I think the number one thing that many photographers (including those in Dante's Inferno) forget---- is the pure enjoyment of photography;
the process and the magic that generates the excitement to participate as a photographer.
It doesn't matter if a camera or a sensor is "the best" if it doesn't give you the enjoyment in the process we call photography. And maybe some of that can be addressed by knowing/learning how to use equipment better. But the end result is the same: if the camera or process doesn't make you feel warm and fuzzy, you've lost a large part of that magic and excitement that made you want to participate as a photographer.
For myself, I purchased the Sony A7r (yes, a Sony branded sensor that Void keeps pushing. Is he a paid Sony representative?
) And guess what? I disliked it----a lot. Never mind this "wonderful sensor"---the camera lacked the magic in the
process. I converted it to IR/full spectrum, and the magic came back. And yes, I've shot with the IQ250---and guess what? For me there was no magic!
The point here is to shoot with whatever gives you the most enjoyment in the process---whether that is a Sony RX1 or a Phase MFDB.
If you want to exploit the weakness of a particular camera or sensor---you can do exactly that (as Void has done). But honestly, in the many years I have shot with MFDBs (645M, P30, P45+, P65+, IQ180----yes in the realm of the greatest of enablers
) I have rarely,
if ever, run across a situation where I felt confined as a photographer or wishing, damn, I wish I had a MFDB with a CMOS sensor. I guess I'm used to working with the tools I have in any given situation and making it work.
It's called photography and
I enjoy the process.
And you can easily find some incredible work here---Dan Lindberg comes quickly to my mind, and even when he was using an older generation MFDB, you could hardly say his photography was constrained by the sensor. His talent and eye for composition simply sings. *wow* not a Sony sensor in sight!
The membership rolls here in Dante's Inferno places everyone in what I call "rarefied air." I think a fair bet is that the demographic is middle-aged or older, well-educated, and lives fairly comfortably compared to our counterparts confined to lesser-endowed Nikon and Canon brands :ROTFL: We're pretty damned lucky, with even older generation MFDBs holding their ground well against recent generation DSLRs. Presumably those that invested in MFDBs did so
with a particular purpose in mind, and I know for me that
enjoyment in the process continues to be a large part of why I use a MFDB.
I'm not particularly fond of the Phase DF---it works, and I know all the foibles to make it work well. And yes, a new Phase body is definitely on the way soon.
I very much enjoy using the IQ180 on a Cambo, and think I enjoy it more each time I use it. I've recently adapted my lenses to use the xume system to allow me to use filters more easily, not because I need to, but because it's part of the
process I enjoy.
Changing to a Sony CMOS sensor will not change that. If I bought an IQ150/250, it would be to use live view on a Cambo Actus (yes, John Milich's fault). But
the interest is in the process, not the sensor.
So my advice is to
ignore the Voidshatter inspired rants and raves over Sony CMOS sensored MFDBs. Ignore the calls for a new technical camera or a particular platform.
Go back and find what inspires you to participate in this thing we call photography. If you enjoy the process and make beautiful imagery, everything else will fall into place. If that means leaving the MFDB world behind, do it. If it means buying a new CMOS MFDB, do it. Life is short, and in the scheme of things, photography is a rather small investment that can give a lot of enjoyment.
Or you can get a boat. :ROTFL:
ken