Aptus 75 and P45 in the Desert

[michael]

Next week begins my workshop in Namibia. What should make it a bit more interesting to members of this forum, once I return, is that one of the members of the trip will be shooting with an Aptus 75, while I'll be shooting with a P45.

Both of our backs are in H mount, so I expect that there will be lots of opportunity for us to swap backs as we're shooting.

Like a number of the people here, I have tested and compared backs in the studio, but never on a real-world location shoot, and certainly never on one in as rugged conditions as this.

I'll look forward to sharing results, files, and experiences, when I'm back.

Michael

[Fred Schang]

A22, V mounted Alpa is also along for the ride.  

[mtomalty]

Michael,

Before heading off on your trip are you planning to post any impressions of P45
performance from your California trip?

Mark

[michael]

Mark,

No. The reason for this is that I am compiling a major test report which compares the P45, P25, P30, Canon 5D. IDs MKII, 1Ds, drum scanned 4X5 film and drum scanned 120 film, as well as various lenses and camera systems.

This is something that Bill Atkinson, Charles Cramer and I are working on, but it will take some time to pull together, and is being interupted for 3 weeks or so by my Africa trip.

The plan is to publish a DVD which will contain all of the raw files so people can draw their own conclusions as well as read ours.

This will likely appear in mid-May.

In the meantime, I have mostly very positive things to say about the P45. Image quality is excellent. Long exposures are superb. 20+ minutes with hardly any noise. Battery life is reduced though.

Michael

[mtomalty]

That's a helluva test you've undertaken.  Look forward to the results as they should rate
as one of the most ambitious to date !

If reduced battery performance is the main issue then that certainly speaks volumes.

Mark

[BernardLanguillier]

Mark,

No. The reason for this is that I am compiling a major test report which compares the P45, P25, P30, Canon 5D. IDs MKII, 1Ds, drum scanned 4X5 film and drum scanned 120 film, as well as various lenses and camera systems.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=61551\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Michael,

This test sound very interesting, but since you'll spend time testing, how about making it a multi-brand test?

Since you'll have the chance to test side by side the P45 and Aptus 75 during your Namibia WS, why not including these results in your grand comparaison article?

Then only Hassy (CFH-39) and Sinar (eMotion 75) would be missing.

Regards,
Bernard

[michael]

The test is done. We did it at Bill's studio while I was in California a few weeks ago. What remains now is to make sense of what we're seeing, and believe me, it ain't easy.

Introducing other systems at this point would be out of keeping with the rigerous nature of the testing being done, which was all of the same subject under identical and controlled conditions.

The Aptus 75 / P45 compariosn won't really be a serious one. More or less just observations on field use, and maybe some comparison shots under a few different situations. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

More in this opus in a month or so.

Michael

[Jack Flesher]

The Aptus 75 / P45 compariosn won't really be a serious one. More or less just observations on field use, and maybe some comparison shots under a few different situations.

Michael: I know this is obvious, but after the counting ants thread many of us would LOVE to see a full shift image from both the P45 and Aptus 75 sensors using your widest lens -- and if that shot were against a fairly light-color and even-toned background like sand (  ) so much the better!

PS: Are you planning on getting out to the ghost ships?

Jack

[michael]

We'll test what we can.

The itinerary for our trip is here.

Michael