MegaVision S3 / S3 Pro Reviews

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5,
1 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:I've used this back or it's previous versions for 9 years. Love the files; under controlled lighting the 6 MP chip set delivers better pics than the 10+MP DSLRs.

Strengths:Color coded light meter; ability to adjust ISO on/off camera, software, batch processing, instant viewing on full monitor (not just an LCD screen).

Weaknesses:Portability.

Similar Products Used:Phase One, Leaf, Canon.

Customer Service:None better. Best integrity in a smoke-and-mirrors industry.

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
2-5 years

Visitors rate this review
3.80 of 5,
5 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:I have used a S3Pro & S3 for over three years in a high volume commercial studio. The back performs equally well whether teathered in the studio or on location. Image quality is superb compared to the 6MP DSLR cameras on the market due to the 6MP Philips (Dalsa) CCD that is used (same chip as Phase, Leaf, etc.) The software is what really shines. It offers many options and delivers files that are ready for press. If you need wide angle optics, look to the Horseman Digiflex or similar, otherwise I have used it with a Hasselblad and had good results. The software can appear complex, but read the shooter's manual and you'll be up and going in no time. They offer tons of great information that will benefit your photography in general.

Strengths:Software is solid and offers many options to a wide range of photographers. The images are not overprocessed like some other manufacturers. If you want a "super processed" look, then you can create it in Photoshop. It's near impossible to un-do an over processed file. Yes, it will moire - so will all the other similar backs. Learn how to fix it - the images are razor sharp rather than blurred by a low pass (anti-aliasing) filter. There are good tools to deal with color moire in the software. Excellent color! (yes, you do have to read the manual and get the settings configured correctly) All the heat (and thus noise) producing elements of the system are away from the back, removing the need to cool and use other workarounds. No moving parts - nothing breaks or stops moving! A private user's e-mail list that gives access to some of the top digital shooters out there. Fantastic resource. Tech support is top notch, if you ever need it. An upgradable back - MegaVision will upgrade your existing back to the new, higher resolution CCD.

Weaknesses:Long exposures (greater than 1 or 2 seconds). Though I've seen few professional digital systems that produce great shots at long exposures. Depending on your requirements, don't expect easy wide angle options from any of the medium format digital backs.

Similar Products Used:Phase One - Lightphase, Leaf Cantare, Imacon 3020, Eyelike, Kodak DCS Pro, and a whole pile of DSLR cameras from Kodak, Nikon and Fuji.

Customer Service:MegaVision is second to none. Tech support is always accessible and is staffed by very knowledgable photographers who understand what you're dealing with. How many companies are able to keep you going when you really need it? MegaVision has for us.

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
2-5 years

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5,
1 votes

Price Paid:  $2550000.00 from Calumet Digital Syst

Summary:I have used the MegaVision S3 since 1999. I have not shot any film at all since going to digital and would not go back to film if it were FREE!!! Very sharp 18MB file that I have no problem enlarging to 24x30 and larger.

Customer Service:Best in the ind.

Overall Rating
 1 of 5

Value Rating
 1 of 5

Used product for
6-10 years

Visitors rate this review
1.00 of 5,
5 votes

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:Crapavision!!!!!!!! I usually do not write reviews, but I feel strongly about MegaVision. I have worked at 3 different studios that use the S3 system and these systems are nothing but trouble. I have not worked with anyone that likes this system. 

Strengths:Customer support is great, but they just give you solutions that just gloss over the real problem.w

Weaknesses:Bad Bad Color in certain situations! Moire!!!!!!!!!! Software that has lots of "behind the scenes stuff you need to be aware of" Software developed for a "techy" not a photographer. Not intuitive at all like the the Phase One, Leaf, and Sinar Back sytems are. Long exposures really suck with this camera! Focus! Shim it and keep it dedicated to that camera. Turn oranges and yellows nuclear no matter what your gamma and density setting are!! Color sometimes dissapears on corners and edges of subject matter?? Images are not as sharp compared to other digital systems. And duh, yes I know about unsharp mask, thats not the point. I have not yet seen a legit printed manual for any Megavision camera. Waste a lot of paper and print it off of their website. The list goes on and on.™

Similar Products Used:Megavision T32 sucks just as bad a the S3 Phase one Light Phase and H20 (Easiest to use, great image quality) Sinar HR44 (amazing image quality) Leave Volare (nice image quality but the filter wheel likes to fall off of the front of the lens if you are not carefull.)

Customer Service:Can't fix a digital system that just sucks no matter how much supports you get.˜

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
2-5 years

Visitors rate this review
4.75 of 5,
4 votes

Price Paid:  $19250.00 from okt.1998

Summary:This cameraback is like the S3 pro a smal and handsome design. The asa rating is 50-80 ASA and in the so called Photoshoot software you can force 3-4 stops. (plus and Min.) This camera use the RAM from the PC(mac or win) to save the undeveloped files. If your RAM is Full the camera gives a sound on the 2 last one shots You can save thes files in so called sessions (verry handy).The develope file is embedded in the raw(mega) files and can be used or overruled in batch processing. In the meantime you can save low res files (FPO For Position Only files) about 550-750 K each in tif or jpg format. There is a simple but useful file correction in the photoshoot software. The back has no cooling. Ther is just 1 cabble brom the back to the computer.(you need a special board to connect the camback cabble to the computer. speed is 1.5 f/ps. The previeuw is a partly developed file and can be zoomed in but not all the develope filters are used for this preview file.(lots of moire! and artifacts))

Strengths:Small verry good service also on the users group mail via the web side and good service from MV europe by rene rook from cambo holland.

Weaknesses:If you use the standard photoshoot software you have a lot op moire en artifacts you need the quantum mechanic version $425 more! to remove the artifacts.Because there is no cooling the back has often spots on the CD (more retouche) and shootings longer than 4 seconds are not posible because of the heavy noise this back is showing with these exposure times. The QM photshoot version is not working in the 16Bit files. There is not a good upgrade system from the MV factory til now>

Similar Products Used:MV T2 3 shot camera and the Leaf cantare.

Customer Service:outstanding!! P.S mentioned price is in Euro"s