Mamiya/Phase digital lenses versus the standard versions (esp. 45mm)

[Alan W George]

I have a P65+ and primarily use it with a Cambo RS and several Schneider Digitar lens.  I picked up a second hand AFDII with a 80mm and 45mm standard (non-D) Mamiya lenses for hand held situations.  I have an IQ180 on order.  I find myself using the AFDII more and more and I am considering upgrading to the digital Phase lenses.  So I was wondering if anyone might be able to speak to the image quality differences I might expect from a lens upgrade.  I use the 45mm about 80% of the time.

I checked with Calumet locally (San Francisco, CA) and they don't rent the digital lenses.  Anywhere else that might rent locally?

Any practical experiences would be greatly appreciated.

[gdh]

I just left a similar post on another topic, but I have used all sorts of lenses--Hasselblad V, Hasselblad H, view camera lenses,as well as the Schneider and Rodenstock VC lenses and more recently the Schneider and Rodenstock HR digital lenses--which I felt there was no equal to until starting this year to use the Phase One Camera in addition to my Alpa, and using the Schneider LS lenses--they are as good or better than anything I've ever used and would recommend them without exception.  You really need this kind of quality with the high resolution back you are using--anything less will be distinguishable.  I'm using the P65+ loaner with these lenses (waiting for my IQ180 arriving this week) and I print my images about 40x60-70", so I'm tuned into high resolution.  I have not used any of the Mamiya lenses on my Phase One, but hear they're very high quality digital lenses also, but for my money the Schneider LS lenses are the way to go with a HR DB like you have.

Dennis

[Steve Hendrix]

We'll try and get some 45mm comparisons done, as well as some more expansive tests, but for now here are some results from the Mamiya AF, Phase One D, and Schneider LS 80mm f/2.8 Lenses. As you can see, the wide open performance gets better in terms of both sharpness and chromatic aberration from Mamiya to Phase to Schneider. At f/11, the results are much closer, but this is generally the case with many similar lenses. Interestingly, the Schneider 80mm seemed just a hair brighter at the same apertures.

http://www.captureintegration.com/tests/lens/


Steve Hendrix