Wow, I'm just a graphic artist, but get me a paper bag to breath into!

Old-school medium format cameras have had replaceable backs (or at least film inserts) for years. That lets you pre-load your film so you can swap rolls quicker. With backs, you can even change in the middle of a roll.

"What, they're selling the fronts and backs of cameras separately now?"

Medium format film cameras have the ability to switch camera "backs" to accomidate different types of film (120 or 220 roll film). This allows for the photographer to switch to a different ISO, B&W, or color film without having to finish out the roll.

Before the medium format industry switched over to completely digital, Kodak and the other big wig companies produced digital "backs" with 12-39 megapixel sensors in them for those special "geeky" photographers.

Fast forward to 2007 and you'll see that most if not all medium format camera companys sell digital systems exclusively, but still allow for those old school film farts to pick their poison by offering backward compatibility.

Last time Mamiya had a product, it was dropped before it hit the market.

OK, guys. I think he was joking with the "they sell fronts and backs separately now?" comment.

Sheesh. Pedantic mofos.

Hmmm, searching around online, it appears this camera has been around for a couple of years. So is this just a price drop for the camera? Do any medium-format camera watchers know?

how big is a RAW file that's 22MP? I'd think you'd be able to hold like 30 pictures on a 1 gig memory card.

Does this camera attach to like a 100GB external drive or something?

Yeah you guys are pendantic. Shallow and pendantic. Just like your meatloaf.

Fantastic. I now know what I am asking for Father's Day. Woo-hoo!

(To which my wife will say "screw you", but it is always fun to get the angry response when she finds out the price. We have a very loving marriage.)

@middy "Pedantic mofos."

Ah, I learned a new adj. pedantic! Mofos though, come now. Why spoil a nice word like pedantic (ostentatious) with a slang derogatory like 'mofos'?

Momma meeya! Ah, but know that at 22Mpixels, the size of the sensor is relative to the resolution.
And Medium Format lense, they are not CHEAP.

Would be nice if they could get the RZ67 digital backs below $10k. . .

The best professionals still do use medium-formats in the studio, usually mated with a Leaf or other digital back but they cost $20,000-$50,000. The ZD backs, last I checked, where still very expensive.

@sarcastic-man

The camera is a current production camera, but the back is new. Luminous Landscape is reporting the back by itself will street for around $7000...but it will come with Adobe Lightroom, so there's an added $200 piece of software to make yo feel better about dropping 7 large+ on a new back.

when you say under ten-thousand...i didn't think you meant 1$ under...

thanks for tricking me and getting all excited Gizmodo!

lol :-P

That's a really impressive price for such a good back. The 645DII is a fantastic camera body and of course you can throw a roll-film back onto it too for more flexibility. Considering that a 16MP Canon body is still $7k give or take, this thing seems like a bargain. (Of course, MF bodies tend to lack some of the features that the smaller bodies have - Mamiya's AF has never been so hot :/ and the lenses cost a fortune compared to Canon and Nikon...) And that sensor is GIGANTIC - twice the size of a canon "full frame", which has got to mean good things for noise and acuity. And it includes a lens!? How can you beat that?

So yeah, I want one. I've always had a soft spot for Mamiya and I miss the MF feel...

@ impliedsurprise

Good estimate, the site says 100 raw pics on a 4GB card.

@ impliedsurprise

Considering that my 8MP camera produces RAWs in the area of 8MB, I would expect each RAW image from a 22MP camera to be around 22MB.

Medium format cameras arent the only ones to have interchangable parts. Even 35mm cameras could change more than lenses. The view finder, the focus screen, motor drives, and yes, even the back of the camera to either allow for polaroid film or super long rolls of film. Imagine 250 frames of film!

It's really nice to see these digital backs lowering in price. And yes, many versions of these backs can connect to an external drive 60 - 100 gigs the size of a pack of cards if you dont want to use CF cards or be conencted to a computer by wire.

Now to go do my research and see if it fits my Hasselblad :-D

The other thing to remember is that, unlike the competition, Mamiya's not actively trying to screw you.

The Hassleblad H3 system locks you into just Hassleblad-manufactured backs and forces you to upgrade from the identical-in-every-way-but-software H1 or H2 to the H3 to use certain lenses.

Also, even if the next Canon high-end SLR reaches 22 megapixels, this will still beat it in image quality, except for high-ISO performance.

The 645AFD II is a great camera body. But so far as any actuall digital back Mamiya has tried to put out has not come to fruition. And they are not listing any availabilty right now, so we'll have to wait and see.

Plus with this back they are pushing it due to it's compatability with the RZ Pro IID.

Phase one has had their backs working with the AFD line and the complete RZ line for years now, with their complete line of products.

"Considering that my 8MP camera produces RAWs in the area of 8MB, I would expect each RAW image from a 22MP camera to be around 22MB."

Actually, the Hasselblad H1 and H2 captured images at 22 megapixels, and each RAW image was approx. 62 MB.