The Mamiya DM80 (aka Leaf Aptus II-80) is often a great choice if you want maximum image quality (resolution/dynamic-range/color) but don't want to extend your budget to an IQ180. The P65+ is (as noted above) in the same pricing category as a DM80 so is a natural point of comparison as well.
Couple things to be aware of in comparison...
Long exposure is not as good with Leaf as Phase One. For many users this won't be an issue at all and for other users it is only an occasional inconvenience. The stated maximums are: IQ180=120sec, P65+=60sec, DM80=32 seconds, but I feel that in comparison Leaf overstates their longest exposure and anything past 15ish seconds is pretty suspect. Though of course the ambient temperature, subject matter, desired exposure (high key, low key, or average), post processing, and your personal tastes matter a lot here.
P65+ and IQ180 have a mode with lower resolution which allows 2 stops higher ISO performance. An IQ180 at ISO1600 (20mp resolution) is really very good. A DM80 is not going to be very impressive at ISO400 and ISO800 is very mediocre. Again, for some users this is a very large practical difference and for others it won't matter in the least.
DM80 and IQ160/180 are going to give you good tools to evaluate focus in the field. The 100% review on each is quite good, though the IQ screen is brighter and the DM80 will take longer to load the 100% view. The P65+ has no real means by which to accurately judge focus in the field. All three backs do a great job showing a useful and accurate histogram; if anything the DM80 has the best histogram options as it allows you to check the exposure of a specific point within the frame ("is the shadow on the model's face hard clipped or just dark?") and provides a hardware button to bring up the histogram even quicker than can be done on the other two backs.
All three are very well built and durable/reliable, but I'd give a slight edge to the two Phase backs for the heftiest feel of construction. With the DM80 you'll want to format your CF cards in the computer in advance of using them in the camera, but once you've done that once (and written "Leaf" on that CF card and only use it in your Leaf/Mamiya back) that will never be an issue.
Startup time (as mentioned above) is better with the two Phase options, but - of note - the startup time and review-at-100% speed has modestly improved with the new UI.
To be clear and not create any undue expectations I think it can be safely said that Leaf will not ever bring Live View on the LCD to it's current line of digital backs. This is much more than simply a "feature" to be added via firmware. There is a reason that the IQ series is the only digital back made with live-view-on-LCD; it really needs to be designed from the ground up to include it.
Most repairs/service for the Mamiya/Leaf backs can be done in the US, whereas almost all repairs/service for the Phase backs require a trip to Denmark (via shipping to the US office of Phase One in NY). I think most people get this one wrong; they think if they aren't a pro they don't have to worry about service turn-around times. I don't agree. Repairs for medium format are pretty rare - few moving parts and rugged construction, but many non-pro shooters only get a few times a year to really focus on their shooting. If you are like many of our landscape shooters you may only take a handful of trips each year and if your back requires service then getting it back in a few days versus 2-weeks can mean the difference between being able to take your preferred camera on that trip or not.
For landscape work Leaf also has a bottom-loading battery bay which means you can use one of the double or triple sized batteries. While it's kind of ugly it's a great option to reduce the number of batteries you're carrying/charging/changing. Though in general I think you'll find the battery life (for standard sized batteries) of Phase to be better (this obviously varies a lot based on how much you use the LCD and how often the back is capturing/idling).
The P65+ is the most likely of the three backs to show up in
pre-owned digital back inventories as many 65+ owners have upgraded to IQ backs.
Doug Peterson
(e-mail Me)
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Head of Technical Services, Capture Integration
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