XF Self Timer w/ Exposure Bracketing?

[Craig Stocks]

Maybe I'm missing something simple but how do you set the XF self timer (if there is one).

Second, how can you use exposure bracketing and vibration detect mode together? I'd like to lock up the mirror, enable vibration detect or a self timer and use auto exposure braceting but vibration and braceting seem to be mutually exclusive.

 

[GrahamWelland]

Self timer and vibration release are on the same control. Looking at the top LCD press the drive icon (bottom left). From there press the vibration release icon and it'll open up the delay settings (0.5s onwards). If you just want timer delay I think that you need to go to the menu and change vibration release to off vs auto/on - I'm going from memory here. If you have vibration release auto it'll count down the timer but will release earlier if the camera is still.

I found that for the bracketing / low vibration you need to change the drive mode to bracket and within the bracket panel there are icons across the top - toggle the one on the right to vibration release.

Mirror lock up you toggle via the icon on the right bottom of the touch panel. It'll stay up once the shutter is pressed and the sequence plays out. It'll pop up/down and return if you use live view in this mode too.

 

[Craig Stocks]

Thanks, but how can I enable vibration AND exposure bracketing at the same time? It seems that chosing any of the drive modes resets the others so I get one or the other but not both at the same time.

 

[GrahamWelland]

When you go to the drive mode panel, press and hold the bracket icon. On that panel you should see icons at the top. The one to the right is normally set to multiple and the other option is vibration/timer.

 

[Paul2660]

Hi Craig:

I believe you can have either Vibration mode on or continuous mode while exposure bracketing. When you select bracketing on the top main display of the XF, hold down the bracketing icon for a sec or 2. It will bring up a more detailed menu. At the top you will see the bracketing icon, on the top right, you have the continuous icon or vibration reduction mode. You can cycle between the two. If you pick continuous, then vibration mode won't come on as I understand it, so you have to depress the shutter each time or fire the camera from the LCD of the back (which is what I do most of the time via the camera controls).

The XF is unique also in that it allows timing past 30 seconds, in fact, there is not a bulb mode that I can see, and the longest exposure is 1 hour. However I think that if you wanted to bracket say longer than 30 seconds, you would just move the shutter speed dial to 30 seconds or longer, and then select bracketing, it should then go through up to 5 shots, (it may do a total of 7 I can't remember) and then bracket the exposure stops based on what you selected under the bracketing details.

In normal exposure ranges, of 1 second and shorter, I have shot several 4 bracket tests, and the vibration reduction does work in between the shots, you can't really see this in effect if you are on a tripod as the Vib mode may not need much time, but if you lightly touch the a tripod leg, you can watch the vibration mode go in to effect.

It's seems to be a pretty nice setup.

Paul C

 

[DougDolde]

Rather poor documentation for the XF. Too little info on advanced settings like this

 

[GrahamWelland]

I agree. The download of the latest XF manuals from the Phase One site helped but I must admit that I found out this stuff by trial and error whilst out shooting.

Initially I was also wondering how the heck to use the bracketing with vibration/MUP and came across the option by chance when I pressed the bracketing set up and the icon on the top. When it shot my bracket set with vibration control/timer as a sequence I literally had a 'whoa!!! Wth!' moment.

Bracketing 5 images on the XF with my IQ150 is fabulous for the enormous DR option it creates. I'm not sure that I'll need the 7 image bracket set but it's nice to have and certainly if you want small EV changes as a set it's beneficial. It is also liberating being able to set the EV range to sensibly large ranges. Heck a bracket set of 3 images +/- 2EV covers everything I've run into, particularly given the our DR of the base images.

If I recall my shooting last weekend though it shoots 0, -, + exposures. I need to see if I can change that somewhere in the menus to -,0,+

 

[dougpeterson]

Rather poor documentation for the XF. Too little info on advanced settings like this

If you have any questions about your XF your dealer should be able to answer them for you instantly without having to parse through a manual.

The features have and will continue to change as XF firmware updates roll onward.

The ability to turn on vibration mode as an addition to bracketing is indeed a nice feature.

 

[DougDolde]

OK I get it. You can't delay in continuous mode. I shot two days this week at the Alabama Hills in Lone Pine and was bracketing -2/0/+2 in continuous mode. Always mirror up and using the leaf shutter when the lens has one. No complaints about sharpness with the resulting images.

Also it was the first time I used the waist level viewfinder. I absolutely love it. No prism release issues, makes the camera sleeker and a bit lighter than with the prism mounted. Didn't shoot any verticals though, I'd have to use the prism for that.

See the set of 25 from this shoot here: http://www.douglasdolde.com/-/galleries/recent-images

 

[Paul2660]

As a huge vertical shooter, I agree the waist level is a no go for that.

Paul C

 

[Paul2660]

OK I get it. You can't delay in continuous mode. I shot two days this week at the Alabama Hills in Lone Pine and was bracketing -2/0/+2 in continuous mode. Always mirror up and using the leaf shutter when the lens has one. No complaints about sharpness with the resulting images.

Also it was the first time I used the waist level viewfinder. I absolutely love it. No prism release issues, makes the camera sleeker and a bit lighter than with the prism mounted. Didn't shoot any verticals though, I'd have to use the prism for that.

See the set of 25 from this shoot here: Images of the American West | Recent Images

This also brings up a question I have had on the XF. You can select Leaf priority or focal shutter. I have also always selected leaf shutter, but I still believe I am hearing the focal fire, as the DF series did. Is this correct? or does selecting the LF disable the Focal in the XF, you do not hear it open up and stay up. Each time I fire the XF in this mode I am hearing the same shutter noise as when I have focal selected.

Edit: I just went and test fired, in Leaf Priority and FPS and the sound is the same. You can hear the focal firing in both mode. So I am not sure what Lear Priority does. Also, when you select LS priority, you don't hear the FPS shutter open, there is no sound, like when you take off the back and the FPS shutter does open for protections. This implies to me that both shutters are still firing.

It would be nice to know for sure what is happening.

Paul C

 

[etrump]

I asked the same question at Imaging USA and was told by Phase One engineer that in LS mode the FPS opens first, fires the LS exposure followed by FPS closing.

This also brings up a question I have had on the XF. You can select Leaf priority or focal shutter. I have also always selected leaf shutter, but I still believe I am hearing the focal fire, as the DF series did. Is this correct? or does selecting the LF disable the Focal in the XF, you do not hear it open up and stay up. Each time I fire the XF in this mode I am hearing the same shutter noise as when I have focal selected.

Edit: I just went and test fired, in Leaf Priority and FPS and the sound is the same. You can hear the focal firing in both mode. So I am not sure what Lear Priority does. Also, when you select LS priority, you don't hear the FPS shutter open, there is no sound, like when you take off the back and the FPS shutter does open for protections. This implies to me that both shutters are still firing.

It would be nice to know for sure what is happening.

Paul C

 

[steve_cor]

When the XF was first released, Doug Peterson wrote that there are several camera modes where only the leaf shutter fires.

When shooting while in live view mode, the mirror is already up, and the focal plane shutter is already open.

When you select mirror lockup, the focal plane shutter also opens and stays open, so only the leaf shutter will fire.

Don't ask me, I don't have one. But you can find it on this page on post #6:

http://www.getdpi.com/forum/medium-...body-iq3-backs-35ls-120ls-c1-8-3-website.html





--Steve.

 

[Paul2660]

Hi Steve,

Yes, exactly right. I had never tried Liveview on my 260 with XF, (no point due to the known issues with CCD liveview). But when you fire the shutter, yes, only the LS fires. But with current Phase One design, with Liveview, you lose the camera controls from the LCD, which I use a lot when shooting slower exposures on tripod or bracketing, less change to get slight misalignment from hitting the shutter.

In Mirror up mode, I had been fooled also, as you still hear the focal closing. So on a 1/100th shot it's hard to tell, but when you move to 1/2 a sec you can follow what is happening easier. It does sound like when you depress the shutter, only the LS fires, then you hear the focal close.

Edit: It seems that on shutter speeds longer than 1.0 seconds, you lose the LS advantage, as the indicator on the XF goes back to FPS. But I have to say overall this is really a great camera and you can now take full advantage of the LS shutter.

This is impressive as the focal does through around a lot more torque. And with a CMOS back would be just one more great reason to have CMOS over CCD (live view). Now if only Phase would add the camera controls to the camera LCD while in Live view, or get out a remote release.

The manual on the XF does not go into any detail on this, so thanks to you and Ed both.

Paul C

 

[mjr]

Paul

How are you finding the IQ260 on the XF? I have a dilemma now, needing an easier hand-holdable solution for portrait work, I am trying to decide if it's worth going for an XF with the IQ260 or to just leave the back on the tech cam and pick up a DSLR for the non landscape/architecture work. Any thoughts from having used the combination?

Cheers

Mat

 

[Paul2660]

Hi Mat, I Love the XF, I have to say, it's probably the single best Phase One product I have owned. I had pretty much stopped using my DF then DF+ and moved to the tech camera, but over the last 5 years, I was getting lazy or tired of the workflow. I love movements especially the increase in perceived Dof I can get with tilt on the 32mm and or 40mm, but I was really worn down with the Copal shutter and the issue they add to the equation, (lack of 1/3 or 1/2 shutter speeds and inaccuracy of selected shutter, 1/90 shot when 1/60 selected), etc. It matters on CCD, less than CMOS as CCD is so very critical of having the right light.

I have to say, I love this forum also, just picking up the responses from Steve and Ed, and I have learned a lot more on the XF.

I am slowing moving back to the XF (non tech) route of shooting as for me it just works better. With the XF, the vibration reduction mode is a great feature, and you can use it hand held, you just have to get used to the mirror being up and not seeing the subject at the last second. I was showing another photographer who had a Df how this works just the other day. It fools you a bit for on a tripod, if you have your Vibration delay set to 4 seconds, most times (using the camera controls on the back), the camera will fire long before 4s, but for a test lightly tap a tripod leg for a sec or two, and the camera holds off firing until the movement has stopped. No OIS, or on sensor reduction, but it still seems to get the job done, so Kudo's to Phase One. For Pano work, being on a tripod, the camera controls on the LCD of the back are great to have, as you can fire the shutter with basically just a slight tap on the LCD, much less pressure than pushing on the actual shutter, (sure a remote release would be nice), The XF unlike any other MF or DSLR 35mm, has a vastly improved timer, in that you can use the camera to time longer exposures, past 30 seconds, I would like to see a bit more incremental stops there, and Phase might add this later on.

The 260 and XF work great also, I just added the latest firmware to the 260 6.08.1 and XF 1.08.1 and the combination is great. The single AF point does create problems if you are on a tripod and trying to do bracket focus, (with a CCD back), on CMOS this would not be an issue. But the AF is very accurate and hits on the first try, 99% of the time.

The top LCD of the XF also adds a lot of user controls, and being a touch screen is a vast improvement over any other similar type of camera.

I purchased the XF as an upgrade from my DF+, back when the XF was first announced. My only issue with the camera is the 1 year warranty which to me should be more like 2 years, when the overall price is considered. It seems you only get the 5 year warranty on the XF when you purchase a new Phase One back which comes with the 5 year value add, (does not apply to back upgrades, the back gets 5 years, not the XF). The XF has a lot of moving parts so it will be interesting to see how the reliability curve is set over time.

I would for sure try one on your 260, with an LS lens and see what you think. I think to really fully take advantage of all the features the LS lenses are key.

Paul C

 

[mjr]

Thanks for the insight Paul, very interesting. I am going to trial the XF and see how I get on, it would be nice to have a single solution although I really miss the Leica, that is just the perfect camera for handheld stuff.

Thanks again.

Mat

 

[MGrayson]

Paul

How are you finding the IQ260 on the XF? I have a dilemma now, needing an easier hand-holdable solution for portrait work, I am trying to decide if it's worth going for an XF with the IQ260 or to just leave the back on the tech cam and pick up a DSLR for the non landscape/architecture work. Any thoughts from having used the combination?

Cheers

Mat

Mat,

I know you want a serious answer, but after your time with the S, it will be very hard to look through any other viewfinder. As far as CCD usability goes, the best portrait photographer I know personally still uses his S2 (original S2, not even 006) - granted it's mostly studio work.

I've also found the S and tech cameras to be the two most pleasant systems to use. Although I've not tried the XF, the handling and balance of the DF+ was miles behind the S.

Whatever you choose, I'm grateful for the way you express your opinions and for the photography that accompanies them.

Best,

Matt

 

[mjr]

Hi Matt

Yes, I have no doubt that the S has spoilt me, having used the 006 for 18 months and the 007 for 4 months, if there had been a way to keep the 006 I would have taken it! I'm a small business though, I have some very lucrative clients but I'm not getting rich anytime soon so will often take random jobs, I was actually thinking that for the price of the XF I could buy the Nikon D5 and a couple of zooms to adequately cover anything the tech camera can't do but not sure I can face that viewfinder! It's a real shame that Leica haven't produce a really good wide or shift lens, I returned the 24 as it just didn't get sharp in the corners and wasn't really wide enough for what I need to do, the Cambo is exactly the right tool but I will get back in to the S when I can, apart from the architecture stuff, it is by far the best system I have used.

Thanks for the compliment too!

Mat

 

[MGrayson]

Mat,

Interesting you mention the D5. After the S, the best feel in the hand (for me) are the Canon 1 bodies. I imagine the big Nikons are similar. The solidity and speed of the big bodies more than makes up for their weight (and they're lighter even than the S - I think). The newest zooms are shockingly good as long as you don't compare them to the two systems you've used most recently :facesmack: .

Best,

Matt