X1D questions

[rmatthews]

That is exactly the passage that confused me too. It really is a cruddy manual. While we are at it, the logic of a system that lets you set A, M, S and P on a physical dial and then override them on the touchscreen is rather weird: so you can have a physical dial that tells you you're in Aperture Priority but actually you could be in Program. Is that daft? It seems so to me.

Yes although I expect practice people will use one method or the other to change mode rather than alternate between the 2. Personally I'd always use the dial so I can see visually

 

[tashley]

I don't even know what that is, so YES!

Excellent. It's a Phase One 80mp back that I've had in my cupboard for a while but I rarely use.

I will have it delivered to your office. Cost will be quite significant but you can pay me partly in Negronis...

 

[tashley]

Official Hassy response (and a very fast one too!):

....we have two methods/ descriptions for exposure compensation on the camera.

The first one is exposure compensation that you set before bring the camera to the eye. This is our equivalent of dialing in a fixed amount of compensation via a dial on top of the camera. This is set via the exposure compensation setting on the rear of the camera (main display under the shutter speed setting).

The second method is described as Quick Exposure Adjust. In Aperture priority mode, you set the required aperture via the front control wheel. The rear control wheel is used for on the fly exposure compensation adjustments, the EVF display is then updated to show the adjustment you have selected.

Effectively they both achieve the same result. NOTE: Within the camera menu you have the option to reset this quick exposure adjustment after each shot or hold it until you reset it to zero. Unfortunately, this blurs the divide even more.

To sum up, if you know how much compensation you want before shooting use the Exp Compensation on the rear display. For on the fly adjustments for changing conditions use the rear wheel quick exp adjust.

The raw files are too big to transfer by Wi-Fi.

It is not currently possible to connect the camera to you Mac Book and browse the images on the SD card or import them. The only way is via a card reader. The function will be added in a future firmware update.
You can shoot tethered with the camera directly into Phocus. The images are transferred straight away to the Mac.

 

[hcubell]

Tim's Question:
"For those who have the camera:
Finally, in Aperture Priority mode, can you set the camera so that the front control wheel changes aperture and the rear wheel changes exposure compensation?"

My answer:
"Currently, no, but this is a fairly easy firmware update that I am confident will come soon. The HB H series cameras have always allowed you to customize which buttons do what, including setting the front dial for either aperture or shutter speed and the rear dial for either aperture or shutter speed."


I misunderstood Tim's question. The way the camera is configured from the factory, when you are in A or S mode, the front dial controls the aperture in A mode or the shutter speed in S mode, and the rear dial is used to dial in the amount of the Exposure Compensation, with the amount indicated in the EVF exposure "grid." (In the menus, you can set the camera to cancel the Exposure Compensation after each shot, or leave it in place after each shot.) I thought Tim was asking if you can reconfigure the front and rear dials in the menus so that the rear dial controls the aperture in A or the shutter speed in S, and the front dial controls the Exposure Compensation. As of now, you can't do that, but I expect a firmware update will allow you custom configure the various buttons.

 

[eleanorbrown]

Regarding exposure...I use the second method you mentioned on most of my shots. Very easy and simple and quick. Once I had the camera in hand i almost never look at the manual for the most part....just start pushing buttons and learn that way. Menu system has the simplicity I have been looking for ever since my film cameras only better. Sure... not perfect but think things will improve with future firmware updates. Eleanor

Official Hassy response (and a very fast one too!):

....we have two methods/ descriptions for exposure compensation on the camera.

The first one is exposure compensation that you set before bring the camera to the eye. This is our equivalent of dialing in a fixed amount of compensation via a dial on top of the camera. This is set via the exposure compensation setting on the rear of the camera (main display under the shutter speed setting).

The second method is described as Quick Exposure Adjust. In Aperture priority mode, you set the required aperture via the front control wheel. The rear control wheel is used for on the fly exposure compensation adjustments, the EVF display is then updated to show the adjustment you have selected.

Effectively they both achieve the same result. NOTE: Within the camera menu you have the option to reset this quick exposure adjustment after each shot or hold it until you reset it to zero. Unfortunately, this blurs the divide even more.

To sum up, if you know how much compensation you want before shooting use the Exp Compensation on the rear display. For on the fly adjustments for changing conditions use the rear wheel quick exp adjust.

The raw files are too big to transfer by Wi-Fi.

It is not currently possible to connect the camera to you Mac Book and browse the images on the SD card or import them. The only way is via a card reader. The function will be added in a future firmware update.
You can shoot tethered with the camera directly into Phocus. The images are transferred straight away to the Mac.

 

[rmatthews]

Usually I'm the same but in this case its a lot easier to get hold of the manual than the camera!
As it happens, I actually think the manual is one of the best I've seen with colour photographs rather than incomprehensible diagrams and isn't overly long and wordy.

 

[D&A]

Eleanor said--->>>"i almost never look at the manual for the most part....just start pushing buttons and learn that way."<<<

I hope the members of our armed forces who have contol of the various buttons that fire our minuteman missile nuclear arsenal, don't ascribe to this protocol...LOL!.

Carry on! Seriously, I am learning a lot about the X1D from this thread! Thanks all.

Dave (D&A)

 

[hcubell]

Usually I'm the same but in this case its a lot easier to get hold of the manual than the camera!

Much cheaper too!

 

[KeithL]

One advantage of having to wait is you will be more likely to get a firmware version that meets your needs.

 

[tashley]

Hang in there guys. It's worth the wait, and will only get better as firmware updates are released. Even Lloyd is raving about the XCD lenses with the exception of his finding of focus shift at minimum object distance (he refers to this as MOD). I cannot confirm the latter from my own use, but can confirm that 1) I can hand-hold the X1D like a mirrorless a7RII or D810 with excellent results and no wrist fatigue, 2) the dynamic range is superb and minimizes or eliminates the need to exposure bracket, and 3) the menu system, especially the touchscreen rear LCD, is so simple that I have had little need to consult the manual (except to try to understand what True Exposure is all about [insert scratch head emoji here]). Mind you, I'm not a studio shooter and rarely have people as my subject matter, so my use case may be different from your own.

Joe

Thanks Joe.

Reports are quite mixed though - Lloyd also found that the 90mm has weirdly shaped OOF highlights at the edges and that the shadow performance is not as good as the D810 @ISO 64 - as well as the plethora of usability issues. I do understand that some of the users here are big converts but overall there do seem to be some doubts in the mix. As for True Exposure, I started scratching my head too then realised I'd have no scalp left if I pursued my enquiries!

 

[D&A]

I was curious about true exposure after briefly reading about it in the instructions. Hasselblad previously posted a PDF which did a credible job explaining it. Apparently its another advantage of leaf shutter lenses.

Dave (D&A)