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Renting Phase One on a (very tight) budget

gerald.d

Well-known member
I'm sorry but I have to address this and it pisses me off. First off all the dealers are invited here its a public forum and with that comes a diverse set of people as well as our diverse set of members all over the world. Which by itself is a great testament to learning and sharing in a diverse environment . Most if not all dealers, reps and such bring far more data to be learned by all than many can find out on there own. Frankly I work for pay and so do they. We lost Alpa as being a part of forums and frankly to me that was about the stupidest move they could make. Now tell me how do we get that info to our hands to make informed decisions. I'm sorry but let me make this really brief its up to YOU to make decisions on gear on any data posted be it a sales pitch a user experience, spec sheets or what have you . It's also up to you to understand and separate. The data learned is of value to you or not.

I'm going to have to agree with Ken, your on forums and that is any forum you need a thick skin to be on them. If that does not fit this diverse world with you than why be on them to start with.

I know Doug personally and he is a very bright hard working person that yes maybe bias but he has a good heart and more important contributes more than any rep out there. He also and let me be very clear has never broken or offended any rules here either. You on the other hand just insulted him and his reputation. Which BTW is breaking the rules.

You want to discuss this offline I would be more than happy or Bob and Jack would be happy to.
This has nothing to do with how thick my skin is.

Trust me - I have had a lot of support both publicly and via PM from people who fully agree with my stance on this.

But, it's your forum, so of course it is entirely your prerogative as to what kind of behaviour you allow, and as a result of what you allow, it is entirely my prerogative to choose not to contribute.

Regards,

Gerald.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
No it's everyone's forum and everyone has the prerogative to post what they want and there expertise as well. I'm not going to single out Doug's comments or any dealers comments and censor what they say. If that's what you want than its not going to happen here or on any forum. Dealers and others are invited guests and always will be, so if that offends you than maybe this is not the place for you. End of conversation in a public venue on this. You have any other comments than send them to me directly.
 

jars121

Member
Just bumping this thread up. I've been speaking with the delightful guys over at L&P in Sydney about buying a secondhand back, and they've been nothing but helpful (and patient). Unfortunately we couldn't find anything in my price range for the time being, but they've been more than accommodating with offering rental solutions for my upcoming shoot. I'm picking up a back on Friday morning :) Can't wait!
 
S

Shelby Lewis

Guest
Just be ready for some, ahem, "hiccups"... and have FUN.

I used to shoot Medium Format (RZ67 and Leaf)... went back to 35mm... and now find myself considering a move back to MF at the 22-28mp level. I just miss the tactile feel of using a big, slow camera so much.

It's a great market right now for low-end MF buyers.
 

jars121

Member
Just be ready for some, ahem, "hiccups"... and have FUN.

I used to shoot Medium Format (RZ67 and Leaf)... went back to 35mm... and now find myself considering a move back to MF at the 22-28mp level. I just miss the tactile feel of using a big, slow camera so much.

It's a great market right now for low-end MF buyers.
Precisely the reason why I'm choosing to pursue the MF route over updating my current Nikon kit. I love the methodical, contemplative approach to these bigger, simpler cameras, and if I can implement a digital solution for doing so in addition to my film workflow, why not?
 

jars121

Member
EDIT: Ignore the rant, I think I found the problem. I need the Phase One multisync to sub-mini jack adapter (Item No. 50300144). Hopefully going to pick it up in the next little bit :)
 
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jars121

Member
3 weeks down the track, and this arrived for me today...



My very own P30+! I have GX680 adapters in M645 and Hasselblad V mount, but no H mount! Looks like I need to get hunting!
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
3 weeks down the track, and this arrived for me today...



My very own P30+! I have GX680 adapters in M645 and Hasselblad V mount, but no H mount! Looks like I need to get hunting!
Careful. The first generation generation of Kapture Group GX680 H mount adapters required a different ground glass than the stock ground glass.

Keith at the Kapture Group has been working on a new GX680 H mount which would not require a different ground glass. I don't know if that is a "coming soon" an "already out" or a "may do sometime in the future" project. Have your dealer check.
 

Swissblad

Well-known member
Just be ready for some, ahem, "hiccups"... and have FUN.

I used to shoot Medium Format (RZ67 and Leaf)... went back to 35mm... and now find myself considering a move back to MF at the 22-28mp level. I just miss the tactile feel of using a big, slow camera so much.

It's a great market right now for low-end MF buyers.
Hi Shelby,
glad to see you are contemplating MF again - we miss your contributions!
Cheers, S. ;)
 

Whitey

New member
Well, I'm going to buy a MF digital back, even if Gareth does think it's a reckless and stupid money pit... :)

From the figures you've posted, I think you made the right call going with a low-end P-series purchase rather than renting ($1500 for a four day rental is a big chunk of the cost of buying in).
 
Wow, Gareth, you've really tasted the Nikon koolaid mate! This lad clearly likes a photography setup that is precisely what Nikon isn't.

Shelby .. come back!

I'd defend Doug and Yair, as most valuable people, the unselfish manner that both these guys help us out is way way in excess of any commercial attribution. I don't know about other groups but in the MF forums they're gold dust.

@jars121 ... Welcome to MF Digital, with your set up, you won't regret the results. Looking forward to seeing your images in the Fun with ... threads, film and digital!
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Wentbackward: :thumbs:

I think that there are plenty of us who really don't care about the ease of use of a CaNikSony system, über megapixels per $$, or lightweight outfits. We just enjoy using medium format be it digital or analog. Just as some folks like shooting 35mm film, 4x5 or 8x10 or other less 'practical' systems.

Of course, if I had to make a living at it ...
 

jars121

Member
Wentbackward: :thumbs:

I think that there are plenty of us who really don't care about the ease of use of a CaNikSony system, über megapixels per $$, or lightweight outfits. We just enjoy using medium format be it digital or analog. Just as some folks like shooting 35mm film, 4x5 or 8x10 or other less 'practical' systems.

Of course, if I had to make a living at it ...
Couldn't agree more :thumbup:
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
+2

My advice as a Pro I shoot every damn piece of gear out there to make money, does not mean I enjoy any of them but if I was a hobbyist I would certainly shoot whatever turned my jets on, regardless of costs or format. It's a freaking hobby your supposed to have fun with it. My hobby is golf and have some of the best clubs you can buy but for me if I'm going to spend 5 hours away from my family , I'm going to soak up the pleasure as much as I can in the time I have for that activity. Any hobby IMHO your entitled to be as crazy as you want to be, its supposed to be fun and relaxing from your everyday stress and crazy life. I'm all in when it comes to a hobby, obviously you need to put food on the table so like life its always a balance. I mentioned to the golf pro at a golf course the other day i wanted a 3 wood rescue club in the worst way,his response was how many days do you have left on this planet.
 

OliverM

Member
As a hobbyist I tried many cameras, Canon 5d2, Nikon D3x, sigma dP2M, Contax 645 with film and with a sinar 54lv, Alpa TC and SWA with Sinar 54, leaf 75s, and Phase P65+.
Lots of money, but as I buy used equipment, the cost of ownership is not more than playing golf, having nice cars or so.
I tend to think that the needs of pros are different fom mines :
- pros need technically perfect images : no distorsion, no color shift, 100% sharpness, ability to make huge prints ; pros need to make money with it, ie optimize investments and focus on what their customers are expecting. I think know-how, lightning mastering, post-treatment workflow, are more important there than material. And it is logical than pros use both dslr and MF
- i only need nice pictures, with gorgeous colours and I am happy enough if I make 10 great shots of my son a year, if I capture unique family events, if I come back from a trip with a few great shots. I mean "great" ... to my eyes and sensibility only (i have pro material but certainly do not pretend to make pro-quality pictures, I have neither the skills nor the technique).
If film processing were as convenient as digital, I would probably use a 4x5 camera, trying to capture the unique portraits these camera can make.

For digital portraits, I would never trade my contax and sinar back for anything else.
For landscapes, I enjoy the Alpa a lot, and now have a P65+ on it.
To be honest, I wonder if this back is not too professional for my use : impressive capabilities, beyond the sinar's. But if the pictures are technically superior in almost any aspect, I do not prefer them over the sinar. I want to improve my technique and keep it for the time being.

If I had to keep only one camera, whatever the price, that would be contax and the sinar, as they deliver the best portraits, and as family portraits is the first thing I want.
But the alpa is also addictive, smaller and capable of incredible landscapes. So as long as I can afford, I will keep one. Could be with a smaller back than the P65.

So yes, a used 22Mpix MFDB is still a great option for some hobbyists who are interested in slow making photography and who accept its limitations (no low light, no action, ...).
Such a used back is about 3000 usd. So the total cost is not very different from a good dslr and a few lenses.
 
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Tibor

Member
So yes, a used 22Mpix MFDB is still a great option for some hobbyists who are interested in slow making photography and who accept its limitations (no low light, no action, ...).
:thumbup: Myself being one of them. I have a Leaf Aptus 22 for my Mamiyas (I kind of collected the AFD, AFD II and AFD III) that produces gorgeous, gorgeous files, very film like (think Fuji Pro). Still shoot film too, though, so I have a Fuji GA645 strictly for travel and family vacations photos. And a few film backs for my Mamiyas and lots of film ...
 

Whitey

New member
Of course every day we have pro's jumping into MF kit.

Net net the last few years have been very good to MF.
I guess if some pro - for example Gareth - sells his MF kit, someone else must be buying it! :)

I checked out rental prices in Perth (over my way - just for my interest) and all I could find was a P25 for $300/day. Not very attractive. Easier just to buy something, shoot it and sell it if needed I figure.
 
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