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*** Hasselblad Customer Service Rocks ***

KETCH ROSSI

New member
Some of you already know form other posts that I have been trying to make a decision on pining down my MF system for some upcoming projects and not just for them but to also make a final jump in to MF and yes, in the infamous Dante's Inferno, but I have done that 3 years ago with RED so I'm used to the heat already :ROTFL:

So as I search out which system to go with I look for Image Quality above all, secondly for their Lenses, which I guess is sure is part of the image quality, but considering that I will be hand holding the camera 90% of the time, the actual ergonomics and over all fill to me is very important, so a demo on hand of each system is an absolute must.

Well David Grover, contacted me about Demoing the H4D, in turn Jeff Payne phoned me, and then Matthew Frary phoned me and came over my California place with some goodies :shocked:

The H4D system fills extremely well in my hands, the grip a bit sharp cut, but over all the camera fits very well in my hand, some one keeps saying about the plasticky look or fill, I find this far from the truth, this camera system is and fills like a piece of solid metal, and love the lenses, the 35-90 said to be so big, its actually smaller then my Canon 70-200 IS 2.8L II

The HTS1.5 system is definitely a piece of gear that makes you want to jump to Hasselblad, but I must consider all aspect of what I need including the Aspect Ratio I'm after , which is more desirable for me to have a 3:2 then a 4:3, but this is not really the make it or brake it kind of wish to have mostly.

This today was not for a Photo SHoot in Studio type off thing, I already know what to expect image quality wise form each system as I have been doing so much research and making calls and emails out to all my friends each which might have one or the other system, and each off course says that what they use is the best of them all, righteously so, that is why they chosed :)

This again was for me to have the camera on hand and fill the body and its lenses, and especially curious about the HTS1.5, so I just held the camera in my hand with various lenses, for the entire time that Matthew was over, so to get a good fill of when I would have the system in my hands for hours at the time.

So Thanks to David, Jeff and Matthew for making this happen, and look forward to continue my demos of the other system and make a decision, but this type if customer service is truly appreciated!!:thumbs::thumbs:

 

robmac

Well-known member
That is some serious camera porn..... The 35-90 is supposed to be a he'll of an optic, and as you say surprisingly small judging from your shot. Looking fwd to reading as you move fwd in your decision process.
 

Professional

Active member
I did that demo in our local dealer of Hasselblad, i did first with H3DII-31, then with H3DI-39, all those before H4D story, then no long time after that demo i went with H3DII-39 just right after that H3DII-50 launched for a while, and a week or so ago i traded-in for H4D-60, i am happy with Hasselblad so far, and i know i would like to try another system, but why if i am happy with current anyway.
 

KETCH ROSSI

New member
He he, yeah I was excited about it too, great Lenses and love the system minus the grip thing, and the fact that I shoot mostly 3:2 and 16:9 or 2:1 with my Movie Cameras.

Now looking forward to continue demoing the Leica, Phase One P65 and Phase One Leaf Aptus II 10.

But the Hasselblad system has some serious advantage points for now, the HTS1.5 is just a great piece of machinery, and I can see my self having some serious fun with Portraits to ;)

The 35-90 is actually not only a bit smaller ten my Canon 70-200 2.8L IS II, but fills lighter, and the holding of it, is much more pleasing, possibly do to the fact that even so I'm a little guy, I have big hands, and the 35-90 just fills perfect!!
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Obviously, I feel the same way ... but like you said that is influenced by "it was my choice" :ROTFL:

A couple of notes of interest from a long time H-Digital user that has walked his way through a number of upgrades.

The quality of the ergonomics become more apparent as you work with the system for longer than a brief demo. I have become quite adept at setting camera exposure compensation and flash compensation without removing my eye from the viewfinder for example. The smart layout allows this. But like anything worthwhile, it takes getting familiar and practice.

Another thing I appreciate is the ability to assign manual WB to a user button ... in my case the stop down button. This is a one step, one shot function ... press the user button and it takes the WB shot ... no interim steps, no menu navigation. Press-Done! Very fast. This requires zero practice :thumbup:

The H4D True Focus/Focus recompose is the best thing since sliced bread IMO. Under-played as far as I am concerned after using the H4 for awhile. Practice has made it faster than using a 35mm DSLR and wheeling the focus points.

I'm just now exploring the HTS/1.5 outside of the studio. Even hand-held, but mostly on a Monopod. It is so small that it promotes taking it with you in a side pocket of the bag. It is really interesting to place the area of focus where you want it. More fun than most any accessory I've ever bought.

BUT, you really have to watch the f stops on portraits with the 100/2.2 ... which becomes an excellent 155mm with an incredibly shallow DOF when working close. I think I will be installing a split diagonal microprism screen from Brightscreen on my H4D-40 to aid in manually placing the exact area of focus with the HTS/1.5.

Having used a Contax 645, Mamiya 645 AFD-III (not the newer body), I have had much more success hand-holding my H cameras ... by setting the mirror delay a bit longer (a menu option which you can assign to a user preset), coupled with leaf shutters, I've gotten away with shutter speeds I should not have used.

My only issue right now is I want the 35-90 ... which would be perfect with the 100/2.2 and 210/4 for weddings and environmental portraits ... but it is breathtakingly expensive. :(

Enjoy your explorations!

-Marc
 

Professional

Active member
Obviously, I feel the same way ... but like you said that is influenced by "it was my choice" :ROTFL:

A couple of notes of interest from a long time H-Digital user that has walked his way through a number of upgrades.

The quality of the ergonomics become more apparent as you work with the system for longer than a brief demo. I have become quite adept at setting camera exposure compensation and flash compensation without removing my eye from the viewfinder for example. The smart layout allows this. But like anything worthwhile, it takes getting familiar and practice.

Another thing I appreciate is the ability to assign manual WB to a user button ... in my case the stop down button. This is a one step, one shot function ... press the user button and it takes the WB shot ... no interim steps, no menu navigation. Press-Done! Very fast. This requires zero practice :thumbup:

The H4D True Focus/Focus recompose is the best thing since sliced bread IMO. Under-played as far as I am concerned after using the H4 for awhile. Practice has made it faster than using a 35mm DSLR and wheeling the focus points.

I'm just now exploring the HTS/1.5 outside of the studio. Even hand-held, but mostly on a Monopod. It is so small that it promotes taking it with you in a side pocket of the bag. It is really interesting to place the area of focus where you want it. More fun than most any accessory I've ever bought.

BUT, you really have to watch the f stops on portraits with the 100/2.2 ... which becomes an excellent 155mm with an incredibly shallow DOF when working close. I think I will be installing a split diagonal microprism screen from Brightscreen on my H4D-40 to aid in manually placing the exact area of focus with the HTS/1.5.

Having used a Contax 645, Mamiya 645 AFD-III (not the newer body), I have had much more success hand-holding my H cameras ... by setting the mirror delay a bit longer (a menu option which you can assign to a user preset), coupled with leaf shutters, I've gotten away with shutter speeds I should not have used.

My only issue right now is I want the 35-90 ... which would be perfect with the 100/2.2 and 210/4 for weddings and environmental portraits ... but it is breathtakingly expensive. :(

Enjoy your explorations!

-Marc
That 35-90 will be my next no doubt lens, if i can't afford it i don't want to be forced to go with 50-110, the price is an issue here as well for this phenomenal lens.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Well nothing better than holding these in your hands and getting a feel for them. Lot's of decisions to make and you obviously want to be sure about it.
 

thomas

New member
Not sure in how far the customer service "rocks"…
They want to sell something in a very specialized market so of course they have to show/demo you the gear.
It certainly makes things easier and comfortable when they come over to your home, so that's very kind.
Absolutely no criticism here towards the service of these obviously very nice guys! Not at all!!
But… isn't it somehow a matter of course?

Thinking back… when I bought my P45 Phase One loanded me the back for a whole week - without charging anything. So I could run a lot of serious tests under different conditions. It was "only" the back, not a complete camera system, as my Contax was already in place. Still…

Nothing wrong whith being happy about good service… but let's keep our feet on the ground, no?
 

fotografz

Well-known member
Not sure in how far the customer service "rocks"…
They want to sell something in a very specialized market so of course they have to show/demo you the gear.
It certainly makes things easier and comfortable when they come over to your home, so that's very kind.
Absolutely no criticism here towards the service of these obviously very nice guys! Not at all!!
But… isn't it somehow a matter of course?

Thinking back… when I bought my P45 Phase One loanded me the back for a whole week - without charging anything. So I could run a lot of serious tests under different conditions. It was "only" the back, not a complete camera system, as my Contax was already in place. Still…

Nothing wrong whith being happy about good service… but let's keep our feet on the ground, no?
So, does that mean I can get a P65+ for a whole week for free?

Sign me up!

While we're at it, maybe a free S2 and 3 lenses for that same week?

I think it may be "free" if you buy the thing. What if you don't?

Speaking of "feet on the ground" ... :ROTFL:

-Marc
 

thomas

New member
I think it may be "free" if you buy the thing. What if you don't?
no obligations. Free even without buying.
(edit: maybe, in this particular case, that was possible as it was not a "dealer" of Phase One but a branch of Phase One itself...)

BTW:: I didn't mention it to say something like "Phase's service is better than Hassy's" or such a BS.
I just think these items are not as easy to get your hands on as, say, a D3x that you can get around the corner. So it's simply part of their job to make the gear available for testing.
It's alyways nice to get good service. It's also nice to say "thank you". But no reason to exaggerate.
 
Last edited:

KETCH ROSSI

New member
My point here was to say Thanks to the guys of Hasselblad, for their prompt response, and customer service, not that Phase One and Leica, has not promised to arrange for Demos, they did, in fact I will be soon demoing the Phase One with P65+ and Leaf Aptus II 10, as well as the Lecia S2, whihc this last has been promised to remain in my hands for demo for an entire week (SWEET), and I expect Steve and the guys form Capture Integration to do the same with few Bodies, DB's and lenses, but this was simply a Thank you note to Hasselblad, and well deserved, and Matthew was very knowledgeable and his House call, truly appreciated!

As far as the system, I off course know from experience that any system need getting used to it, I did so with every new system I went with, including the hchange form Film bodies to the 1D Canon Digital Series, to then the Red ONe cameras, and now the new Red Epic cameras, but what I look woth this demos is to get a fill first hand of the various ergonomics, and what systems each have to offer, Hasselblad has the HTS1.5, the Waist View Finder Option, and so on, and see what each individual System means in term of possible uses, and accessories, plus the over all size, lenses, and so on, then I will ultimately see the Framing factor, and the Ratio in which their sensor capture the image, and see how much I would loose with a typical 645 square sensor when cropping and what I would loose in some cases with a 3"2 645 sensor size like in the Leica and the Leaf Aptus II 10.

However only after I have evaluated each system will I be able to make an informed decision on which system by be completely a NO GO, and then I will organize a one day Studio shoot and a one day Location shoot, as I would normally be doing, and compare the systems that I have chosen to compare for final decision.. then Buy the one that will be the final chosen one ;)
 

fotografz

Well-known member
no obligations. Free even without buying.
(edit: maybe, in this particular case, that was possible as it was not a "dealer" of Phase One but a branch of Phase One itself...)

BTW:: I didn't mention it to say something like "Phase's service is better than Hassy's" or such a BS.
I just think these items are not as easy to get your hands on as, say, a D3x that you can get around the corner. So it's simply part of their job to make the gear available for testing.
It's alyways nice to get good service. It's also nice to say "thank you". But no reason to exaggerate.
Okay Thomas, let's give it a try ...

Dear Phase One ...

Please send me one P65+ and the new Phase One camera with 55/2.8LS, 80/2.8LS and 150/2.8 by next Weds. I have the biggest, most important wedding of the year on Friday which would be a perfect test. Oh, and multiple batteries please.

PM me for the shipping address.

Thank you,

-Marc

:)
 

Digitalcameraman

Active member
No problem Mark, we do that all the time for customers. Phase One, Leaf, Leica, you name it. It is part of our commitment to our manufactures and ability to support the enduser after the sale.

Week long evaluations are tough for dealers as well as manufactures. That is why we off no fee rentals if you intentions are to purchase. If you simply need to rent a system, we also can do that week after week.

In fact, Capture Integration just invested in 4 new P65+ so we could offer all platforms, Phase One/Mamiya, Hasselblad H, Hasselblad V, and Contax, yes still many people buying and renting Contax P65+. But not only do we have the backs, we have the camera body and in most cases, every lens manufactured for that system.

Lets keep one thing in mind, that is just the first step, testing it out. What happens when you take delivery of the MF back, we offer on site installation, training, and follow up support. And lets not forget what happens every time a new firmware release takes place, or you just cannot seem to get the results you thought you would get, we are there to help you with the integration and support every minute of the way.

Doug Peterson, Technical Service Manager, Capture Integration spends a lot of time at night and on weekends, keeping our site filled with the latest updates and patches. Doug put every update and firmware change through extensive testing so we can tell our user base if it is really a good idea to update your camera firmware or run the latest software. With Apple making changes to the OSX constantly, some one needs to do this. None of the manufactures can provide this because they have not invested in a voice in the community like we have done.

That is why each of our manufactures expect the dealers to be in a position to offer all of these things, before the sale, during the evaluation, during the installation and calibration process, and finally after the sale.

We are constantly investing more and more, so we can off this and support to the end user.

Now that is service.


Sincerely,

Chris Snipes
Sales Manager, Florida
Capture Integration
http://www.captureintegration.com

Phase One, Leaf, Leica, Cambo, Canon, Apple, Profoto, Eizo & More

404.522.7662 Atlanta
305.350.9900 Miami
877.217.9870 National
813.335.2473 Cell

Sign up for our Email Newsletter
Subscribe to our RSS Feed








Okay Thomas, let's give it a try ...

Dear Phase One ...

Please send me one P65+ and the new Phase One camera with 55/2.8LS, 80/2.8LS and 150/2.8 by next Weds. I have the biggest, most important wedding of the year on Friday which would be a perfect test. Oh, and multiple batteries please.

PM me for the shipping address.

Thank you,

-Marc

:)
 

fotografz

Well-known member
No problem Mark, we do that all the time for customers. Phase One, Leaf, Leica, you name it. It is part of our commitment to our manufactures and ability to support the enduser after the sale.

Week long evaluations are tough for dealers as well as manufactures. That is why we off no fee rentals if you intentions are to purchase. If you simply need to rent a system, we also can do that week after week.

In fact, Capture Integration just invested in 4 new P65+ so we could offer all platforms, Phase One/Mamiya, Hasselblad H, Hasselblad V, and Contax, yes still many people buying and renting Contax P65+. But not only do we have the backs, we have the camera body and in most cases, every lens manufactured for that system.

Lets keep one thing in mind, that is just the first step, testing it out. What happens when you take delivery of the MF back, we offer on site installation, training, and follow up support. And lets not forget what happens every time a new firmware release takes place, or you just cannot seem to get the results you thought you would get, we are there to help you with the integration and support every minute of the way.

Doug Peterson, Technical Service Manager, Capture Integration spends a lot of time at night and on weekends, keeping our site filled with the latest updates and patches. Doug put every update and firmware change through extensive testing so we can tell our user base if it is really a good idea to update your camera firmware or run the latest software. With Apple making changes to the OSX constantly, some one needs to do this. None of the manufactures can provide this because they have not invested in a voice in the community like we have done.

That is why each of our manufactures expect the dealers to be in a position to offer all of these things, before the sale, during the evaluation, during the installation and calibration process, and finally after the sale.

We are constantly investing more and more, so we can off this and support to the end user.

Now that is service.


Sincerely,

Chris Snipes
Sales Manager, Florida
Capture Integration
http://www.captureintegration.com

Phase One, Leaf, Leica, Cambo, Canon, Apple, Profoto, Eizo & More

404.522.7662 Atlanta
305.350.9900 Miami
877.217.9870 National
813.335.2473 Cell

Sign up for our Email Newsletter
Subscribe to our RSS Feed
Just yanking some chains Chris ;) ... I know first hand that you guys are stellar representatives of all the gear you handle, and no one could ask for more attention, knowledge, or direct and personable customer service. :thumbup:

Fact is most dedicated reps of all the makers are pretty darned dedicated to their customers.

BUT, indicating a test period for as long as a week is FREE without obligation to buy as claimed by the poster seemed pretty hard to deliver unless it resulted in a purchase. He was lucky that it was free to him with no obligation, but it couldn't possibly be standard procedure as implied. Feet on the ground, and all that :)

-Marc
 

Digitalcameraman

Active member
Thanks Marc, I have to say that I enjoy reading all your post, they are usually very detailed, full of practical experience, and are useful for all of us, the dealer and the endusers.

I always learn something from you, just like I did during that first S2 demo in St Petersburg. Your feedback is always appreciated.

I must say that as an enduser, you bring as much to this forum as any one single person does. Jack and Guy are lucky to have you willing to share as much technical information and spend so much time writing very concise content as you do.

Keep it up.


Chris Snipes


Okay Thomas, let's give it a try ...

Dear Phase One ...

Please send me one P65+ and the new Phase One camera with 55/2.8LS, 80/2.8LS and 150/2.8 by next Weds. I have the biggest, most important wedding of the year on Friday which would be a perfect test. Oh, and multiple batteries please.

PM me for the shipping address.

Thank you,

-Marc

:)
Just yanking some chains Chris ;) ... I know first hand that you guys are stellar representatives of all the gear you handle, and no one could ask for more attention, knowledge, or direct and personable customer service. :thumbup:

Fact is most dedicated reps of all the makers are pretty darned dedicated to their customers.

BUT, indicating a test period for as long as a week is FREE without obligation to buy as claimed by the poster seemed pretty hard to deliver unless it resulted in a purchase. He was lucky that it was free to him with no obligation, but it couldn't possibly be standard procedure as implied. Feet on the ground, and all that :)

-Marc
 
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