Hass H4x and IQ180

[wwc]

I'm thinking of selling off my tech camera gear and switching to an SLR with the iq180. Just getting tired of the constant taking the back off, ground glass on, back on again, and then the LCC routine, over and over.

The SLR's siren song of simplicity is getting louder...

I'd like to see what Phase comes out with when it develops a new SLR, but who knows when that will be.

So looking into the H4x. My questions are:

--how do the HC lenses handle a sensor the size of the 1q180 (40x54 mm). Soft on the edges? I'm interested in the 28, the 35-90zoom, and one longer lens, either the 120 macro or 150.

--I'm also wondering if there might be any issues integrating a non Hass back with the Hass body, such as back to body alignment?

Any thoughts would by appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[FredBGG]

What about a sliding back?

http://www.kapturegroup.com/solution/three.html#sba

 

[FredBGG]

Link to Hasselblad shot with the 200mp multishot

Detail looks good

http://www.hasselblad.com/promotions/comparison-milo-profi-fotografie.aspx

http://www.hasselblad.com/promotions/milo-profi-image-1.aspx

Judging by these the lens appears to have more resolution than the 50mp back can capture without
multi shot

 

[goesbang]

You have an IQ180 and you still use a GG? What on earth for? I shoot with an IQ180 on an Alpa STC and use either liveview (rarely) or simply shoot a test frame (usually). As you have noticed, using a GG is a PITA and is unreliable to boot.
The kit you have will leave any SLR result for dead, quality wise, especially at focal lengths wider than standard. Seriously.
The image on a tech cam GG is useful when you have a large format, such as 5x4 or more, but marginal at best on MF. The image is heavily vignetted, grainy and more importantly, it is questionable as to whether it is in exactly the same plane as your sensor. What you see is not necessarily what you get.
As a pro shooting almost daily with my tech cams (I have a DF but rarely use it), I'd highly recommend a little perseverance with your setup. You have not mentioned what tech cam you use nor what type of subject matter either. This info might help us offer specific advice.

 

[wwc]

I've always been tempted by a sliding back, and this one looks to be a good one-- fairly compact with a Maxwell ground glass (his are the best that I know of). The Kapture Group ad touts something to "fine tune the plane of focus precisely to a specific digital back." Maybe something like the Alpa shims? I wonder though how much play might develop over heavy use with a slider.

 

[fotografz]

To answer the original question:

The HCD28 and 35-90 lenses will slightly crop a sliver on the 60 and 80 backs all around. The 60 back I use is reduced a hair to roughly 56 meg. Both lenses are bitingly sharp, and the zoom amazingly so, but both need the Hasselblad based DAC (distortion/CA) software corrections to perform at their very best. Until recently, that required the use of Phocus ... but all of the DAC corrections are now available in Lightroom, including the Hasselblad color profile.

I do not know if Phase One will include these types of automatic corrections in C1 now that Hasselblad has opened up the H platform with the H4X ... a camera that now supports the 28 and 35-90 when using a non-hasselblad back. Prior to the H4X, these lenses were not supported by the H1 and H2.

Hasselblad has been optimizing some of their lenses for use on more demanding backs, not the least of which is their own 200 meg Multi-shot as well as the H4D/60. The 120 and 150 are among those already redone ... so the versions to look for are the newer 120-II and the 150N. The most dramatic make-over has been with the HC50-II. Hopefully the next one up will be the HC35 which needs a make-over as dramatic as the 50 had.

How the interface works between the H4X and IQ180 I'll leave to the experts. One would presume that a IQ180 with a H mount will have the needed communication protocols. I've never heard of any glaring alignment issues in using a Phase back on a H1 or H2, so I wouldn't expect it to be so now.

Any functions that are camera centric, like True Focus will work regardless of back used. Functions like the spirit level one touch focus check on the H4D/60 are back driven, and irrelevant since the IQ backs do all that already.

-Marc

 

[wwc]

I like to use the GG for composition-- to see through the lens. I just get a better feel for composition this way and then bring out the tripod. I don't rely on the GG for focusing with wide lenses.

I have two Maxwell GG, one for wides and one for longs, that are beautifully bright and clear, but of course, it is still a pita to switch back and forth.

The new slider with the Arca is kind of interesting... I wonder how the weight and balance would feel with my hand held method, though.

You have an IQ180 and you still use a GG? What on earth for? I shoot with an IQ180 on an Alpa STC and use either liveview (rarely) or simply shoot a test frame (usually). As you have noticed, using a GG is a PITA and is unreliable to boot.
The kit you have will leave any SLR result for dead, quality wise, especially at focal lengths wider than standard. Seriously.
The image on a tech cam GG is useful when you have a large format, such as 5x4 or more, but marginal at best on MF. The image is heavily vignetted, grainy and more importantly, it is questionable as to whether it is in exactly the same plane as your sensor. What you see is not necessarily what you get.
As a pro shooting almost daily with my tech cams (I have a DF but rarely use it), I'd highly recommend a little perseverance with your setup. You have not mentioned what tech cam you use nor what type of subject matter either. This info might help us offer specific advice.

 

[Wayne Fox]

So looking into the H4x.
Thanks.

You do know that you can only get a H4x if you trade in a H1 or H2 body, right?

(Used bodies probably aren't too hard to come by, so maybe not a big deal. I have a H1 with several lenses (no back), thinking of listing the complete set and throwing the body in free for someone that wants to take advantage of getting the H4x)