Any medium format users? gear advice

[lonni]

Any one use medium format?

My poor old film hasselblad is on the way out and needs to be replaced and was wondering if any one had advice on digital ones.

I was going to hire a few over a week to test drice but was having trouble narrowing it down to a few. I am looking at Hasselblad, leaf and Mamiya.

What do you guys use and would reccomend?

my lenses are not able to be saved, so thats not a consideration.

[nickbedford]

Medium format DSLR's are tens of thousands aren't they?

[BK553]

You should probably look at some Medium Format specific sites/forums, not a lot of people use them here, or in general. What do you shoot, by the way? I only see the digital medium formats used for commercial work.

Here's one: http://www.prophotohome.com/forum/me...ormat-digital/

[Niresangwa]

Of course I"d point you towards the Pentax 645D... I believe they're semi-available in Oz, and plenty of backwards-compatible glass available for them...

is it a whole system, or just a back you're looking for?

If there was a justification for it, I'd have plumped for the 645D already.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by BK553

What do you shoot, by the way?

Extremely important question. What do you shoot and why do you need a medium format? What are you delivering?

[lonni]

I do commercial stuff mainly and alot of billboard sizes stuff in the last 12 months. The last one i did was for a chocolatier, and before that handbags, full catalogue, web, print, advertorial, billboard and bus stop adverts.

Yep they do cost a lot, about the $40,000 mark, but since my average is about $10,000 to $15,000 for shoots from my film meduim format, and i do about 8 of those a year i figured it is justifiable. Plus i will go after the bigger contracts more. Products are what i know and they dont talk back, lol.

I will look for some medium format sites

[BK553]

I'd go with a hasselblad H4D-60 if you're doing billboards. 60mpix, can't go wrong.

[lonni]

Thanks, it was having trouble choosing between the 40 and 60. I am also going to try ot a PhaseOne P65.