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about to buy a iQ 180, advice needed

elrafo

Member
Hello There !

I am about to get an iQ180 Phase one V Mount, for a fair 10,000 Canadian Dollars.
Actuations are 55,000. I need your opinion, is this OK or too many for a used digital back ?
the motherboard was replaced one year ago owner said to me,

thanks for your advice.

El Rafo
 

DougDolde

Well-known member
The only thing I can tell you is I sold my IQ180 and bought a Nikon D850. Great value, great camera, no regrets

The IQ180 is pretty old technology, 2011 in fact and while it does have great resolution, it's a CCD and consequently not any good over ISO400. Also the Nikon has about one stop better dynamic range.
 

elrafo

Member
Thanks a lot,

Actually I really love my SWC and 503 Cx, I like DSLR but I don't take the same photos with my Blad, it is more for long exposure landscapes and studio, what do you think of the price 7800 USD, and 55,000 count ?

thanks.
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
That sounds like a reasonable deal. Ignore the shot count as it’s essentially irrelevant other than perhaps an indicator of continued use and should encourage you to check the physical condition of the back/V-Mount hardware etc.

Doug raves on about his move to Nikon D850 but they are completely different animals. MF CCD looks different to CMOS 3:2 DSLR and you can’t stick a DSLR on the back of your favorite Hasselblad bodies!
 

elrafo

Member
Thanks a lot Graham for your quick answer ;)
is there a way to easily check any indicator of continued use ?
the Back was used on the CM501 and mainly in studio, by a professional "food" and Art Book photographer.

thanks
 

nathantw

Well-known member
That sounds like a reasonable deal. Ignore the shot count as it’s essentially irrelevant other than perhaps an indicator of continued use and should encourage you to check the physical condition of the back/V-Mount hardware etc.

Doug raves on about his move to Nikon D850 but they are completely different animals. MF CCD looks different to CMOS 3:2 DSLR and you can’t stick a DSLR on the back of your favorite Hasselblad bodies!
Truthfully, I'd get a XD1 and the new 3rd party adapter that allows for the V-lenses to be used. The body is less than $6500 and you'll have the latest and greatest. That said, I have the P25 and it's not the most convenient or reliable machine out there. I've missed shots because of the sync cable. The pictures, though, are top notch, as expected. However, there are times I wished I could use an ISO that's higher than 400. The IQ180 will give you that, but not like the 50MP CMOS will give at higher ISOs.

Just my 2-cents.
 

elrafo

Member
Hello Nathan ,

Maybe I am too old school but I love my SWC ;)
I really want to stick an fat *** pixel back on it !
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
With respect to physical wear & tear I’d look at the body mount, battery door/mount and sync cable connectors. Everything else shouldn’t really show wear other than maybe human body oils etc. You want the V mount to be tight although with 50k shots in the studio I doubt that it ever came off except for cleaning (the Hassy Mirror makes for a great dust/air pump). Check also for any wear and tear and on the IR glass above the sensor to ensure that it’s been cleaned properly. Ditto get some raw images and check for any dropped pixels - unless serious these can be remapped by a Phase One dealer for you.

Dont be worried about slight wear on the bottom rear of the body either. Typically with s camera like the H the body may rest backwards on the edge of the IQ back and slightly mark it. We use elastic wrist bands to protect against that ... (see other threads here) :chug:
 

elrafo

Member
Amazing ;) thanks a lot for the hints. hope the iQ is good with long exposures, I heard the P45+ could do 1h pose, which is interesting also for landscape at night. cheers !
 

jng

Well-known member
Note that the older SWCs have an extra ridge on inside of the rear mounting face that prevents mounting of a modern digital back, so you should verify that the IQ180 can actually mate to it before making the purchase (I discovered this the hard way after acquiring my IQ160). I'm not sure what year the rear face plate was changed but you will be safe with a SWC/M or the later 903/905 models. Another issue is that the symmetrical design of the 38mm Biogon results in significant lens cast and smearing at the edges of the full frame digital sensor that requires stopping down to f/16 to clean up. And yet another issue is that the high pixel count backs require exact focus, which is difficult on the old V system Hasselblad bodies. I personally think the results can be worth the effort but be advised that it's a labor of love.

While it is true that the modern CMOS sensors and cameras are much more advanced than the previous generation CCD backs, for some (including myself), there's no substitute for shooting on the larger sensor. Also the old Zeiss glass renders beautifully. The colors and tonality are sublime as long as you operate within the shooting envelope of the system. Again, it's a labor of love.

Hope this helps!

John
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Yup - you’ll be shooting LCCs with the SWC/M and biogon for sure. However ... Zeiss 38mm biogon ...
 
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elrafo

Member
Note that the older SWCs have an extra ridge on inside of the rear mounting face that prevents mounting of a modern digital back, so you should verify that the IQ180 can actually mate to it before making the purchase (I discovered this the hard way after acquiring my IQ160). I'm not sure what year the rear face plate was changed but you will be safe with a SWC/M or the later 903/905 models. Another issue is that the symmetrical design of the 38mm Biogon results in significant lens cast and smearing at the edges of the full frame digital sensor that requires stopping down to f/16 to clean up. And yet another issue is that the high pixel count backs require exact focus, which is difficult on the old V system Hasselblad bodies. I personally think the results can be worth the effort but be advised that it's a labor of love.

While it is true that the modern CMOS sensors and cameras are much more advanced than the previous generation CCD backs, for some (including myself), there's no substitute for shooting on the larger sensor. Also the old Zeiss glass renders beautifully. The colors and tonality are sublime as long as you operate within the shooting envelope of the system. Again, it's a labor of love.

Hope this helps!

John
Hello ! I actually already modified my SWC to support a digital back. I used it with a CFV16 which is now Dead unfortunately.
I also have an option to buy a P45+, would this be a better option as the long exposures are up to 1H with the P45 ?
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
If you need a back for long exposures then you might want to look elsewhere. I had a 180 and while it was a great back it is limited in how long an exposure it'll do. I traded the IQ180 for a IQ1-100 and solved the exposure issue (milky way, star trails etc.) that the 180 wasn't capable of doing. Then again you're looking at 2-different sensor types.If you don't require long exposures then the 180 is a great tool to have. I've owned several backs and the majority was bought used. Do what Graham suggests, take a couple test RAW files to make certain no dropped pixels or anything else.
 

elrafo

Member
If you need a back for long exposures then you might want to look elsewhere. I had a 180 and while it was a great back it is limited in how long an exposure it'll do. I traded the IQ180 for a IQ1-100 and solved the exposure issue (milky way, star trails etc.) that the 180 wasn't capable of doing. Then again you're looking at 2-different sensor types.If you don't require long exposures then the 180 is a great tool to have. I've owned several backs and the majority was bought used. Do what Graham suggests, take a couple test RAW files to make certain no dropped pixels or anything else.
Indeed very good point. do you think the P45+ is still a great back since I don't need for sure to print 300 inches posters :) ?
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
Indeed very good point. do you think the P45+ is still a great back since I don't need for sure to print 300 inches posters :) ?
For the right price yes. However - as good as the P45 is, it still is an aging back. You might want to consider using the P45 for your long exposures and use the 180 for everything else. Yeah I know I'm suggesting 2-backs. Or, look for a gently used IQ1-100. The 1-100 is the same as the 3-100 without some of the bells and whistles. I picked it since I stopped using a tech camera. To be totally honest I must admit I sold out of all my Phase One gear last year and am now shooting with a Fuji GFX which allows me great high ISO and very long shutters.
 

jng

Well-known member
Yup - you’ll be shooting LCCs with the SWC/M and biogon for sure. However ... Zeiss 38mm biogon ...
Or so I thought and hauled off and bought a more "modern" SWC/M to use with my IQ160. The sad reality, at least for me, was that the venerable Biogon just didn't play so well with the full format sensor, so I sold the SWC/M when I picked up a 40 IF/CFE to use on my 501CM. And now I've moved on to the Rodie 40HR on a Cambo. Will this ever end? (don't answer that, it's a rhetorical question) :banghead:

John
 

tcdeveau

Well-known member
Hello ! I actually already modified my SWC to support a digital back. I used it with a CFV16 which is now Dead unfortunately.
I also have an option to buy a P45+, would this be a better option as the long exposures are up to 1H with the P45 ?
I was under the impression most v-system lenses struggle past 60mp, so you may want to do some research on the lenses you plan to use and the IQ180. You also mentioned fat pixel backs, and AFAIK the IQ180 isn’t considered a fat pixel back although someone please correct me if I’m wrong.
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
The P45+ is an awesome back if you need more than a minute of exposure. It's not 80mp ... but TBH people obsess over mega pixels and they aren't as important once you get past 18-24mp in the real world. P45+ is definitely the LONG LONG exposure champion back.

However, you might want to consider how many really long exposures you really take. I did that and realized that maybe a dedicated P25+ along with my IQ3100 is the better option?? P45+ even more so.

If 1min+ is your goal look at P45+/P25+ IMHO.
 

GrahamWelland

Subscriber & Workshop Member
Btw, fat pixels rule - I'm not always 100% convinced that my 50/100mp backs are really better than what I shot with my P25+/P40+/IQ160 etc. I loved my IQ260 (other than shitty wifi), IQ250 and now the awesome IQ3100. However, more is NOT always better. You just spend more time in post making it look as good at a higher resolution than a fat pixel back did almost straight off sensor but at half the resolution. :facesmack:

A lot of what I like about my Fuji GFX50s system is that it renders like my old fat pixel backs ...
 

jng

Well-known member
Indeed very good point. do you think the P45+ is still a great back since I don't need for sure to print 300 inches posters :) ?
Don raises some excellent points. If you have your heart set on using your V system bodies with a digital back, you might also consider either a Hasselblad CFV-50c or Phase IQ150, which both use the crop 33x44 Sony sensor that will afford good long exposure performance as well as live view for focusing.

John
 
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