Phase One introduces elusive 645 medium format camera platform

It's been a solid tick since we've heard any rustling in the bushes from Phase One, but the company's striking back with a vengeance with the 645 (also known as the Mamiya 645AFDIII). Hailed as the "world's most flexible, open medium format digital camera platform," the unit plays nice with a smorgasbord of high-end lenses (Mamiya's 645 family, Hasselblad V-lenses and Pentacon Six lenses, for starters), and can achieve shutter speeds from 1/4000 second to 60 minutes. Unfortunately, that's about all the details we're given for now, and while pre-production units are sneaking out at this week's Photo Imaging Expo, we'll be forced to hang tight until Q2 before indulging in full technical specifications. No worries -- we figure most folks will need a quarter or so to save up, anyway. [Warning: PDF read link]

[Thanks, Harsh A.]

[Sharakar @ Mar 19th 2008 9:35AM]

Not many camera geeks here I guess?

[Alex @ Mar 19th 2008 9:56AM]

well have u ever looked at the lack of DOF control from engadget's pictures? Its enough to drive any photographer away!!!! not to mention they have no conception of anything camera related, haha. oh bless their poor souls though!

[Ty @ Mar 19th 2008 10:28AM]

To better answer your question, it's a very high quality camera.

[jodosh @ Mar 19th 2008 10:54AM]

I think there are more that read engadget than the number of comments suggests. I and a few of my photographer friends read engadget news for general gadgets, but when we want to discuss photography seriously we go to a site the focuses on photography. On dpreview, for example, I can find a conversation about something very specific and not be bombarded with all the comments about how expensive it is, or why I should get a cannon/nikon/pentax...

[Mr.Tech @ Mar 19th 2008 9:36AM]

Yeah but how's the quality going to be on this thing? Speed versus performance

[chych @ Mar 19th 2008 9:49AM]

What speed vs performance? An quality? This is a medium format digital camera; pair it with its appropriate digital back and this is seriously a top-of-the-line camera. Forget your Canon 1Ds, this is above that, in the 30+ Mpix range. Also definitely not a sports camera, or that much of a hand-holdable camera, really for studio stuff.

Sometimes these types of camera come 'free' with your purchase of a digital back, which is well over $10k.

[Calum Morrell @ Mar 19th 2008 12:41PM]

uhm... it's a Phase One ... quality is going to be the absolute maximum it is possible to achieve with this level of equipment. It's not designed to be speedy to use, if you need that, buy a small format DSLR from Canon, Nikon, Pentax et al. and save yourself £20k

[hp540 @ Mar 19th 2008 10:45AM]

Most of the Engadget crowd works with the point & shoot. I can tell from the blurry product photos and lack of DOF.

[nathan.wong @ Mar 19th 2008 12:06PM]

This is just a natural progression for Phase One. They already make some of the best digital backs on the market so why not provide the camera too? Unfortunately it's not going to come cheap.

[nathan.wong @ Mar 19th 2008 12:09PM]

Wow! It accepts Hasselblad lenses too! Cool.

[Temple @ Mar 19th 2008 12:10PM]

This is the same camera as the recently announced Mamiya 645 AFD-III, its an important camera for the medium-format digital market because its a very open system. Not only can you interchange digital backs between other companies but also interchange lenses. Hence can use Hasselblad as well as Mamiya lenses (imagine if you could put a Nikon lens on a Canon body). This is very different from the new Hasselblad H3D which is completely proprietary (you are required to only use Hasselblad digital backs and can't use Phase One, Leaf, etc).

[Ant @ Mar 19th 2008 1:13PM]

Actually, you CAN put a Nikon lens on a Canon body. Use F-mount to EOS adapter. Of course, you lose autofocus and you must manually open and close the aperture. This was done by many before Nikon had a full-frame camera.

[Temple @ Mar 19th 2008 5:29PM]

Well, yeah, I know about those adapters. They can also damage the lens and its a serious flawed workaround. If you are a good machining expect your can even get almost any lens to fit onto virtually any camera. Stanley Kudrick had the legendary Zeiss 50mm f/0.7 built for NASA modified to fit a PL mount(?) to take the candle light scenes in his movie Barry Lyndon; he was going to use it again in Eyes Wide Shut but needed a wider lens.

regardless, here's a very good write up by Luminous Landscape. It seems it will be very body (Phase One, Leaf, Mamiya, etc) on the open system versus Hasselblad who wants to keep everything locked up to themselves.

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/phase-645.shtml

[Ant @ Mar 19th 2008 7:41PM]

The adapters aren't always ideal, but they work fine for some purposes. It comes down to the flange distance. I sometimes use a Nikon 35mm PC lens (which I scored for next to nothing) with an adapter on a 5D, or a Contax 50mm f/1.7 with a Contax adapter. The damage that you're talking about seems to be cause by cheaply chipped adapters shorting camera contacts, or having the rear element hit by the mirror when using a lens you shouldn't be using.

Heck, there a few people using the new Nikon 14-24 f/2.8 on Canon bodies. This requires even more adaption, as it is a G (no aperture ring) lens, but where there's a will, there's a way:

http://www.16-9.net/nikon_g/

[eric f. @ Mar 19th 2008 12:59PM]

This is wonderful news. I'm a Phase One P30 and Mamiya 645 owner, but mamiya's line of lenses has been sorely lacking an autofocus 120MM macro lens. The idea that I can use hasselblad's 120 macro with my equipment is AMAZING!! sure the lens is $4000, but it's really the best thing ever.