5D Mkiii or Phase One?

markmullen

markmullen

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I have a dilemma and wondered if anyone had any views or advice?

I shoot landscapes and want to be able to print big prints to sell. I currently use a 1Ds Mkii which is very good, I like the results it gives but feel I need more resolution to offer bigger prints whilst retaining quality.

I had just about made up my mind to buy a used Phase One back, probably a P25 or similar, and a MF setup. Thinking about it last night I wondered if I might be better off buying a 5D Mkiii. I am quite often rushed for time, leaving work and rushing to catch a sunset or whatever so was thinking maybe that way of working won't be compatible with a Hasselblad or Mamiya or whatever. Also the weight of the gear might be an issue if I'm clambering down cliffs and over rocks to a coastline. Also the Canon would mean I could keep my current lenses (17-40, 24-105, 70-200 F4 IS) and would mean less of a shift in how I currently work, less to relearn.

Realistically how big could I print files from a 5D Mkiii? Any views on my thinking?
 
Well, the 5D Mk III has 22.3 MP at a maximum resolution of 5760 x 3840.

If you want every detail to be pin sharp even when examining the print very closely, you need to aim for around 300 PPI. So that gives you a maximum print size of around 18x12 inches.

In practice though, that's probably overdoing it. I routinely print 18x12 from my Canon 40D, and some of them look pin-sharp even though I know I'm only getting about 200 PPI. If you printed at around 200 PPI you'd be able to go up to around 30x20 inches. But by the time the print is that size, you probably aren't examining it very closely, so you can get away with a lower resolution.

Bottom line: Any size you like.
 
If you look at the majority of well known landscape photographers, you will see that their camera of choice is a MF. There will be a reason for this choice :).

The obvious drawback for the OP is the time factor involved when using a MF camera should you decide upon a Phase One or similar. Also, and it would be something that I would give great thought to is, can you afford to invest in a very specialist set of kit, or would you get more use out of a 5D mk3?

Another thing to consider is the extra cost of new glass should you decide to go MF.

Sorry to pose more questions than answers but you will be spending a serious amount of hard earned cash. It would be a shame to buy hastily and subsequently regret it.

Andy
 
I would have though the choice these days would be between the D800 and a recent MF back.

But as in many things apparently, a good 'big un' will beat a good 'little un'

I had a Canon 1DsMkIII which I downgraded to a 5DMk2, to be honest the resulting images from either camera were pretty much the same, I then had the opportunity to buy a Hasselblad H1D which had a 22MP Imacon Ixpress 528C multishot back. The sensor is just over twice the size of a FF DSLR sensor at 37mm x 49mm and has a 9 micron pixel size with a standard image size of 4080x5540 pixels. This gives an image of around 63MB. But in 16x micro multishot mode (can only be used for still lifes) the image size is circa 528MB and 10880 x 8160. Here's one I did earlier.

So, pros and cons: Bearing in mind this back was released in 2005 and cost circa £30,000 at the time:

The 5DMk2 is better at: Any ISO above 200, portability, cost of lenses/accesories, weight, speed of use, speed (frames per second), live view, screen.

The 528C is better at: 16 bit quality, dynamic range,

I have just put together a Fuji GX680 outfit which allows me to use my 528C on it (albeit with a large crop factor), but this gives me the ooportinity to use the movements of the Fuji's front standard with the 528C, the total cost of the GX680 outfit so far has been about £1500 (body, finders, 3 film backs and 5 lenses {50mm 65mm 100mm 125mm and 180mm}) which is not a lot considering the tilt/shift adapter for the Hasselblad H series is in excess of £4500 alone and only works with a few lenses.

Hope this gives you food for thought.
 
Assuming you'd be using a Mamiya 645 AFD and a phase one or similar back I guess the prices would be about £800 for the AFD and £2500/3000 for a back(?). So not a million miles off the price of a 5D, not sure what the resale of an AFD would be after say 6 months use, you might take a hit there.
From a practical point of view as they used to say an average big-un will always trounce a brilliant little-un. It wont just be resolution of course but tonal gradation etc, much the way a 5D will beat a crop body. Lenses arent that expensive on a Mamiya, under a £100 will get you an 80mm, wider tend to be more of course.
Can you not hire before you buy?

Matt
 
Thanks all for your input, much appreciated.


MatBin said:
Assuming you'd be using a Mamiya 645 AFD and a phase one or similar back I guess the prices would be about £800 for the AFD and £2500/3000 for a back(?). So not a million miles off the price of a 5D, not sure what the resale of an AFD would be after say 6 months use, you might take a hit there.
From a practical point of view as they used to say an average big-un will always trounce a brilliant little-un. It wont just be resolution of course but tonal gradation etc, much the way a 5D will beat a crop body. Lenses arent that expensive on a Mamiya, under a £100 will get you an 80mm, wider tend to be more of course.
Can you not hire before you buy?

Matt
Click to expand...

Strangely I used to own a 645AFD which I sold to my MD, he doesn't use it but just liked it, I could borrow it back. A GX680 has always been the camera I want (well, I'd have an Alpa 12 and a Linhof Techno but can't afford them).
 
Just to throw the spanner in the works for dSLR based systems - have you considered the quality of lenses, and their resolution? Presuming 17-40 is you 'landscape lens' I believe 1DsII already outresolves it. If you stop it down to f/16 or worse f/22 (ok, there are very good reasons to do so!) the resolution is falling apart rapidly. In those conditions there is little to nothing that 5DIII can help you with. Perhaps you could try Zeiss primes or TS-Es, and shoot at f/5.6-8 if possible, the the extra resolution of the sensor will clearly help.
Having said that, perfect A3 and A2 can be easily done from DsII nice and sharp files.

I'd go MF if you must print billboards that will be scrutinised with a microscope.
 
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