H5D50 back on tech camera at 1/500

[epforever]

For anyone using an H5D50 back on a tech camera: have you tried it at 1/500? Do you get a slight overall purplish tint and a little bit of noise and ghosting in the image? There's a known issue with Hasselblad digital backs syncing correctly with Copal shutters at top shutter speeds. (When shooting with the lens synced directly to the back, and the back set at FlashSync <1/8s.)

It's much improved on the H5D backs, but it's not gone altogether. The workaround is to fire the back first via cable release (for, say, 2 sec.), then trigger the shutter while the back is exposing for those 2 seconds. It's like doing a wakeup procedure on a Phase back. And other than at top shutter speeds, the Hasselblad back needs no wakeup.

My question is, has anyone found a solution to this issue? Does it help to use the new Hasselblad battery adapter? Does the issue vanish at speeds of, say, 1/125 and slower? Does the Alpa sync release or Kapture Group release help?

thanks
ethan

 

[stngoldberg]

I have the battery adapter (so much more convenient than dragging around an external power source) but have never experienced what you describe on my Rm3di combination with the H5d50 at any shutter speed including 1/500 sec
Stanley

 

[epforever]

I have the battery adapter (so much more convenient than dragging around an external power source) but have never experienced what you describe on my Rm3di combination with the H5d50 at any shutter speed including 1/500 sec
Stanley

Stanley -- that's great to hear. Can you tell me how exactly the kit is rigged together? Meaning:

- you're connecting the lens's PC sync terminal directly to the H5D50 back via a cable?
- the lens is in a Copal shutter?
- you have the back set to "Flash Sync <1/8 sec"?
- you fire the lens using a cable release into the lens, just as you would a 4x5 camera?

Finally, are you sure there's no purplish cast when shooting at 1/500? It's not an LCC issue. It is a subtle purple/magenta hue across the image.

Thanks for your input.

ethan

 

[torger]

I'd recommend to test it like this, 1) shoot an LCC shot at 1/500 with a 70mm or longer lens (minimum color cast) then at the same occassion shoot an LCC shot at 1/125 or longer shutter speed (adjust aperture to match) and then A/B compare the two images. A pure white surface makes it easier to see.

I've tested my H4D-50 and it has a magenta cast problem at 1/500, but it's quite slight so it could easily be missed if you don't look for it specifically. I think it's a hardware issue with the Kodak so I would be surprised if Hasselblad has succeeded improving this property to the H5D-50, therefore I too would be interested in a double-check on that.

As I always shoot on tripod with small apertures I never get down to 1/500 so I don't suffer from this property myself, but it's a good thing to know when getting a Kodak Hassy, it can be important if you intend to shoot say an Alpa hand-held wide aperture. The older 39 and 22 backs have the same issue. The 60MP Hassy backs has the Dalsa sensor and should not have the issue AFAIK.

 

[Udo]

Cannot comment on the H5D50, but the ALPA sync release cable/adapter solved that issue on my H4D50 back.

Regards, Udo

 

[torger]

To add to my report, it was done on a standard copal shutter with a standard sync cable on my Linhof Techno. I'm not familiar with the workarounds or Alpa sync cables as I've never needed to care in my type of work. As there is a solution that works for H4D-50 on the Alpa as reported by Udo above it seems highly likely that it will work for the H5D-50 too, any other would be most surprising as the H5D is a newer model, but of course you never now until someone checks...

 

[stngoldberg]

Stanley -- that's great to hear. Can you tell me how exactly the kit is rigged together? Meaning:

- you're connecting the lens's PC sync terminal directly to the H5D50 back via a cable?
YES
- the lens is in a Copal shutter
YES
- you have the back set to "Flash Sync <1/8 sec"?
YES
- you fire the lens using a cable release into the lens, just as you would a 4x5 camera?
YES

Finally, are you sure there's no purplish cast when shooting at 1/500? It's not an LCC issue. It is a subtle purple/magenta hue across the image.


Stanley

Thanks for your input.

ethan

Sorry, I just don"t see it. Perhaps too subtle for me to notice

Stanley

 

[torger]

As far as I understand the variability of Copal shutters means that timing in terms of sync signal in relation to the shutter open/close can vary a bit sample-to-sample, which means that Hassy's fast sync may work for some shutters and not for others... I'm not 100% sure this is the case, but I think I've read/heard something along those lines somewhere.

 

[epforever]

Thanks, all. I'll try the alpa sync release and other copoal shutters as well.