Leaf shows off new AFi medium-format cameras, you can't afford one

Leaf's new AFi product line is out of prototype and being shown to a lucky few on a pan-European road show -- like all great medium-format cameras should be displayed. The new AFi 7, AFi 6 and AFi 5 are 6 x 6 medium-format shooters take up to 70 shots per minute, sport Schneider AutoFocus Digital lenses designed for 30+ megapixel camera backs, and can be swapped from landscape to portrait mode by simply turning the camera back. Demo units should be out by mid-October, and you should be able to purchase one of these for some indeterminate large sum by the end of this year.

[Tony @ Sep 20th 2007 1:46PM]

What a beast! I can't wait until the Leaf guys stop by my school for a demo, woohoo!

[Ben @ Sep 20th 2007 1:50PM]

Great looking camera. Quick question though. If it's 6x6 why would you need a landscape or portrait mode? Everything is square.

[Pete @ Sep 20th 2007 1:52PM]

Umm, if it is a 6x6 format camera, what would the point be of rotating the back for landscape/portrait changes? 6x6 is SQUARE format.... 6x4.5 okay... but 6x6?

[Joe Maki @ Sep 20th 2007 2:05PM]

Even cooler, it's voice command...

"AF-1 MODE PORTRAIT"
or
"AF-1 MODE LANDSCAPE"

Really impress your friends :)

[jhsinger @ Sep 20th 2007 9:06PM]

The camera is 6x6 for film (the camera does both). Leaf doesn't have a 6x6 sensor for this back. When you use their back you are shooting with a 645ish sized sensor.

Jeff
http://jeffsingerphotography.com/blog

[wilkmd @ Sep 20th 2007 2:07PM]

I really wonder what these beasts are used for.

[Mike Weytjens @ Sep 20th 2007 2:17PM]

The camera can shoot 6x6 film. It could theoretically shoot 6x6 digital, but all current digital backs are 6x4,5...that's why you have to change the backs position from landscape to portrait.

It's mostly used by professional photographers for high-end commercial and advertisment work.

You could hardly call this a gadget....unless a venturi fetish or a ferrari are gadgets as well....

[Barry99705 @ Sep 20th 2007 2:16PM]

Taking pictures?

[Preston @ Sep 20th 2007 2:16PM]

Mega huge banners and incredibly large, but detailed, images of whatever you want to point it at.

[jroc @ Sep 20th 2007 2:25PM]

Pete, Ben.. you read my mind, and possibly each others as well.

[audaniels @ Sep 20th 2007 2:29PM]

Somebody enlighten me. If the format is 6x6 (square), what is the meaning of portrait and landscape mode?

[lapa @ Sep 20th 2007 4:23PM]

so that you don't need to rotate it in photoshop later, lol.

[barrywoods @ Sep 20th 2007 3:24PM]

From the web site.

The Leaf AFi provides professional photographers with a 6 x 6 medium-format digital camera solution in a compact 6 x 4.5 design.

[Kurt @ Sep 20th 2007 4:59PM]

I regularly use Leaf Aptus backs. I do like Leaf's backs and think the compare solidly with the Phase Ones (and their touch screen is a nice step up over the Phase One's), but I'd much rather use them on a Mamyia or a Hasselblad than buy a specific Leaf camera.

And for everyone: 6x6 is the size of the opening at the back of the camera, presumably one could use a 120 or 220 film back and take 6x6 photos, however the sensor on the chip is rarely 6x6, just like most 35mm DSLRs use APS-C sized sensors, there's usually a crop factor and often the sensors will be in 645 (6x4.5) proportions, hence the necessity to rotate the back, which in the Hasselblad style camera is much better than having to turn the camera sideways, which is very cumbersome.

Meanwhile I'm just looking forward to playing with the 39 Megapixel Phase One P45+ backs we just got in where I'm at.

[Russ @ Sep 20th 2007 6:58PM]

can't afford one? you guys keep forgetting that bill gates reads this site!

[zorg @ Sep 20th 2007 9:18PM]

I'm wondering if anyone can explain how they get "portrait" and "landscape" if it's 6x6, which sounds square.

I realize I could just read one of the five or so explanations above, but it's really late and I'm too tired to raise my eyes. If you could put another (hopefully fresher) explanation lower down on the page, it would be really helpful.

[nars @ Sep 20th 2007 9:35PM]

i believe all current mf digital backs have a crop factor and arent full 6x6, thus the portrait/landscape bit.

[Eric @ Sep 20th 2007 9:42PM]

What most people don't realize is that Schneider lenses are simply amazing. Zeiss has nothing on them. They were making better lenses than Zeiss was when Hasselblad was competing with Rollei in the film era. So this camera, designed for high resolution photography, is going to produce stunning images. Hands-down.

[Eric @ Sep 20th 2007 9:47PM]

BTW, the name seems to imply that they are three different backs. 6x4.5, 6x6 and 6x7. That would account for some backs not being square. If this is true, it's quite the breakthrough.

I want one! My boss is going to balk! I don't shoot in the studio enough to justify it. Though our Video guy is going to get a $60,000 HD sony to shoot with. Not fair!

[Kal-El @ Sep 20th 2007 10:17PM]

So whens the Engadget giveaway?

[John Stracke @ Sep 21st 2007 9:00AM]

So, if these things are medium-format, what's large-format? Who uses them?

[eric f. @ Sep 21st 2007 10:07AM]

Large format is 4x5" and higher. Lots of photgraphers still use them for shooting Billboards, product and landscape/architecture, due to the camera's ability to correct for plane distortion by adjusting the angle of the lens and tilting the back.

[John Stracke @ Sep 21st 2007 10:10AM]

Wow. OK, thanks.

So, this 6x6 camera is actually a large format?

[eric f. @ Sep 21st 2007 10:09AM]

I predict this to be $25k to $30k without the lens.