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CFV-39 screen good enough for focus check?

torger

Active member
A friend of mine is looking into getting a CFV-39, and is interested to know if the 100% focus check (sharpness check) is useful, or if it just shows some fuzzy mess like on the (really) old Hasselblad backs. When once addicted to check sharpness it's hard to be without. With manual focus cameras like the V-system there's always a level of uncertainty "did I nail that?", and it's nice to be able to check it for important pictures.

The screen seems to be 320x240 pixels, just as my own Aptus (where 100% focus check is perfectly usable), which means that resolution is certainly enough. To make the focus check useful however, then the built-in demosaicer must render a sharp image rather than something fuzzy, and unfortunately most older backs render real fuzzy so you need to tether to actually see if the image is sharp or not.

Some think that small low-resolution screens are never useful for sharpness check (and thus always say it's not possible by principle), and sure it's nowhere as good as tethering, but all we need to be happy is a demosaicer that renders the tiny 320x240 cutout sharply.

Someone that knows what the case is with the CFV-39?

I've asked the similar thing about CFV-50 earlier, and then at least one user said it was adequate for focus check. So if the CFV-39 and CFV-50 has the same screen and demosaicer I guess it would be adequate.
 
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i have the h3d-39, i think it's the same screen.

totally useless for focus check:thumbdown:

even the colors are anything but correct
the only thing you can check for sure is the histogram :(

got better with the introduction of h3dII-39 (should be the same screen as cfv-50 i think)
i checked out cfv-50 and felt quite good with the resolution for focus check.
 

torger

Active member
I think the CFV-39 and CFV-50 has the same TFT, a 2.5" 230k (320x240 RGB pixels), while the H3D-39 has a 2.2" OLED, and H3DII-39 has a 3" TFT.

So I'm guessing the the CFV-39 and CFV-50 is pretty much identical in the user interface, but I don't know for sure..
 

tjv

Active member
The CFV-50 / 39 seems like a sweet back for the prices I've seen them going for. Am interested in the screen, too.
 

torger

Active member
Yes, one CFV-39 together with a V-mount camera and a few lenses was out here in Sweden for $5500 just yesterday (by a credible seller). It was sold immediately :). Bargains on 'blad gear is not too unusual around here, as Hasselblad has a quite strong position in Sweden. Still the CFV-39 and CFV-50 specifically appears only rarely.

I'm trying to get a demo arranged with the CFV-50 at some point in the future, but it's not happening too soon. Also the new price of a CFV-50 is significantly lower than the competition, and it has an (almost) unique balance of resolution and sensor size which I happen to like.

They are in the shadow of Phase One, but I think these could be really good products. I don't think many are sold though due to lack of professional interest in the V-system, which make them rare on the second hand market too. I hope Hasselblad drops the price of CFV-50 further before it's discontinued. As it's V-mount and can't be changed it's not really competing with the H-system products so they could have a different price point if they'd like. Would it cost say $8000 instead of $15000 it could be a hit on the amateur market I think. They won't drop the price that much of course, but for every little bit it becomes cheaper it becomes affordable for more people. Still at the current price it's on a whole different level than Phase One, the CFV-50 is cheaper than the 39 megapixel P45+, and may/might have more useful screen too :).
 
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jotloob

Subscriber Member
I work with the CFV-39 and the CFV-50 with my ALPA and V-SYSTEM HASSELBLADs .
I am very satisfied with the results .
But you must have eagle eyes to use the screen for focus check .
I just can't . :thumbdown:
 

torger

Active member
I work with the CFV-39 and the CFV-50
Can you confirm that the screen and user interface is the same between CFV-39 and CFV-50?

(tiny screens can be hard to read, so it's a bit personal if it works out or not, but we that still use ground glass for focusing tend not to be that demanding in terms of digital back screen quality ;), so it's more about if the information is there on the screen or not than screen quality, older Hasselblad backs has an approximate demosaicer which makes a tack sharp image render just as fuzzy as a slightly-out-of-focus or vibration-blurred image, making it impossible to draw conclusions from. If the demosaicer had not been that approximate even those old 2.2" OLED screens would be 'good enough', the 2.5" 320x240 TFT should be probably be as good as my Aptus 75 320x240 screen or even better (Aptus 75 is really low contrast), just a bit smaller)
 

jotloob

Subscriber Member
Can you confirm that the screen and user interface is the same between CFV-39 and CFV-50?
The screens are physically the same . If they differ in the specs. I can't say.
The user interface is identical , except customer options differ .
The CFV-39 has : IMAGE FORMAT , COPY TO I-BANK , I-B CONNECTION , TILT SENSOR for custom options .
The CFV-50 has IMAGE FORMAT , TILT SENSOR for custom options .
 

mmbma

Active member
I have cfv 39. Totally useless for focus check. But then you don't really need it after a while you've gotten used to it. I use it either for landscape or studio. in Both cases I either shoot infinity or tethered, so no need to for the screen.
 
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