114 Equipment
outlay is not unreasonable given the savings in fi lm and development
costs and the superb quality of which these devices are capable. But
is such an expense justifi ed for microstock photography?
Current medium-format digital is based on charge-coupled device
(CCD) and complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS)
imaging chips that are very close to 645 fi lm in size. A separate
digital back replaces the fi lm holder. More recently, we have
seen a closer integration between the digital back and camera
body, and a completely integrated 22-MP digital camera from
Mamiya, the ZD.
The major manufacturers are Hasselblad with its “H” series cameras
(Figure 6.8), Phase One with “P” series digital camera backs, Mamiya
with the ZD camera and ZD digital back, and Sinar, Leaf, and Rollei
with the Hy6 series. Resolutions presently range from 16 MP to 39 MP,
with more to come.
Here is my take on medium-format digital and microstock: it can be
justifi ed, but only for the most dedicated and serious photographers, or
rich hobbyists. The quality of today’s 22-MP or greater backs is good
enough for just about any conceivable purpose, and the large fi le sizes
they produce provide ample room for cropping. They are at their best
in a studio environment, tethered to a computer, but they also work
well in the fi eld if you don’t mind lugging around the not inconsiderable
weight. Some used bargains are beginning to emerge, but medium-
format digital is always going to be an option chosen by a minority of
microstock photographers. I’m currently using a Mamiya ZD medium-
format digital camera and this was used for the main cover shot.Scanning Backs
Finally, I should mention scanning backs. These devices have
been popular in studios since the mid-1990s when Dicomed was
a leader. Now Betterlight (www.betterlight.com) is the leading
manufacturer of these highly specialized devices that are used in
conjunction with large-format cameras and “hot” (continuous) lights.
The back itself is an insert that replaces the fi lm holder in the
large-format camera and acts like a miniature version of a desktop
CCD scanner, with a CCD array scanning the scene. These backs
offer superb quality but are not much use outside the studio because
any movement causes serious color fringing, or worse—just the
same as moving an item being scanned with a desktop scanner
ruins the scan.Scanning Film
As I mentioned earlier, fi lm still has life left in it. You might have a
back catalogue of fi lm with a number of images suitable for micro-