H5D-Shooting Square Format?

[dave.gt]

The magical Square.

We have a project upcoming that I would like to shoot in Square format. It is probable that I will be shooting film with the 503cxi and also shooting with the H5D-50c for an upcoming book/gallery.

What do I need to be set up for shooting Square with the H5D? I am thinking that there may be a number of people in this forum who have/are shooting in this manner with MFD.

 

[dave.gt]

Ok, after a lot of searching online, I am having no luck finding a way to shoot Square format images with the H system. Surely there is a way other than taking a square crop after the fact, or is there?

I would prefer to have a visual confirmation of composition when shooting...:bugeyes:

 

[Shashin]

Dave, I would drop in a square viewfinder/ground glass mask to shoot with and then crop in post. I would imagine you could place a sheet between the prism and ground glass yourself.

I bought an X Pro2 just so I could shoot 1:1. But I can change the framing lines by setting the jpeg aspect ratio. The jpeg becomes my reference image.

 

[dave.gt]

Dave, I would drop in a square viewfinder/ground glass mask to shoot with and then crop in post. I would imagine you could place a sheet between the prism and ground glass yourself.

I bought an X Pro2 just so I could shoot 1:1. But I can change the framing lines by setting the jpeg aspect ratio. The jpeg becomes my reference image.

Thanks, Will,

I have been looking for one all day. No idea where to find one.
Still looking!

 

[tcdeveau]

Thanks, Will,

I have been looking for one all day. No idea where to find one.
Still looking!

Hi Dave,
I don’t think one exists. You may have to experiment and make a mask yourself. It may be as simple as just putting in a sheet of paper with a square cutout over the screen on the body and under the viewfinder for framing while shooting, and then cropping in post. A more expensive route would be to get a replacement screen and mark the glass. Either way, I think this is one of those things that’s a DIY project.
-Todd

 

[jng]

Dave,

Shooting square with medium format digital unfortunately involves cropping the file after the fact, I suppose the modern-day equivalent of shooting Superslides with the A16S back on V system bodies (I have boxes and boxes of old Superslides stuck in a drawer). The good news is that you have some leeway when making the actual crop. Another trick I've learned is to stitch together two images shifted vertically, but that of course only works with static subjects.

John

 

[dave.gt]

Dave,

Shooting square with medium format digital unfortunately involves cropping the file after the fact, I suppose the modern-day equivalent of shooting Superslides with the A16S back on V system bodies (I have boxes and boxes of old Superslides stuck in a drawer). The good news is that you have some leeway when making the actual crop. Another trick I've learned is to stitch together two images shifted vertically, but that of course only works with static subjects.

John

Thanks, John,

I don't mind cropping, as there is no way around it. But framing and composition before releasing the shutter is something else.

Lower resolution is not a bad thing when it comes to shooting portraits, especially of motifs over a certain age. I am weary of touching up the usual vanity items... and if I mix film images in there, lower resolution images may work better through the body of work (thinking a 12x12 book with square images throughout).

So, I have on my list to contact Bill Maxwell to see if he can help me. I am still hoping for a simpler and cheaper solution. I am curious about the Hasselblad grid screens that are available...maybe close enough? Hmmm...

 

[Charles S]

Thanks, John,

I don't mind cropping, as there is no way around it. But framing and composition before releasing the shutter is something else.

Lower resolution is not a bad thing when it comes to shooting portraits, especially of motifs over a certain age. I am weary of touching up the usual vanity items... and if I mix film images in there, lower resolution images may work better through the body of work (thinking a 12x12 book with square images throughout).

So, I have on my list to contact Bill Maxwell to see if he can help me. I am still hoping for a simpler and cheaper solution. I am curious about the Hasselblad grid screens that are available...maybe close enough? Hmmm...

I have a low budget suggestion; on my V blad I used an overlay that was printed on a slinky (or transparent slide for presentations) and put it on the focus screen and below the WLF or prism. Since the H blad prism detaches, you could try the same.

 

[dave.gt]

I have a low budget suggestion; on my V blad I used an overlay that was printed on a slinky (or transparent slide for presentations) and put it on the focus screen and below the WLF or prism. Since the H blad prism detaches, you could try the same.

Charles, you have my attention!

Slinky? Can you elaborate on how I could replicate what you suggest?

 

[Charles S]

Charles, you have my attention!

Slinky? Can you elaborate on how I could replicate what you suggest?

What I meant was this kind of thing: https://www.amazon.com/Apollo-Print...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BV523BX5HYJ88KZ7ZSXT

With these kind of lines printed on them https://www.google.ch/imgres?imgurl...uPWAhXJPBoKHZVYAZ4QMwhGKBUwFQ&iact=mrc&uact=8

You woudl obviously adapt it to the H

A long time ago I bought a pre-printed mask like this off eBay, but I can't find it anymore. It was just a transparent film with these patterns printed on them, so i figure you can do it yourself.

 

[dave.gt]

What I meant was this kind of thing: https://www.amazon.com/Apollo-Print...coding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=BV523BX5HYJ88KZ7ZSXT

With these kind of lines printed on them https://www.google.ch/imgres?imgurl...uPWAhXJPBoKHZVYAZ4QMwhGKBUwFQ&iact=mrc&uact=8

You woudl obviously adapt it to the H

A long time ago I bought a pre-printed mask like this off eBay, but I can't find it anymore. It was just a transparent film with these patterns printed on them, so i figure you can do it yourself.

Wow! Thanks!

Looks like a great project to work on soon!

 

[jdphoto]

Cropping to 1:1 in editing seems the most practical imo. It might be to your advantage with more options. Just think square.

 

[dave.gt]

Cropping to 1:1 in editing seems the most practical imo. It might be to your advantage with more options. Just think square.

I'm square with that!!!

 

[Charles S]

I'm square with that!!!

It's hip to be square (or at least it used to be)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB5YkmjalDg

 

[ErikKaffehr]

It's hip to be square (or at least it used to be)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LB5YkmjalDg

Hi,

Just to say, I often stitch with MFD. This is an example of that:

Here I found that sky was great, so I took two images, one focused on the old brewery and the second on the sky. Doing some stitching may be preferable to changing point of view, or lens.

Best regards
Erik

 

[dave.gt]

Erik, superb!


The project I am starting on is one of couple portraits. Not really conducive to stitching due to movement of and near the motifs.

I really do like the stitching for landscapes and the resulting files are much nicer! Count me in as a believer as your image clearly shows!!!0

 

[Steve Hendrix]

Dave -

We can supply you with a square viewfinder mask.

I'll check to see if we have one in stock and get back to you tomorrow.

Once installed, take a shot, bring it into Phocus, create a crop that mirrors the framing of the mask and save that crop to batch apply for the next import.


Steve Hendrix/CI

 

[dave.gt]

Dave -

We can supply you with a square viewfinder mask.

I'll check to see if we have one in stock and get back to you tomorrow.

Once installed, take a shot, bring it into Phocus, create a crop that mirrors the framing of the mask and save that crop to batch apply for the next import.


Steve Hendrix/CI

Whoa!!!! Really?

Steve, after a long day at the hospital, that is terrific news! I can't wait to hear the rest of this!

Thanks once again!

You are the best,

 

[PabloR]

If you find the Hasselblad square cropping original focusing screen, you could choose an square crop in Phocus. So, with the mask combined to Phocus, you will not see the rest of the file, just the center crop.

But I will like to make you consider the next points.

- With an H5D 50c you sensor in a square mode will have only 33mm x 33mm format. Then, the look of the pictures will be closer to 35 than to medium format look. not so beautilful as a classic Hasselblad portrait.

- I you have a precise concept of the work, you could shot it in film, because if you know exactly what you want, you could go to shot just low quantity of film rolls, and then scan them. that WILL have the medium format look, sure. And a Imacon scanner will get huge data from your rolls. think that it will be a 56mm x 56mm, REAL medium format.

excuse my English

ciao
Pablo

 

[dave.gt]

If you find the Hasselblad square cropping original focusing screen, you could choose an square crop in Phocus. So, with the mask combined to Phocus, you will not see the rest of the file, just the center crop.

But I will like to make you consider the next points.

- With an H5D 50c you sensor in a square mode will have only 33mm x 33mm format. Then, the look of the pictures will be closer to 35 than to medium format look. not so beautilful as a classic Hasselblad portrait.

- I you have a precise concept of the work, you could shot it in film, because if you know exactly what you want, you could go to shot just low quantity of film rolls, and then scan them. that WILL have the medium format look, sure. And a Imacon scanner will get huge data from your rolls. think that it will be a 56mm x 56mm, REAL medium format.

excuse my English

ciao
Pablo

Ah, thanks, Pablo... I appreciate your kind thoughts.

Yes, the image will have less resolution but it is still 30% larger than 35mm film size. The H5D-50c is incredibly sharp and for motifs past a certain age, well, that kind of resolution is not needed. So less resolution, yes, and that is precisely what I am looking for in the type of portraits we provide patients at the Rehab Hospital. We will have a workable mask in a few days for me to test drive the concept.

The idea is to shoot all images in a square format in a final presentation book. I will also be shooting film with the 503 for that particular look you mentioned. I am however, keenly interested in the digital square results and we should have a good idea over the next week or so!