele 2.8/300 onto the Contax body. However, there is no adapter that will do this as far as I know. Thus, I plan to convert these lens into Contax 645 mount since the function will be the same if you put these Mamiya 645M onto the Mamiya AFD II; stopping down aperature manually.

-Son
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Hi Marc, and welcome!

Marc and I have known each other from Leica M film days, and he was ultimately *THE* person that convinced me to move to digital. Lots of great talent showing up here and I'm looking forward to learning from all of you!
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Beautiful captures Marc. Like Victor and Son and my good friend Chuck Jones, I'm a believer in the Contax 645 system. I shoot mine on the Aptus 75S and the versatility of being able to use the Hassy lenses with adapter is part of what makes this such a great choice. The cameras are built like tanks and I love not having to deal with menus and submenus to change settings. Great site here Guy, I'm looking forward to being a regular here with many of my other forum friends.
Thank You David bring them over, they are very welcome . For me personally i would love to learn more on the MF stuff, I like to be in the know on all gear. This has been the industry for me for the last 32 years and as a Pro shooter , instructor and now forum owner with Jack we need to learn everything also.
 

PSon

Active member
Thank You David bring them over, they are very welcome . For me personally i would love to learn more on the MF stuff, I like to be in the know on all gear. This has been the industry for me for the last 32 years and as a Pro shooter , instructor and now forum owner with Jack we need to learn everything also.
Guy, if you have venture into the medium format world you would make great contribution to the medium format industry as you have done for Leica. Look what Marc have done for Hasselblad and the medium format world. The imacon scanner is known through the work and pioneer of Marc.

-Son
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Thanks Son , yes having Marc here is a nice bonus for this forum. Not only a extreme talent but a damn nice guy to boot. This kind of talent on our forums is very beneficial for the learning process for all of us.

I would love to see you guy's post a few images in the gallery though, getting tired at looking at some of my stuff. LOL

Go have some fun!!!!!!!!
 

Chuck Jones

Subscriber Member
The Contax 645 Apo-Makro-Planar T* 4.0/120 is an amazing lens with one slight flaw, flare in strong background light condition. This signature of the 120 macro is commonly shared by other 120 macro lens such as the Rollei 120.

I also thought about putting the Mamiya 645M 24 mm fisheye and the Apo-Tele 2.8/300 onto the Contax body. However, there is no adapter that will do this as far as I know. Thus, I plan to convert these lens into Contax 645 mount since the function will be the same if you put these Mamiya 645M onto the Mamiya AFD II; stopping down aperature manually.

-Son
Son, actually there was an adapter made by Novaflex for fitting Mamiya 645 lenses to the Contax system. It is now out of production, but may be possible to find one if you check around. Oh, and for the record, I still shoot both Leica M and also Contax 645 w/ Leaf Aptus 75S, though have decided that for my own business model the MF is just too expensive to support continued investment given the small market I am in down in "Old" Mexico. So am in process of selling the MF gear now and just going to stick with 35mm Digital in the future. Sure looking forward to the R10 also, as I still have my stable of great R glass sitting in my cupboard.
 
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