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!

is it worth to upgrade now?

hey folks,

i can't stop thinking about upgrading my h3dII-50 to an 60mpix system (due to the real fullsize chip)...

the question now is: is it worth the money?

i had the opportunity to check both, the h4d-60 & the 654df with an iq back.
to be honest the h4d-60 was not that much better (not that big step forward) compared to my current h3dII-50, though still the better solution compared to the phase system (especially their body kinda sucks)

both agents (the phase guy even told me that there will be an entirely redesigned body by the end of this year) were talking about fully integrated systems, compared to the leica/pentax solution.

now... some months later i tried to get some more infos...
to sum it up: hasselblad does not give any serious news, just rumors and phase told me that there will be no new body untill the end of 2012.

what do you guys think about this? is it worth to upgrade (hasselblad has some fair trade in's) or should i rather wait untill the 'new generation' comes out... i'm not im hurry, though it would be cool to upgrade now if no extreme innovations in development are expected.


cheers!
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Always difficult planning your upgrades on gear that is only vaporware. The DF definitely needs replacing but I wouldn't hold my breath personally for it to arrive any time soon and even the end of 2012 might be optimistic (plus do you want to be the beta tester???).
 

BANKER1

Member
As an owner of an H4D60, I would say to stay with what you have. The 50 is a great back and your rig is a great system. I love my 60, but in my opinion the gain does not seem to be worth the extra money to upgrade. My upgrade was from the 22 to the 60, so for me it seemed worth the money at that time, and I seriously considered the H4D50. Even then, I felt the difference between the 50 and 60 was so insignificant as to not make that much difference.

Greg
 
graham,

of course i don't want to be a beta tester... the only reason why to change from hbl to phase are the schneider lenses... even if the hc lenses are quite good, either!

greg,

well it's not about the megapixels, but more about the sensor size...
i compared both, the h3dII-50 and the h4d-60 side by side and i do somehow have the impression that the larger sensor produces slightly more creamy images regarding the dof/bokeh... it still does not reach the 6x7 look of my mamiya 7II but somehow looks a tiny tad better... perhaps that's the typical 'wanna have' situation :/
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
I guess my point was more accurately do you really want to be among the first group trying a brand new DF replacement. I know that my own personal experience of being first on the block with new gear is that it's rarely if ever completely tested & bug free. I've just become a weary technology curmudgeon these days. :D
 

lance_schad

Workshop Member
Do you own or plan to use the 28mm or 35-90mm lens ? Your H4D50 can utilize these lenses to their fullest potential, but the H4D60 allows you to use the lens , but it does not have full coverage.
You would be surprised how many people are not aware of this.
Lance
 

BANKER1

Member
well it's not about the megapixels, but more about the sensor size...
i compared both, the h3dII-50 and the h4d-60 side by side and i do somehow have the impression that the larger sensor produces slightly more creamy images regarding the dof/bokeh... it still does not reach the 6x7 look of my mamiya 7II but somehow looks a tiny tad better... perhaps that's the typical 'wanna have' situation :/
Good point. I have never viewed the results of both sensors side-by-side. The delay of the 60 for such a long time was probably due to the programmers working to get the look you describe.

Greg
 
greg, i dont think so...
IF theres a difference between those two chips it's just because of the size...
to get the same crop you have to step a tad closer to the object/model which gives the result of a slightly more 'out of focus' background, so that a physical thing :)

im not sure though if it's just my imagination, or if there's a an effectice difference.
shame on me... i never did the same/identical shot with both cameras to compare...

anyway... is a tiny smoother/better dof worth 15k? well the h4 body seemd quite good to me + the focus was quicker indeed... not sure though if hbl i goint to put a fully integrated system on the market (heared some rumors, not verified though).
 
Hi Mr. Shirt,

We already have a fully integrated system!

Each combination of body / back / viewfinder is calibrated in factory. No two are alike! The advantage of this method is that you can still remove the "back" part to place on a tech camera or make it easier to clean. ;)

David.
 
dear david,

well, perhaps i just did not chose the right words...
with 'integrated' i mean systems like the leica s2 or pentax... without seperate finders, backs etc.... it's not that i don't like the current h system... i'm just curious since my hasselblad agent mentioned that there won't be any 'larger backs' but perhaps an 'entirely integrated' system might come in future...
 
Top