Mamiya DM33 review

An edited version of my review originally featured over a decade ago in Hotshoe International magazine.

 

With the closure of Franke and Heidecke*, the medium format market has been dominated by just two players: Hasselblad and Phase One. Hasselblad has since chosen a closed system on their H4D series, preventing third-party backs from being fitted, while digital back-maker Phase One hastily became the majority shareholder of Mamiya. Phase One also deftly acquired the assets of back-maker Leaf from Kodak recently, giving the company a second line.

Leaf’s higher-end backs are still marketed using their brand-name, but the three so-called “entry-level” 22/28/33-megapixel Aptus II models are being re-branded as the Mamiya DM22, DM28 and DM33, respectively. Each back is being bundled with a Mamiya 645DF body and sold as a kit at a much lower price. It can’t have escaped even casual observers that the prices and resolutions challenge current high-resolution Canon and Nikon models, while the 33-megapixel DM33 should at least match or better the highly anticipated Canon model when it’s finally announced, presumably sometime later this year (the camera that eventually entered the marketplace was the 50MP Canon EOS 5Ds/5DsR).

The upper-end of the three, the DM33, reviewed here, uses a large (48x36mm) Dalsa-made 33MP CCD sensor, but is otherwise functionally the same as the other two backs, while the Mamiya 645DF body is identical to the Phase One 645DF. This body, in turn, differs from the relatively new Mamiya 645 AFD III, which has been offered in the past married to Leaf Aptus backs, by possessing, principally, faster autofocus and a dual shutter system (focal plane essentially, with the option for leaf shutter lenses). Some minor body and viewfinder information changes have also been made, as well as accepting a still-to-be-released optional battery pack.

Before an extensive briefing from Phase One/Leaf’s amiable and extremely knowledgeable product manager, Yair Shahar, I must confess to some confusion between the models on my part, but the marketing material and websites haven’t yet caught up with the product. Once explained, though, it’s straightforward and logical.

I was particularly interested to see how the Mamiya DM33 would suit my needs, as a few years back, I considered the Mamiya 645AFD with the ZD back. Things have moved on since then, and the difference between 35mm and medium format digital has widened considerably. It’s most noticeable at the high-end, naturally, but it’s not too difficult to see the expansion and upgrade possibilities from one of the DM series cameras.

In the hands, the DM33 works as well in the studio as out of it, a fact helped by three superb new Mamiya lenses coengineered with Schneider-Kreuznach, incorporating leaf shutters (55mm, 80mm and 110mm f/2.8) with a 1/800sec flash sync. This is bolstered to an unprecedented 1/1600the sec flash sync through firmware with the back. The DM33 is compatible with another 13-or-so superb Mamiya Sekor lenses, including an autofocus 28mm F4.5 (making it a 20mm equivalent), a super-versatile 75-150mm F4.5 (55-110mm equiv) and an APO 300mm F4.5 (215mm equiv).

Both the back and body don’t feel “entry-level” in any way; indeed, they are very heavily metaled and no doubt could survive extended pro-level use. While it’s a bit of a stretch to call the ergonomics of the 645DF body anything like a 35mm SLR, they are, by and large, excellent. The viewfinder is a real highlight, and I was pleased to see the troublesome lock on the 645AFD III shooting-mode dial has gone, but you still have to switch between the focal plane shutter and leaf shutter using the somewhat fiddly custom-function mode.

Another slight shortcoming is the additional lithium-ion battery slung camcorder-style under the back, and I can’t understand why power couldn’t come from the camera’s AA battery pack. Or, perhaps at least, why the new DF body couldn’t have been designed to use a high-power lithium solution instead of the AA cells? However, the secondary power source does allow the back to be used with technical cameras, away from the usual powered FireWire 800 connection and Mac laptop, though that remains an option.

All the same, AF using the 645DF body seems sprightly enough for most likely encounters, though obviously not as fast as 35mm systems. Continuous shooting using the DM33 tops out at roughly 1.1fps, which is excellent, especially when considering the file sizes (67MB uncompressed, 35MB lossless compressed). What’s more, there’s no stalling for 32 frames using the lossless setting, or 13 frames using the uncompressed option with a high-speed CF card.

Apart from the image quality, the back features some notable aspects. For example, the 3.5-inch monitor serves as a touch screen for the menu, and it operates smoothly. In addition to a custom white balance feature, there is an AWB option and several presets, which is a significant improvement over the old ZD back. The playback image is quite grainy, but there is a 1:1 view, and the ability to select any area within the image is very convenient. Another useful feature is an excellent histogram option that uses the RAW data rather than just displaying the brightness range of an embedded JPEG.

Despite the large pixels, noise levels, while good, don’t match the best DSLRs at the higher ISOs. Noise is visible onscreen at 1:1 at ISO400, and the image looks noisy at the maximum ISO800. But that doesn’t translate in print. At the base sensitivity of ISO50 and at ISO100, the colour depth, gradation and micro-detail are stunning. So would I now choose the DM33 over a hi-res 35mm SLR? Well, maybe, but my work as a freelancer is still very varied, and there are advantages to both systems. However, where I once thought of the Mamiya as an alternative, I now view the DM33 as being an ideal tool to complement the 35mm DSLR, much like I did in the not-too-distant days of medium-format film. While not perfect (what camera is?), it’s a lovely-looking camera with some “character,” that’s actually inspiring to use. More importantly, perhaps, the quality of the files is sublime.

 

You can use the excellent Leaf Capture software (as above) or choose Phase One Capture One; either will do just fine.

Samples Gallery

Bleeding Tooth Fungus. Mamiya 645DF/DM33 with Schneider-Kreuznach 80mm f/2.8 LS (1/45th at f/5.6, ISO200). Processed to taste in Leaf Capture.

End of summer. Mamiya 645DF/DM33 with Mamiya Sekor 75-150mm F4.5  (1/250th sec at F4.5, ISO200). Processed to taste in Leaf Capture.

 

Water reservoir. Mamiya 645DF/DM33 with Schneider-Kreuznach 80mm f/2.8 LS (1/160th sec at f/6.3, ISO400). Processed to taste in Leaf Capture.

Contact

Phase One: www.phaseone.com

Sales

Phase One has retired the Mamiya 645DF/DF+ cameras and Leaf DM backs and replaced them with the modular Phase One XF camera and IQ backs. However, while these cameras remain popular, they do sometimes come up for sale secondhand from the following dealers [affiliate links]:

MPB (UK/US/Eur)

KEH (USs only)

As an affiliate member, I may earn commission on sales through these links. This does not affect the price you pay.

 

*the makers of the Rolleiflex Hy6 camera, with partners Leaf and Sinar. The latter two makers marketed their own versions.