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Digital backs with Flexbody

R

rogerxnz

Member
I am thinking if getting a 645 digital back, such as the iXpress 132C, for my Flexbody but I am concerned that I will not be able to use the Flexbody in its "normal" or vertical orientation and get portrait format images because 645 backs have the sensor in landscape format. If I turn the Flexbody onto one side to get the sensor in portrait orientation, the focusing plane will horizontal, across the image.

I want the focusing plane to be vertical so I get from near ground to distant ground in focus. Does anyone understand what I mean?

Am I correct in thinking that I cannot rotate the iXpress back to change the sensor to portrait format? I guess this means that I will be limited to images which are the square of the smaller dimension of the 645 sensor (usually 4080 pixels) or portrait images “carved” out of that square? Do users find this a severe limitation?

If I can get only portrait images from the square area of the sensor, that means losing the benefit of having a 22MP sensor and I should save money and purchase a 16MP square sensor back? Does that make sense?

I would appreciate your thoughts.
Roger
 
I have used a Leaf 17 back with a flexbody. The leaf is rotatable for protrait or landscape shapes. In the portrait image, the focus you mentioned becomes obvious - like "tilt movement" on a normal view camera.
 
Hello again Roger.
I was playing with my Flexbody yesterday, and though I would take a shot of my 503cw as I didn't have one yet. Anyhow, here is an ex&le of the Aptus22 back in portrait position and the Flexbody tilted to decrease/isolate the depth of field.
It is great to have the option of this on the flexbody... trying to simulate this effect in Photoshop never looks the same.
regards
Andrew
26725.jpg
 
There will be a "LENS BABY" for the HASSELBLAD 200/2000 bodies available this year .
No price available yet .
 
Thanks Marc.
I can see myself wanting to get a more flexible camera than the Flexbody one day... and of course be able to put the digital back onto it.
What made you go with the Rollie Xact, as opposed to any other view camera, if you don't mind me asking?
It is great to view the "fruits of other peoples labour" when it comes to research in choosing a camera system. Because I can't really justify any more expenditure on camera equipment at the moment, I haven't seriously looked into which one would suit me yet.
Will you be using the Xact for product or landscape shots?
Do you think it will fit in with some wedding shots too?
Thanks for your comments Marc.
 
Well Andrew, there was the Sinar 6X9 or the Rollie. Pretty comparable. My digital back dealer carries both, but brought a Xact to my little studio to play with ... so I order it.


"fruits of other peoples labour" ...

These guys that sell me the stuff are professional shooters doing cars here in Detroit, as well as food, and furniture (like Lazy-boy). If it works for them, it'll work for me : -)
 
Richard

Have a look here : http://www.lensbabies.com

Momentarily , its only available for 35mm cameras , but shall be available for HASSELBLAD later this year . As the lensbaby has no shutter it could only be used for the 200/2000 serie camera .
For me its a "creative" little nice toy , which you can be used to obtain similar results , as Andrew got , using his FLEXBODY . It would be a "lens" , you can easily put in your pocket and it will be of low weight .
I don't have a FLEXBODY , but a 6x9 view camera (ARCA) which can produce such effects , but it would be rather laboriously to carry that camera around with me , to obtain such effects .
Therefore the lensbaby would be a nice toy .
 
Hi,
I'm a photographer that used the traditional view cam for over a decade, until the 22mb digital back run into the market, i swifted to digital on the 555ELD body. As there are no camera movement on the box, I buy a Flexbody to do my job and it's 100% satisfation. I take pictures of food and jewellery, I use it to shoot panarama of landscape and interior.
The combination of a Flexbody with a Digital back is perfect except that you have to pay cautious when interchanging the back and the screen.
 
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