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Travels with the Phase One P65+ with Sensor+

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Why not. Honestly folks ya need to put a Mamiya body up to a D3 or 1d series camera . There not much different and even the lenses are in a lot of way smaller than the 35mm zooms. The Nikon D3 is actually taller. The focal plane lenses will tend to be a lot smaller than the leaf lenses.
 

ptomsu

Workshop Member
Hi Peter,

I do like to print large----and certainly at these sizes you would want to take advantage of every bit of resolution that your MFDB sensor has to offer. And yes, I do have several of those eight foot panos printed with my previous MFDBs... No doubt the P65+ takes it up a notch, but the question is how well would the reduced resolution Sensor+ images handle enlargement?

I am not one of those that likes to do an excessive amount of post-processing. I do not have programs like Genuine Fractals---nor will I go in that direction. And yes, I am one of those people that likes to get close to my prints----and so do my clients (at least initially when they first purchase a print). So I don't follow the "viewing distance" mantra closely.

I think you're gonna make me dig out that roll of 44" Epson lustre..... I'll see if I can run one of my Sensor+ images out at 40" wide by ___" and see how well it prints. Certainly subject matter will impact how big you can print. I'll try and print something out this weekend----certainly not definitive, but at least it may give you an idea of the quality of the Sensor+ file.

Those that are capable printers or people like Doug (who dream subconsciously in high-tech mathematical/scientific equations) or use programs like Genuine Fractals may be able to eek out larger prints.

Ken
Thanks Ken,

please let me (us) know your findings.

I am also kind of careful WRT resolution and print size. Of course I can up res, but the quality will not be the same as if shot with more MP.

But there is alwys a certain possible gap which one can use and I would be interested how a Sensor + 15MB file lokks like on a large print.

Maybe this is the solution for me? Will see...
 

kdphotography

Well-known member
Hi Peter,

Well, I took the time this afternoon to print an image taken with the P65+ and Sensor+ enabled. And quite frankly, I'm pleasantly surprised.

I didn't want to pick an image that I had processed from RAW previously, or do any post processing work except for resizing and sharpening. I selected one of the tree images from my recent trip with Don Libby at Canyon de Chelly. The image was shot at 800 iso, f/9 and 1/60th sec. From Raw in C1 Pro 4.7, the image is a 43.2 MB file and 11.213 x 14.967 at 300 dpi.

I used CS3 to simply resize to 40" x 53.39." 549.9 MB. I printed on an Epson 9800. I was surprised at how well the Sensor+ 15MB file held up under minimal processing to produce a 40" x 53" print. At 18" viewing distance, you can definitely see the details becoming muddy and mushy---and on tree branches especially. At a "viewing distance" of four feet, the print looks good. Would I want to print 40x50s normally with Sensor+? Hell, no! That's not why I bought the P65+---full resolution puh-lease!

Keep in mind there is plenty of room for photographer error, variations of results by subject matter, conditions, exposure, etc. I don't doubt that better results are possible if I had used a program like Genuine Fractals or even Qimage to interpolate.

With a well-composed file, excellent quality 24x30 prints are certainly possible, depending on subject matter, processing and other variations, 200, 400, 800, 1600 or 3200 iso---certainly slower is better. I probably would never have attempted to print this large (40x50) without you asking me to give it a try. I'm now even more confident with the P65+, and having overlooked Sensor+ technology previously, am now more appreciative of what Sensor+ has to offer in terms of flexibility.

[My youngest son, Nicholas, got involved---and wanted to take this photo of me and the big print in studio]

Ken

p.s. Mssg. me if you would like to see the RAW.
 
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ptomsu

Workshop Member
Ken,

thanks so much for your effort and really doing this, especially as you said you had not planned to print as large from a 15MB file :) I really appreciate and I really know what this means in additional work!

Coming to the result, it shows me clearly - without having seen the print directly of course but trusting your judgement - the capabilities of the P65+. As you know I am currently in the process of selecting the right MF System and MFDB for my purposes (mainly landscape and nature photography and enlarging up to the sizes we talked). And of course it hows how capable the P65+ would be for that type of work.

So my selection process comes currently to the following conclusions (although I will give it another few months before I buy):

1) 1st place: Phase One camera with 28 / 80 / 150 lens and either P45+ (my favorite because of price) or P65+ (the one I would love to have but price ....)

This system - especially the backs - give me a lot of freedom to further move to a tech camera (do not know if that will ever happen, but I have the option at least :cool:). Further I like the look and feel of the camera and lenses, it is a bit more compact and feels easier to hold, handle and carry for me than the bulkier H System or Leaf and Hy6 - and this really matters, as I want to carry that gear around on my excursions.

And finally C1 Pro - I use this SW already since years, I am very familiar with it and I love the RAW converter which is known to be the best on the market.

2nd place: H3D2 with 28 / 80 or 110 / 150 and 39MP back (maybe 50 MP). Great system, great prices, very capable dealer here in Austria (which is also one of the important parts.

And very important: thy currently are the leader in low bundle prices, o this is the system I can get the most MP and functionality for the lowest price.

What I do not like so much is that the system is a closed system. I I doubt I could ever use such a back on a tech camera (maybe I am wrong and this is also not the most important criterium for me).

And the system is bulkier than the Phase / Mamiya system. And I do not know Phocus and it is a closed SW again :(

3) 3rd place: Leaf and Hy6. Definitely an interesting solution. And I know the lenses from my analog Rollei 6006 - great glass.

What I like less are the prices, size, weight and also the fat that some of their companies went insolvent and despite of the promises to continue I do not really have the trust into that in today's economy.

4) 4th place: Leica S2 System. Great concept, will be great glass, but as we all know Leica had several issues n the past especially with digital and they have to prove now if they can do better.

And I expect the price to be really high. And the system will kind of limit me WRT exchangeable backs.

So here we go. Coming to an end here, support like what you have given to me is very important and valuable in my decision chain and again I o very much appreciate this.

Many thanks indeed!

And to Guy and Jack - another great example of great support, help and friendlyness here in this forum, which is far above what you can expect from other fora, especilly the LUF :toocool:
 
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Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
These kinds of decisions are very tough to make and I agree with the help of our members and there experiences more than anything is a HUGE benefit to other members. I think one thing more important than even this is trusting the opinion and experiences of fellow members. This is not a given but a earned respect we get from each other. Clear example here with Ken going the extra mile to figure something out and along the way he learned something. Great stuff

All joking aside but this is the primary reason this forum was born.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
Ken,

Thanks for the report and sample. It shows the great versatility in the new back, and is impressive performance regardless!

Cheers,
 

eleanorbrown

New member
Hi ken, that print is HUGE and an interesting exercise! Did you just use the default noise reduction and sharpening in C1 and from what you said I'm assuming you just left the dpi "as is" after resizing? Eleanor

Ken,

Thanks for the report and sample. It shows the great versatility in the new back, and is impressive performance regardless!

Cheers,
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
Hi Peter,

Those that are capable printers or people like Doug (who dream subconsciously in high-tech mathematical/scientific equations) or use programs like Genuine Fractals may be able to eek out larger prints.

Ken
Who said anything about subconsciously?

Some of my landscape work I want to print from these goes up to 60x40 or even 80x60. Do you think that you can enlarge up till this size?

Or if not what would be the limit?

I need good quality, but I myself as well as my clients do not stand close to the print with a loupe and look for pixels. So I consider normal viewing distance like a few meters.
I'm doing my best not to answer "how big can I print" in ABSOLUTE terms anymore. It's a stellar sales tactic to say some really big number, but after doing this for two years I can tell you that people's perception of what "good" print quality is varies so wildly as to make this question impossible to answer honestly. Now everyone bookmark this post so they can quote me when I tell someone on this forum what impressive sounding size they can print something at in the future. :LOL:

For instance, I work next to a professional photographic printing lab and one of their customers consistently makes a point of stopping by to show me how "razor sharp" his 30x40 prints from his Canon 20D with kit lens are (just for clarity his prints are mushier than my grandma's oatmeal).

The only honest way to answer this question is with a RELATIVE answer. In this regard I say that a P65+ with Sensor+ prints very similar in measurable IQ to a 5DII, 1Ds III or D3X. In other words if you like the quality you get from a 1Ds III printed at 40" then you'll equally like a 40" print from a P65+ Sensor+ file. This despite the "sticker number" of the megapixels on each system; the fidelity of each pixel on the P65+ is very very high (reminds me of multi-shot backs). There is also the non-measurable "look" of the image which I found very pleasing and holding that hard-to-pin down feeling often referred to here as the "3D" look.

Of course the full resolution P65+ just obliterates the quality from those dSLRs. So the take-home-message to me is that for most applications have a P65+ gives you both the camera that has the best IQ of any digital back made AND a back which can produce prints in difficult lighting, high-wind, or slow-speed hand-held in the same league as a 1Ds III, and therefore many users would not need to carry two camera kits, which, when backpacking, is a HUGE advantage.

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
__________________
Head of Technical Services, Capture Integration
Phase One, Canon, Apple, Profoto, Eizo & More
National: 877.217.9870 | Cell: 740.707.2183
Newsletter: Read Latest or Sign Up
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
... It's a stellar sales tactic to say some really big number, but after doing this for two years I can tell you that people's perception of what "good" print quality is varies so wildly as to make this question impossible to answer honestly ...
Absolutely correct --- but my own personal experience indicates that the photographer themselves is usually far more critical than most customers will be.

;),
 

kdphotography

Well-known member
Hi ken, that print is HUGE and an interesting exercise! Did you just use the default noise reduction and sharpening in C1 and from what you said I'm assuming you just left the dpi "as is" after resizing? Eleanor
Hi Eleanor,

I kept it LAZY all the way.

Found an image shot with Sensor+ enabled. Default processing with C1Pro 4.7 to JPEG!

Opened JPEG in CS3. Image size-----put in 40" in the width box. Let CS3 set the length based on my selected width. Press Enter! 300 dpi left set. No magic. No post processing. Clicked on Nik Sharpener 3.0. Saved.
Opened up Qimage---printed file on Epson 9800.

I think Jack or Doug could easily massage this file into a better print with minimal post-processing. I definitely would feel more comfortable at smaller print sizes. And as pointed out earlier by Doug, and in my post above, there are so many other factors that can/will impact on final image quality and print size.

Doug Peterson probably summed it up best---it's really nice to have the flexibility that Sensor+ offers on the P65+---and not have to travel with a second camera system in your backpack!

ken
 

Georg Baumann

Subscriber Member
Ken,
Folks,

Wow! Thanks a lot for this valuable information. This is all so very interesting, and I am more than ever convinced about the usability of Sensor +, eliminating the need to haul around a second DSLR camera, except for one point, body and lenses. - Keep in mind, I am not speaking as a user, not yet that is, but this might change next week. ;) -

What I mean is my personal need for different body, designed to be as rugged as the back itself. The only thing needed is a top notch dust/water sealing for both, body and possible new lenses on the horizon. It is good to know that the back is tough. - :D What a crazy set of videos on that matter phase one has created! Hehehe -

The battery handling is outdated, and I would not be astonished to see the next gen of phase one bodies to adresse that and supply power from one set of batteries.

Hopefully, fingers crossed, and if all goes well, I shall be joining with a thread on irish travels with a P65+ soon. Probably will have some newbie questions as well, as this will be my first shooting experience with phase one. I am off to Germany next week for special one-on-one training and get more in depth information.

On another note, I would like to thank Jack and Guy, and of course all the fine contributors on the fora here, it quickly became my main source for exchange on photography, and the atmosphere is outstanding! Just feels like home.... :thumbs:

Best wishes
Georg
 

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
Hopefully, fingers crossed, and if all goes well, I shall be joining with a thread on irish travels with a P65+ soon. Probably will have some newbie questions as well, as this will be my first shooting experience with phase one. I am off to Germany next week for special one-on-one training and get more in depth information.
Good luck and welcome to the family!

We expect your first picture to be posted soon!

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
__________________
Head of Technical Services, Capture Integration
Phase One, Canon, Apple, Profoto, Eizo & More
National: 877.217.9870 | Cell: 740.707.2183
Newsletter: Read Latest or Sign Up
 

Clawery

New member

Professional

Active member
I wish to travel with a Medium format, but i am not a rich or lucky like some here if they lost their MF then they can buy another.
 
What I do not like so much is that the system is a closed system. I I doubt I could ever use such a back on a tech camera (maybe I am wrong and this is also not the most important criterium for me).

And the system is bulkier than the Phase / Mamiya system. And I do not know Phocus and it is a closed SW again :(
The digital 'bit' from any H3D can be used with any tech camera, manual lenses and digital lenses from Schneider AND Rollei with their respective electronic shutter systems with full control from Phocus.. which incidentally is a no brainer to use - especially with your good dealer in tow.

Think about the benefits of an apparently 'closed' system....?

It gives you one battery and one charger, lens corrections, ease of use - ie it behaves like a DSLR in operation, not a camera with a digital back attached. This is evident in the very handy short cuts we have implemented and the overall customizable nature of the camera.

Not to mention, ten lenses, all with leaf shutters and internal AF motors for faster operation, two zooms and a 1.7x converter, HTS, CF adapter for V system lenses that give focus confirmation and don't need to be stopped down to work with, a GPS accessory, changeable viewfinders... the list goes on.

I should also add Phocus is free to download, has no licence and can be populated on as may computers as you wish. Is that any more closed than a licensed software?

Anyway, regardless of your final decision I hope it is the right one. :)

David
 
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