Karl Taylor’s Review of the Hasselblad X2D MARK II

[Michael Erlewine]

Karl Taylor is, for me, right on the money, answering my most serious question, that of ISO, in particular ISO minimum. I am used to IS0 64 not only with the three Hasselblad X cameras, but a large Nikon system I have been using for many years. I do find that ISO 50 is causing me problems, and Taylor's encouragement to use ISO 100 is helpful. Yet, I will use ISO 50 for those shots than can need it, but I will no longer try to use it all the time.

 

[SrMphoto]

The reason Karl uses ISO 100 instead of ISO 50 is that he needs less flash power with ISO 100, and the IQ is similar. What kind of issues are you having with ISO 50?

If you understand how ISO works, setting ISO 100 or ISO 50 actually doesn't matter, as long as you control the exposure instead of letting the camera do it. If you let the camera set the exposure, then changing ISO from 50 to 100 will reduce exposure. The only difference between ISO 50 and ISO 100 is that you can achieve a larger exposure with ISO 50 before clipping highlights.

 

[Michael Erlewine]

I understand this and am used for many years with ISO 64 being what I strive for. Now with ISO 50 (and no setting for ISO 64), it seems slightly darker. Of course I can lighten it, but probably I am just not used to it yet. I will experiment of course.

 

[bab]

All these photographers find a sweet spot which works for them If you have too much light lower the ISO not enough raise the ISO still need more raise the ISO to no more than 3 stops underexposed then lift the shadows in post is what works for me the best. If you need a super fast shutter and high burst mode you picked the wrong tool for the job J/K but you know what I mean cheers

 

[Paul2660]

It would have been a nice feature if Hasselblad had allowed for incremental ISO ranges. 50, 64,100,160,200etc. Most companies allow this now.

Paul

 

[Michael Erlewine]

All these photographers find a sweet spot which works for them If you have too much light lower the ISO not enough raise the ISO still need more raise the ISO to no more than 3 stops underexposed then lift the shadows in post is what works for me the best. If you need a super fast shutter and high burst mode you picked the wrong tool for the job J/K but you know what I mean cheers

Sorry, but this really interests me and I can't quite parse your sentence. Could you please rephrase so that I can understand it and try it.

 

[SrMphoto]

It would have been a nice feature if Hasselblad had allowed for incremental ISO ranges. 50, 64,100,160,200etc. Most companies allow this now.

Paul

Why? I like moving ISO in full stops.

 

[Ai_Print]

Why? I like moving ISO in full stops.

With the immense latitude of this sensor in shooting raw, full stops are generally fine.

But, I still wish they were 1/3rd stops like my other cameras because that represents the working thresholds of transparency film which is how I really learned the most about light.

Despite being able to dial the tones in during post, I really prefer to nail it in camera simply because that is my psychology…it’s who I am as a photographer. I vote for 1/3rd stop increments.

 

[Paul2660]

What he said. I could not have said it better. And because all my other cameras by other brands allow for it so it becomes a habit.

Paul

 

[SrMphoto]

With the immense latitude of this sensor in shooting raw, full stops are generally fine.

But, I still wish they were 1/3rd stops like my other cameras because that represents the working thresholds of transparency film which is how I really learned the most about light.

Despite being able to dial the tones in during post, I really prefer to nail it in camera simply because that is my psychology…it’s who I am as a photographer. I vote for 1/3rd stop increments.

I do not see a relation of latitude when shooting raw and full stops of ISO.
When you shot with transparency, you used to work with ISOs fixed at full stops. You can use the same technique.
Of course, the best exposure strategy for transparency is not necessarily the best one for negative or raw images.

 

[SrMphoto]

What he said. I could not have said it better. And because all my other cameras by other brands allow for it so it becomes a habit.

Paul

My question is: why fiddle with ISO to tune the brightness optimally when you have shutter speed, in case you do not post-process?

 

[Paul2660]

I guess it’s a personal preference. As you know Leica only added the incremental ISO with the SL3. For sure not a show stopper I agree. The new additions to the MKII are impressive.

Paul

 

[Ramon Vaquero]

Karl Taylor is, for me, right on the money, answering my most serious question, that of ISO, in particular ISO minimum. I am used to IS0 64 not only with the three Hasselblad X cameras, but a large Nikon system I have been using for many years. I do find that ISO 50 is causing me problems, and Taylor's encouragement to use ISO 100 is helpful. Yet, I will use ISO 50 for those shots than can need it, but I will no longer try to use it all the time.

One of the best reviews I’ve seen on the X2D II, worth watching all the video.

 

[bab]

Sorry, but this really interests me and I can't quite parse your sentence. Could you please rephrase so that I can understand it and try it.

A ETTR workflow that many photographers follow, particularly for high-end digital sensors like the one in the Hasselblad X2D II. The approach prioritizes protecting highlight information and leverages the camera's excellent dynamic range to recover shadow detail in post-processing. I liken it to shooting in Manual setting my A and my SS and using the ISO as your EC its a system that works well.
.
Here is a summary of the approach, rephrased for clarity and with additional context on the "why" for any users.

The exposure balancing act The Hasselblad X2D2 is ISOless @200 ISO
In photography, your three main settings—ISO, aperture, and shutter speed—are known as the "exposure triangle." Adjusting any one of these has consequences for the others.

• ISO for sensitivity:
  • In abundant light: Keep the ISO low to achieve the highest image quality with the least amount of digital noise.
  • In low light: Raise the ISO to make the sensor more sensitive. This allows for a brighter image but comes with the trade-off of introducing more noise.
• Balancing for the shutter: Your ISO setting often depends on your desired shutter speed. If you need a fast shutter to freeze motion but lack enough light, increasing the ISO is the way to compensate.

The "underexpose and recover" technique ETTR up to 3200 ISO optimal results.
The strategy of underexposing by a few stops and recovering the shadows in post-processing is a well-regarded technique in digital photography. It is based on the principle that it is much easier to bring back detail from dark areas than from completely blown-out highlights.

• Protecting highlights: Once highlights are "clipped"—overexposed to the point of pure white—the detail is gone forever. By underexposing slightly, you ensure that no detail is lost in the brightest parts of your image.
• Recovering shadows: Modern, high-performance sensors like the
  X2D2's 100MP chip have exceptional dynamic range (15.3 stops)
  . This means they capture a vast amount of information in the shadows, which can be safely and cleanly "lifted" in editing software with minimal noise.
• Exposing To The Right @ 3200 ISO when needed and then dropping the EXP by three stops and in PP raising the shadows will yield the cleanest images.

The right tool for the job my final point about matching your gear to the task is particularly important, especially for a specialized camera like the
Hasselblad X2D2 or choosing a 30-50 FPS body for those needed burst shots.
.

• For high-resolution stills: The
  X2D2 excels at methodical, high-quality photography, such as portraits, landscapes, and studio work, where its outstanding sensor and image quality shine not to mention the High Speed Sync due to the leaf shutter.
  .

 

[SrMphoto]

A ETTR workflow that many photographers follow, particularly for high-end digital sensors like the one in the Hasselblad X2D II. The approach prioritizes protecting highlight information and leverages the camera's excellent dynamic range to recover shadow detail in post-processing. I liken it to shooting in Manual setting my A and my SS and using the ISO as your EC its a system that works well.

ETTR makes only sense at base ISO. At higher ISO, you maximize the exposure (shutter speed and aperture), and then tune ISO so that highlights are not clipped (ISO is not part of the exposure).

ISO for sensitivity:

• In abundant light: Keep the ISO low to achieve the highest image quality with the least amount of digital noise.
• In low light: Raise the ISO to make the sensor more sensitive. This allows for a brighter image but comes with the trade-off of introducing more noise.

ISO does not change the sensor's sensitivity. Increasing ISO by itself (when not coupled to metering) reduces noise, but not significantly in ISO-invariant ranges. Decreasing exposure increases noise.

The strategy of underexposing by a few stops and recovering the shadows in post-processing is a well-regarded technique in digital photography.

That is true if you "underexpose" with ISO. If you underexpose by increasing shutter speed and/or increasing the aperture number, you will lose IQ.

 

[BigBoy]

That is true if you "underexpose" with ISO. If you underexpose by increasing shutter speed and/or increasing the aperture number, you will lose IQ.

Why is that

 

[SrMphoto]

Why is that

The exposure (shutter speed × aperture × scene light) determines how much light reaches the sensor; the more light, the higher the SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) and the less visible the noise. If you reduce the exposure, you increase the visible noise.
ISO mainly adjusts the brightness of the image and does not affect the noise, so underexposing with ISO (keeping it lower than the metered setting) does not impact the noise but helps protect the highlights.

P.S.: In an automatic metering system, increasing the ISO will reduce exposure, and noise will become more visible because the exposure has been reduced.

 

[ndwgolf]

Karl Taylor is, for me, right on the money, answering my most serious question, that of ISO, in particular ISO minimum. I am used to IS0 64 not only with the three Hasselblad X cameras, but a large Nikon system I have been using for many years. I do find that ISO 50 is causing me problems, and Taylor's encouragement to use ISO 100 is helpful. Yet, I will use ISO 50 for those shots than can need it, but I will no longer try to use it all the time.

I wish he would a tuiital for using Phocus his old one is 9 years old and there's nothing newer out there