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Digital back makers for medium
and large format cameras happily search for the ultimate image-making
machine. In my view, they may be cheerfully unaware that the devices they
are busily producing may not have anything to attach them to in a few
years because no company is making affordable, under $2000, backs. Sorry
Charlie, but for $7000 I can almost buy an EOS-1Ds, which is Canon's
suggested upgrade path for medium format owners looking to go digital.
But like lemmings tossing themselves off a cliff to sure destruction,
these dudes don't seem to get it. "Nobody wants 6-megapixel
backs," they tell me. "Who have you asked?" I respond,
but the answer is (drum roll, please) nobody. Somebody is paying attention
and when I unloaded this screed on a gentleman from a Japanese medium
format camera company, he smiled knowingly. The well heeled can read on.
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Imacon Ixpress 528C
Imacon's Ixpress 528C digital back can shoot raw, uninterpolated
images of up to 528MB using their micro-step 4*Res capture process,
and offers three capture modes (one, four, and 16 shot). The back incorporates
Kodak's--what the heck, they aren't going to use it--22-megapixel
sensor and Imacon's Double Duration Circuit sensor control to
capture full 16-bit color 132MB images in single-shot mode and 132MB
and 528MB images in four and 16-shot modes. It does this straight to
disk, including preview, every 2 seconds in a sequence up to 850 images
and with a maximum exposure time of 32 seconds.
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Panoramic Digital
Better Light provides the electronics and software for the Panoscan MK2
digital panoramic camera that combines a Better Light digital scanning
system, Mamiya lenses, and a motorized camera body designed by Panoscan
into a single unit that fits on a tripod. The 18 foot wide mural of the
Himalayas' Annapurna range on display at their booth was spectacular.
Phase One
Phase One's two new P-series backs, the 22-megapixel P 25 and the
fast, 16-megapixel P 20 have a rate of up to 50 captures per minute. Untethered
operation make them useful for portrait, fashion, and all-round commercial
shooters. The P 20 will be available for autofocus medium format cameras
such as the Hasselblad H1, Mamiya 645 AFD, and Contax 645 AF.
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Sinarback 54M
The Sinarback 54M is so small (how small is it?) that it weighs 14 oz
and measures 37/16x37/16x13/4". Together with a tiny computer called
the Sinar Action Module, Sinar AG offers a mobile digital imaging solution
that delivers 22 megapixels. A Mac OS X program called Sinar CaptureShop
controls the Sinarback and a Windows version is currently being prepared.
On location, the Sinarback 54M can be operated with OS X compatible notebooks
or the Action Module. Sinar Bron will sell you adapters for the Hasselblad
V System, Fuji GX 680, as well as their own p3 camera.
Manufacturers/Distributors'
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