Will the ZD steal the thunder from lower- megapixel models, such as Canon’s 16.6MP EOS-1Ds Mark II or Nikon’s 12.4MP D2x? That’s doubtful, considering the lower price of these cameras, their superior AF, exposure and metering systems, their wider and faster burst modes, and more extensive accessories (including lenses and flash units). It’s also likely that the smaller battery on the Mamiya ZD will deliver only a fraction of the images that those CMOS-based SLRs can capture. But pros who already own a Mamiya 645 AF, in addition to several expensive Mamiya AF lenses, should be drawn like a magnet to this camera. (Current 645AFd owners, on the other hand, will probably opt for the 22MP Mamiya ZD back, which has the same sensor and image-processing capability, but at a lower price.) The Mamiya ZD will primarily attract those special photographers who value image quality above all else, and can’t wait to show off this megapixel champion.
Mamiya expects that most pros will be interested in this camera for its potentially ultrahigh image quality—not for its AF speed and burst performance. On that front, it packs a great deal of promise. According to Mamiya and the CCD’s manufacturer, Dalsa, the ZD sensor provides the highest image quality available in an integrated SLR. The ZD also uses a new Dalsa ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) to help speed image processing and storage. How good is the image quality? We’ll find out for sure when we test a production version of this camera, but the specs for this sensor are impressive.
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Mamiya ZD’s viewfinder is better than most small format SLR, but not quite as super-bright as the Mamiya AF645D. In the viewfinder, beneath the matte focusing screen, the usual LED information display is found and it is quite visible. A viewfinder diopter adjustment is found beside the viewfinder. The two LCDs can be illuminated with a soft green-blue light and are easily readable in the dark. Here the usual data (image size, format, compression ratio, picture number, ISO, selected memory card, white balance etc.) are shown. The menus are viewed on a 1.8″color monitor, which is sufficiently bright, but rather small and only of medium resolution. Mamiya claims that power saving is the reason for this design decision. The menus are arranged into four different color groupings, and are well structured. Menues can be displayed in several languages. The adjustment possibilities are rich and clearly arranged and the functions are highly customizable. 31 Presets can be produced and stored separately. Menu selections are made with two scroll wheels and are achieved very quickly. Especially practical is the exposure shift function which can be used with the Program exposure mode, where pairs of aperture / shutter combinations can be scrolled through quickly.
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The Mamiya ZD, even in its current iteration is a powerful camera. Engineers in Japan will need to ensure that the image processing time is short enough to make the camera a viable option in the studio or in the field, but aside from the buffering times and the image-quality quirks of the early version firmware, the Mamiya ZD is already good to go.
When it ships, the ZD will be lighter than the Canon 1Ds Mark II, with nearly twice the resolution of the Nikon D2X, and vastly more lenses than the Olympus E system. If the company can bring the price in line (a few thousand more than a Canon 1Ds Mark II, but less than a AFD plus back) will make this a very powerful addition to Mamiya’s lineup.
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