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Has anyone seen or tried an HTS 1.5?

arashm

Member
Hi
I don't own it, but I did have two separate opportunities to play with it.
Recently at a hasselblad open house on the H3D2-50. :thumbup:
While it's not a substitue for a proper technical camera, it's a god send for people like me, who shoot multiple table tops in a day on the fly, you know things like a simple groupings where your trying your hardest to pull the label of the bottles on the back row in just a bit more... a little tilt and voila.
I also think it's cleaver, you have one adaptor but several focal lengths can work on it. so no need to multiple shift lenses.
It also feels very positive and solidly built.
On the negative side, both times I instantly noticed the dimmer viewfinder.
Over all I think it's a very welcoming addition for the H shooters bag.
hope this helps, anything in particular you were wondering about?
am
 

Woody Campbell

Workshop Member
Thanks for the response.

I'm looking for any first hand experience with image quality and how it integrates with the rest of the system in terms of usability in the field.

Regards,
 

arashm

Member
Woody
I'm looking forward to a more lengthy hands on in about a month from now.
I will make sure to post about it then.
best of luck
am
 

Woody Campbell

Workshop Member
Here's a more thoughtful reply: According to the H brochure autofocus isn't linked - how easy is it to coordinate focusing and tilting? Does metering work (typically with TS lenses metering only works accurately when the lens is centered). Are locks secure? Workable with gloves on? It's not clear to me from the brochure whether movements are geared. On image quality does it deliver on the promise in the brochure that the HTS-lens-software combination delivers high definition and freedom from vignetting to the edge of the image circle (this is big if it actually works). Does the lens+HTS combo centered perform as well as the lens alone (there's actually hope on this one given the excellent performance of the 1.7x converter).

Thanks!
 

etrigan63

Active member
Hey all,

in my "Afternoon with DTG" I got to play extensively with the HTS on a H3DII-50. It is an amazing piece of engineering but does have it's quirks. It acts as a 1.5x TC straight on. Metering and such only happens automatically straight on and locks when you T/S.

The T/S locks are very secure, Woody.

In certain positions it obstructs a control button on the grip but beyond that, it works as advertised.
 
Hey Woody,

Its impossible to run AF through the HTS so you will have to rely on your eyes I am afraid - or use Live Video if you are working on Still Life.

- Locks are very secure

- The dials have been enlarged so yes, I think you could work with gloves - although I have not tried this! There is also a lip between the nob and the lock so you don't accidentally lock the movement.

- Movements are geared

- Freedom from Vignetting. Yes, as the HTS will display what movements are applied on the camera LCD, which are written into the image file and then corrected in Phocus.

- Optical performance is really very good. I was looking at some sample prints today and you would not be disappointed.

Best,


David
 

mark1958

Member
I have one on order but my understanding is that although officially released -- still not getting to dealers as of yet. I have communicated with a couple of people who have had one to test out and they have been impressed.
 

paulmoore

New member
Hey Woody,

Its impossible to run AF through the HTS so you will have to rely on your eyes I am afraid - or use Live Video if you are working on Still Life.

- Locks are very secure

- The dials have been enlarged so yes, I think you could work with gloves - although I have not tried this! There is also a lip between the nob and the lock so you don't accidentally lock the movement.

- Movements are geared

- Freedom from Vignetting. Yes, as the HTS will display what movements are applied on the camera LCD, which are written into the image file and then corrected in Phocus.

- Optical performance is really very good. I was looking at some sample prints today and you would not be disappointed.

Best,


David
David it is my understanding that the longest lens usable on the hts is 100mm? so if you what to use 120 macro you can't?
Hope I am wrong about this.
 

paulmoore

New member
Remember though there is multiplication factor of 1.5 so 100 = 150 etc etc.

So if you want Macro Capability why not the 80mm + Extension tube(s)?

David
sure that would work....but why then is there even a need for a 120 macro?
(cause its better?) I agree that the 120 x1.5 is getting long for a lot of shots, so maybe they need a 90 macro..
I have not tried the lenses but would always go with a macro lens for still life work over a "normal" lens..could be the macros are not needed anymore with all the software enhancements available now..mtf's created as needed.
is there any exposure compensation needed with the hts?
 
sure that would work....but why then is there even a need for a 120 macro?
(cause its better?) I agree that the 120 x1.5 is getting long for a lot of shots, so maybe they need a 90 macro..
I have not tried the lenses but would always go with a macro lens for still life work over a "normal" lens..could be the macros are not needed anymore with all the software enhancements available now..mtf's created as needed.
is there any exposure compensation needed with the hts?
Because the HTS only existed very recently so there was always going to be a 120 macro in the lens range.

We have had extremely good feedback so far regarding its use, so I would assume that users are happy with the image quality.

Have a look at the datasheet as that has lots of info regarding exp comp, tilt shift, etc...

http://www.hasselblad.com/media/1332322/uk_hts_datasheet_v6.pdf

David
 

mark1958

Member
I have used the 50-110, 100, and 150 and 210 with an extension tube(s) and while I find the images to be quite reasonable they still do not match the 120mm macro in the close up range. Also it should be noted that the macro can be combined with the extension tubes to get to a more than 1:1 size. I know there is a chart somewhere on the hasselblad extension tubes and the max ratio.


Because the HTS only existed very recently so there was always going to be a 120 macro in the lens range.

We have had extremely good feedback so far regarding its use, so I would assume that users are happy with the image quality.

Have a look at the datasheet as that has lots of info regarding exp comp, tilt shift, etc...

http://www.hasselblad.com/media/1332322/uk_hts_datasheet_v6.pdf

David
 

gss

New member
This is taken directly from the HTS 1.5 documentation on the Hasselblad site:
----
The HTS 1.5 is not compatible with:
The H1,7X converter
The CF lens adapter
HC 50-110 mm
HCD 35-90 mm
HC 120 mm
Autofocus / focus confirmation (disabled)
----
If the only thing which will not work for the 120 is autofocus/focus confirmation, I don't see a problem. However, David says autofocus doesn't work with any of the lenses. Is that last statement the penalty for the ones it works for? Why would that statement be grouped with the "not compatibles"? I think someone needs to do some work on clarifying the document.

Could it be that the only penalty is that autofocus does not work at all with the 120 while for the others it works when not tilted?
 
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The 120 lens physically won't fit.

If you read the document carefully it does note that other lenses will fit but the HTS is not optically optimised for them - so it is at your risk.

Autofocus is disabled for all lenses regardless of settings, hence being in the not compatible section.
 
If the only thing which will not work for the 120 is autofocus/focus confirmation, I don't see a problem. However, David says autofocus doesn't work with any of the lenses. Is that last statement the penalty for the ones it works for? Why would that statement be grouped with the "not compatibles"? I think someone needs to do some work on clarifying the document.

Could it be that the only penalty is that autofocus does not work at all with the 120 while for the others it works when not tilted?
The 120mm lens barrel is to large and this prevents this lens from attaching to the HTS. If you view the datasheet for the HTS you will see where tilt rail on the left side and rail and sensor housing on the right side prevent the barrel of the lens from connecting to the lens mount on the HTS. I hope this description helps.

Autofocus will not work with any lens, this includes 28mm to 100mm.

Paul CLaesson
Hasselblad USA
 

Nick-T

New member
Just to add to this thread the 80mm is an incredibly sharp lens, check out the MTFs (if that's your thing) I think the 80mm with a couple of tubes would be a pretty good substitute for the 120 Macro.
Nick-T
 

Stuart Richardson

Active member
Just since you were asking if anyone has seen it, I saw it yesterday -- two German photographers were using it at Jökulsárlón, the iceberg lagoon in the east of Iceland. They said they had rented it, so they did not know yet how good it was. Anyway, I thought it was an interesting place to see one! I think they may have been using it more for its teleconverter possibilities than for its shifting -- there were some seals resting on an ice floe and it did not look like they had a very long lens.

It was in this place, though this is an old photo...I have not gone through the ones I took there yesterday yet.

 
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