Okay fellow MFers ... er ... Medium Formaters ...help me spend my budget: :salute:
Here's the drill ...
First off I think I'm sticking with Hasselblad ... Leica priced themselves out of the ball park with the S2, especially considering the fact I already have a complete Hassey H system.
I explored the Phase System and it is far more financially viable, especially with the great trade-in promos and super support from Phase dealers and tech services.
However, in the end, I use a waist level finder to often and am adding the HTS 1.5 ... have never liked the dual battery needs of the Phase ... and almost never need more than the 1/800th top shutter speed of the H ... more importantly I need high sync speeds for all my lenses from 28mm thru 300mm, not just some ... all personal preference and specific needs, and has absolutely nothing to do with which is better than the other.
My current camera is a H3D-II/39 with only 2910 shots on it (studio work is rarely a matter of hosing off shots ... using live view, most jobs only require two or three shots to nail it) It has a hot swap Enhanced Flexcare warranty until the end of June 2010. The camera has been bullet proof on every shoot.
But technology moves on.
1) I can trade the H3D-II/39 for a H4D/60 that uses the Dalsa chip. This is just about a 1X crop factor (almost none), and is the only H choice featuring the newer 2X resolution LCD.
2) Or for a little more money, I can secure a Certified H3D-II/50 Demo kit with 80/2.8 that has 6500 shots on it and 6 months Hasselblad standard "Depot" warranty PLUS a brand new H4D/40 without a lens ... but no trade-in is allowed on this deal ... I'd have to sell the H3D-II/39 myself.
I'd estimate the difference at about $5,500. additional for the 2 camera set-up. (roughly $20K verses $25.5K after sale of the H3D-II/39 without lens at a fair market price). All funded by recent sales of all my V and Nikon gear.
The H3D-II/50 uses a Kodak sensor, is a 1.1X crop factor, would be mostly used in studio and offers more than just 11 pixels more ... the newer sensor technology is reported to produce better color and cleaner files (hard to believe given how good the 39 is). The newer AF of the H4 is of less consequence in a studio environment IMO.
The 1.3X crop frame H4D/40 is also a Kodak sensor using micro-lenses ... and would be used for high-end weddings, location work and anything that requires higher ISO performance (first looks at ISO 1600 appears to be excellent!). The True Focus innovation would be of great value here as would the improved focus assist light.
3) The third choice would also require my selling the H3D-II/39 myself. It would be a Certified CF/39 Multishot that I would use on my current H2F camera for studio captures with full access to all Phocus software features AND on my complete RZ Pro system using an iAdapter, PLUS the H4D/40.
This dual choice would be approx. the same cost as the H4D/60.
At my age, this will most likely be my last big Hurrah! in MF movement, unless I win the Lotto :ROTFL:
What would you do?
Thanks for any input,
Marc
Here's the drill ...
First off I think I'm sticking with Hasselblad ... Leica priced themselves out of the ball park with the S2, especially considering the fact I already have a complete Hassey H system.
I explored the Phase System and it is far more financially viable, especially with the great trade-in promos and super support from Phase dealers and tech services.
However, in the end, I use a waist level finder to often and am adding the HTS 1.5 ... have never liked the dual battery needs of the Phase ... and almost never need more than the 1/800th top shutter speed of the H ... more importantly I need high sync speeds for all my lenses from 28mm thru 300mm, not just some ... all personal preference and specific needs, and has absolutely nothing to do with which is better than the other.
My current camera is a H3D-II/39 with only 2910 shots on it (studio work is rarely a matter of hosing off shots ... using live view, most jobs only require two or three shots to nail it) It has a hot swap Enhanced Flexcare warranty until the end of June 2010. The camera has been bullet proof on every shoot.
But technology moves on.
1) I can trade the H3D-II/39 for a H4D/60 that uses the Dalsa chip. This is just about a 1X crop factor (almost none), and is the only H choice featuring the newer 2X resolution LCD.
2) Or for a little more money, I can secure a Certified H3D-II/50 Demo kit with 80/2.8 that has 6500 shots on it and 6 months Hasselblad standard "Depot" warranty PLUS a brand new H4D/40 without a lens ... but no trade-in is allowed on this deal ... I'd have to sell the H3D-II/39 myself.
I'd estimate the difference at about $5,500. additional for the 2 camera set-up. (roughly $20K verses $25.5K after sale of the H3D-II/39 without lens at a fair market price). All funded by recent sales of all my V and Nikon gear.
The H3D-II/50 uses a Kodak sensor, is a 1.1X crop factor, would be mostly used in studio and offers more than just 11 pixels more ... the newer sensor technology is reported to produce better color and cleaner files (hard to believe given how good the 39 is). The newer AF of the H4 is of less consequence in a studio environment IMO.
The 1.3X crop frame H4D/40 is also a Kodak sensor using micro-lenses ... and would be used for high-end weddings, location work and anything that requires higher ISO performance (first looks at ISO 1600 appears to be excellent!). The True Focus innovation would be of great value here as would the improved focus assist light.
3) The third choice would also require my selling the H3D-II/39 myself. It would be a Certified CF/39 Multishot that I would use on my current H2F camera for studio captures with full access to all Phocus software features AND on my complete RZ Pro system using an iAdapter, PLUS the H4D/40.
This dual choice would be approx. the same cost as the H4D/60.
At my age, this will most likely be my last big Hurrah! in MF movement, unless I win the Lotto :ROTFL:
What would you do?
Thanks for any input,
Marc