Digital back for 4x5"

[johan butenschøn]

Hi!
I'm interested in getting a digital back for my Sinar P. A gazillion megapixels is not important, it's not extreme resolution I'm after. The world of 4x5 is pretty new to me and when it comes to digital backs of this size I'm clueless. I'm not rich, but hopefully there is something out there other than old scanner backs. Some advice is very welcome.

J

[yaya]

Johan, there are a couple of photographic forums with sections that are dedicated to Medium Format Digital backs and equipment, where you can learn and get plenty of advice on choosing a back, a camera and lenses:

getdpi

luminous landscape

There are lots of people on both forums who use their backs on 5X4 or 6X9 cameras who are happy to share their experience

I'm happy to help with any information about Leaf backs, customer references etc. so do feel free to contact me at any time

Yair

Product manager, leaf Imaging Ltd
+44 77 8992 8199 ysh@leaf-photography.com

[streetlevelfoto]

You can get any number of digital medium format backs and adapter plates to them. Drawbacks, aside from price, are higher resolution requirements from your lenses to take advantage of the sensors, and a big crop factor from 4x5 (meaning wide angles are hard to manage without new glass, and bodies capable of ultra close mm focusing (35mm for example, rather than 75 or 90mm for 4x5)

There are scanning backs from betterlight - which are nearly full frame 4x5 - some are even reasonably priced. They are, however, scanning backs - so are not well suited to some types of photography (things that move much, or anything with strobes).

Those are pretty much your options tho. There are no single shot 4x5 backs, at any price that I'm aware of.

Personally - I've been shooting film, and getting drum scans until the situation changes.

[okto]

The cost of a 4x5 inch CCD/CMOS back would probably be on the order of half a million—for the sensor alone. The rejection rate multiplies exponentially with increased sensor surface area. Look at the price increase from APS-C DSLR to FF DSLR to MF digital back.

Now multiply the MF back's price by ten. We're talking Hubble camera. :P

[domaz]

You can get one of those backs that allows you to mount a DSLR on the camera back. That's probably the cheapest digital option, but it makes it hard to use wide angle lens, from what I hear, since you have to compress the bellows even more to compensate for the DSLR's reduced focus plan distance.

[streetlevelfoto]

You can get one of those backs that allows you to mount a DSLR on the camera back. That's probably the cheapest digital option, but it makes it hard to use wide angle lens, from what I hear, since you have to compress the bellows even more to compensate for the DSLR's reduced focus plan distance.

Plus the massive crop factor. I cannot imagine being able to focus a 24mm lens with a 4x5 camera in order to get a wide angle with a dSLR.

However, for macro and longer lenses, it's a useful tool to have, if your LF lenses are high enough resolution...

[Frank Petronio]

Better Light made the last of the scanning backs that are compatible with modern hardware. I'd start there.

[domaz]

Plus the massive crop factor. I cannot imagine being able to focus a 24mm lens with a 4x5 camera in order to get a wide angle with a dSLR.

However, for macro and longer lenses, it's a useful tool to have, if your LF lenses are high enough resolution...

The DSLR back I linked to is movable so you could use it for making stitched panoramas. That would make the crop factor issue kind of moot. You are stuck with panoramic aspect ratios though.

[Frank Petronio]

Other than a scanning back, trying to use a digital solution with a Sinar P is ridiculous. It's not the right camera for the job, as the medium format backs are so small that your lenses become too short to use with any movements and the geared movements of the P are too coarse for such a small imaging area anyway.

I know you can get the old Kodak medium format backs for $1500 or so, but again, even the sliding adapter for the Sinar costs almost that much. As for using a 35mm-sized DSLR on the back of the Sinar... well it just makes the issues worse.

Buy film or a scanning back or an appropriate camera for the digital back.

[Thom Bennett]

"It's not the right camera for the job, as the medium format backs are so small that your lenses become too short to use with any movements and the geared movements of the P are too coarse for such a small imaging area anyway."

Actually, We use LEAF MFDB's on our two Sinar P2's and we use all the available movements on the camera. By utilizing the Live View function we compose, focus, swing, tilt, etc. on the computer monitor. Granted, this is all studio stuff; no field use. We've got an appropriate selection of lenses (45, 80, 105, 135, 150) and photograph everything from jewelry to furniture. There was an article I wrote about this in the May/June 2010 issue of View Camera Magazine. Here's our website: http://www.rauantiques.com/

Also, this is not my personal equipment; I'm a staff photog. For my own work I still shoot film.