David Klepacki
New member
First, I ended up criticizing the H3D in an unintentional manner, so I apologize for how that came out. I did not mean to imply that it was inferior. I only meant to share my reasons for choosing what I did. When I had dedicated backs, I always felt somewhat limited. The deciding factor for me moving to the Sinarback is really the additional flexibility and freedom to choose different tools for different jobs. As I mentioned earlier, I think all the MF systems do such an incredible job with image quality in general, we are probably nit-picking here.
Victor, save your money. I really appreciate you sending me some of your own P45+ files, so I will save you a lot of time and perhaps expense. In terms of raw resolution, the P45+ cannot be beat (and the H3DII is most likely in the same league). Most of the time, the color differences are very very subtle, and mostly in the red end of the spectrum. In fact, the biggest color discrepancy that I have seen was actually posted by Capture Integration on their website. I am not sure it is there any more (the one shooting the "red" brick wall with fence in front).
After being such a long time Phase user, I think you will not be happy going to the Sinarback, unless you wish to use more than one camera system. The reason I say this is that the Sinar philosophy is much different than Phase in the handling of their raw files. Sinar gives you the pure unadulterated raw image data (well ... as pure as possible). So, you must develop your own "styles" for handling noise, contrast, and tone curve. In the beginning, it is somewhat time consuming and perhaps frustrating, but that's what happens when you are given total freedom over the image data.
On the other hand, Phase (and again, like Hasselblad) makes it so easy to get a perfect image with minimal processing, sometimes only a few mouse clicks and you are done. They seem to take a different approach, knowing that you will have to clean up the noise and improve contrast anyway, so they do some processing of the raw image data before actually presenting it to you (and it also seems like there is hidden metadata in the images which C1 can use, that Lightroom cannot see).
For me, I had to spend a lot of time working with the Sinar images. Initially I was frustrated after coming from C1 and the P30+, but then once I was able to work with the sinar files, I don't mind the extra work, and I have a little more creative control over the images.
So, bottom line, if you just enjoy getting your images ready to print/display as quickly as possible, AND you are happy with a single back/camera system, then you should stay with the P45+. In fact, like you, I am a huge Contax/Zeiss fan, and if I could stick with just one camera and back, it would be the Contax 645 and either the P30+ or P45+.
Once I got the Sinarback, I added a Hy6 to my aresenal, basically for the Zeiss and Schneider leaf shutter lenses so that I could use higher flash sync. I also added a Hasselblad body because manually stopping down the Zeiss V lenses on the Contax became a chore, which I could eliminate by just shooting them on a genuine Hasselblad body. And, with the Hasselblad interface, I can pretty much use most view cameras with a digital back now (Horseman, Arca, Linhof, etc.). So this choice of back gives me so much freedom.
BTW, if I can figure out how to upload an image here, I can show you a sample from the Hy6 and e75LV, which hopefully conveys its look and feel.
Victor, save your money. I really appreciate you sending me some of your own P45+ files, so I will save you a lot of time and perhaps expense. In terms of raw resolution, the P45+ cannot be beat (and the H3DII is most likely in the same league). Most of the time, the color differences are very very subtle, and mostly in the red end of the spectrum. In fact, the biggest color discrepancy that I have seen was actually posted by Capture Integration on their website. I am not sure it is there any more (the one shooting the "red" brick wall with fence in front).
After being such a long time Phase user, I think you will not be happy going to the Sinarback, unless you wish to use more than one camera system. The reason I say this is that the Sinar philosophy is much different than Phase in the handling of their raw files. Sinar gives you the pure unadulterated raw image data (well ... as pure as possible). So, you must develop your own "styles" for handling noise, contrast, and tone curve. In the beginning, it is somewhat time consuming and perhaps frustrating, but that's what happens when you are given total freedom over the image data.
On the other hand, Phase (and again, like Hasselblad) makes it so easy to get a perfect image with minimal processing, sometimes only a few mouse clicks and you are done. They seem to take a different approach, knowing that you will have to clean up the noise and improve contrast anyway, so they do some processing of the raw image data before actually presenting it to you (and it also seems like there is hidden metadata in the images which C1 can use, that Lightroom cannot see).
For me, I had to spend a lot of time working with the Sinar images. Initially I was frustrated after coming from C1 and the P30+, but then once I was able to work with the sinar files, I don't mind the extra work, and I have a little more creative control over the images.
So, bottom line, if you just enjoy getting your images ready to print/display as quickly as possible, AND you are happy with a single back/camera system, then you should stay with the P45+. In fact, like you, I am a huge Contax/Zeiss fan, and if I could stick with just one camera and back, it would be the Contax 645 and either the P30+ or P45+.
Once I got the Sinarback, I added a Hy6 to my aresenal, basically for the Zeiss and Schneider leaf shutter lenses so that I could use higher flash sync. I also added a Hasselblad body because manually stopping down the Zeiss V lenses on the Contax became a chore, which I could eliminate by just shooting them on a genuine Hasselblad body. And, with the Hasselblad interface, I can pretty much use most view cameras with a digital back now (Horseman, Arca, Linhof, etc.). So this choice of back gives me so much freedom.
BTW, if I can figure out how to upload an image here, I can show you a sample from the Hy6 and e75LV, which hopefully conveys its look and feel.