This review is part of a larger series of ongoing articles and reviews of medium format digital backs.If you have not already done so you might wish to begin by reading myDigital Back Surveyand then refer to the other reviews in this series that are linked at the bottom of that page.

Leaf Vaeo 22 and Digital Magazine, mounted on a Mamiya 645 AFDTheLeaf Valeo 22started shipping in early September, 2003. It is the first 22 Megapixel medium format digital back that is suitable for field use without an attached computer. And, at 22MP it offers the largest sized single shot imaging chip yet seen in a digital back or camera. It hasdoublethe pixel count of the 11MPCanon 1Dsand has nearly 40% more photo sites than theKodak DCS Pro Back 645. (TheSinar 54and forthcomingPhase One H25both features equivalent sized chips, but neither is suitable for field use without a tethered computer).

For those not familar withLeaf, it is a part ofCreo, a Canadian company that is one of the biggest name...