Tested

Technical digital
Leaf AFi 7sharpening software Leaf AFi 7 Tested

Words & Pictures: John Clements close up studio portrait

LEAF AFi 7
Looking for technical supremacy in your images? Ultimately your need
will be for large sensors with high resolution, and the new Leaf AFi system
promises to deliver. John Clements takes a closer look

T
he choice of medium format digital
cameras has just got wider, with
Leaf finally coming to market with
the AFi offering it announced to the world at
Photokina 2006. The company is joining the
likes of Hasselblad and Mamiya in bringing
a full system to market, and it does so in
the clear knowledge that this kind of high-
end gear, which likewise carries a high-end
price tag, will only ever hold appeal to the
full time high-earning professional photog-
rapher for whom £30,000 upwards for a
full kit and extra lenses would hold no fear.
Even at this level, Leaf will point to a long
waiting list of customers for its first camera
and, if the truth be known, the size of the
company is such that it probably wouldn’t
be looking to venture into the more popular
end of the market.
Those who will be looking with particular
interest at Leaf’s new camera system will be gear will assume much less importance when
the same photographers who are already po- the expense of the shoot and the campaign
tential customers of Hasselblad or rival digital being tackled enters into the equation. These
back manufacturers such as Phase One. Those are the big boys and, while no-one would
working in the fields of cutting edge fashion, ever question the ability of serious high-end
architectural, fine art landscape or food pho- 35mm-style contenders, such as the Canon
tography all spring to mind – all people who EOS 1Ds Mark III, there are certainly some
are likely to have the technical craft and the practitioners out there for whom ultimate
specialist knowledge to not only get the most quality is the be-all and end-all, and for
out of high end kit but to enjoy the challenge whom medium format digital is providing the
of working with gear which still has the feel only realistic solution right now.
of a traditional me-
dium format outfit.
Often there may
also be a big team
of people involved
in the overall
creative process
working alongside
them, and cost of

5 resons to buy…
LEAF AFi 7
1) Huge resolution & image quality
2) Depth-of-field similar to 35mm film
3) Supporting system
4) Familiar handling and operation
5) Build quality

This camera and back is capable

“there ARE some pr
actitioners out th
WANT ultimate qual
ity – medium format
theIR only solution
right now”
66 | May 2008 2007
November
of top class imaging performance.
In this case two Elinchrom BX400
lights provided the illumination
and, as a high class studio camera,
the AFi 7 was a joy to work with.
ere who
digital is
May 2007
November 2008 | 67
 Leaf AFi 7 Tested

Features
Before we get into the real nitty-gritty, let’s SPECIFICATIONS LEAF AFi 7
spend a moment looking at the background
Price £19, 494 (body only)
of the AFi 7 body – which features a dedicated
33mp back – and its lenses. Those who know Type Medium format digital SLR
their history will recognize the family resem- Lens mount Rollei bayonet
blance to the Rollei 6008 medium format film
Resolution 33-megapixels, max 6726 x 5040 pixel images
camera straight away. While this model may
have been centred on silver halide technology, Sensor type 48 x 36mm RGB CCD chip anti-dust feature
it’s still a camera which was once way ahead Autofocus Single Area AF
of its time in terms of electronic accuracy and
sophistication, and this realisation personally Metering Multi Zone, centre-weighted and spot metering. Exposure
metering range 0 to 19 EV at ISO 100 with 80mm f/2.8 lens
makes me more comfortable about the Leaf
offering. Viewfinder Waist-level finder with central magnification. Optional 45-degree
Key to performance are lenses from and 90-degree prisms
Scheinider and Zeiss which utilise the Rollei LCD monitor 3.5in (6x7cm) Touch screen
mount, quality optics and beautiful engineer-
Exposure modes Program, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority, Manual
ing. Consequently the AFi 7 is able to tap into
a full system and the camera even has a film Integral flash 60 frames per minute
back capability as well. There are two lens sub Flash connections Standard ISO type 518 accessory-shoe with lock facility
groups; PQ and PQS, the latter offering a very
ISO range ISO 50 to 800 in full EV steps
desirable maximum shutter and flash sync
speed up to 1/1000sec (PQ to 1/500sec). Shutter speeds 32 secs to 1/1000sec + B, (flash sync up to 1/1000sec with PQS
Combined with many of the lenses in the lenses)
range featuring fast apertures, the creative Frame transport Unlimited
potential being offered is sure to attract those
File type Raw, compressed Raw
shooting such things as top end fashion, for
While not specifically an action or low-lightStorage
example. CF (Type
camera, the EOS 1Ds Mark I &certainly
III is II) no slouch. Here the ‘H’ ISO setting
(3200)comes
Power was utilised and with battery,
from a Lithium-ion mixed light sources the white
PC Interface balance did a good job for this
FireWire 400/800, Bluetooth out-of-camera JPEG. Likewise
whichtherunsexposure andand
the camera AF back.
system
Thisperformed
is usu- well under less than ideal circumstances. Certainly at this rating there is enough
Video output No
ally detail forthe
fitted into recognition
grip and is purposes.
easy to get at
even when the camera is tripod mounted. As Battery Li-ion Battery
for the back itself, while this is not available as Dimensions 157 x 112 x 78mm
a stand alone unit, if you buy one of the AFi
outfits you can purchase additional adapters Body weight 1970g including battery and lens
to allow it to be used in combination with Contact Calumet: www.calumet.co.uk, Peartree: www.peartreerental.com
other cameras, including some large format website www.leaf-photography.com

CLOSE-UP ERGONOMICS

The AFi7 may look daunting

at first glance, but lots
of thought has gone into
the layout of controls and
practicalities of daily use.
The hand grip rotates to
aid comfortable shooting
at any angle and includes
an LCD screen with a data
read-out, and most of the
main exposure controls are
situated within easy reach of
your thumb on this grip or on
the left of the body. Though
heavy for a long shoot, your
shooting workflow will be
efficient and uncomplicated

May 2008
November 2007 | 69
 Leaf AFi 7 Tested

and other medium format models and, in

such cases, the battery can be attached to the CLOSE-UP MONO QUALITY
back itself. You can also adopt a double battery
approach if you want or alternatively there is a You can create mono images
which. combined with a 12-
mains power option.
stop dynamic range (50-800
There are three Leaf AFi models available: ISO), gives wonderful scope
the back fitted to the top of the range AFi 7 to push and pull tonal values.
which I was testing comes with a 48x36mm Allied to this is more leeway
33MP sensor, the AFi 6 has a back featuring a to restore highlight detail than
44x33mm 28MP sensor and the AFi 5 a back you would get with a 35mm
fitted with a 48x36mm 22MP sensor. All of DSLR
these backs can be taken off and rotated, in
the style of the much revered Mamiya RZ film
camera, which allowed a swift adjustment for
landscape or portrait format, although the RZ
didn’t require the back to be removed. There
is also a wonderful 6x7cm LCD on the rear of
all of the backs, which enables images to be
viewed in great detail, while it is also a screen
for menus and other things, such as a keypad
for inputting information to the file such as a
CLOSE-UP ISO DETAIL
caption or IPTC data.

ISO 50
Images are captured only as Raw files
and need to be worked on in the supplied
Leaf Capture software (see box). Lossless
compressed or uncompressed Raw can be
recorded. In terms of image quality, the best
performance will come from the camera’s
default ISO 50 equivalent, but in full steps you
can amplify the signal up to an equivalent of
ISO 800.

Handling
While I had reservations about the look of the
camera, which featured a light grey polycar-
bonate finish which reminded me of the look
of a prototype rather than a finished product, it
was redeemed somewhat by its overall design
and as soon as I picked the camera up I felt at
home. The camera had the feel of a workhorse
ISO 800
and it appears to be very well built.
The grip is user adjustable to four positions,
meaning that this is a comfortable camera
to use, whatever the viewing and holding
angle, although those with larger hands might
conceivably want a longer grip. On top of the
grip, and moving in relation with it, is a small
but readable display showing exposure data,
and a rotating dial on the top and front of the
grip which makes setting the shutter and ap-
erture quick and comfortable. Prism finders are
optional extras and, alongside the waist level
finder supplied as standard, I used the 45-
degree option. All metering cells are housed As you may expect, noise was virtually non-existent all the way through the
in the body, so changing finders does not lose ISO range. It is my impression that the higher ISOs will not be a feature that is
used that often, but knowing that the AFi7 can cope well in duller conditions
you anything in that sense. can only give the photographer added confidence
The camera and back with the 45-degree
finder fits your face beautifully. The only fly
in the comfort ointment for me – and it’s a

May 2008
November 2007 | 71
Tested
Technical digital
Leaf AFi 7 sharpening software
strange one – is that when the fan inside the
CLOSE-UP bundled software back comes into play to cool the device, if
you happen to be shooting hand held in the
It would be wrong to suggest that you will not lengthen your workflow process
portrait format you’ll receive a continuous
should you use this camera on a regular basis, particularly if you are currently using
a top end DSLR and have reached a logical balance between in-camera control and but gentle blast of air up your nose. It’s a bit
post capture processing. However, Leaf Capture is very user friendly and a logical disconcerting, but I guess you‘d get used to it!
software package, and I certainly preferred it to Phase One’s ‘Capture One’ and Down the left of the body are all the
Hasselblad’s ‘Flexcolor’ packages which are supplied with their cameras and backs. major controls for exposure, metering, focus
Whether you shoot direct to memory card or tethered, you have to convert the and firing rate, which are logically placed and
files from Raw into another format (TIFF or JPEG) before taking them into a second easy to access. This is a photographer’s tool
program such as Photoshop. As with Capture One you end up with the original Raw in the handling sense – there’s no question
files in a folder you designate and then again in a processed folder for any you might of having to faff around in the field as you
have worked on. struggle to come to terms with a plethora of
control panels.
When the back is in the landscape format,
along the base or middle of the rear LCD
- depending on its status at the time - you
can view icons which are designed to enable
you to page through the numerous menu
options, and it’s fair to say that there are a
lot of these. That said, they are useful tools,
enabling many important feedback and
control adjustments to be utilised. These
include such things as a histogram, either in
lightness or RGB and lightness modes. If you
take off the substantial protective cover for
the back you can physically touch the icons
or alternatively you can use the supplied and
discreetly housed stylus.
I’m always a little bemused as to why so
Leaf Capture workflow is logically divided into Browse, Shoot, Adjust and Process. many top end cameras feature a Program
Here we see its ability to adjust the degrees Kelvin to taste, using a calibrated mode; I guess it’s to attract the photographer
monitor. The camera has no auto white balance setting, but does have a very useful
who doesn’t want to get too involved but
gray point reference measurement to test and batch groups of shots. Bottom left of
who just wants the image quality but not the
the window there is a small section preview of the image at 100%
hassle. All of which would make this quite
an expensive compact! Shutter and aperture
priority modes are more useful but, of course,
full manual is the way I suspect 95 per cent
of users will want to work and, in all modes,
exposure is controlled in 1/3rd steps.
For those who want to, a burst of shots
can be triggered on continuous firing and
the camera will remain remarkably steady
throughout: it’s a well balanced camera in
any case, although some lenses are heavier
and will make the whole package a little
more front end heavy as a result. Personally
I found this camera to be more stable and
easier to hold than some 35mm-style DSLRs
I’ve tried.
As for the lenses, they were flawless. I
Sometimes the images can look over sharp if you let the full capabilities of the tried out both AF and non AF examples and
sensor and lenses loose. As you would expect, the software contains all the common the former were smooth and perfectly usable.
tools you need to fine-tune things such as levels and curves The latter, in tandem with a large focusing
screen with good contrast, were an absolute
joy. The focusing screen has a clear indication
“i’LL GET STRAIGHT TO of the format area for both orientations of
THE POINT. When th
was spot on, the im e exposure the back, so you can constantly check for
age detail was anything out of the camera’s field of view.
simply jaw-droppin
g. ”
72 | May 2008
Leaf AFi 7 Tested
Performance
I’m going to get straight to the point. When CLOSE-UP too much detail?
the exposure was spot on the image detail at
The downside with such imaging potential is that it simply may be too much; you can
ISO 50 both in resolution and dynamic range (a
end up with images around about 100MB if you convert the Raw images to TIFF files.
12-stop range is quoted) was simply jaw-drop-
Good make-up and lighting is a must for people pics.
ping. Achieving correct exposure in itself was
simple with this camera due to the wide range
of options you are presented with in terms of
exposure control modes and metering. You
also have up to a three-stop highlight recovery
capability if things go wrong from those Raw
files; considerably better than a small sensor
DSLR might offer.
If anything this camera simply records too
much detail for some types of work and you
have to be prepared to put in the appropriate
amount of post-capture time. This means that
for some photographers a lower resolution
DSLR might still be a better working tool;
perhaps those shooting weddings and portraits
on a regular basis might fin this to be the
case. For those producing image files destined
for high quality litho printing or giant prints,
however, this is as good as it currently gets.
Image quality held up well to ISO 200, but the
lower the ISO you use the better your results.
I was far from convinced about the claimed
2,000 shots from the battery, but you could get
around this with a supply of back-up batteries. in so many ways like a traditional medium
I could see no significant issues with moiré format film camera, while offering all the con- professional photographers, I still have to rate
or colour fringing. You can remove the IR cut venience of digital operation coupled with the this camera as one of the finest professional
and anti aliasing filter if you want to shoot kind of modern exposure control that so many products I have used. The sweetener for many
infrared, but it’s pointed out that you do this photographers demand these days, together may be the fact that you can rent this kit from
at your peril as the sensor is then defenceless with the assistance of AF. Taken as a whole Calumet or Peartree Studios and even if you
against dust, moisture and dirt. package and even allowing for the fact that just hire it out for those special jobs it could
In use the AFi 7 handles superbly, feeling the price will put it out of the reach of many end having a role to play for many studios. .
LEAF AFi 7 overall verdict
100
90
80 Image quality from this camera
70 can simply be outstanding, but
60 that in itself can result in too much
COLOUR FRINGING
DYNAMIC RANGE
MOIRE CONTROL
resolution for some uses, such
NOISE (100 ISO)
50
TONAL RANGE
RESOLUTION
as portraiture, so be prepared for
NOISE (800)
40
30 a certain amount of post-capture
10 workflow. But for high end work or
0 for those who simply have to have
-10 the best, this is a camera which
-20 seriously delivers.
-30
-40
-50
-60
9/10
-70
-80
ANALYSING PERFORMANCE Key factors in a product’s performance are shown above in % terms. Those aspects that are
-90 generally only going to be a positive performance issue are shown as ‘+’ factors. The nearer to 100% the better. Those which
-100
will always degrade the out-of-camera files are given a ‘-’ mark. These, however, are less relevant the nearer they are to zero.
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