Ok, in the end I got there too. Such as? A long story. In short: after going through several cameras and sensors (Kodak, Nikon, Sigma, Ricoh, Sony, Phase One, Foveon, CMOS, CCD) I realized that, for my work, the latest generation CMOS sensors, especially on mirrorless, are the best choice for now.
But as far as my personal and visual pleasure, it's a whole other story.
Coming from film, in all formats and with different emulsions, the character of CMOS has always seemed flat to me. The first decision was therefore to try CCDs a few years ago. The Phase One P30 + made me quite happy, I partially found those feelings I had forgotten. But then I realized, when reviewing the old images, that not all CMOS were that bad. The Nikon D700, for example, still surprises me today.
At that point I put two and two together: CCD yes, but also fat pixels!
And so I arrived at this Mamiya DM22 (Aptus II 5), which I have been holding since yesterday and which I immediately mounted on the Phase One 645 DF. I hadn't found many samples on the web, so it was just a try. Bingo! The sharpness, the dryness of the detail, that Dalsa colors, the tones, even that slight grain that sometimes creates a perfect mix with the resolution of the sensor: it is the digital that has come closest, in my memory, to not making me regret the film.
Okay, I've seen the incredible resolution and cleanliness of the files in the latest Sony-Phase One 100mp and above MF CMOS sensors, but I don't care much. Plastic fantastic, in my opinion. If what I want is to work at very high ISO (I hardly ever do this), and have a clean file, my mirrorless is enough. But the character of these old CCD backs, that is a rare commodity these days.
Here are the first test shots.
Let's keep this group alive!
View attachment 176150
View attachment 176151