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Hasselblad: Phocus Or Lightroom
- Thread starter ihdap
- Start date
Greg Haag
Well-known member
Peter, I shot with various H series over the years and up until last year the H6d, for my workflow Lightroom was my preference.
Godfrey
Well-known member
I have the 907x/CFVII 50c. Same sensor, same processing as the X1D II.
I've been using Lightroom Classic v10.0 (now 10.1) mostly on macOS Catalina (now Big Sur). It works well.
Phocus has a couple of things that I like ... for instance, it has lens corrections for all my V system lenses as well as XCD and H system lenses (for when I use the back on the 500CM or the lenses on the XV Adapter), and its default color calibration is just that slightest bit of an improvement on LR Classic. It also converts the .3FR files to .FFF files, which are smaller (not that it matters too much with the low cost of storage today). I'm not as experienced using it so my ability to render out what I want with it, should the image deviate from the defaults in my mind's eye, is a little less facile than with LR. And it has no in-built image management facilities ... so I tend to do an occasional render out to TIFF and then import the results into LR Classic for finishing and management.
I use Phocus Mobile 2 a bit more frequently as it includes good tethering for the 907x and X1D II which works beautifully with my iPad Pro 11".
I've not gotten on with Capture 1 at all; tried many times, but just don't like the complexity and peculiarities of its UE.
G
I've been using Lightroom Classic v10.0 (now 10.1) mostly on macOS Catalina (now Big Sur). It works well.
Phocus has a couple of things that I like ... for instance, it has lens corrections for all my V system lenses as well as XCD and H system lenses (for when I use the back on the 500CM or the lenses on the XV Adapter), and its default color calibration is just that slightest bit of an improvement on LR Classic. It also converts the .3FR files to .FFF files, which are smaller (not that it matters too much with the low cost of storage today). I'm not as experienced using it so my ability to render out what I want with it, should the image deviate from the defaults in my mind's eye, is a little less facile than with LR. And it has no in-built image management facilities ... so I tend to do an occasional render out to TIFF and then import the results into LR Classic for finishing and management.
I use Phocus Mobile 2 a bit more frequently as it includes good tethering for the 907x and X1D II which works beautifully with my iPad Pro 11".
I've not gotten on with Capture 1 at all; tried many times, but just don't like the complexity and peculiarities of its UE.
G
In my opinion Phocus is a true software for professional.
It doesn't work with catalogs, and metadata are inside the files. So, it doesn't matter what computer are you working on, just find the file, copy to your actual folder and all adjustemts are exactly as you leave them. Years ago for example.
It doesn't matter what's happening to your computer, just format it, download Phocus, 70 Mb, install it and your are working. It will takes you around 10 minutes. Its free
The best color without waste time. natural skin tones. sensor profiling inside the raw developer with same easy tool as a white balance tool !
auto lens corrections. Simple. Robust!!
many many things to focus on your pictures, not in your computer.
remember, photographers works with light, not with computers
lightroom is really far away from the results what native software can get from one Hasselblad RAW, I have never got with Lr something close to Phocus in terms of color.
It doesn't work with catalogs, and metadata are inside the files. So, it doesn't matter what computer are you working on, just find the file, copy to your actual folder and all adjustemts are exactly as you leave them. Years ago for example.
It doesn't matter what's happening to your computer, just format it, download Phocus, 70 Mb, install it and your are working. It will takes you around 10 minutes. Its free
The best color without waste time. natural skin tones. sensor profiling inside the raw developer with same easy tool as a white balance tool !
auto lens corrections. Simple. Robust!!
many many things to focus on your pictures, not in your computer.
remember, photographers works with light, not with computers
lightroom is really far away from the results what native software can get from one Hasselblad RAW, I have never got with Lr something close to Phocus in terms of color.
thovenmedia
Member
I would echo the same thing. I have both a Hasselblad X1D 4116 and Phase One IQ4, I use Phocus when I shoot with the X1D and obviously Capture One for the IQ4. Two of my favourite tools in Phocus are curve and the color correction tool.In my opinion Phocus is a true software for professional.
It doesn't work with catalogs, and metadata are inside the files. So, it doesn't matter what computer are you working on, just find the file, copy to your actual folder and all adjustemts are exactly as you leave them. Years ago for example.
It doesn't matter what's happening to your computer, just format it, download Phocus, 70 Mb, install it and your are working. It will takes you around 10 minutes. Its free
The best color without waste time. natural skin tones. sensor profiling inside the raw developer with same easy tool as a white balance tool !
auto lens corrections. Simple. Robust!!
many many things to focus on your pictures, not in your computer.
remember, photographers works with light, not with computers
lightroom is really far away from the results what native software can get from one Hasselblad RAW, I have never got with Lr something close to Phocus in terms of color.
Also, Phocus has Broncolor flash control built in. If you own any Siros or the newer Scoro packs, you can control light output, modeling lights right inside the app.
P. Chong
Well-known member
I always use Phocus as a raw converter, do the first cut adjustments, and export as tiff for print or jpeg for web. Then work on it with Photoshop. For cataloging I use Bridge. I dislike the way Lightroom works. Phocus is free, and works fine. The correction for Hasselblad lenses are excellent, I understand no other raw converter does the correction based on a larger table of data than it does.
bab
Active member
Phocus is great for a start to your workflow then you need to move out and go to PS or Lightroom, Shadow slider sucks it opens the entire image, Highlight slider is great to a point. Usually the images from my H don't need much, colors from the H at 3000k when shot as daylight SUCK! (what I mean is the camera is great with 5-6k light but out of that range color balance doesn't work well. especially true for sunrise images). Phocus is the best tethering software available today nothing else compares.
Godfrey
Well-known member
It is. I don't understand the comment. LR is a single purpose tool, Photoshop is the Swiss Army Knife of graphics applications.
Last edited:
georgecleansman
Member
1. First use Phocus for best colors
2. Export 16bit psd-file to Photoshop for more corrections
3. Print with Photoshop
2. Export 16bit psd-file to Photoshop for more corrections
3. Print with Photoshop
I am still new with Hasselblad, I use LR for most of my other files - for me focus is somewhat confusing. I only have converted x1d-files for some months, but I could not detect a big difference in color quality. One thing I realized is lens correction in LR is somewhat overdone, you have to tune it down. Focus seems to do it better.
not a big fan of adobe but LR works and does a really great job with Hasselblad raw files, Phocus works well for tethered shooting, phocus mobile 2 is pretty awesome and actually the fastest tethered solution but in the end LR is a complete DAM, the photos have to be organized and stored and sent and posted,....LR just helps a lot....
I am not sure Phocus actually does a better job with the files, I find the shadow slider reacts very strange, I really like the Profile sliders in LR (nothing like it in Phocus) and generally not sure about which one handles sharpness better....I would agree that some pics might look better with one, some with the other, I don't think using only LR or Phocus really is a problem either, both work great....and much, much better then all the other raw converters...
I am not sure Phocus actually does a better job with the files, I find the shadow slider reacts very strange, I really like the Profile sliders in LR (nothing like it in Phocus) and generally not sure about which one handles sharpness better....I would agree that some pics might look better with one, some with the other, I don't think using only LR or Phocus really is a problem either, both work great....and much, much better then all the other raw converters...
Photoshop is much more complicated than Lightroom.
I guess it is not about the software. It is about the profiles. Who has the better sensor and lens profiles for Hasselblad systems, Adobe or Hasselblad ?
Adobe is cool, but they are expensive and fancy boys. Phocus is only 70mb and it is free. Crash in the middle of a photoshoot ? Download Phocus with your 5G, metadata is inside the files, no catalogs, just find your folder and go. Robust software, color profiles as easy as a white balance, never corrupted catalogs. Just Pro!
Phocus only has a weak, history mode is shit.
Lightroom history mode, virtual copies, comparative mode, and a huge list of tools are amazing, that's true.
Personally I use Phocus for tethering and also for export to jpg or tiff. After that always adobe. But for Hasselblad raws, Phocus gets the best.
Adobe is cool, but they are expensive and fancy boys. Phocus is only 70mb and it is free. Crash in the middle of a photoshoot ? Download Phocus with your 5G, metadata is inside the files, no catalogs, just find your folder and go. Robust software, color profiles as easy as a white balance, never corrupted catalogs. Just Pro!
Phocus only has a weak, history mode is shit.
Lightroom history mode, virtual copies, comparative mode, and a huge list of tools are amazing, that's true.
Personally I use Phocus for tethering and also for export to jpg or tiff. After that always adobe. But for Hasselblad raws, Phocus gets the best.
another point of view is the difference between studio shooters and reportage shooters.
In studio most of times you work on the perfect adjustment and use it for all the pictures. After the shooting all of them are nice and you can leave it exporting a batch.
But for reportage you needs to manage hundreds of pictures, it will be easier to manage always with Lightroom.
kind reagards
In studio most of times you work on the perfect adjustment and use it for all the pictures. After the shooting all of them are nice and you can leave it exporting a batch.
But for reportage you needs to manage hundreds of pictures, it will be easier to manage always with Lightroom.
kind reagards
Godfrey
Well-known member
It's interesting that you mention "never corrupted catalogs". I've been using LR since 2006 and processed well over a half a million exposures with it, my current "in progress" catalog has over 375,000 image files associated, my "completed work" catalog over 150,000. I have not once in all this time experienced a corrupted catalog. I've had hard drives go bad, and made errors in moving files around which threw the catalog off, but both of those were my or external equipment faults and my data was easily restored to normal in a few minutes.
Phocus includes profiles for some, if not all, V system lenses beyond what LR/Adobe offers.
I still go back and forth between them as I feel very comfortable with and proficient with the use of LR where Phocus remains a little alien to me. I don't think my end products are suffering any by using either...
G
Phocus includes profiles for some, if not all, V system lenses beyond what LR/Adobe offers.
I still go back and forth between them as I feel very comfortable with and proficient with the use of LR where Phocus remains a little alien to me. I don't think my end products are suffering any by using either...
G
LR does so, so, so much more then Phocus....and it does such a good job with my Hasselblad raws....I am honestly not sure a blind test would determine a winner....yes it costs money (but comes with PS and I simply need PS) and Phocus is great, features are always added, its reasonably fast and for tethering its the only way anyway....
if anyone is working in PS, LR makes more sense IMO because the raw data is kept "alive" longer, once a TIFF is exported, any changes to color and tones are more limited then with raw (or a LR to PS roundtrip)
LR makes sure catalogs are healthy and backed up, I have never had corruption.....
if anyone is working in PS, LR makes more sense IMO because the raw data is kept "alive" longer, once a TIFF is exported, any changes to color and tones are more limited then with raw (or a LR to PS roundtrip)
LR makes sure catalogs are healthy and backed up, I have never had corruption.....