Creo’s new Leaf Valeo 22, a digital camera back for studio photographers that sports 22-megapixel resolution, will begin shipping September 1. Pricing hasn’t yet been announced, but there will be upgrade options.
Designed for professional photographers to shoot in studio and on-location, the camera can handle medium and large format photography. It can capture images at 4,056 x 5,356 resolution; they’re captured in the Raw format at 16 bits per channel.
Leaf Valeo 22 boasts a live video view and electronic control of shutter speed and aperture. This lets you compose, focus, and adjust lighting by viewing the computer monitor. The CCD imaging area fits the 6×4.5 lens coverage. Focal length needs minimal conversion, which means that lens perspective usage is the same as with film. The camera sports a 3:4 classic photographic ratio.
Two types of Leaf Digital Magazines — removable storage units — are available: one with 10GB of storage space, the other with 5GB. Both let users capture hundreds of images on a single magazine, all in uncompressed HDR (High Dynamic Range) format.
The Leaf Valeo 22 will support existing Leaf workflows, including the Leaf Capture V8 for Mac OS X and Mac OS 9.1 (and higher) and Leaf oXYgen for Mac OS 9.1 and higher. Leaf Capture V8 is an image capture and management application; it offers 15-bit uncompressed quality and ICC color management. Leaf oXYgen is a tool for preparing your digitally captured image for print. The camera itself will connect to any Mac with a FireWire connector.