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IQ and Live View

wwc

New member
My first impression of live view on the Phase IQ back was not good, so I wrote it off and went back to the ground glass for composition. But recently, I decided to give it another, more patient, try. Much to my surprise, I've found it to work really well!

I've usually found good success with the quality slider almost all the way to the right. The image recovery time is a little slower, but fast enough for slow, deliberate composition tweaking. If the screen ever goes wacky, I move the "quality slider" to the left (higher fps) and then back to the right (lower fps and higher image quality), and the image restores itself.

It's also important to use the white balance tool.

I had heard a neutral density filter would be needed. I have found that not to be the case, even it bright outdoor conditions. Just stop down the aperture and the live view image is fine.

I don't use it for critical focus, but for composition, it's great.

I'm still in the early stages of using this, but so far, it looks like I can retire the whole GG routine!
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
It's very nice on a tech cam as usually your already stopped down to working aperture like F 11 so all you need to do on a copal shutter is open the lens up via the switch and go from their. I don't use it as often as I should since I came from a long life of using 4x5 I go more in the Polaroid mode of shoot readjust and shoot again to get to my final shot. But it can be a very useful tool. Myself with the IQ I rely guessing at composition on the first shot than make adjustments from that . But that's me we all work differently.
 

dchew

Well-known member
I think live view may be a practice - dedication thing. Like you Guy, I don't use it much. For both composition and focus I find it more efficient to shoot-n-review-n-adjust. Even at the highest quality setting, the image is not razor sharp like it is on a Canon Live View so I struggle back and forth trying to find correct focus. On the 5DII it is almost like you see moire when it snaps into focus - no question when you get it right.

Dave
 

wwc

New member
Not a good tool for focus, but very useful for exploring different compositions and refining them.
 

FredBGG

Not Available
Not a good tool for focus, but very useful for exploring different compositions and refining them.
Calling it live view is a bit of a joke....

It is far from live. Maybe Still life preview would have been the right name for it.
 

T.Karma

New member
I find the live view on Canon cameras to be a Godsend, especially when the camera is attached to tech camera. Focussing is secure and a pleasure to use on a big computer screen, a really good thing in product shooting.

Since DB's are considered more as Studio cameras, Phase should really improve on this feature.
 
V

Vivek

Guest
I am following this with interest. Live view and decent EVFs would make me take a serious look at these backs.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
The saving grace for the Phase backs is the LCD details after the shot. The focus mask, 100 -400 percent zoom with real live detail and the LCD size itself as the big plus on these IQ series. Now can they work more on the live view and make it better for us, I think they can with firmware updates and such but as we all know it would be hard to do and may certainly have a technology limit on it. Right now I don't depend on it at all but certainly would be wonderful if it was improved no question. To me it is unfinished but glad they are making a stab at it.
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
I find the live view on Canon cameras to be a Godsend, especially when the camera is attached to tech camera. Focussing is secure and a pleasure to use on a big computer screen, a really good thing in product shooting.

Since DB's are considered more as Studio cameras, Phase should really improve on this feature.
The name Live Preview was assigned to this function back when the Phase One P45 added it. This was years before Canon had any similar functionality. It's not meant as an over-top marketing term. At the time medium format live view was the only such option.

Canon Live View is significantly faster, more flexible, and of higher quality than Phase One Live View.

But it's not a matter of working harder or getting better engineers. Digital backs are made with image quality as their #1, #2, and #3 priority. Of the sensors available today the kinds of sensors which are best for image quality (CCD) are not the best for live view (best with CMOS). That doesn't meant this will always be the case, but in the world of medium format when there is choice between quality and speed, or between quality and convenience the manufacturers will choose quality every time. Frankly, that mentality is why most of our customers shoot medium format - they are not happy with other systems/options they've tried which are more general-purpose and good at everything but great at nothing.

Also regarding the comment about medium format being studio cameras - I'd say 2/3rds of our customers in 2011 were buying digital backs for use outside of the studio. Of course this ratio depends a lot on which back (e.g. the H25 can ONLY be used tethered so was purchased 100% of the time for studio use) and has varied a lot over the last three years, and I can only speak for us, Capture Integration, not for the overall market. The IQ launch was a game changer in this regard - an iPhone quality screen and touch interface has done wonders for using a back in the field.

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
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V

Vivek

Guest
Of the sensors available today the kinds of sensors which are best for image quality (CCD) are not the best for live view (best with CMOS).
True. The Fuji UVIR (or) the Fuji IS Pro sport a CCD and have "live view".
 
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