This entry was written by Patrick Dean, editor of the photography news and review site, Neutralday.com.

Late last week Mamiya announced the DM22, a medium format system offering photographers 22 megapixels of resolution. In an of itself that isn't all that remarkable, but what is newsworthy of the DM22 announcement is the price. Mamiya is offering the DM22 back and camera with the Mamiya 80mm f/2.8 D Series lens for $9995. While this may seem high to photographers using DSLR systems, a sub-$10,000 medium format system is relatively speaking, very affordable. This allows photographer aspiring for the resolution and file sizes of digital medium format at least an entry point into what is generally a very expensive sector of the camera market.

As an entry-level offering for digital medium format, the DM22 doesn't come close to the specifications of it's more expensive siblings, and at its base ISO of 25, the DM22 will offer the most benefits in a well lit studio. Some highlights include:

• Megapixels: 22
• Pixel count: 5356x4056
• Sensor dimensions: 48x36mm
• ISO: 25-400
• Color depth: 16 bits/channel
• Dynamic Range: 12 f-stops
• Includes: Capture One software for RAW processing

Again, this isn't a low light specialist, but for studio and fashion photographers, or any photographer looking to provide clients with professional level image quality, the Mamiya DM22 might just be your solution.

For more details on the Mamiya DM22 and the twenty-eight megapixel DM28, head on over to Mamiya.com.