The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

CFV back

Great series Jim. You corrected the color very well in my opinion. I am impressed with your results. The images have a depth to them that is apparent even in the small web jpgs. Al Tanabe got into the CFV back last year and tried to explain to me just how good it is, but I didn't get it. I am starting to get it and I am hiding the debit card.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Thanks Jack

Wish I had seen this while it was still up for bid. This is less than the price of the back alone. Maybe Sean withdrew the item because of the low bids. In any event I will give him a call to see what he has in the way of a back as I obviously don't need the body.

Woody
Woody, if the unit is still available I seriously doubt he'll sell just the back.

Like your "Yellow Bird", the 503CWD is a matching special edition camera/back ... in this case specifically made to celebrate Victor Hasselblad's anniversary. 500 units were made and the camera is now out of production.

The CFV back alone is still available, and as an entry level back occassionally comes up F/S used ... as people move to higher meg full 645 sensor backs.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
a couple of things i have discovered, might not be obvious:

a shade is handy if you are trying to see much in the LCD in bright light;
There are a number of items sold for this purpose. One I use is from Hoodman called the Hoodloupe ... a black rubberize loupe you can hang around your neck.

i may add some sort of shaded mask (like the crop screen in PS) in the viewfinder to match the 4x4 format
There should have been a new focusing screen included with the CFV kit to install in your Hasselblad camera that has the crop area clearly etched in. If you have that, and still want the area outside the etched area blocked out, there are a number of plastic versions available to insert in the viewfinder that were/are used for other 16 meg square backs. Ask a dealer

flexcolor can be downloaded for free as long as you give the your back ser. #
when tethered, FC will also load the latest firmware onto your back
don't expect the shots to look their best in the FC viewer, even after exposure, B and C, sat (i don't sharpen in FC). CS3 will finish them off fine
One of the drawbacks of Flexcolor was the low res. large preview. As a registered owner you can now download the new Phocus beta software which is a whole new ball game. Very similar to Lightroom while retaining all the same advantages of Flexcolor. You need to leave Flexcolor on your machine as Phocus draws on it for some things like color profiles

firewire tether to the macbook pro also supplies power to the back, you can leave the battery in your bag
This is true for desktop towers, but not lap tops. For lap tops you can get a Firewire 800 repeater with a separate power source from a place like Granite Digital. To shoot to a laptop in the field you'll need the battery. Hasselblad also makes a Image Bank that works with all of it's FW800 backs including the CFV. It holds 1000+ images and uses the same battery as the CFV does. It powers the back when connected.

sony ilink may work, but it will not supply power, as it is only two wire
FC is slow to process your .rrr file compared to C1 and M8 files, must be the bigger size?
Phocus is much faster, and will be even faster once the full version is optimized and released out of beta testing.

a few questions?
do .rrr files have to be processed in FC, or will C! or CR or LR do it?
Yes, you have to initially open CFV images in Flexcolor or Phocus. At that point you have the option to convert all images to DNGs and save them to a separate folder. This process is very fast.

what is the point of Fc changing .rrr files to .dng?
To be able to edit in other software that supports the DNG file format like Lightroom or PSCS3. I use Flexcolor or Phocus for commercial work and when tethered shooting to the computer screen, but when shooting weddings where I'm using multiple cameras, I convert the Hasselblad files into DNGs and drop them in the same folder with files from all the other cameras then sort by time shot. This organizes all the shots into a story flow as it happened regardless of which camera was used. Another reason is that other people are more comfortable using things like Lightroom.

I have to dig more into FC, but can you batch WB, for example?
Yes (see answer provided below.) Plus, when shooting tethered, you can white balance the first shot using a grey card and all the following shots will automatically be corrected.

is it possible to load a camera profile into FC that automatically sets a few things?
Yes, In the preferences there are options and those options will appear as choices when selecting specifics in Flexcolor

thx

jm
See my inserted answers in your quote above,

--Marc Williams
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Great series Jim. You corrected the color very well in my opinion. I am impressed with your results. The images have a depth to them that is apparent even in the small web jpgs. Al Tanabe got into the CFV back last year and tried to explain to me just how good it is, but I didn't get it. I am starting to get it and I am hiding the debit card.
Mark, the CFV an interesting digital back, that for some odd reason that I cannot explain, produces files that are beyond what they should be.

Other backs of the same 16 meg sensor size, or even 22 meg 645 versions with similar pixel sizes (9 microns), just don't look as good right out of the camera ... and still are lacking something even after processing compared to the CFV.

I honestly cannot explain why this is as it defies logic.
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Thanks Marc..........I thought so.

I am getting along fine with the camera so far. It took a bit of work to figure out how all the buttons worked on the lenses though. I didn't realize that the DOF button as they call it could be locked and of course when locked the viewfinder dimmed as the aperture lever was moved. I finally figured out how to unlock it and now everything is o.k. Couple of other idiosyncrasies but once figured out it really is a simple camera. Hasselblad just needs a users manual that has the info one needs! Thanks to you for being my manual. You are great.

Woody
Here ya go Woody, some "homework" for you : -)

your 501CM camera manual; info on the meter prism(s) we were talking about ( Hassey meter prisms are very accurate, and I stopped using a hand meter after the prism kept gave the same reading every time); and the extention tubes I recommended for your new 120 Macro :

http://www.hasselbladusa.com/media/03ccadc1-e0ee-4c36-a563-2c867ae4032b-500CM.pdf

http://www.hasselbladusa.com/media/12e6629d-7217-49cf-8b6d-e94bd9b71780-A_magazine.PDF

http://www.hasselbladusa.com/media/...4-Prism_Viewfinder_PM5_and_Meter_PV_PME51.PDF

http://www.hasselbladusa.com/media/d97a83bd-1f18-484c-9615-120f74f33eca-Meter_Prism_Finder_PME.PDF

http://www.hasselbladusa.com/media/61c0bacb-b7c5-4e28-ab25-36dc02c93789-Extension_Tubes.PDF
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Geez John we we have to start reading the manual than the trouble starts . LOL

i actually need to read mine again too. This looks like a nice back to have , glad you are enjoying it and nice to see you take a step up also. Feel like a kid again myself. This is just too much fun. LOL
 

jlm

Workshop Member
the combo is what i have been looking for in digital:
a real GG viewfinder (well, almost) where you can see without squinting
square format (always my fave)
blad/zeiss optics and build quality and that unique form factor
true manual functions...even a spot meter
image quality
tethered if needed
blad support, which seems to have it together compared to you know who
and if i get a wild hare...i can put the back on a little view camera, o boy
 

woodyspedden

New member
Well

I am on the slippery slope thanks to this forum and specifically to Jack for finding me a used 503 CFD anniversary Hassy V. Sean, at Camera West had a second (mint he says and i trust Sean) for sale at $8790 including shipping which is $1K less than the price of a new back alone.

So for landscapes and other slow deliberate shooting, I am now on the V series digital. Got me a couple of lenses (also mint) for less than 1/2 price (50 4.0 and the 120 Makro) so I am set for taking lots of 9 micron pixel pics. Based on what I see from John Milich's work I can't wait to start shooting with this beast. Also having a film body as well from Marc it will be interesting to compare the images in final print form.

Please everyone, wish me well because now I am truly broke!

Woody
 

PeterA

Well-known member
Good luck with it all Woody - I knew you would 'fold' under the pressure! LOL

You will love the IQ you get from this stuff !
Pete
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Well

I am on the slippery slope thanks to this forum and specifically to Jack for finding me a used 503 CFD anniversary Hassy V. Sean, at Camera West had a second (mint he says and i trust Sean) for sale at $8790 including shipping which is $1K less than the price of a new back alone.

So for landscapes and other slow deliberate shooting, I am now on the V series digital. Got me a couple of lenses (also mint) for less than 1/2 price (50 4.0 and the 120 Makro) so I am set for taking lots of 9 micron pixel pics. Based on what I see from John Milich's work I can't wait to start shooting with this beast. Also having a film body as well from Marc it will be interesting to compare the images in final print form.

Please everyone, wish me well because now I am truly broke!

Woody

Congrats Woody. Your going to be amazed is about all I can say and you think your broke now.:ROTFL::ROTFL::ROTFL:
 

Terry

New member
Congratulations Woody!!!

Thank goodness I bought my M8's many months after all you guys. I'm still climbing the mountain and am not yet near the edge of the slippery slope :D:D:D.
 

David K

Workshop Member
Woody... best of luck with your new kit you're going to have great fun using it I am sure. Don't worry about being broke... there are several steps beyond broke. When you get to financially pulverized then you can start worrying.
 

PeterA

Well-known member
I have bought so much stuff in this GetDPI place I don't know what to do with it..one day I might sell something just to see what it feels like! LOL
 

jlm

Workshop Member
son #2, first shot with cfv, by the way all shots are iso 400 so far.
how do you save a tif for the web on the mac? i did it using the "save for web", but it wanted to make a gif not jpg???
 

PeterA

Well-known member
Jim - use save for web and choose jpeg as your file type ( this is an option ) in the save for web working area..

Pete
 

robmac

Well-known member
Very, very nice. If I keep reading threads like this, I can see one of my motorcycles being sacrificed on the Hasselblad altar in the near future.

Off all the research (oops, uh, um, leisure reading) I've been doing on the CFV, the only functional complaint I've read is that the AWB can tend to give a yellowish cast.

Lets see, 16MP on a sensor 50% larger on the short side (36x36) than my 1Ds2, no AA filter, Zeiss lenses that are readily available used, LARGE focus screen, simple function, body repairable damn near anywhere, oh yeah, come to poppa.:grin:

Congrats and keep the 'first impressions' coming.

On the H lenses. I hear you. Spent 1 hr idiotically shooting my 110/2 (on my 1Ds2) at what I thought were a number of apertures - until I remembered that little aperture 'preset' button. The 110/2 takes sweet shots wide open BTW.
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
John: You can also use try web action I gave you in Moab. Does a bit more than the save for web in CS...
 

jlm

Workshop Member
thks

by the way, just looked at the shot for the first time on my calibrated monitor where is looks too red. have to calibrate that mac, where i process infrequently
 
Top