The quest for a new camera: Part 2

So, recently my friend Joeri van Veen and I went to see a guy about a camera. As you know, I've been looking at 100 MP cameras as an alternative for my current digital shooter. You can catch up here, but in the end it was the challenging choice that I wanted to explore further. So we hopped into Joeri's classic MR2 and comfortably drove to one of the bigger camera stores that was bound to have this camera plus some other related gear in stock.

On the road in Joeri's MR2

Meet the Fujifilm GFX 100S II

The GFX 100S II and my Pentax 645Z

(all photos Joeri van Veen)

There were a few things I wanted to see or test. The first was the electronic view finder (EVF). As I am used to (D)SLRs not looking through the lens but looking at a small screen is a new experience for me. I was actually very surprised how well this works. After some fiddling around, I set the EVF settings to EVF on and screen off when my eye is near the view finder and EVF off and screen on when it is not.

The camera body is quite small for a medium format camera. It is not much bigger that my Pentax LX with the winder fitted and small when compared to my Pentax 645Z.

Next, I had a list of lenses that I wanted to test with de GFX. First up was the Fujinon GF 45-100mm f/4 lens. I have used a 45-85mm lens on my Pentax 645D and Z before and I love the reach of this lens. The Fujinon 45-100 has even a bit more reach so seems like a perfect fit.

Checking the screen

This lens is a big son of a gun...

...but feels good when combined with the camera

Contemplating...

Getting used to the EVF

Next up was the Fujinon GF 100-200mm f/5.6 lens. If the 45-100 was a son of a gun then I don't know how to describe this lens as it is even bigger. This setup however feels well combined.

Feeling the power of the 100-200mm

Zooming in and out

Quite the combination

Nice set

An impressive piece of kit altogether. 

The third lens I wanted to look at was the Mitakon 65mm f/1.4. This sadly was not in stock.

Another thing I really wanted to test was the usefulness of my Canon 100-400mm lens when paired with the GFX. I learned that adapters exist that allow auto focus (AF) to be used. I tried this with the Viltrox EF-GFX mount adapter.

The fit is snug

Focus, darn you!

I like the feeling of this camera-lens combo

So does this work? Well, yes. It does focus. However, I found the AF to be very slow and the AF kept hunting when focusing most of the time. 

So what are my thoughts? Well, from what I've experienced at the store there are quite a few things I like about the GFX 100S II: The EVF is better than I dared to hope, the body handles well in my hands, the two lenses I was able to test felt good when combined with the camera body, the AF points can be controlled with the touch of a single button, I like the way information is displayed in the EVF and the GFX fits well in my camera bag. I had to fiddle a lot to get the ISO to change, only later I discovered that the forward control dial needs to be pressed backwards to achieve that. One thing I don't like is that the charger for the batteries is not included in the box. Why?

The lenses themselves feel pretty solid. The fact that they have an actual aperture ring was a nice discovery and this is something I really like. I would also have liked to test the Mitakon 65mm f/1,4 but alas, this is for another time.

The GFX-EX adapter was a nice idea but the AF is to slow for me to consider this. I guess I have to start saving for the GF 500mm f/5.6 instead.

And talking about savings, I think my expression says it all when being told the actual amount this was going to set me back...

Holy Moly!

So did I go for it? Yes, in the end I managed to get a good deal so I walked back to Joeri's MR2 holding several boxes. Boxes that needed space to store them. In an MR2. Oh, wait...

Am I really doing this?

From riches to rags in under a minute...

What if... the Canon EOS 5DsR was released one year earlier?

The Canon EOS 5DsR never made the shortlist of possible replacements for my then EOS-1D Mark II/Ds setup simply because it wasn't announced, let alone produced, at that time. Neither did de Pentax 645Z, which was announced by then but not yet in production.

Me and my Canon EOS 5DsR. Image: Joeri van Veen.

The holy grail: a large-resolution image sensor without anti-alias filter

By then, several brands offered cameras with large megapixel image sensors without an anti-alias filter for optimum sharpness and I decided that my next camera would have such a sensor. After evaluating the Phase One P45+ and P65+, the Pentax 645D, the Sony A-7R and the Nikon D800E I in the end went for a Pentax 645D augmented with a second-hand Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II for my aviation photography. 

All selected cameras had what I considered to be the holy grail, a large megapixel image sensor without an anti-alias filter. Superb machines as they are, both Phase One options were just too expensive for me to be considered as a replacement for my then-current cameras. The introduction price for the Pentax 645Z was expected to be quite high - although significantly lower than the Phase One options - but going for the Z version of the Pentax 645 digital camera meant waiting at a time when the D version was getting an attractive price because of the announcement of its successor and was readily available. 

In the end, my choice for the Pentax 645D was partly explained because I already owned a number of lenses for it. At that time, I had already invested in Canon EOS and Pentax 645/67 cameras and lenses. All other options meant I had to obtain new lenses too, adding to the cost of such a purchase. That choice however also meant that I had now de facto two digital setups as the Pentax 645D wasn't able to take over the action part of aviation photography. I had to keep my Canon gear and ending up buying the EOS 1Ds Mark II to gain resolution there. Don't get me wrong, I was quite happy with this arrangement and it worked quite well for me. I briefly considered the then new EOS-1DX too but as that wasn't adding enough improvement on the sensor front it didn't make the selection.

Enter the Canon EOS 5DsR

And then, a year after the purchase of my Pentax 645D, the Canon EOS 5DsR was introduced. What a contender that would have been. It ticked all the boxes: a huge 50,6 full frame megapixel sensor, no anti-alias filter, compatible with all my Canon EF glass and thus usable for not only my landscape photography but also my aviation photography. In other words, very hard to resist!

Upgrading from the 1D series to a 5D series would have had a few drawbacks too. I really love the way the 1D series cameras work, feel and fit in my hands. That built quality had to be given up. I would also lose my 10 frames per second shooting ability as the 5DsR only manages 5 frames per second. Being able to shoot 10 frames per second is very useful when shooting fast jets. But that sensor...

So, what if...

The Canon EOS 5DsR has a lot going for it. Really a lot. The only thing it isn't, is a medium format camera. With a medium format camera you win a lot of extra sensor space and that means a lot more detail. So I guess that had I been forced to choose between the Pentax 645D and the Canon EOS 5DsR that would have been the deciding factor in favor of the 645D. As I said earlier I already owned lenses for both cameras so no issues there. The prices would have been comparable at that time. So there you have it. Option number one: The Pentax 645D, optimum image quality but at the same time the need to operate two systems or option number two: The Canon EOS 5DsR, no need for two sets and an increase in megapixels but not that lovely big medium format image sensor. My guess is that I would have gone with the 'sane' choice of the EOS 5DsR and that I would have continued to work with medium format 120 film cameras as well until I could obtain a 645D at a later date.

In real life

As you know, I bought the Pentax 645D and that really made an impression on me. Those gorgeous photos full of detail. That was something I wanted but lacked in my aviation photography so when the Canon EOS 5DsR was introduced a year later I did the only 'sane' thing I could do. I bought one...

The Pentax remained my go-to camera for land- and cityscapes and I used both as a set for my aviation photography. Despite the lower megapixel count I found I preferred the Pentax images for the 'slower' aviation shots and being able to use the EOS 5DsR for the fast aviation stuff I really had the best from both worlds.

Oh, and did I really buy that EOS 5DsR on a whim? Well, not exactly. At the same time Canon introduced their second installment of the EF 100-400mm L lens which I had been saving for and in the end I was able to make a good deal on the 5DsR and 100-400 combo.

Interestingly, the Canon EOS 5DsR has never been replaced with an updated model. With its 50,6 megapixel sensor without anti-alias filter it still reigns supreme in Canons line-up in 2024. Although Canon has introduced its R5 mirrorless model as sort of a replacement that model "only" packs a 45 megapixel sensor and is still equipped with an anti-alias filter. That means that I will be happily using the EOS 5DsR in the years to come, now in combination with my Pentax 645Z. 

Wait, is that a Fujifilm GFX 100MP camera? Oehhhhhhh... ;-)

[I actually wrote this post in July 2021 but for some reason never published it. Now, with my quest for a new digital camera it suddenly seems relevant again so I finally pushed that 'publish' button.]

The quest for a new camera: Part 1

Lately I've been thinking about upgrading my digital camera arsenal. Currently I use a 51.4MP Pentax 645Z as my main digital shooter and a 50.6MP Canon EOS 5DsR for my aviation photography. I've switched to Pentax medium format in 2014 and got the Canon when it was released in 2015. They are both great cameras that I love to shoot with, they still deliver when it comes to the quality of the images. But they have been used for around ten years and technology has moved forward quite a bit.

My Pentax 645Z fitted with a Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 180mm f/2.8

The story so far

Now, I am quite happy with my current arrangement, two cameras for two different purposes. Back when I switched to the Pentax medium format camera I came from using a Canon EOS-1D Mark II and a Canon EOS-1Ds. I had quite a few EF lenses as well. At the same time I used the Pentax 645 medium format film camera and again had a few lenses for that. So selecting the Pentax 645D in 2014 I got that whopping medium format sensor and the quality of the images blew me away. Choosing the Pentax 645D  as a replacement for my Canon EOS-1Ds was a logical choice for me as I already owned lenses for the system. Now the Pentax 645D is not a practical camera for aviation photography use so I augmented my Canon EOS-1D Mark II with a EOS-1Ds Mark II which I bought second hand. Ok, the Canon EOS-1D X was available too in 2014 and as expensive as the Pentax. But that camera lacked the punch in resolution I was after so that was never a realistic option for me at the time. I was so blown away with the qualities of the large sensor of the Pentax that when the EOS 5DsR was released a year later I knew that this was the upgrade I needed for my aviation photography. Aside from adding the Pentax 645Z to my arsenal at a later date I have never looked back. 

The 100MP barrier

Back in 2015 50MP was about the best resolution you could get. True, in 2016 Phase One released a 100MP camera back but that came with such a price that it was completely out of my budget. In 2024 however, there are several cameras and camera systems that utilize a 100MP sensor. Sadly, the brands I use do not offer such cameras. Canon abandoned DSLRs and their EF lens lineup completely and Ricoh never released an update to the Pentax 645Z (which in fact can still be bought new). So if I want an upgrade in image quality both are not an option. That really is too bad as I really like the Canon and would probably get a new EOS camera that combined a more-than-50MP sensor with the latest autofocus system or a 'Pentax 645Z II' with more resolution. 

Other options

This poses a bit of a problem for me. I am heavily invested in Canon EF and Pentax 645 lenses. Just throwing those aside does not sit well with me. So I need to look for other options. At this point I am mainly looking to upgrade my main shooter, so I want something that can really add to the image quality the Pentax provides. Ideally this would be a camera that I could use existing lenses on (with an adapter) and with a higher pixel count than 50MP. So what is available these days?

First on the list is the Leica S3, a 64MP camera that currently sells for € 18,600. Now this is one I don't have to think about long, 64MP is not that much of a step up compared to my 51.4MP Pentax and the price is way out of my budget. Add to this the fact that I need new lenses as well, that only drives up the price even more. The ridiculous choice.

The Hasselblad X2D 100c 100MP camera is the second option on my list. € 8,699 for a body only. Add the cost of adding lenses to this and it becomes really expensive really fast. The insane choice. 

The Hasselblad 907X & CFV 100C is next. 100MP in a tiny package for € 7,799. Now this is a setup I would love to use combined with a Hasselblad 500 series camera but since I don't own one of those or the lenses they use that would inflate the price. If I owned a Hasselblad body and lenses I would consider it, but for now it remains the impossible choice.

Photo used with permission from Fujifilm

Slightly more expensive than the 907X & CFV 100C is the 2023 Fujifilm GFX 100 II. This is the current Fujifilm flagship camera. This 102MP camera, body only, is yours for € 7.999. To sweeten the deal you'll temporary get € 500 off that price when you trade in another camera (plus whatever they deem that other camera to be worth I guess). What makes the GFS system interesting is the amount of third party lenses you can use with adapters. That would really benefit the transition to this system. However, € 7,499 is still a lot of money. The expensive choice.

Photo used with permission from Fujifilm

The second GFX camera in this lineup is the 2021 Fujifilm GFX 100S. Older than the GFX 100 II it is also less expensive at € 5,999 for a body only. To sweeten this deal, there is a temporary € 1,600 cash back offered. This lowers the price to € 4,399. Despite being an older camera it offers the same benefits regarding third party lenses and with the cash back program it is currently the least expensive camera. The sane choice.

Photo used with permission from Fujifilm

Added to this list on May 16th, 2024 is the brand new Fujifilm GFX 100S II. It combines the sensor and processor of the flagship GFX 100 II with better autofocus in a smaller package comparable to the GFX 100S. Body only, this goes for € 5,499 so it is € 1,100 more expensive than its predecessor when you take the cash back program into account. There is however one other thing to consider. It is said that the AF on this GFX camera is the best so far, making it an ideal camera for nature- sports- or, yes, aviation photographers. And to emphasize this Fujifilm also released a 500mm f/5.6 G series lens on the same day. This translates to a 396mm lens in full frame nomenclature. That would make this camera together with this 500mm lens a viable aviation camera set. You can buy them both for € 9.498. Now that is too much for my taste, but with the added potential this might work as a future replacement for my Canon as well. The challenging choice.

Food for thought...

Frugal Film Project 2024 - April

For this chapter of the Frugal Film Project I've travelled across the border. The Frugal Film Project - you know, that project where you use a film camera and lens that cost you less than $ 75 and shoot a roll of affordable film each month just to show that you don't need expensive stuff to get great photo's - has seen a rise in participants in the last few months, the community is now 556 photographers strong. It is really fun to participate and to see the photo's other participants have taken.

Il-14P of the Polish Air Force, built in Dresden

April saw me taking photo's at the Flugausstellung Peter Junior located at the Haberberg 1 in Hermeskeil, Germany. This aviation museum, established in 1973, has a collection of more than 100 aircraft and is well worth a visit. I brought my Canon EOS 1000N fitted with a 25-85mm lens and loaded a roll of Agfaphoto APX 100. As usual, I've developed the roll at home using Adonal developer and scanned the negatives with an Epson V850.

Former Aeroflot Mi-6A

Former Interflug Tu-134AK

An ex Fleet Air Arm Sea Hawk FGA.4

Ex French Air Force Super Mystere

A former USAF F-105F

An ex Luftwaffe Pembroke C.54

A MiG-21US trainer version

A former East German AF An-26

The F-104 Starfighter, a rocket with wings

Another shot of the Il-14

At the fence: Ramstein Air Base

Part of the Kaiserslautern Military Community, Ramstein Air Base is one of the biggest US military installations in Germany. Ramstein serves as the headquarters of the combined command of the United States Air Forces in Europe  - Air Forces Africa and is the seat of the NATO Allied Air Command. Ramstein was built in the 1950s in the Rhineland-Palatinate region in what was then the French Sector. It has a fascinating history, I might actually feature this in a future blog post.

Currently the host unit at Ramstein is the 86th Airlift Wing (86th AW). The 86th AW operates a fleet of C-130J-30 Hercules, C-21A and C-37A VIP aircraft. The base functions as a hub for cargo aircraft of the United States Air Force and allied air forces. In addition to the 86th AW fleet you can usually see C-5M Super Galaxy and C-17A Globemaster III operating from here.

Visiting Ramstein was C-5M Super Galaxy 87-0027 from the 433rd AW.

I recently got the chance to spend some time at the fence, resulting in these photographs. 

A rare visitor was this Lithuanian C-27J.

From the based 86th AW, C-130J-30 11-5738 shows commemorative WW2 invasion stripes.

Usually based at McGuire AFB is C-17A 02-1098.

Another C-5M, this time 86-0021 based at Dover AFB.

An unusual visitor was Australian C-17A A41-210.

Not often seen in Europe are the aircraft of the US Pacific Air Forces. C-17A 05-5150 is based in Hawaii.

Frugal Film Project 2024 - March

I travelled to Lake Naarden (Naardermeer) for the March edition of the Frugal Film Project. For those new to the project, the aim is to show that you don't need fancy photo gear to get great photos so in order to participate you select a camera-lens combo under $ 75, some cheap, well, make that less expensive film and shoot a roll every month for a year. I've opted for a Canon EOS 1000N with a 24-85mm lens and Agfaphoto APX 100/36. I also develop the film at home using Adonal developer.

Wind mill De Onrust at the edge of Lake Naarden

Lake Naarden is a nature reserve in the 't Gooi area of the Netherlands. These former marshlands are the first nature reserve in the Netherlands, established in 1905. Before that, there were several attempts to convert the marshlands into dry land. This was almost managed in 1629 but to stop the advancing Spanish Army from reaching Amsterdam the whole area was inundated. During the reign of Louis Napoleon in the early 1800s another attempt was made, this time by building three wind mills to pump away the waters. These three mills together however did not have the capacity to pump away all the water. In 1883 a third attempt was made and a steam mill built. The costs to dry the entire area were deemed to high however and the area remained wet marshlands. In the early 1900s the city of Amsterdam then planned to use the area as a waste disposal area but local opposition was fierce, resulting in the creation of the preservation foundation Vereniging tot Behoud van Natuurmomenten. It was this foundation that bought Lake Naarden for 160,000 guilders and made it a nature reserve.

Of the mills, the steam mill building and one of the original three wind mills still exist. Wind Mill De Onrust (the Unrest) was built in 1809 and is still used to regulate the water level in Lake Naarden. It is this mill that I went to see.

Frugal Film Project 2024 - February

I found myself in the Bavarian city of Memmingen in the last week of February, a perfect opportunity to shoot some film for the Frugal Film Project. For those new to the project, the aim is to show that you don't need fancy photo gear to get great photos so in order to participate you select a camera-lens combo under $ 75, some cheap, well, make that less expensive film and shoot a roll every month for a year. I've opted for a Canon EOS 1000N with a 24-85mm lens and Agfaphoto APX 100/36. I also develop the film at home using Adonal developer.

The Memminger City Hall dates from the 1500s

The city

Memmingen can trace its roots to Roman times and has been a Free Imperial City (Reichsstadt) since 1286. It remained so until the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved in 1803-1806 and the city was annexed by Bavaria in 1803. The Memminger old town (Altstadt) has been beautifully preserved and is a joy to behold.

The images

Below you'll find a small impression of Memmingen. Enjoy!

House Zum Widder was the seat of the Stubert family in the 1600s-1700s

Fellow photographer Pedro Stubert at the Memminger Train Station

The Old Cemetery

The tower of the Kreuzherren monestary

Storks nesting at Zum Storchennest

A memorial to the Franco-German war of 1870-1871

Detail of a facade

The Seven-roof house (Siebendächerhaus)