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Help Needed for Getting in to Medium Format!

Oamkumar

Member
Finally I'm planning to enter the medium format league. I'm planning to get a leaf credo 40 or IQ 140 with phase / mamiya Df body with 80mm LS lens. I need your help to select other lenses, but no idea about the other lenses. I'm in a tight budget, so planning to buy used lenses from ebay or B&H. Later I can upgrade. I do fashion and portraits, products and industrial shoots. If I can use a macro lens, which acts as a portrait lens, that will be great. I may consider buying wide angle lens later. Currently I'm shooting with nikon 800e. My fashion shoots mostly go as billboards or huge printouts in streets or in shops. So I need great detailing in the photos. Kindly suggest some great bargain lenses. Also the difference between the two backs Credo40 and IQ140. Thanks in advance.
 

pasman

New member
Hello,

I'm MF newcomer myself but maybe you will find some of that information useful.

I have Phase One 645DF with IQ180 and following lenses:

Mamiya AF 45 2.8
Mamiya AF 55 2.8
SCHNEIDER KREUZNACH 80 LS
SCHNEIDER KREUZNACH 110 LS
Mamiya AF 150 3.5
Mamiya AF 300 APO 4.5

Because you are interested in good and inexpensive portrait lenses I will write about last 2.

They are both phenomenal in my opinion. Very sharp, with excellent contrast. I attached 100% crop from both. Both were shot at f/6.3. Sorry for crappy crops (I'm to lazy to upload somewhere else so its 1200 pixels wide).

Those examples wasn't manipulated whatsoever (no extra sharpening) — only cropped.

Best,
Boris
 

Oamkumar

Member
Hello,

I'm MF newcomer myself but maybe you will find some of that information useful.

I have Phase One 645DF with IQ180 and following lenses:

Mamiya AF 45 2.8
Mamiya AF 55 2.8
SCHNEIDER KREUZNACH 80 LS
SCHNEIDER KREUZNACH 110 LS
Mamiya AF 150 3.5
Mamiya AF 300 APO 4.5

Because you are interested in good and inexpensive portrait lenses I will write about last 2.

They are both phenomenal in my opinion. Very sharp, with excellent contrast. I attached 100% crop from both. Both were shot at f/6.3. Sorry for crappy crops (I'm to lazy to upload somewhere else so its 1200 pixels wide).

Those examples wasn't manipulated whatsoever (no extra sharpening) — only cropped.

Best,
Boris

Thanks a lot.. I saw the 150 lens on Adorama used section and it was very cheap. I'll check it with my local dealer, the lens is available or not. Thanks once again!

Regards,
Oamkumar Thottungal
 

Paul2660

Well-known member
The credo has a similar LCD screen to IQ. Both are excellent. Leaf is all touch no hard buttons.

Paul
 

pasman

New member
Yeah, sorry I was talking about Aptus. You can't go wrong with either of Leaf or Phase. The difference between D800E (which is great camera) and last models of MFDB is sensational.
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
IQ vs Credo:
- different color characteristics
- iq had hard buttons, useful for gloved and no-look operation
- iq has sensor+ for higher ISO, lower res, faster shooting
- iq allows auto horizon and auto perspective correction in post
- iq has focus mask utility
- optional warranty options differ (max 5 years with loaner provision with iq, 3 years no loaner with credo)
- price
 

gazwas

Active member
Why not the Hasselblad H5D-40 that is on promo at the moment?

The H5 is a much nicer camera that the DF by a long stretch and the file output of the HB is really nice. Much less pumped than the Phase house look and probably something to do with their true colour thing (?). Worth a test of all three to see which you prefer.
 

shlomi

Member
The lenses you need on bargain:


150mm the old AF version is good enough, you would be better to buy it new, as it is still very cheap and more likely to be sharp than the used ones.

120mm macro can be used for both macro and portrait. The older versions of the lens are not OK. The sharpest version is the AF version which is quite expensive but try looking for it used. If you can't afford or find that, then look for the Phase One version. After that your last option is the Mamiya D version. The Mamiya non D version is really not satisfactory so stay away from it.

45/35 the older versions are not satisfactory. Your best option is 45 D if you can find it used, otherwise get it new. 35mm Phase One version is also OK, but not earlier versions. You also have 50mm shift older Mamiya which is sharp but needs to manually stop down aperture for each shot - it can be found for $500 used. Old 55 is sharp enough and its new price is low, but perhaps not wide enough for Credo 40.

If you can get Credo cheaper than IQ then get it - the difference is worth very little. There are deals for used Aptus 80 which you can get for $16k - the interface will be stone agey but your files will have twice the resolution and large sensor is a joy to work with. I liked the Aptus very much.
 
IQ vs Credo:
- different color characteristics
- iq had hard buttons, useful for gloved and no-look operation
- iq has sensor+ for higher ISO, lower res, faster shooting
- iq allows auto horizon and auto perspective correction in post
- iq has focus mask utility
- optional warranty options differ (max 5 years with loaner provision with iq, 3 years no loaner with credo)
- price
iq has focus mask utility - Love it!

However for tethered fashion / portrait shooting, you can get focus mask in Capture One Pro as well. Even for landscape shooting, some of us have started using Microsoft Surface Pro to get the focus mask and large screen viewing in the field.

- iq has sensor+ for higher ISO, lower res, faster shooting - High ISO specifically will help in low light shooting.

Subrata
 
The lenses you need on bargain:

150mm the old AF version is good enough, you would be better to buy it new, as it is still very cheap and more likely to be sharp than the used ones.
You might consider Schneider Kreuznach 80mm LS f/2.8 AF & Schneider Kreuznach 150mm LS f/3.5, if you are looking for high speed sync in outdoor environment.

110 LS is also an excellent lens, however you may not need it, if you get 80 LS & 150 LS.

Subrata
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
iq has focus mask utility - Love it!

However for tethered fashion / portrait shooting, you can get focus mask in Capture One Pro as well. Even for landscape shooting, some of us have started using Microsoft Surface Pro to get the focus mask and large screen viewing in the field.
Very true. Though in the case of fashion/portrait the difference in speed of rendering the focus mask can be pretty large. If you shoot several images in a row at a rapid pace then the computer can take several seconds to catch up downloading previous images and render the most recent capture, and then a second or two to calculate and display the focus mask. Whereas on the IQ itself it shows the most recent capture immediately after capture and a focus mask a second or two after that.
 

shlomi

Member
You might consider Schneider Kreuznach 80mm LS f/2.8 AF & Schneider Kreuznach 150mm LS f/3.5, if you are looking for high speed sync in outdoor environment.

110 LS is also an excellent lens, however you may not need it, if you get 80 LS & 150 LS.

Subrata
He asked for a bargain, and you're recommending a $5000 lens.
 

kdphotography

Well-known member
He asked for a bargain, and you're recommending a $5000 lens.
$5K for a lens is a lot. But I also firmly believe in not skimping on glass. If leaf shutter capability isn't a priority, the Phase/Mamiya 150mm f/2.8 D series is a phenomenal lens with a used FMV of about $2K (give or take a couple hundred)----and a huge leap over the old Mamiya 150AF.

The Phase 150D is one of the best lenses available, and a bargain compared to its leaf shutter capable SK cousin. I "need" that SK 150LS, but what a premium to swap my 150D!

I presume that one of the primary reasons to move into medium format digital is image quality, and skimping on lenses runs counter to the rationale. There aren't any free lunches, and after all, this is Dante's Inferno.

:D ken
 
He asked for a bargain, and you're recommending a $5000 lens.
MFDB & bargain doesn't go hand to hand. :-(

Though listed price is $5000+ for some of the LS glasses, there is used market / eBay as well.

I also think LS glasses for high speed sync is one of the critical advantage in MFDB & DF combo over his Nikon D800e. Otherwise MP range is very close. Though he is likely to upgrade MFDB & DF in future, an investment in good glass goes long way.

He should be well informed before he pulls his trigger.
 

Oamkumar

Member
Thank you all for the kind words! I feel this forum is a very good place, where people are very helpful.
I am planning for 80mm LS lens which can be used for full body shoots on location or in studio. I will not be looking for another LS lens, because, For tight frames, I will not need that that fast shutter speed. Most of my shoots are in studio and there will not be very fast moving.
I saw a lot of good deals with CI and many other companies. But the problem here is if I have to pay around 35% import duties.
The phase one dealer here promised me a good deal, waiting for his response to decide.
Mamiya 150mm f2.8 D at 2K will be fine.. Anyway.. I will meet the dealer next week, he is coming to my city (Kochi - Kerala) for a demo.
Regards,

Oamkumar Thottungal
 
Thank you all for the kind words! I feel this forum is a very good place, where people are very helpful.

I saw a lot of good deals with CI and many other companies. But the problem here is if I have to pay around 35% import duties.

Oamkumar Thottungal
Or make trip to Singapore for that money instead of paying 35% import duties. :)

I took twice my MF gears, and no one checked in Delhi Airport. However, since I had return ticket, it was less risky for me.
 

Oamkumar

Member
If I am receiving the MF by post, then they will surely charge the import duties. And that too (the process) is a big headache.
 
If I am receiving the MF by post, then they will surely charge the import duties. And that too (the process) is a big headache.
If you buy from CI (my dealer and know them very well), I can deliver to you personally in New Delhi. You just pay my Return Air Fare from San Francisco to Delhi. Figure out if that is cheaper than 35% import duty or not. Options are unlimited in GetDPI forum :)
 
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