A Few Questions and Introduction

[Mammy645]

The Mamiya Leaf Credo 60 and 80 can be purchased in an Hy6 mount. This Team Phase One product is very similar in function, quality, and operation to a Phase One IQ.

I know Doug, that's why I specifically said Phase backs. Leaf backs are nice, but they don't have pixel binning for starters, and Russel did say he wanted clean high ISO.

 

[dougpeterson]

I know Doug, that's why I specifically said Phase backs. Leaf backs are nice, but they don't have pixel binning for starters, and Russel did say he wanted clean high ISO.

Fair point.

 

[bcooter]

Fair point.

I do appreciate everyone's input but what I what not everyone has.

I do want a 4:3 crop cause I like it.

I want a ccd, cause I like it and don't really like the generic cmos look.

I don't want a mfd camera that looks like a black 35mm camera.

Everybody has one . . . at least everybody in LA and NY. Heck my Neighbor's daughter (14 years old) has a nikon dslr.

I also want when the case opens up it glows like that case in pulp fiction.

I guess I'm going to have to find the retired guy that designed the contax, have my contax' taken apart and painted by west coast customs.

Or maybe the HY6, but I'm kind of afraid of that thing. I've only seen one at a dealer and the battery was dead.

Thanks Everyone.

James

 

[Geoff]

Don't be scared. The Hy6 in this house has flawlessly gone for hikes around Mt. Hood, 14,000' in Colorado, Amazon jungles and winter cold.

 

[bdp]

Hi BC,

I went from Contax (with a Sinar back) to an H4D-40 last December, and I get my H5 this afternoon according to my dealer. I didn't fall in love with the H camera straight away, but now I'm happy with it.

Some things I noticed are:

-The mirror slap is horrendous. Set the mirror delay to 100ms and don't shoot below 1/125th handheld. Use mirror up for any still life work.

-400ISO is fine with the 40, maybe that means 200 for the non-microlensed chips. 800 is ok as long as you don't mind grain. The software's NR could be a little better but it has a nice filmic look.

-It's harder to focus manually with the Hassy compared to the Contax - don't know why, maybe it's the focussing screen, maybe the viewfinder, the lens characteristics, maybe I'm just getting old. I constantly back-focus. Ears sharp, eyes not, even at f8.

-The lenses aren't as good as the Contax regarding colour fringing. They are pretty much as sharp, but the software corrections don't remove all the green/magenta fringing around highlights at anything wider than f5.6. Lightroom will do it fine, so I bring my tiffs into LR for final tweaking sometimes.

-The camera has annoying little quirks regarding reliability. It tells me to reattach the lens, or the magazine at least once a day. Maybe I should have cleaned all the contacts with alcohol when I got it. We'll see how much better the H5 is. The lack of a vertical grip is a little annoying.

-The ability to customise the camera buttons is a real bonus.

-The software is good - not as good as C1 or Lightroom as far as features go, but it's reliable and produces great colour. I shoot tethered almost all the time. Forget about Lightroom for easy out-of-the-box colour - it sucks in my experience, even with Hassy's help creating a profile. It must be the LR 'color engine'​

Test out a camera for yourself but don't expect to love it straight away. I don't expect the H5 to be very different at all. But nice paint job.

As you say, all IMO.

Ben
www.bendearnleyphotography.com

 

[Don Libby]

Wish I hadn't read this part - now you have me thinking flames and stuff...

 

[bdp]

Well how wrong I was. Got my H5D-40 and the mirror slap is greatly reduced. When I asked my dealer what had changed he said 'everything'. He's trying to get me a list from Hasselblad. 800 and 1600 ISO seem cleaner, although I have only tried a few quick shots in my studio. Seems like Hasselblad have changed more than we think with this camera.

Ben

 

[bcooter]

Ben,

That's great to hear.

Thanks

BC

 

[KeithL]

As much as I love using my H3D when I look at it I’m reminded of Charles Laughton screaming The bells! The bells! Amazing what a difference a paint job can do, that H5D is more Jingle Bells than Quasimodo. Hey, it takes a certain confidence to talk cosmetics.

BC, good to see you here.

 

[bcooter]

As much as I love using my H3D when I look at it I’m reminded of Charles Laughton screaming The bells! The bells! Amazing what a difference a paint job can do, that H5D is more Jingle Bells than Quasimodo. Hey, it takes a certain confidence to talk cosmetics.

BC, good to see you here.

Thanks Keith, it's good to be here man. Good vibe, good place.

The H5D looks good, real good.

Peace man.

BC

 

[bdp]

Even though it's embarrassing to post shots of a C-stand, here are two 100% crops at 800 and 1600 ISO. Nothing amazing but very clean. I personally wouldn't shoot 1600 for commercial work, but I would shoot 800 now. With my H4D-40 I would only go up to 400ISO.

Ben

 

[Kolor-Pikker]

The H series is an odd duck in my eyes. The cameras don't have focal plane shutters, I tried Phocus a long while ago to process some H files and removed it the same day, battery life is pretty short, camera body looks like a Honda Element, ISO performance not at the same level as other MF cams, and the lens lineup doesn't seem as impressive as the others.

Even so... some of my favorite photos on here and elsewhere were all shot on Hasselblads, so I have to admit that it's clearly about the photographer and not the gear, but I just can't wrap my head around the lure of using as Hassy vs a similar system from another manufacturer.

I don't want a mfd camera that looks like a black 35mm camera.

Everybody has one . . . at least everybody in LA and NY. Heck my Neighbor's daughter (14 years old) has a nikon dslr.

Interesting preference; almost everyone else I know would love to have something as small and inconspicuous as possible, rather than go around wielding a 2.3kg Hassy that screams "Look at me, I'm expensive", but if that is what you want, nothing attracts attention like a 645 SLR ala Phase or Hassy - especially if you have a vertical grip on.

Speaking of which, Phase has a vertical grip with a built-in Profoto flash trigger, while oddly enough, Hasselblad doesn't have a V grip at all...

Even though it's embarrassing to post shots of a C-stand, here are two 100% crops at 800 and 1600 ISO. Nothing amazing but very clean. I personally wouldn't shoot 1600 for commercial work, but I would shoot 800 now. With my H4D-40 I would only go up to 400ISO.

Ben

Is there any NR applied, or is it zeroed out?

 

[bdp]

I kept the NR settings at default. So I guess that means there is some applied by default, but turning it off doesn't seem to create more noise. If you crank it up it just smears the details. Hasselblad needs to update Phocus's NR to match LR4 and C1-7. But I find it fine for all practical purposes.

 

[johnnygoesdigital]

Looks can be deceiving...especially in LA!

 

[Kolor-Pikker]

BC, not trying to sound like a smart-аss or anything, but I do hope that you're taking recommendations here only as a supplement? I would definitely try to use each of the cameras mentioned here in person, you may be disillusioned or pleasantly surprised using the actual hardware, instead of talking about well-worn technical details on a forum with strangers. (Yes, everyone here is strange, one way or another )

I did get to try out an H4X, DF, and S at a local dealer, and specs or image quality aside, they all have their own feel and handling quirks that I got a better impression of hands-on.

 

[Guy Mancuso]

Tech cams get all the attention. My Cambo anniversary model people would come up to me on workshops just to see the thing. Sexy little box. Lol

My favorite question , what is that. Da it's a camera. Lol

 

[Don Libby]

Yeah Guy I get that all the time, even had one-person think I was doing video. Any more I just tell them I'm doing surveying (which in a way I am )

 

[Landscapelover]

The H series is an odd duck in my eyes. The cameras don't have focal plane shutters, I tried Phocus a long while ago to process some H files and removed it the same day, battery life is pretty short, camera body looks like a Honda Element, ISO performance not at the same level as other MF cams, and the lens lineup doesn't seem as impressive as the others.

I currently have had both Phase One and Hasselblad H systems (and still have). I have different opinion from you regarding the lenses.
Hasselblad H, in my opinion, has a more complete lens system and better thought system than Phase One. It has had 23, 28, 35, 50, 80, 100, 120 (Macro), 150, 210, 300, 1.7 teleconverter, 1.5 HTS, 35-90mm and 55-100. The new series II are even better. They don't have fisheye or 500mm but no other systems have. The quality of most lenses are excellent at least with my amateur eyes.

Phase One lens system are more immature (if you don't count non-digital lenses) although the SK and some Phase One/Mamiya digital lenses especially 150mm are spectacular.

The DF body is clearly not as good as the H4D. If there is no new body in the next 2 years, I will switch completely to Hasselblad or Leica S.

Thanks,
Pramote

 

[wryphotography]

Yeah Guy I get that all the time, even had one-person think I was doing video. Any more I just tell them I'm doing surveying (which in a way I am )

people have often asked me the same thing about video with my Fuji 617. I imagine those questions wont stop once i get a tech camera.

 

[Kolor-Pikker]

I currently have had both Phase One and Hasselblad H systems (and still have). I have different opinion from you regarding the lenses.
Hasselblad H, in my opinion, has a more complete lens system and better thought system than Phase One. It has had 23, 28, 35, 50, 80, 100, 120 (Macro), 150, 210, 300, 1.7 teleconverter, 1.5 HTS, 35-90mm and 55-100. The new series II are even better. They don't have fisheye or 500mm but no other systems have. The quality of most lenses are excellent at least with my amateur eyes.

Phase One lens system are more immature (if you don't count non-digital lenses) although the SK and some Phase One/Mamiya digital lenses especially 150mm are spectacular.

The DF body is clearly not as good as the H4D. If there is no new body in the next 2 years, I will switch completely to Hasselblad or Leica S.

Thanks,
Pramote

I agree about your disagreement, which is why BC should really look at each system himself, before potentially dropping a serious amount of cash on something he will use to earn his living. Everyone has a completely different opinion of systems.