I think they are to be applauded for continuously improving their product. We are getting down to 3 basic, still available choices here folks (not counting Leica quite yet), and they ALL have to be top notch to survive.
I had a AFD-II, and I'd love to see some significant improvements over that camera ... I know the AFD-III did some of that job ... but to play against the Hasselblad and Hy6 with their respective approaches there needs to be more.
Number one issue IMO was the camera power source. Lithium in the grip. Ideally, it'd be great if Mamiya and Phase could collaborate to centralize the power ... turn on the camera and it's all on, (heck, I'm out of the loop, so maybe they already did that.)
I'm mixed on the WLF issue. Even with a 645 in landscape orientation it's nice to get down on the ground for some shots. But I admit I'm not much of a WLF kind of a shooter, and use mine infrequently.
However, WLF or not, a removable viewfinder is a key aspect IMO, and one of the things I disliked most about the M645. Quick access to the screen ... plus another big advantage to a working Pro is the ability to break down the camera for transport and travel. I was able to use a small Lowpro bag to carry my Contax 645 that I couldn't even fit a Canon 1 Series DSLR into. I now do the same with the H camera. Modular is much easier to pack.
Even faster AF, and spread the sensors out more so it actually means something other than mostly being a marketing ploy.
I had a AFD-II, and I'd love to see some significant improvements over that camera ... I know the AFD-III did some of that job ... but to play against the Hasselblad and Hy6 with their respective approaches there needs to be more.
Number one issue IMO was the camera power source. Lithium in the grip. Ideally, it'd be great if Mamiya and Phase could collaborate to centralize the power ... turn on the camera and it's all on, (heck, I'm out of the loop, so maybe they already did that.)
I'm mixed on the WLF issue. Even with a 645 in landscape orientation it's nice to get down on the ground for some shots. But I admit I'm not much of a WLF kind of a shooter, and use mine infrequently.
However, WLF or not, a removable viewfinder is a key aspect IMO, and one of the things I disliked most about the M645. Quick access to the screen ... plus another big advantage to a working Pro is the ability to break down the camera for transport and travel. I was able to use a small Lowpro bag to carry my Contax 645 that I couldn't even fit a Canon 1 Series DSLR into. I now do the same with the H camera. Modular is much easier to pack.
Even faster AF, and spread the sensors out more so it actually means something other than mostly being a marketing ploy.
