I am sorry about the Mickey Mouse camera, but after qualifying you I most have tried to find just the right camera to make you a happy customer, please come back when you are ready to upgrade

Pete

One of the reasons you don't see reviews of the medium format-high dollar digitals is that most of the photographers in the small group that needs them, gets to test them for a in their studio before buying. Just like with a car, you get to test drive.

You just need to rent studio space in Manhattan, get a few international clients...

Well I did walk in once to "review" a D3X and you sold me a Mickey Mouse camera. Or was that the other way around?

You are killing me Niko, sadly you are not the only one doing it, but my personality would win you over Niko and you would leave my store with that new Canon, ups I mean Nikon

Happy shopping

Pete

Nope, I walk into my local camera store and tell you to take everything out of the display cases for me. I spend around two hours of your time "reviewing" things but eventually I don't buy anything. I just go home and order what I like from amazon.com because I like receiving and opening boxes with smiley faces on them ;^)

Only compare where it is comparable: Mainly picture gaulity and DR. Mamiya does have a new model DM22 and if the lower pricing is effective maybe the 645AF will be updated

I and I'm sure many other would just like to see, what do you get now that you can purchase a sub $ 10.000 MF camera, and a review would do just that, and why not get that from DpReview, is that not where you check out the latest review

Pete

The only reasonable way to compare medium formats is by the sensor (like DXO already does). However even that doesn't factor in so many other things like battery life, ergonomics, etc. Would it really be fair to compare a D3X to an old Mamiya 645AF with a Leaf Aptus II digital back on it? It's an apples and oranges kinda thing.

Price was my point Niko, now that you can actually walk in and get a MF for the app cost of a D3X like camera, how would they compare, rate them the same way that they would rate the D3X

Like my last post, I read car magazines about cars I would newer be in a position to get. Similar I would love to read review about MF camera/backs that I also would newer purchase, but other people in the market for a D3X for studio shooting might benefit from seeing how a similar MF option would stack up

Pete

One problem is price. The big sensor guys don't need to convince people who will never buy their products that they are better than the competition. They just have to win over the people who are actually in the market to buy and they do that more effectively by having face to face demos with potential buyers.

If dpreview buys all of the cameras they review (I doubt they do) then why should they spend 40 or 60 thousand dollars on a camera,digital back, and one or two lenses only to give a "Recommended (But only just)" rating? Hassey, Mamiya, and the others don't need that. They sell cameras just fine without worrying about what we, people who will never buy, have to say.

Secondly how could you compare a digital back only, to other cameras? I think the DXO "benchmarks" are a good way to do it but how could you compare a Hasselblad H4D to a Sinar arTec? Would it even be fair to say one is "Recommended" over the other?

I believe we will see a Leica S2 "Hands-On" preview since phil is a big Leica fan and it's more like a DSLR, but I don't think we will see a full on review. Maybe the "cheap" Leaf digital back will change things up a bit but I doubt it.

hopefully this will benefit us - customers, as the competition will be higher the prices should drop

I really think that Leaf and Mamiya are going to market their entry MF as an alternative to getting a D3X kind of camera. The cost might even go down to again get new users. I am sure they make their money selling their lenses etc

Anyway NSXType-R we are properly not one their new customers right, but like one on DpReview said: We still buy car magazines to read about that lasted review of that new sports car, without any chance of ever owning one

Pete

Sure, why not? It's another photographical tool. Not sure how much the price for them would increase when they do their comprehensive reviews though.

Now with the latest Medium Format Cameras from Leaf and Mamiya that are in the D3X price range, would you like to see reviews done on these cameras, even comparisons to highend DSLR would be great. Also if you were in a market for a Highend DSLR like the D3X would you have a look at one of these similar priced cameras. The MF sensor have app double the surface area compared to the D3X

IF I could afford to purchase a Nikon D3X for studio work I would certainly try out either the Leaf or Mamiya to see how they would compare

Pete