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Film Cameras

MF with digital back for jewelry

emaivel
 
Posts: 3

MF with digital back for jewelry

Post Sat May 19, 2007 6:27 pm


Still deciding on which MF system to go with,
My question if anyone shooting jewelry with MF Film or Digital backs, any suggestions are much appreciated.

gilp
 
Posts: 180


Post Sun May 20, 2007 4:23 pm


I'm unclear on your question? you want to buy or rent? I mean, with price ranging between 15K to 35K.... the question is as vague as "need a car, which should I get" .


I use Leaf, it's a good system but honnestly, all brands are good, Hassy, Sinar and Leaf are really all great products and it boils down to your lens choice... but since you're talking jewls... Tilt Shit is the only realy lens to use...and then it becomes interesting to look at the 1Ds2 from canon.. with 4992x3328 (17mp) you have all the resolution you need and a well established color engine.

emaivel
 
Posts: 3


Post Sun May 20, 2007 8:05 pm


Thanks for reply! This question is rather broad; since I have no experience with digital backs, just want to hear opinions from people who work with them. So possibly can hear + and – not just MP count as well want to know the physical sensor dimensions matter, I know phaseone software is pretty good , how about leaf?
I agree about Tilt Shit direction, but I’m sure 1Ds2 not going to be far better than Canon 5D. They are in the same neighborhood. The set up I have is well suited for what I do now, but I want make better then it.

gilp
 
Posts: 180


Post Mon May 21, 2007 10:04 pm


wow....the 5d is a good prosumer camera, but has nothing to do with the 1Ds2.. really nothing. no gama shift to start with, completely different snsor and engine... the price differencial is not just because the bodies are different!

Ok.. well, I can only tell you about my experience with leaf, I used both the Aptus 17mp and the Valeo22 mp... the aptus was a bit querky and really felt like it was just too quick to market... the Valeo is a totally different tool and very cool to use... I did not use just the backs (on mamya) but their whole system. it does require a huge transfer computer as the filea are quite heavy.

but at this stage, I can't afford a 25+ mp camera and since I am already a 17mp owner...I can't see the use of getting a similar camera.

emaivel
 
Posts: 3


Post Tue May 22, 2007 4:11 am


Thank You! Don’t get me wrong I don’t put them at the same line. I have seen the work other guys did with it, and indeed it was slightly better IMO , but this not enough , that’s why I just got 5D instead, Because I new that I’ll have to look out different route.
Diamonds are beast on its own :) , especially white ones.
Best regards,

nathantw
 
Posts: 1

Re: MF with digital back for jewelry

Post Mon Jun 11, 2007 6:59 pm


emaivel wrote:Still deciding on which MF system to go with,
My question if anyone shooting jewelry with MF Film or Digital backs, any suggestions are much appreciated.


I'm not sure this is still relevent or not, but one person on a different forum gave his thoughts on photographing jewelry with a digital camera. He had a Kodak 16MP back for medium format camera and he purchased a Canon 1DS II (whatever their 16mp camera is) thinking it would replace his Kodak. What he found was surprising. He said that the Canon camera couldn't deal with specular highlights well and he ended up bagging the Canon. The Kodak had no drama and just did what he asked it to do. Even though they're the same amount MP, they're different.

So, should you use film or a digital back, well, that depends on whether you can afford a digital back. A used Kodak back for a Hasselblad will run about $3500. That doesn't include the medium format camera, lenses, extension tubes, lighting, etc. If you can deal with that then by all means, use a medium format camera with a digital back. If you can't afford the back, just use the slowest available film you can buy.

If you can rent a view camera then eve better!

jdepould
 
Posts: 540

Re: MF with digital back for jewelry

Post Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:37 pm


nathantw wrote:
emaivel wrote:Still deciding on which MF system to go with,
My question if anyone shooting jewelry with MF Film or Digital backs, any suggestions are much appreciated.


I'm not sure this is still relevent or not, but one person on a different forum gave his thoughts on photographing jewelry with a digital camera. He had a Kodak 16MP back for medium format camera and he purchased a Canon 1DS II (whatever their 16mp camera is) thinking it would replace his Kodak. What he found was surprising. He said that the Canon camera couldn't deal with specular highlights well and he ended up bagging the Canon. The Kodak had no drama and just did what he asked it to do. Even though they're the same amount MP, they're different.

So, should you use film or a digital back, well, that depends on whether you can afford a digital back. A used Kodak back for a Hasselblad will run about $3500. That doesn't include the medium format camera, lenses, extension tubes, lighting, etc. If you can deal with that then by all means, use a medium format camera with a digital back. If you can't afford the back, just use the slowest available film you can buy.

If you can rent a view camera then eve better!


Sensor sizes are completely different, that's the whole point of medium format, it's like comparing APS (24mm) film with a 4x5, apples and oranges. MP count may be the same, but in the MF the sensor isn't as dense as the SLR.
Nikon D300, D200
Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D, 55mm f/1.4 micro, 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G DX, 80-200 f/2.8D
Apple PowerBook G4, MacBook Pro
Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop CS3

curtdp
 
Posts: 1


Post Sun Dec 02, 2007 6:36 pm


Thank You!!! Good material for reading.
I have a question: where you need quality better, than top digital cameras can give?

aobono
 
Posts: 1

Re: MF with digital back for jewelry

Post Thu May 15, 2008 2:53 am


i use canon, and i think its mf is good. im not a professional, just an amateur.

john990
 
Posts: 3

Re: MF with digital back for jewelry

Post Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:45 am


aobono wrote:i use canon, and i think its mf is good. im not a professional, just an amateur.


I agree. Canon, do doubt.
It has a good mf system.
and I think it doesnt have some of the bad effects as others....
j.

dougj
 
Posts: 2276

Re: MF with digital back for jewelry

Post Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:52 am


The thread is over 1 year old, I suspect the OP finished the shoot.

khun_k
 
Posts: 29
Location: Bangkok, Shanghai

Re: MF with digital back for jewelry

Post Mon Aug 04, 2008 9:16 am


I use medium format digital for jewelry work, not film, I have moved to a point that almost no film at all. I am using either P45+ on Contax 645 and adapter to Sinar P3, or Hasselblad H3D39, and sometimes use 1Ds MK3 for less demanding clients. The benefit with today's 39 million pixels back is extreme quality, but the problem is only little DOF can be achieved, unless you are working with digital back attached to a technical camera platform that provides movement. For P45+ and H3D39, the best aperture to use may be just around f/11, or wider, sometimes you may go as far as f/16 on some lenses, but beyond that you will probably shofting the image, and with a close up image, f/11 means the DOF is measured in mm,not cm. The best solution, if not wanting to go on extra miles to invest a technical camera system (and those beautiful German leaf-shutter optics), my solution is to use multiple shots of varies focus points and then assemble them together using softwares. You may check on this:
http://www.heliconsoft.com/
In my point of view, the digital back gets cleaner image and of course sharper images and more accurate color than film can do - sorry, not want to raise arguments here, this is purely IMHO. Film has other merits that digital capture can't reach, and vice versa.

tokmik
 
Posts: 1

Re: MF with digital back for jewelry

Post Mon Jan 12, 2009 3:09 am


I can only tell you about my experience with leaf, I used both the Aptus 17mp and the Valeo22 mp... aptus was a bit querky and really felt like it was just too quick to market... the Valeo is a totally different tool and very cool to use. A used Kodak back for a Hasselblad will run about $3500. That doesn't include the medium format camera, lenses, extension tubes, lighting, etc. Jeweler's Tools


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