Last week I had the opportunity to see and work with the new Leaf Afi camera at an event presented by Fotocare new york and Leaf America and held at Shoot Digital studios in NYC. This was the third time that I have been able to play with the Leaf AFi, but only the first time I was able to test it in a shooting situation.
It's my opinion that new Leaf AFi is currently the best medium format digital camera available based on lens options, quality of optics and ease of use and system functionality. Unlike other medium format digital cameras, you can pick up the Leaf AFi and figure out the menu interface in just a few minutes, rather than spending hours absorbing a user manual that reads like a college text book, while displaying a multitude of button combinations you must preset in order to take a picture.
Quite simply this is a great camera.
The best thing about working with this camera is that "When you push the button it takes a photo"
My biggest pet peeve is that the fact that most digital cameras have a lag time between the instant that you push the shutter release and the time that the shutter actually makes that exposure. I want the shutter to work just like a cable release on an 4x5 and my experience with the Leaf AFi offered that immediacy.
I don't want to keep having to push the button until the camera decides its time to take the picture.
The Leaf AFi offers fast and consistent focus tracking even in low light.
Over nearly 40 frames I never had the camera stutter during focusing or not be able to focus because of a low or flat light situation.
The hand grip has 4 user adjustable positions. Which makes this light weight easy to use and sturdy camera some what reminiscent of shooting with an old Hasselblad 500 CM with a pistol grip. And it has the same nice compact feel as the Contax 645 or a Mamiya 645.
So at the end of the day you don't feel like you've spent your day at the gym doing curls.
It really feels more like using your favorite DSLR with a nice big medium format chip.
One battery handles the power requirements for both the camera and the digital back.
And that gives you between 1200-2000 exposures depending on how many of the cameras features you take advantage of and actual run time when the camera is turned on but not in use.
During my testing of the Leaf AFi I shot both tethered to the Shoot Digital capture station and untethered to a Lexar Professional UDMA 300X CF card and a SanDisk Ultra II CF card.
The Lexar Professional UDMA 300X CF card is a new high speed series (45 MB sec. transfer speed) flash memory that Lexar is promoting.
While the tethered shooting was fast, the write speed to the CF card was blazing fast as was the data transfer the computer. I also shot to my SanDisk ultra III CF card and strangely the Lexar was faster. With the Lexar 300X I could shoot as fast as I wanted continuously.
Here's some other info on the Leaf AFi
Flash sync to 1/1000
interchangeable waist level or prism view finder
Horz. or vert. shots by rotation the back.
ISO: 25-800
Shutter speeds in 1/3rd stops
Lenses: Schneider-Kreuznach digital lenses (1/3 stop increments) / Zeiss (1/4 stop increments)
Body only: @ 5,995
Body digital back combination
Leaf AFi 7 - $35,995 - 33MP
Leaf AFi 5 - $27,995 - 22MP
Leaf AFi 6 - $25,995 - 28MP
During my tests I used the Schneider 80mm & the Zeiss 120 macro lenses.
Leaf is holding another event this week at Calumet in NYC.
I would encourage everyone to make time to check out this great new camera.
see the details below.
FREE EVENT at Calumet NYC | Thursday, May 1, 10am to 4pm
COME. LEARN. TEST
It's here! The NEW Leaf Afi
world's fastest medium format digital camera
* 70 fpm. Up to 85 fpm with mirror up
* NEW Schneider Autofocus (D) Digital Lenses
* Rotating Vertical or Horizontal format
* 6x7 Viewing Screen - touch control
Come and share the excitement by handling the new Leaf Afi and taking it for a test drive. Experience what everyone is talking about.
* Live shoot with a model
* Use the all-new Leaf Capture 11.1 Software
* Leave our event with a CD of your own images
Event is at:
Calumet Photographic
22 West 22nd Street • New York, NY
T: 212.989.8500 212.989.8500
Thursday, May 1, 10am to 4pm
More info: http://www.leafamerica.com/e-blast/afi/calumet050908.html
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was bourght to may attention that I left out some information so I am posting the info provided by one of our readers.
Your recent article on the Leaf AFi points out some great benefits to
this new system. It is a great alternative to Hassy's decision to shut
other backs from their newest systems. But, you fail to point out that
the Leaf AFI is based on the camera developed by Franke and Heidecke
(developers of the Rolei system) and that it is available as the Hy6
from Sinar as well. Either will accept all the rollei lenses from both
Zeiss and Schneider. Jenoptic (manufacturer of the Sinar digital backs,
the eyelike system - now merged with the Sinar product since Jenoptic
owns majority interest in Sinar currently) had a hand in the
development, as well.
They'll also take film magazines, for those who still dabble with that
technology.
I'm not a salesman, just been following the development of this camera
for a long time now. Can't wait to get my hands on one.
Subscribe
