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Phase One XT users happy (eg re shift)

I'm always amazed anyone would drop fifty grand or more on this foofaraw

To quite Thomas Tusser
"A fool and his money are soon parted."
Whoa. You still here, Doug? You're like the kid stuck watching the game enviously from the sidelines, wishing he could join in on the fun and play.

It's not like you're sitting there all alone like the last kid that none of the guys wanted on their team. I know we chide ourselves about the cost of medium format digital, hence "the Inferno." But to be honest, medium format digital has never been so accessible to photographers as it is now.

You're welcome to come play with us, Doug. Operators are standing by.

--Dante

p.s. I miss you
 
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RLB

Member
I am very bullish on the future of Phase One.
Sounds great. Now, where are those promised Feature set updates for my IQ4? The ones we've all been waiting on for years now. The features that have been on the IQ3 for years (as a minimum).

Being an early adopter of the IQ4 (Dec 2018) part of the switch up decision was based on promises made by P1 regarding the "Infinity and Beyond Platform." However, I feel like I'm still sitting on the launch pad.

P1 if your listening it would peachy if you'd throw more resources at taking this starship where you promised. The image quality of the IQ4 is fabulous...let's not forget about the functionality.

Robert B
 
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vjbelle

Well-known member
A gold star of the day goes to Robert B......:thumbup: Couldn't have said it better.

Cheers....

Victor B
 

Don Libby

Well-known member
I was at one time an early adaptor to anything P1. I'd buy into the latest greatest then wait for the promised features to be delivered. Then I woke up.

I'm not bashing P1 as while I no longer use it I still believe the underlining product is good. I found I got tired of being a beta tester and stopped using P1 shortly after the new mirrorless medium format was released. I'd think hard about a P1 mirrorless but would wait several years before buying into one.

Just a thought from a reformed P1 user.
 

RLB

Member
I was at one time an early adaptor to anything P1. I'd buy into the latest greatest then wait for the promised features to be delivered. Then I woke up.

I'm not bashing P1 as while I no longer use it I still believe the underlining product is good. I found I got tired of being a beta tester and stopped using P1 shortly after the new mirrorless medium format was released. I'd think hard about a P1 mirrorless but would wait several years before buying into one.

Just a thought from a reformed P1 user.
Let me be very clear, I'm not bashing P1 either, the IQ4 is fabulous DB in many ways. However, it could be greater, far greater. Since that was a promise made when I bought in, I'm looking forward to seeing it go there. And I'll be the first to say job well done when we arrive. Lot's of potential, need more horsepower getting it there. Soon.


Robert B
 

kdphotography

Well-known member
Most of Phase One's MFDBs have been pretty darn good when announced and released. The IQ4 is probably the worst release for Phase One, missing many features that were promised at the release---but still waiting. USB3 took awhile to get going on the IQ180, but that was much more understandable. Getting features such as faster flash sync on the P65+,which was a bonus and not a promised feature, was pretty darn sweet.

I don't use all the bells and whistles of the IQ4 with the XF, so am not as impacted as others waiting for the promised features. But I do enjoy the added capabilities of Frame Averaging and Dual Exposure+. Hands down the IQ4150 is best with my Cambo WRS 1600---a nice jump in image quality over the IQ3100, albeit the IQ3 a more mature MFDB.

I hope Phase One dedicates more resources to make the IQ4 a more mature platform, rather than fancy marketing aimed at attracting photographers new to the brand.:rolleyes: Infinity platform should not mean waiting for infinity :rolleyes:

Roll out a new compact Phase One mirrorless ala Hasselblad X1D form factor and all will be forgiven. :ROTFL:

ken
 

Paul2660

Well-known member
Getting the Live View in par with previous P1 CMOS backs was a huge fix. What still bothers me on this issue is I noticed the IQ4 Live View was not the same as the 3100 or 250 from the first day I used it. Reported it to P1 via dealer and never heard anything back from P1 acknowledging the issue and that a fix would be made. Then when dual exposure was released as a beta P1 also fixed the live view and brought it in spec with previous backs.

What I still don’t get is why:

1. P1 did not see this at release as it was so obvious
2. Why it took over a year to resolve

The fix with latest firmware was greatly appreciated by me.

Paul C
 

f8orbust

Active member
There's a recent two-hour interview with Lau, the Chief Visionary Officer (C-level R+D/product position) of Phase One on our Project lemonade archive you may find interesting. I am extraordinarily biased, but knowing the people in R+D, and having seen what they've done during the 12 years I've been doing this, I am very bullish on the future of Phase One.
https://www.dtcommercialphoto.com/project-lemonade-webinars/
As a P1 user I really hope you're right, but with with the recent sale of P1 to Axcel, and the declaration in the press release that '...today, the majority of growth and profitability comes from sales of software solutions...' I really do wonder how much longer P1/Axcel will keep investing in stand alone DBs, especially with the success that H/B (DJI) and Fuji have had with their mirrorless platforms. In essence, leave the hardware to them, and concentrate on the software - a la Bill Gates.
 

Frederic

Member
BTW I'm surprised nobody here has reacted to the recent website/domain/support forum split. Now we really have the hardware on one side and the software on another.
 

pegelli

Well-known member
BTW I'm surprised nobody here has reacted to the recent website/domain/support forum split. Now we really have the hardware on one side and the software on another.
I didn't notice a change, but that might be me not paing attention. What change have you seen?



EDIT: Just realised you were talking about the split between the Phase One website (hardware) and the Capture One website (software), and not about the fora on the GetDPI website :eek:
 
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mristuccia

Well-known member
As a P1 user I really hope you're right, but with with the recent sale of P1 to Axcel, and the declaration in the press release that '...today, the majority of growth and profitability comes from sales of software solutions...' I really do wonder how much longer P1/Axcel will keep investing in stand alone DBs, especially with the success that H/B (DJI) and Fuji have had with their mirrorless platforms. In essence, leave the hardware to them, and concentrate on the software - a la Bill Gates.
If software is really what they think will support their future business, they should open it to support Hasselblad and all other MFD vendors, thus makkng it a real alternative to the other well-known competitor.
 

olafphoto

Administrator
Staff member
I just started shooting with the Phase One XT system plus one lens, 23mm F5.6. I like the size of the camera and the form. It is so much easier to travel with it than its much larger sibling. The lens is superb, probably the best wide angle I have ever used. In regard to user experience, I am learning in and outs of this system as I have never shot with it before so many processes are new to me (shot extensively with Fujifilm and Hasselblad).

Unfortunately, due to the lockdown and travel limitations I can’t access many locations (it is too risky for a transplant recipient) that would be fitting for this lens. Having said that, I am planning a short trip next week so I should be able to work more broadly with this camera. The shift works great, but I need more time to draw meaningful conclusions. In regard to image quality – it is spectacular, but I guess this is not any news.

 

LCValla

Active member
Hi to every one.
I am working with the XT and the 32 from mid January, one month with the demo camera and from the 26 of march with my new camera.

I am a professional photographer and in the film era I worked a lot with large format cameras (studio camera and field camera).
When the digital came out (I started with the Nikon D1 in 1999 and never used a film after that date)
In the past years for my architectural work I used my FF camera (Nikon before and then Sony with out any regrets except for focusing in low light conditions).
I own all the shift lens from Nikon and the 17 from Canon and I use them on the Sony via an adapter ring with good results.
In 2017 I decides to make the jump and I got an XF camera + IQ3trichromatic+ 80mm, 150 2,8 (super lens) and the 35mm.
I used the system mostly for my portraits work in studio with great results. Just another world and it is not just a question of number of pixel (the 61 MP sensor of my Sony it's already great under this aspect)
I love also the 35mm but I suffered a lot for the absence of the shift.
The biggest problem I have with the XF system is due to the fact that is too big and heavy so I really bring it outside.
When I heard about the XT it look to me as a dream camera.
I know that 12mm of shift might be not enough in some cases but it was better than nothing.
I explained to my dealer (who knows me since I was 20 years a go) my doubts and he managed with PhaseOne to let me test the camera for over a month.
I used it for a lot of pictures between Milano, where I live and Venice where my girl friend lives.
I was so happy with the results and the easy way of working that I immediately ordered one with the 32-
As we all know from march to now we were obliged to stay at home and for this reason I made a project by taking the same picture from my little balcony of what I see.
In front of me there is and building site, which like all other activity, has stopped. In the middle there are 4 trees.
For 38 days I waked up at 4,30 AM and started to take picture till 22 pm with the XT and the 32.
I won't explain here the sense of this project here but I can say that in 38 days I took over 7000 picture in all light conditions and time.
It was also a study about light, about whether and the the change of nature (visible in the trees) its great.
I opted for a panoramic aspect ratio done by assembling two picture with opposite shifts giving me a result very similar to the 6x12 I loved in the film era.
Specially at some hours this was difficult due to the very quick change of light conditions which in some cases made it difficult to get a uniformity in the sky.
I ended with over 1200 final pictures and despite the fact it is always the same subject there is not a picture equal to another!

Back to the XT I can say that for me and my needs it is a great solution, the limited shift possibility till now it is not a problem for me.
I would never buy a tecnica camera because, to me is too complicate and the portability of the system and the easy why to work makes the difference.
I like to work on tripod and with the XT I can use a very portable one which won't be good for my XF system and this is also a big plus specially when I walk around Venice alone with my camera...
In some cases I used it even hands held with great results.
I took more pictures with the XT in three months then with the XF and 35 in 4 years.
I understand that for many people used to work with other camera system the XT is limited but this is not my case so I am happy and I want to get some other lens (the 23 and the 70)

I am a bit maniac about post-production so for example the shift amount in the metadata is something I really appreciate specially if you consider that in C1 you can use LCC profile as preset and this makes post-production a lot quicker.
When I had the demo camera I spent a day with my assistant to make all LCC profile with a big variety of shift combinations and I was upset when I found out that they did not work with the new camera due to the different serial number... (anyway I had plenty of time in this days to make all of the again!)

As I said I am happy with the camera but of course I can see the limits (nothing is perfect in life).

To get the right exposure I use a Sekonic L-858D, after creating a profile for the IQ4 150 it is a great way to use the zone system in a very easy way.
One thing that I would really appreciate would be the possibility to load in the IQ4 the LCC profile
I'd like to have this possibility not to be quicker in post but for another reason much more important to me.
I think the despite the BLS CMOS of the IQ4 the LCC correction is still needed especially for the light fall of correction which is quite visible with out a correction.
The problem is that while I am photographing when I look at the histogram and also the zone exposure mode (the image is shown with different color for different light values) on the IQ4 as the LCC correction is not visible the values are wrong. I a lot of cases a sky become washed out when I apply the LCC correction despite what is showed on the IQ4.(I know that there is the possibility to fade the correction in C1 but in some cases this is not a good solution specially if the darkened part is not only the sky).

Here are 2 picture from my last project.
The first and the last one.
 

Attachments

dougpeterson

Workshop Member
Do you shift the 23?
I though that the image circle does not permit to shift the 23.
I can't speak for whether he does or not, but in general, Rodenstock's Image Circle specs are notoriously conservative. The 23mm can be moved a moderate amount, especially if the IQ4 and LCC correction is used.

See for yourself:
https://phaseonext.com/phase-one-xt-raw-file-download/
The raw "DT17_024 - LivingRoom-XT-23HR_-0x_5y_f11-HigherPOV.jpg" has (as indicated) 5mm of rise on the 23HR.
 

Paul2660

Well-known member
You can shift the 23mm and 28mm max about 6mm, and at 6mm you will start to see artifacts from the IC indictor that Rodenstock uses.

If you are pushing past 6mm, then you will hit a hard black vignette on the upper left and right corners of the shift and lower left and right corners of the shift. This is pure black and becomes increasing destructive to the image IMO as you move anywhere past 6mm of shift. Makes no matter if you are adding rise and or fall and shift. You still hit the edge of the IC by 6mm, and IMO 5mm.

You will also start to see a white band, (I used to know the optical name for this), which will show up before the black vignette. This is IMO not a problem on the parts of the image where you have non sky, but on a pure blue sky or similar solid it's effect can be very hard to remove the the LCC will not correct for it, at least in the past it would not.

Both the 23mm, 28mm and 35mm with the 70mm IC's will all show this to some extent. You have to get to the 32mm or 40mm with 90mm ICs to where you can get to 12mm of shift (Max for the XT).

For wides IMO shifting past 12mm is sadly no worth it, as both the 40mm and 32mm show considerable amounts of retrofocus distortion as you get past 12mm, (edge elongate and flatten), Very Very easy to see on any object with "known" dimensions (car, truck, Builidings etc), but not as easy to see in a landscape image (rocks, water etc.) but can be seen on tree trunks.

So for me the XT if the cost for entrance to the product was not so extravagant, I would consider it. But the issue is trying to sell NOW with the current market and world situation makes selling other lenses non XT or Cambo mounted not possible, as the loss is too extreme. I also am not a big fan of sending in a current lens for remount (from Arca to XT), just too many irons in the fire too many hands and shipping issues and no idea currently how long such a swap would take.

XT needs a realistic longer lens, as the 135mm at around 15K, (is just not very realistic and really not that long anyway on a MF camera). The 120mm Schneider is excellent but no longer made and the older longer Rodenstocks, 180mm 210mm currently have no plans to be mounted for the XT.

Best lenses for shift past 12mm ones that will hold up IMO are the 70mm Rodenstock, (currently available for XT I believe), the 90mm Rodenstock yellow\gold band (announced as now available a while ago) and of course the 135mm.

The 70mm, 90mm easily can get to 18mm of shift and hold up. Can't speak to the 135mm but I am sure at the cost, it will get there easily, albeit with a very narrow DOF.

Paul C
 

LCValla

Active member
Thank-You for the explanation.
You just give me more reasons to get the 23!

Lorenzo
 
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