This blog is about panorama photography and anything on film. The Mamiya ZD digital medium format back is 100% digital, but it allows you to work hybrid, going out with a film back and the digital back. I wouldnt start another blog for hybrid stuff, so I put all the reports, comparison and experience write-ups here.I purchased a Mamiya AFD (I) a while ago with some AF lenses hoping to get my hands on a ZD back sooner or later. The current weak U$ helps a lot, at least anyone outside U.S. Price comparison you can do by yourself by browsing through the catalogs of Adorama, BHPhoto and others.
Only few websites give feedback about the back or show sample images. I relied on a couple of images in lower resolution at flickr and some reports on The Luminous Landscape.
The Mamiya ZD is the entry point to digital medium format photography, it is the budget version of the other backs from Sinar, Leaf, Imacon (Hasselblad) and PhaseOne. Btw. Mamiya went into an alliance with PhaseOne last November (see Rob Galbraith DPI). I am not sure what is going to happen, Mamiya to stop their own back production ? But PhaseOne sure will not enter the budget price market either. Lets see what will happen. Strategy Game time !
Interesting is the fact that the back is not the latest in town, Mamiya started somewhere in 200? with the R&D and finally reveilled it at Photokina 2004 ! Thats a four year old back (?!). Only 1 year later they released the first sample images. Somewhere in 2007 they released the Mamiya ZD (integrated into a body) and later the same year finally the back hits the shops. Not sure what took them so long, but it was woth waiting though !
I will post more sample images and reports soon. Stay tuned.
Until that you can browse the (old) reports at The Luminous Landscape:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/zd-review.shtml
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/zd-late.shtml
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/zd-saga.shtml
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/mamiya-zd-ist.shtml
(The crap picture above is made with a Kodak V705)
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