80Megapixel
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Phase One straps 80 megapixels to your camera, USB 3.0 for ginormous image transfers
We're still trying to wrap our brains around the idea that a 80 megapixel camera sensor exists at all, but there's already a second light-devouring digital back on the way -- the Phase One IQ180, which technically hails from the very same company as the Leaf Aptus-II 12. That doesn't mean the company simply rebranded its subsidiary's giant CCD, as this unit's got an extra half-stop of dynamic range, captures a tenth of a second quicker at full resolution, and supplements the standard FireWire 800 connector with USB 3.0. There's also a 3.2-inch, 1.15 megapixel touchscreen with a pseudo-Live View for easy framing and 1GB of RAM to buffer the gigantic images you'll be pumping out. Improvements don't come cheap, though, as you'll drop $43,990 in April at launch. If you can settle for a slightly lower resolution, though, there's no need to sell your Lexus quite yet -- the summer months will bring lesser models with 60.5 megapixels and 40 megapixels respectively. [Thanks, Ryan D.]
Leaf Aptus-II 12 snaps 80 megapixels of awesome on the back of your pro shooter
You ever wonder how CSI sleuths can keep enhancing their images all the way until they see what brand sneakers the perp is wearing? Well, they probably had a pre-release version of one of these Aptus-II 12s from Leaf. This new digital back can fill a staggering 80 million pixels with imaging data, thanks to its 53.7mm x 40.3mm-sized CCD sensor. It comes strapped with a 3.5-inch touchscreen on the back, 80 to 800 ISO range, 1.5 0.6fps capture rate, and a mind-boggling 480MB max file size per image. Should you have the imaging gear to match up to such might, you'll want to know that the Aptus-II 12 is shipping now from Leaf Partners worldwide with a price tag just under €24,000 ($31,387), or you could grab the 12R version -- which features a rotating sensor allowing you to shoot portrait shots without having to turn your camera sideways -- for €31,995 ($41,850). That's actually pretty decent value for your money, considering you'd have had to spend the same amount on the Aptus-II 10 only six months ago -- and that only had a measly 56 megapixel sensor!
