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645DF+

alajuela

Active member
Hello
Has anybody had any experiences with the new Phase One 645DF+.
Would it be worth upgrading from the 645DF, or maybe save the money and get the 28 LS?
Any Opinions?
Thanks
Phil
 

malmac

Member
Bill

Does that mean you have the 645DF+?

Is the auto focus on the DF+ a big jump forward or just a small improvement?

At present I just feel like sitting tight for another year and then reviewing the options.


Mal
 
I will be selling a brand new DF+ in the next couple days or so if you want to see if its worth upgrading ;) Not a single shot on it!
 

malmac

Member
so why are you selling it?

Not that


i am cashed up to make a purchase, even if i wanted one.


mal
 

gazwas

Active member
Would it be worth upgrading from the 645DF, or maybe save the money and get the 28 LS?
Glass any day of the week over a camera body.

I like the DF but agree the focus is a little skitty but it always gives me sharp results in the end. I don't see the value in the cost to upgrade to the DF+ over the DF and if judging by your 28LS question your a wide angle shooter AF has less importance IMO.
 
And as always, my savings will be moved on to those at GETDPI :). I will sell for 75% new price. After taxes, this is almost 40 percent off new in Europe.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Depends on need here if your shooting a lot of people stuff with movement and such than the DF+ will be an advantage. I'm supposed to get one to test but I have been told it really is a good improvement in accuracy and speed. Now your asking a lens whore here and I will always go towards buying glass first but if this is a real need in shooting than only you can answer your real need here. Myself as a commercial shooter I would go with the 28mm myself. The real intention for the DF+ was for new back owners to get a updated body. Not sure it was more for resale to upgrade too as a marketing tool. But if your struggling with the DF than sure its worth upgrading too. I personally never had issues with the DF with speed or accuracy and I shot a lot of fashion with it. The 28 LS is a really good lens to have in your kit . I did many interior jobs with it. Again the mantra I always have as a working Pro for myself is need first but I've been known to screw up that rule too with I WANT IT. LOL

This is Dante's inferno you know. LOL

Okay back to my office renovation. Install new office furniture I stole from my wife's office.
cause I wanted it. ROTFLMAO
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
Hello
Has anybody had any experiences with the new Phase One 645DF+.
Would it be worth upgrading from the 645DF, or maybe save the money and get the 28 LS?
Phil
Only you can answer is better AF and the (included) Lithium Ion battery are going to provide you more of a workflow/creative/technical/business boost than a 28LS lens.

I can say though, based on my own use, that the improvement in autofocus is significant.

At least for the moment we (Digital Transitions) have an upgrade program for DF to DF+ and as a result availability of pre-owned DF bodies.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
I shot with it for a week on the last Monument Valley PODAS. What I can confirm is AF is both faster-acting and locks-on quicker. I used it in "speed" AF mode and triple-tapped just like I do with the DF, but the difference was there was never a need for the third tap and rarely a need for even the second tap. When AF was assigned to the rear button, a single press was usually all that was needed. It's a solid improvement and definitely moves the Phase AF performance ahead of all other Medium Format competitors.
 
Bill

Does that mean you have the 645DF+?

Is the auto focus on the DF+ a big jump forward or just a small improvement?

At present I just feel like sitting tight for another year and then reviewing the options.


Mal
No, but I got to use them side by side on a studio test. I would say it is a small improvement, but a very important one. For me, it is enough of an improvement that the DF+ is a camera I would use and the DF isn't. Think early Canon DSLR. I am waiting to see if it will focus track anything, like a person walking or jogging. If you need it to focus like a DSLR, it won't, but it doesn't hunt like the DF and just feels more responsive. I've never used a H4D so I can't compare those, but I'm sure Doug could.

Doug is the only person who can really answer questions about the DF+ as I think Digital Transitions is the only place in the U.S. that has them. I just got to play with one for a while before it got sent off to its new owner. Even the Phase reps had not received their personal cameras yet.

There are a lot of things about the DF that I really dislike, the DF+ fixes the autofocus piece. Only you can decide if it is worth the upgrade or not. In my opinion, Phase One downplayed the improvement.
 

malmac

Member
My concern with the DF is not the speed of auto focus, it is that auto focus functions more like my Canon if it is left on full auto focus mode. The camera just seems to lock onto the closest edge (with sufficient contrast) to the camera.

The end result is that if you have a subject standing on grass (which has enough contrast) then the camera will focus on the grass which is no where near the middle of the view finder rather than the subject. With narrow depths of field this is a problem.

If the camera had one precise AF point rather than an AF point which might as well cover the whole view finder, the accuracy and speed would be quite adequate for me.

Sure it would be fantastic to have an array of selectable AF points but lets not fantasise about the perfect camera body for the brilliant IQ series back.

Mal
 

Ed Hurst

Well-known member
Quick question, Jack. You said "definitely moves the Phase AF performance ahead of all other Medium Format competitors". Does that include the Pentax 645D? I have found the AF on that to be very good - quick, responsive and with multiple, selectable points.
 

Dan Santoso

New member
Has anyone have any updates regarding the DF+? By now some people should have them.

Have anyone played with the micro adjust function?

Thanks
 
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