Bill Caulfeild-Browne
Well-known member
Hap 2 and focus trimming is indeed time well spent!
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Help with Phase One XF decision please!
- Thread starter Greg Haag
- Start date
Greg Haag
Well-known member
Thanks to everyone for all of the great advice and insight! I have decided to move forward with the XF and primes at the moment and have a couple follow up questions. I am going to purchase (probably a used HAP 2) XF on Monday, probably 80% of my use will be landscape or stills of some type the other 20% being portrait. Would you get the waist level view finder or the prism? Second question, on the primes (particularly for weight) are there any of the non blue rings I should consider?
Thanks again for all the help!
Thanks again for all the help!
kdphotography
Well-known member
Your dealer should be able to help you here. My middle-aged eyes have a habit of bringing things into focus on their own
making focus trimming my lenses difficult. Brad Kaye at Capture Integration helped me focus trim my lenses. It does make a difference. If you upgrade your MFDB, you will need to focus trim your lenses again.The Blue Ring lenses that are completely new designs are definitely better than the previous generation lenses of the same focal lengths. E.g., Phase Schneider 150mm f/2.8 LS BR is big and heavy----and noticeably superior to previous 150mm generation lenses.
ken
My mistake. Yes, the completely new BR lenses are big improvements. The ones simply re-badged with a blue ring may be much the same.
Greg Haag
Well-known member
Thanks Ken! My eyes certainly could be a problem on focus trimming. Steve and Brad at CI have been great to work with, I bought my backs, Cambo and Rodenstocks from them, so maybe that would be a smarter choice for me.Your dealer should be able to help you here. My middle-aged eyes have a habit of bringing things into focus on their own
The Blue Ring lenses that are completely new designs are definitely better than the previous generation lenses of the same focal lengths. E.g., Phase Schneider 150mm f/2.8 LS BR is big and heavy----and noticeably superior to previous 150mm generation lenses.
ken
I am interested in an option for my backpack that is lighter when needed. My tech camera backpack is 32lbs when fully loaded (including tripod & head), I was hoping to have a setup that might also give me a lighter option (maybe 25lbs), if the optics are good on some of the non-blue ring that might help me get there.
Greg Haag
Well-known member
Thank you Miles! I like the idea of the lighter weight of the WLF, looks like it save almost 1lb. I would like to assemble 3 lenses total for this and try to build a backpack with a total weight as close to 25lbs as possible. My tech camera pack is approximately 32lbs fully loaded and I can shave to about 27 lbs if I need to by leaving a lens out as well as a few other items. I like to hike in the mountains with gear and sometime the difference of 6-7lbs in my pack seems huge. Maybe my age and fitness is catching up with me. Thanks again!
Mexecutioner
Well-known member
If you want to save some weight and space in your pack the WLF comes in very handy. This is what i call my MF point and shoot kit. Look how small it is with the WLF and the 80BR. Different story with the optical viewfinder.
Greg Haag
Well-known member
Nice setup Rodrigo, I was hoping you would post that image! Is that setup 6lbs or so?
Bill Caulfeild-Browne
Well-known member
I agree with the comments about the WLF. Big weight saving and I enjoy the two-dimensional image even if it is backwards! Actually divorces one from the scene so composition takes charge. But don't use it for wildlife - you'll be panning the wrong way!
Bill Caulfeild-Browne
Well-known member
I should add that BR lenses have an advantage with focus trim as the XF remembers the specific lens, though that really doesn't matter to most of us.
Greg Haag
Well-known member
Great point on composition!
Mexecutioner
Well-known member
It's 6.3 lbs.
Greg Haag
Well-known member
Nice!!
Greg Haag
Well-known member
Thank you for your insight! Ater all the talk about weight on the 40-80, I decided to go with primes instead. I have the 35 on the way and thinking about the 55 and 120 for my base kit. The 55 and 120 kind of fill in some focal length gaps for me, on the tech camera side I have the 32, 90 & 180.
Thanks again!
Paul Spinnler
Well-known member
I have an S3, the XF and the XT. IMHO the S has the most gorgeous files in terms of color science and the most unique look and amazing lenses, while the XF is clunky and heavy and not as compact. I love the S to bits, but it is primarily a camera for portraiture (environmental / real portraits) and holidays. So I think it depends a bit on the use case. I also have a leather half case for the S so I really swing it behind the back when I am out and about. The XF with the phase back is another beast, a lot heavier and I feel also a bit more anxiety taking it everywhere - it is more of a deliberate camera in the sense that I have it in a backpack and with a tripod. I use the S by far the most, followed by the XT and only then the XF. But your case may wary of course. Maybe also borrow one if you haven't used one, to see how you feel comfortable with it as your main MF camera.
Hi Greg,
My impression based on very limited handling of the XF + BR lenses is that the combination is a beast. YMMV, of course. Not to derail this thread or refute the excellent input you're getting here, but if reducing weight/bulk for backpacking is more of a concern than moving to the DSLR form factor, have you considered the Cambo WRC400? It's quite compact compared to its bigger WRS brothers. Note however that shift is limited to one axis (although this is one more than you can do with the XF!). Also with the 150 Mp BSI sensor, the symmetrical design Schneiders (e.g., 35, 60) are a viable alternative to the much bulkier retrofocus design Rodenstocks. You might be able to assemble a nice, light kit without giving up many of the advantages afforded by the tech cam form factor if the latter matters to you at all. Again, apologies for the distraction if this is orthogonal to what you have in mind.
John
My impression based on very limited handling of the XF + BR lenses is that the combination is a beast. YMMV, of course. Not to derail this thread or refute the excellent input you're getting here, but if reducing weight/bulk for backpacking is more of a concern than moving to the DSLR form factor, have you considered the Cambo WRC400? It's quite compact compared to its bigger WRS brothers. Note however that shift is limited to one axis (although this is one more than you can do with the XF!). Also with the 150 Mp BSI sensor, the symmetrical design Schneiders (e.g., 35, 60) are a viable alternative to the much bulkier retrofocus design Rodenstocks. You might be able to assemble a nice, light kit without giving up many of the advantages afforded by the tech cam form factor if the latter matters to you at all. Again, apologies for the distraction if this is orthogonal to what you have in mind.
John
Greg Haag
Well-known member
Paul, thank you so much for your insight and feedback! I bet the S3 is a joy to shoot! For me I envision the XF being my secondary camera and my Cambo being my primary, with the XF being what I use when time is a consideration or occasionally for portraits. Wanted something that I could still take advantage of IQ4 150 back.
Thank you so much for you feedback!
Thank you so much for you feedback!