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Phaseone 645DF - got mine today

Henry Goh

Member
My upgrade came was delivered today. My initial impression is the improvement over the 645AF is significant.

The AF is much faster and so the lag is much shorter. The tactile feedback on all the buttons is certainly very welcomed.

What I like most of all is the more accurate focus that I'm seeing. Wide open shots of a target that I have shows sharper images. As the 645DF has the option to set AF as "accurate" or "faster", I opted for accurate. however, I could not discern the supposedly slower AF speed when using this option. I'm leaving mine on accurate. I also found the audio beep feedback to be louder so when AF is achieved, I hear it distinctly, even when using MF.

Overall, I would not hesitate to fork out the $1500 to upgrade from 645AF to this new body.
 

Bill Caulfeild-Browne

Well-known member
You lucky ******! I'm still waiting....

But I'm having dinner with Phase's Vice President US tomorrow so maybe I'll apply a little alcohol and a lot of pressure....or maybe the other way around!

Thanks for your comments, Henry - always useful to hear other's views.
Bill
 

KETCH ROSSI

New member
NOw with your first impression you make me really wish I could keep my upgrade but I unfortunately will have to sale my AF III and upgrade path to the DF, I'm really afraid that if I end it up purchasing the upgrade, I might not want to let go of the DF body :D
 

Henry Goh

Member
You lucky ******! I'm still waiting....

But I'm having dinner with Phase's Vice President US tomorrow so maybe I'll apply a little alcohol and a lot of pressure....or maybe the other way around!

Thanks for your comments, Henry - always useful to hear other's views.
Bill
Hi Bill.

You should drown him in alcohol if he says NO
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Got word they are shipping next week. But not sure what dealers are getting them first or amounts. I got a invoice though. LOL

But I don't have to pay until it ships but a invoice is a good sign they are coming.
 

Henry Goh

Member
If is of help to anyone, I have extracted the Custom Function page here:



There should be another option for Li-Ion battery under C-04 setting in the final manual as this will be used for the vertical grip.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
So Henry,

Can you explain #13 and #97? They make no sense to me...
 

Henry Goh

Member
Jack,

I have no idea because I do not use most of these functions at all. I think C-13 has to do with the M-mode. By pushing the one shift function when in M setting, you can have the camera change either speed or aperture from what is on the camera to the metered value without physically turning knobs.

What is obvious in this table is the much reduced number of functions since there is no support for film on the DF.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Jack,

I have no idea because I do not use most of these functions at all. I think C-13 has to do with the M-mode. By pushing the one shift function when in M setting, you can have the camera change either speed or aperture from what is on the camera to the metered value without physically turning knobs.

What is obvious in this table is the much reduced number of functions since there is no support for film on the DF.
Okay, read the manual and now it makes sense, and is actually a very cool feature. By pressing and holding the AEL button when in M mode, a sort of automated manual metering kicks in and sets the metered value instantly, allowing you to adjust up or down from there as your desire suits -- I like it!
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
The new manual is in typical poorly worded translation, so it remains unclear. For sure we can swap the AFL and the AEL buttons front and rear, so we can move AFL to the rear, but what we don't know for sure is if one of the CF 12 options focuses before it locks. My guess is it will be the same as the current AFD3 body, sorry...
 

vieri

Well-known member
The new manual is in typical poorly worded translation, so it remains unclear. For sure we can swap the AFL and the AEL buttons front and rear, so we can move AFL to the rear, but what we don't know for sure is if one of the CF 12 options focuses before it locks. My guess is it will be the same as the current AFD3 body, sorry...
With the P1 645 AF I am not sure what I did to the settings but I use the back button for focussing AND locking; once focussed, I recompose & fire the shutter without the focus starting again... :D it seems to work well. I hope the new DF will allow me to do the same...
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
With the P1 645 AF I am not sure what I did to the settings but I use the back button for focussing AND locking; once focussed, I recompose & fire the shutter without the focus starting again... :D it seems to work well. I hope the new DF will allow me to do the same...

Yes, the AFD1 and AFD2 DID allow for setting the rear button for AF, and disabling the half-press shutter AF. However, that option went away in the AFD3 -- though you can get AF from the rear button, a half press of the shutter will refocus with no way to deactivate that. So most of us were screaming to get it back the old way, and why we hope for it in the DF body...
 

vieri

Well-known member
Yes, the AFD1 and AFD2 DID allow for setting the rear button for AF, and disabling the half-press shutter AF. However, that option went away in the AFD3 -- though you can get AF from the rear button, a half press of the shutter will refocus with no way to deactivate that. So most of us were screaming to get it back the old way, and why we hope for it in the DF body...
Jack, while it is most definitely true that focussing via the rear button, leaving it and pressing the shutter will re-start focussing, are you sure that the AFD3 will re-focus even if you keep pressing the rear button while half-pressing the shutter? I am under the impression that mine will keep focus locked as long as I keep pressing the the rear button, even if I press the shutter button to take a picture, but then again I might be wrong :D

In any case, I sure would love to have a Nikon D-series behavior for the rear button implemented on the 645 DF - and, a larger rear button too, while we are at it :D
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Jack, while it is most definitely true that focussing via the rear button, leaving it and pressing the shutter will re-start focussing, are you sure that the AFD3 will re-focus even if you keep pressing the rear button while half-pressing the shutter? I am under the impression that mine will keep focus locked as long as I keep pressing the the rear button, even if I press the shutter button to take a picture, but then again I might be wrong :D
It may, but that is a stupid way to have it. Bottom line, what we want with rear button focus is to have it focus while pressed and stopped if not pressed, all without having the shutter button change focus when we press it to fire.
 

vieri

Well-known member
It may, but that is a stupid way to have it. Bottom line, what we want with rear button focus is to have it focus while pressed and stopped if not pressed, all without having the shutter button change focus when we press it to fire.
Completely agree. The best solution is IMO the Nikon D-series: assign AF-ON to the rear button, and be done with it :D I think that, even if the 645 DF will not be delivered with such a setup, it will be possible to offer this option with a FW upgrade - if we are vocal enough, they might listen...
 

Bill Caulfeild-Browne

Well-known member
Well, I gotta stop complaining - my new gear arrived today; the DF, 80 LS lens and P65+. The only trouble is - no instructions, though most everything is obvious after using the AFD III and the P45+. My dealer explained/demonstrated a lot but I missed a couple of items.

Thanks for the CF list, Henry - very useful. I'll talk to my dealer tomorrow about complete instructions, because I understand that you can set the CFs on the camera back, in full color with understandable abbreviations, if you're using the P40+ or the P65+. But for the life of me, I can't figure out how! Can anyone enlighten me?

Anybody know if full instructions (Back and camera) can be downloaded?

So far I have not been able to shoot anything seriously because it was dark when I got home, but I can tell that there is essentially no shutter lag at all.

Bill
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Bill:

I think the whole setting the DF body from the P40/65+ backs needs a firmware update before being implemented.
 
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