 Nicole Raynor |
Advice for going digital I am considering converting to digital, but I am not sure which camera to buy? I have a bronica 645 that I have used for years for family portraiture. I would like to convert, but I am very apprehensive because I know so little about the digital world. Any advice as to what camera and equipment I would need will be greatly appreciated. Thanks
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Pete H |
Nicole, I'm a tad confused with your question. Do you want to convert your current medium format to digital, buy a 35mm DSLR, or a new medium format digital?
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Nicole Raynor |
I would like to convert to medium format digital.
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Jessica Jenney |
The confusion is using the word convert, Nicole. You don't actually want to convert your current camera to digital you want to buy a new camera. Is that correct?
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Nicole Raynor |
Sorry for the confusion. I would like to purchase a digital camera to use for portrait photography.
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Pete H |
This is pretty easy as there are not as yet a ton of choices. Simply do a search on Mamiya, Leaf, Sinar and Aptus followed by the word digital. They are all very similar to any 645 if you want to stay in the medium format market with the only difference being they sport a digital back. Pete
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Nicole Raynor |
Thanks so much Pete for your suggestions. I will research the cameras you have mentioned. Nicole
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John G. Clifford Jr |
You can get a digital back for your Bronica, but it isn't going to be cheap. You could buy a nice car instead. Why not get a digital SLR (dSLR) instead? You can get a 12 to 16 MP dSLR from Nikon, Canon, Pentax, Olympus, or Sony for under two grand... often well under. You can have a dSLR and several good lenses for under three grand... often well under (a Pentax K20D 14MP dSLR, plus a very good wide-angle zoom plus a very good telephoto zoom can be obtained for under $2500, and the prices are similar for other brands). What do you want to do with a digital MF camera that you couldn't do with a dSLR?
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Pete H |
"What do you want to do with a digital MF camera that you couldn't do with a dSLR?" 1) Aspect ratio 2) Clarity, sharpness For the "serious" shooter (no definition here) MF still can not be beat. Pete
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John G. Clifford Jr |
Pete, I understand all of those things... but my question was not addressed to the generic 'you'. Instead, it was addressed to the specific 'you'... Nicole. What does SHE want to do with a digital MF camera that she can't do with a dSLR? That justifies the 5-figure price for a digital back? If her business is very large portrait prints, then a MF digital back will pay for itself. If she loves her Bronica and wants to go digital with it, then there's another reason. But, if she's just looking for a digital camera that will be of use for portraiture, there are less expensive solutions available, especially if you offer 20"x30" prints or smaller. Just sayin'...
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Pete H |
Ahhh.. Ok John, thanks for the clarification. "there are less expensive solutions available, especially if you offer 20"x30" prints or smaller." Agreed. I keep a late model Mamiya SLR; rarely use it anymore. When I do; it is purely for personal shooting and almost always when it's a landscape shot of very high aesthetic value. Pete
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doug Nelson |
Your 645 negs or transparencies will scan beautifully with a Nikon 9000 film scanner. Even a $500 Epson V700 will do a decent job.
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Oliver Anderson |
I've shot with the Mamiya, Phase 1 and the H2D/H3D (HUGE sale on Hasse's NOW!!!) helped at shoots with the Sinar (Bed, Bath & Beyond Catalog). I'm partial to the H3D-II31 and it comes with an 80mm lens for $18,000. That being said, I am hesitant to recommend a MF camera for family portraits. I shoot for some VERY high end clients and owning a MF camera for portrait work is like driving a Nascar to work...and both can be noisey. I use Canon 1DsMarkII's & III's. Let me explain the benefit of these HIGH end Canon (or Nikon) cameras over MF cameras for me. Cost is much more affordable. Durability of the cameras is very high. Lens affordability, quality & selection is HUGE. The ability to shoot in low light (high ISO) is fantastic. This is all I've time for hopefully it helps make your decision a little easier.
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