Hip to be square (A900 pics)

[douglasf13]

Well, I've been drawn back to square format, and decided to take it to the next level. Rather than relying on my gridded focus screen to frame for square, I actually removed the screen and put black electrical tape on it to mask of a square completely. It works like a charm, and I may never go back! Now, if Hasselblad would just make a fullframe square back for my V's, I'd be all set

Here are some from the last few days with the A900. I believe they are all with the 50 1.4, except for the first one, which was the ZA 85. Just my lovely wife, some abstracts, and some walking around:

 

[douglasf13]

and a few more:

 

[Terry]

These all look quite nice. I'm a big fan of square format...I just haven't mastered really good square composition. It's nice with the A900 because you are still left with a big file.

 

[apras]

great idea, and great pictures too.

i think i will follow your path. never used a square format before.

 

[seablister]

I like it, and such a simple solution.

 

[LoSenior]

Douglas,
Thanks for posting your pictures, I like all of them and think that your appoach to using a square format is very creative.
Now I need to try and get out of my box and try something new.
Regards, Jerry

 

[douglasf13]

Thanks everyone. I was really missing my Hasslblads, so this square mask is helping to suppress my need to shoot film I should say "do this at your own risk. " I did have to cram the masked screen in there a bit due to the extra thickness from the tape, but evrything seems fine.

 

[Eoin]

Douglas, does this have any impact on the metering for exposure?. I can understand the need to visualise square composition rather than 24 x 36 and crop after the fact. I've been toying the idea of a 203/205 & CFV II, this may save me the expense save a focus screen. Neat idea.

 

[douglasf13]

In my brief tests, I didn't notice a difference between the metering of my regular screen and blocked off screen when I tested both in multi-segment mode. I don't believe the multi-segments extend to the edges of the A900, anyways, but I can't find a picture to confirm this. Either way, spot metering works fine, and I haven't tried center-weighted, but that may be a good compromise between the two. To tell you the truth, I was pretty shocked how well this square thing is working! I wouldn't shut up about it to my poor wife. :ROTFL:

p.s. I should mention that I put the electrical tape on the "top" side of the focusing screen, not the "bottom" side that faces the mirror. Using a gridded screen made it easy to line up the tape correctly. Also, I did some quick equivalency lens tests, and 80mm at f2.8 on my Hasselblads is the near equivalent to ~40mm at f1.4-f1.6'ish on the square format A900. So, my 50mm lens on the A900 square is a bit of a tele.

 

[douglasf13]

btw, more A900 square shots welcome!

 

[edwardkaraa]

Very nice shots, Douglas!

I have always been a fan of the square format. Too bad it is not often used as is, and cropped after the fact. I wonder if any manufacturer would make a square sensor, perhaps 30x30mm or even 36x36mm. I'm sure the image circle of most 35mm lenses should be able to cover it adequately.

This said, I am not going to put any stinking tape inside my camera

 

[douglasf13]

Yeah, a native square sensor would be cool, but probably the more realistic thing would be an LCD focus screen like Nikon uses that has a 1:1 crop mode built-in.

 

[jlm]

the hasselblad cfv39 has a rectangular sensor, but the back has a menu choice of sq, and that displays sq on the back's LCD

 

[Terry]

The micro 4/3 cameras have a square format and that is what you see in the EVF or LCD for framing.

 

[douglasf13]

the hasselblad cfv39 has a rectangular sensor, but the back has a menu choice of sq, and that displays sq on the back's LCD

Yeah, but you have to crop to square mode, which changes the equivalent focal lengths all around. I used to have a rectangular digital back, but I hated the crop factor when cropping for square. Also, once I received the A900, the idea of spending $10K+ or more on a digital back became harder to swallow. I fortunately sold my last Leaf back RIGHT before the prices on it fell 50+%. Whew!!

Terry, I love that m4/3 has so many framing options. Very smart. I'm waiting a bit longer for one of those cameras, because what I want isn't quite out yet. Essentially, I want the GF1 and it's good responsiveness, but with the EP1's image stabilization. Either way, shooting the A900 with just a 50mm 1.4 isn't all that bulky or heavy.

 

[panyawong]

Nice square images Douglas. I'm just curious if your masking cause any focus difference as you see them versus when the image turns out as you are using shallow depth of field.
-panya

 

[bensonga]

Wonderful square images Doug and a very innovative solution! There is a very good square format group on Flickr, if you haven't been there yet. I need to get out more with my Mamiya TLR and Hasselblad's..square is good.

Maybe someday a full frame square digital back will come......probably around the time Leica releases the FF digital R10. :-(

Well, we can always hope and dream.

Gary

 

[douglasf13]

Thanks! Panyawang, everything seems to be fine with both focusing and metering so far. Who would have thought how much I'd love two tiny pieces of tape! lol.

 

[Eoin]

Yeah, but you have to crop to square mode, which changes the equivalent focal lengths all around.....

Douglas or jlm,

The CFV-39 has a rectangular sensor which can be cropped to 36.7 x 36.7 which is the same as the CFV-II back. Do I understand correctly the CFV-II is only a square sensor @ 16Mp and the CFV-39 is 29Mp in the same format but 39Mp in full rectangular mode.

Also any idea what the correct crop factor is in square mode and what effect it will have on focal lengths?. Say I want an 85mm in 35mm format equivalent for a 203FE shooting 36.7mm x 36.7mm what focal length should I be looking at?.

TIA

 

[edwardkaraa]

Diagonal is 73.4 so you'll need around 135mm lens.