Hello I'm looking for a digital back for hasselblad
full 6x6 frame
a used one for cheap
leaf or phase one probably
any model recommendations ?

Hm, what do you mean by full 6x6 frame. The PhaseOne P65+ is comming close at 53,9x40,4mm and according to some specs I saw at the PhaseOne site it is compatible with the 501CM.

You'll not get full frame. Cheapest with least crop factor would be a 22mp back. You're looking at a Leaf Valeo or Phase One H25 I think. both are tethered but you can get a portable kit for the Leaf. If you want untethered then cheapest would be the Kodak DCS back. It had a square chip but is unsupported by Kodak now and there was an issue with the USB connector on some of them. Leaf Aptus 17 is a great back and for Blad V you'd maybe pick one up for around £3000. I shot with one for a couple of years before moving over to Canon 5dmk2 and L glass. A move I do not regret. Keeper rate has trippled! good luck, Craig

There is no 6x6 1-shot digital back.

As Buzzski wrote, best bang for buck is a 22mp back with 48x36mm sensor. I could recommend the Sinar eMotion54LV back, which is what I use. You can probably get them for €5K now, and they come with 3 year warranty standard (more than the other brands). One just went on Ebay last week used for €3300. Unlike Phase or Leaf, this back uses an adapter system meaning you can also use this back on another platform such as Contax 645 if you add the appropriate adapter.

thanks for the answers, just to clarify I''m looking for a back for the H system not the V

what is tethered? does that mean it required a pc ?
what do you mean the DCS has a square chip? do the other backs have rectangular chips ?
buzzski what kind of shooting do you do ?

I guess the confusion over Blad V & H comes from your reference to 6x6. The H system covers 6x4.5. Tethered does indeed mean shooting while attached to a computer or hard drive in the case of Leaf Valeo and earlier Hasselblad/Imacon backs. The Kodak DCS back had a square chip, the Phase H20 did as well and maybe the P20? Not too sure, I was a Leaf user. Most chips are rectangular now but I think Leaf had a wider rectangle on the go for a bit (don't know if it is still current). I started with a Leaf Cantare in my studio and upgraded to an Aptus 17 before shifting the lot (at profit) and buying in to Canon. I shoot everything, commercial, social and a good bit of stock. The MFDB stuff was nice when it all came together but I do not regret the move one single bit. It has afforded me much more freedom in shooting and a vaster coverage in lenses. Good luck with your purchase!

Buzzski is right again. H series is not 6x6 so now your query is more confusing than before.

Some backs have square sensors, such as Phase One P20, but most are 4:3 ratio.

Do the Aptus backs have legitimate "liveview" untethered? If so, does it work well enough to focus?

Not to my knowledge, at least not any I have experienced. To be honest the LCD wasn't really all that great on the Aptus I used. It was nothing like those on DSLR's of the last few years. Maybe that has changed in latter ones. Best to check - Luminous Landscape in my opinion has the best forum for MFDB, I'm sure Foto-z would agree?

LL has a few top pros, but also a lot of noise. getdpi.com is also good, but with a detectable Mamiya/Phase One bias. They are open about it though, and it doesn't get in the way.

The only MFDB that I have heard of having a good screen was the Sinar e65. I am not sure if it is still being sold. The Leica S2 is also meant to be quite good. The rest are all dim and low-res.

carstenw wrote:
LL has a few top pros, but also a lot of noise. getdpi.com is also good, but with a detectable Mamiya/Phase One bias.

+1 getdpi is good too but it has to be said that there was a good industry presence on LL which more often than not proved to be better than posting on their respective forums (IMO)

buzzski wrote:
Not to my knowledge, at least not any I have experienced. To be honest the LCD wasn't really all that great on the Aptus I used. It was nothing like those on DSLR's of the last few years. Maybe that has changed in latter ones. Best to check - Luminous Landscape in my opinion has the best forum for MFDB, I'm sure Foto-z would agree?

Agree about the forum. And there is one back with a great screen, same as a DX3. The Sinar eSprit 65 LV:
http://www.sinar.ch/site/index__gast-e-2035-50-2174.html