Unveiled: Mamiya Leaf Credo 50 Digital Back and Camera Kit

Now joining the ranks of other recent medium format digital backs, Mamiya Leaf has just announced its Credo 50 Digital Back, which features a newly developed 44 x 33mm 50MP CMOS sensor. Differentiating itself from the other Credo digital backs, which feature DALSA CCD sensors, this CMOS sensor avails a top sensitivity of ISO 6400 and a faster continuous shooting rate of 1.2 fps. Additionally, an expanded dynamic range of 14 stops, up from 12.5 on the CCD backs, further sees this back excelling in difficult lighting conditions. Other distinctions between this new back and the 40, 60, and 80MP versions are few: exposure times can now last as long as 1 hour, up from 60 seconds or 120 seconds, depending on the CCD back; the color depth has been reduced to 14-bit, from 16-bit, but this does not take into account the expanded dynamic range of the new back; and the pixel pitch measures 5.3µ, which is similarly sized to the Credo 80 but slightly smaller than the 6µ pitch of the Credo 40 and 60.

Beyond these differences, the most important certainly being the revised sensor and upgrade to a CMOS design, the new Credo 50 maintains the same form factor and interface options as its predecessors. A large 3.2" 1.15m-dot color touchscreen enables clear live view monitoring, as well as intuitive control over camera settings and image playback. Connectivity via both FireWire 800 and USB 3.0 offers a choice in tethering means, or, alternatively, the Credo backs can also accept CompactFlash cards for un-tethered shooting.

Initially being introduced in a kit with the Mamiya Leaf 645DF+ camera body and the Schneider Kreuznach 80mm f/2.8 LS AF lens, this back alone will soon be available in Mamiya 645, Hasselblad V, Hasselblad H, and Contax interfaces. Within this kit, though, the back pairs extremely well with the leaf shutter design of the 80mm f/2.8 lens, which offers flash sync speeds up to 1/1600 of a second to complement the enhanced speed of the back itself.

Finally seeing the adoption of a CMOS sensor design within a medium format back, the new Credo 50 from Mamiya Leaf is a welcome update to an interchangeable back system. The added sensitivity, speed, and dynamic range are all calling cards of the more advanced sensor design, and follow the faster-paced trend of smaller format DSLRs as they continue to push the boundaries of sensor design. Coupled with these enhancements, the Credo 50 can also rest on the laurels of an aptly large sensor size and Mamiya Leaf's renowned color-handling abilities.