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What the Phase...?

buildbot

Well-known member
Fuji effectively killed P1’s business below 150 … the idea, what I was told, was always to underscore the “value add” of P1, ie frame averaging, higher file IQ etc.; still, without firmware upgrades anymore it is a bit difficult to argue for 40k difference for 50 mpx
Frame averaging on back is nice, but you can technically do that manually in post right?
 

Paul Spinnler

Well-known member
Look, if they added in-back LCC, ie either by metadata GUI input mask (can be overlay in live view to select a favorite preset with a quick finger flip, e.g. SK43XL 10mm rise, f11) ... that would be a great, great addition to the digital back. If you could upgrade the SoC and have a lot higher efficiency, responsiveness and faster networking over WIFI, etc. ... then that would I assume give the backs another life line of 2-3 years where people could be "entertained" until Sony really pushes out a 200 / 300 megapixel sensor.

Hope they one day do a kick-ass firmware update again.
 

Ray Harrison

Well-known member
Frame averaging on back is nice, but you can technically do that manually in post right?
You can, but when the back itself is doing the averaging and delivering a single raw file with all of the IQ/DR that we all know Phase can deliver, it's another thing entirely. It's one reason why I would never give up my IQ4. It's that good. You have to know the limits, obviously, but still...

To me, it's not that we can't employ another technique to achieve a similar outcome with another system or bits of software, it's that the system does it really, really well (for me). I will complain about firmware and other annoyances, but the IQ4 is (again, for me) an amazing platform. The frustrating thing is the seeming lack of love from Phase. I'd love for them to love it :).
 

Mexecutioner

Well-known member
I must say, reading this thread, that it sounds like eulogy for Phase One. The evidence for their possible denouement seems very shaky to me. But I agree some communication from Denmark would be welcome.
Evidence? I don’t think we saw a press release, did we? At this point in time this thread is mere speculation, and I must admit it has some entertainment value.
 

Paul Spinnler

Well-known member
Evidence? I don’t think we saw a press release, did we? At this point in time this thread is mere speculation, and I must admit it has some entertainment value.
Of course there wouldn’t be a press release anytime soon if they decided to just milk the business to a slow death.

Backs are full developed and there’s a minimal operating structure in place. It will just fizzle out with sales declining year on year until it is not sustainable to run the business long term.

It will all depend on whether Sony pushes a new sensor.

It has been done in the past many times. Prime example are Hassy’s H system and before that the Flextight line of scanners. The X5 was announced in 2009 or so, I think, and discontinued in 2019.

Sales declined strongly in the last three years and a person formerly working on Flextight support at Hasselblad in Germany told me there were a 100 units sold per year at the end.

Milking to a slow death.
 
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SrMphoto

Well-known member
I love the ideas of in-camera frame averaging,p. How long does it take for the Phase back to assemble the frame averaged image?
One great advantage of Phase One should be the raw histogram? Is it working? Is it applied on live image?
 

Paul Spinnler

Well-known member
I love the ideas of in-camera frame averaging,p. How long does it take for the Phase back to assemble the frame averaged image?
One great advantage of Phase One should be the raw histogram? Is it working? Is it applied on live image?
It is instant! Instantly after the capture is done!
 

Ray Harrison

Well-known member
I love the ideas of in-camera frame averaging,p. How long does it take for the Phase back to assemble the frame averaged image?
One great advantage of Phase One should be the raw histogram? Is it working? Is it applied on live image?
The frame averaged images are built in such a way that it writes the raw file out immediately upon completion of the time sequence. The time taken is the time it takes to write any other raw file, as far as I can tell.

Yes, the raw histogram works for what I use it for and is available on live view. I use it all the time to assess headroom. I don’t know how specifically accurate it is but it does help me.
 

Paul Spinnler

Well-known member
Yes the IQ4 is amazing - you can truly create the highest quality imagery with it. Live raw histogram with frame averaging in the back - if everything needs to be perfect nothing beats these key features. If they now would just update the SoC so we have better battery life and more robust and fast Wi-Fi plus responsiveness - that would be great
 

ThdeDude

Well-known member
Yes the IQ4 is amazing - you can truly create the highest quality imagery with it. Live raw histogram with frame averaging in the back - if everything needs to be perfect nothing beats these key features. If they now would just update the SoC so we have better battery life and more robust and fast Wi-Fi plus responsiveness - that would be great
I read somewhere that P1 "IQ" nomenclature does not denote a new sensor but new electronics (eg. Trichromatic IQ4-100 using the sensor from Trichromatic IQ3-100).

So they even could call it IQ5-150!
 
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Bill Caulfeild-Browne

Well-known member
Yes the IQ4 is amazing - you can truly create the highest quality imagery with it. Live raw histogram with frame averaging in the back - if everything needs to be perfect nothing beats these key features. If they now would just update the SoC so we have better battery life and more robust and fast Wi-Fi plus responsiveness - that would be great
And reduce start up time - it's veeeeery sloooow!
 

Paul Spinnler

Well-known member
Well phase in the past also had plus nomenclatures;

An IQ4+ 150 with half a stop more DR, new electronics so it lasts a lot longer and is more responsive; an additional jack so you can use x shutter lenses and trigger it via cable release while still tethering and/or triggering via Bluetooth low energy. On the firmware side they could features like in camera LCC etc.

If they’d then also allow upgrade for less than 20k since it is an interim refresh - ie say 14k that would be nice
 

diggles

Well-known member
An IQ4+ 150 with half a stop more DR, new electronics so it lasts a lot longer and is more responsive; an additional jack so you can use x shutter lenses and trigger it via cable release while still tethering and/or triggering via Bluetooth low energy. On the firmware side they could features like in camera LCC etc.
An improved LCD would be on my list.
 

Ray Harrison

Well-known member
Maybe someone at P1, who is tasked sizing up demand, reads this!

IQ4-150 was announced when iPhone X was then the current iPhone.
My iPhone X has become more dated more than my IQ back though :) . I’m ready to upgrade my phone, but I’m still relatively happy with the back. There are some things discussed here that would make for a nice upgrade on the IQ4 - and I hope they continue to invest - but it’s still an astonishingly good bit of kit, at least to me.
 
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