I am meeting a lot of photographers that use the Hasselblad H3d systems and are very happy with them but on this forum all I seem to see is Phase One users. Hasselblad has some very attractive packages on the H3D 39 and the new H4D 60 and I was wondering what are peoples experiences with them compared with Phase One? My biggest issue with Phase is the Mamiya system which I used to use in the film days and hated it. If I invest in MF then I need a totally integrated system for most work.

So what's the scoop on Hasselblad? Thanks.

Try both of the systems out if you have the opportunity. I ended up with H3d, I even tried Leica S2 not to long ago. In a long term I figured that Hasselblad is a stayer in the marked as well.

Well, what do you need a mfdb for? If you need it for copy work perhaps multishot capability is very important and you have to chose hasselblad or sinar. If you are a long exposure photographer well, you need phaseone. If you needed 60 megapixels 3 months ago, you needed phaseone. These are just exemples. What do you mislike about mamiya? What do you need in a camera? Perhaps all the users in this forum are happy with phaseone, i'm one of the happy part. A friend of mine has the hasselblad system. The new small sensor format lenses are superb, fast, sharp and very clean. He has the multishot model. He can't use it because phocus crashes his computer... We tried 3 differents macs and all the times CRASH. Now, perhaps flexcolor is better, we didn't try it. But he's keep trying and looking for solutions. I'm shooting, and without problems. He has the 28mm and the 35-90mm. He needs the 210mm but he just bought a new macbook thet doesn't work properly with phocus. I bought used on ebay a 210 and a 50 shift, for less then 1000 euro. They simply work great. For my experience, phaseone is a very good product and very simple to use, that's why i'm happy with it. I also bought it as an ex-demo, so it was "cheap".

Hasselblad makes a good product which, like any other product, has both positives and negatives. Phase One makes a strong product as well which also has positives and negatives. I think you'd be doing yourself a disservice if you don't spend at least a few hours with each system actually in your hands, taking pictures, and taking those pictures all the way through your workflow.

Why do you think you need a totally integrated system? There are some real advantageous and some marketing-only advantageous as well as some significant disadvantages.

I'd encourage you to get your hands on the newer Mamiya/Phase body and lens options since they are generations ahead of the Mamiya bodies/lenses you would have tried back in the days of yore.

I'd also point out that you can use a Phase back on an H2 body. In fact this combination is still the most popular in the Florida rental market (since up until now Phase has not had a leaf-shutter lens option and high-speed flash sync is a requirement in the sunny Florida outdoor photography market).

Full disclosure - see my signature - I work for a dealer that works with Phase One (along with Canon, Leaf, Leica, Eizo etc). But I think it's perfectly fair of me to encourage you to do your OWN hands on testing and not rely too much on what you read marketing wise about "integration" etc.

Doug Peterson (e-mail Me)
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I'm sure I will try them both before I commit. Would love to know the up and down sides to each system. Workflow, live view, tethering etc.

I shoot only on location and need to usually work fast. A tech camera would be an option for very little percentage of work. Fast and simple setup is my main priority.

Thanks for any input as I have not decided MF is for me yet. Still investigating if I can make it work for me.

According to this poll, 42% of this forum uses Phase One: http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....showtopic=20962

Actually, all the brands are quite well represented but the Phase guys make most noise comparing the 1% improvement of the AFD XIV body over the AFD XIII as Phase brings out a new camera body every two weeks

From a distance, it appears that Hasselblad is owned more by people shooting landscapes or the like. Maybe, in that low pressure scenario, HocusPhocus would be just fine. But it always seems that, when there's money on the table, you see people using Phase and 3.79, or Leaf backs. I think people are forcibly being dragged into using 4.83 to tether, due to Phase locking out 3.79 on the newer backs, and I guess, someday, 4.83 will be regarded as stable as 3.79. But trust me, when the light is fading, and the AD has that concerned look on his face, the very last words you want to hear are: "Uh, we need to restart CaptureOne; it just crashed". DPP/EOS Utility, you never hear those words, and very rarely with CaptureOne 3.79 either.

But I will give you that: you rarely hear of anyone using a Hasselblad back. In person, or in YouTube videos, or the like. It's strange. You see the bodies everywhere, but always with Leaf or Phase backs on them. I spoke with a NYC beauty retoucher at a party recently, and he said most of his files are from Leaf backs, then Phase second, then Canon third. He didn't even mention Hasselblad.

I have to disagree, AFDIII is at least 7.8% better than mine AFDII

Indeed, number of Mamiya 645AFD cameras may be mind-boggling... DM56, DM33, DM28, DM22, AFD I, II, III, 645DF.. what the hell..
As for the nomenclature, they should keep it at AFD I/II/III and 645DF as it introduces significant improvements.

I agree and would recommend to have a serious look at the combination of H Camera with Leaf DB. We are shooting beauty and fashion, doing our own post processing and love the files we get from Leaf Capture. We also prefer the colors of the Dalsa chip over the Kodak Colors (funny enough that Leaf belonged to Kodak, but never used the Kodak sensors). For me lot of "Integration" of the Hasselblad H Series seems to correct their own faults of lenses and backs.

Cheers

Ulf

Well yes, it's interesting that so few people on here use Hasselblad backs. But there must be quite a few out there and would love to hear from users. Wish I could have gone to Photo+ last month and talk to the reps directly from all these companies.

The one thing I could never tolerate is software crashing during a shoot. Even though most clients understand software issues, it's a very unpleasant event for me to say the least. I would hope to also avoid Capture One or Phocus etc. All I need is a simple capture utility that will send the photo to Lightroom as I do with my Canons now.

I actually started my digital career with Leaf using their 4x5" scanner. They were in a league by themselves when it came to their scanning software and hardware. But these days, it's hard to buy into a system that looks like a stepchild to Phase One's own P+ backs.

Not looking to start a war between backs, just looking to get objective info on which is the best for me. Don't need long exposure more than 30 seconds, flash sync above 250th, or more than 1 frame a second. Thanks!

Only the owners of pre-Leaf Imaging backs are treated as stepchildren, but (we, in our rooms under the stairs, hope) those policies may be easing.

Always nice to see the guys from Capture Integration helping out in a Hasselblad Thread

These forums tend to be very Phase biased so you might be forgiven for thinking that Hasselblad does not sell any cameras.. I could point you at a forum where it appears that Sinar completely dominates the market if you like

FYI I have been shooting with the latest beta of Phocus 2 for the last week and have yet to see a crash.
Oh and get someone to show you lens corrections on the 28mm Phase's corrections are shall we say, "different".
Nick-T

I have been using the Hasselblad H3d-50 for over a month now. Moved into it after leaving the Leica DMR. I love it. And I shoot mostly fashion with some landscapes. Fashion work is typically done in a studio but not always. The files from the Hasselblad, even with my limited experience working with it, are fantastic. I can print large 40" x 60" store displays that essentially blow the Leica DMR away. And I am not just talking pixels here. I am talking skin tones and color fidelity. It is harder to use than the Leica but having the use of the autofocus, which I never wanted for fashion, has turned out to be a big plus. I have coded the camera to operate on manual focus unless I push the "user" button and then it will quickly autofocus. Just my way of double checking.

I could not be happier and I, for one, like the proprietary Phocus program. It makes total short term and long term sense to me that the people best equipped to design software for Hasselblad is Hasselblad. Time will tell but, to date, I have no issues what-so-ever and am in total love with the files it produces.

Phocus uses OpenGL commands extensively for speed of display, so it is important to have a strong graphics card with 512MB VRAM. Please pass our info over to your friend, happy to see if we can help him/her out.

-John
hotwire-digital.com

I have an H3DII-31 and I am very happy with it.

I don't shoot tethered. I have had some stability issues with earlier versions of Phocus but the most recent updates seem OK, and I look forward to version 2. (Nick T - any idea on release date for version 2? Any sneaky hints as to new features, or is it all under NDA?)

As someone moving up from 35mm dSLRs, the systems integration was if anything a bit of a plus for me. Everything runs from the same battery, for example, which makes it easier to pack for a day in the field.

The bottom line is that the images from the Hasselblad have really re-ignited my enthusiasm for photography which is a good thing when it is the way I make my living. The camera is a joy to use and although it has flaws (most particularly the LCD display, which is really only useful for looking at the histogram!) it also has some very strong plus points which mattered to me (like base ISO 100 because of the microlenses, which as I hand hold a lot is important).

But as others have said, try every system you think might suit you before you buy. Pro Centre in London let me hire a camera for the day and offered to refund the hire fee if I purchased a system, which was nice of them. I'd certainly want to try the Leica and Mamiya/Phase options if I were buying now.

Cheers, Hywel

horses for courses - I use H3D22 for over 2 years now, 90% tethered and never have issues with software. I used flex, now onto phocus, I find it very reliable. I use on H3 body and Sinar P2. I would love if they could shoot tethered into lightroom, but for the meantime this works.

if you want an easy, bulletproof system thats very affordable go the 5D2 route...

one other thing - I see tons of files on the post side of my business from working pros in the field on location and A LOT of those files are hassie. Some phase , very few leaf...

IMHO everyone sees what they want...

After looking at all the options I recently moved from 35mm digital to a Hasselblad H3DII-22 and don't regret the decision a bit. The camera is easy to use and the software was also no problem (not one crash). It does have its limitations and I have decided to keep my Canon system for events and low light, while formal portraits and studio work are now done exclusively with the Hasselblad. No knock on Phase, the reps I dealt with were great and the files produced were excellent, just felt Hasselblad had the edge.

I use Hasselblad for about 3 years now and am very happy with it. There is always room for improvement. I use H2F with CF39 & CF39MS. For multishot I would still recommend Flexcolor over Phocus though that might change with 2.0.

I shoot mainly catalogue, stills & some portraits. Everything that doesn't move, given time I will try to multishot.

I agree with Doug Peterson's post about getting your hands on the systems so you can evaluate how they feel, what is the workflow like, can it work in a manner important to you, and real-world applications practical to you as a photographic user in this case...

There are a lot of marketing campaigns, competitive dis-information, out-of-date pubs and by getting a hands-on you can do a proper evaluation sans the "noise"

I disagree with Doug's suggestion that a photographer must choose between integrated and modular systems, given that the H3D digital magazine can be used on a large format camera or any other system that can accept a Hasselblad H-mount.*

But that is why some readers come here to get a start on or continue their research, right?

-John
hotwire-digital.com

* Williams, John. "Baby's got Back" published 14-October-2009, Hands-on Reviews - Cameras, hotwire-digital.com Accessed 2-November-2009.

seems hassy customers are pretty happy with their system
and that's why they are kind of silent on this page.
just a good camera and nothing to complain about?
or is there also some connection to the
reliability of the announcements made by the company?
i'm sure the competitors sooner or later
will change their nasty attitude
and i also will keep my mouth shut...

Hi All,

Great Plug there there Dougie Boy for the Blad H2-the fact you mention it will take the Phase Backs--easily the best combo for the Phase Ones.

Any alternative to that POS Mamiya 645 body is welcome in our long suffering Industry.

Incidentally I have been a Blad owner since 1963 and luv em to bits--had the Imacon/V/H1 Combos with superb results-so no gripes there.

DesW

I've had an H3D-11 for some six months now and it's quite simply the most rewarding camera I've had the pleasure of using.

Why rewarding? Well, I love the integration, the ease of use, the DAC corrections, the 28mm, the viewfinder, Phocus...but most importantly, it just delivers.

I asked this question on another thread, but no Hasselblad owners responded. Is there a Hasselblad back/camera that closely meets these criteria:

1. Roughly a frame a second, or quicker.
2. Roughly 22MP.
3. Large clear clean previews on 3" LCD.
4. Usable clean ASA of 400.
5. Tethers reliably.

What would that model number be? Thank you.

AFAIK, there is no current model anymore that carries the 22MP sensor since Kodak discontinued that sensor. The thing that comes closest to what you are asking is the H3DII50.

1) Roughly a frame per second
2) Definitely not
3) It is 3" but clear clean preview is pretty subjective. I think even my Nikons screen is not enough.
4) ISO400, usable & clean to my standards but than again I am not easily scared by some noise.
5) Nothing tethers as reliable as my Valeo did but as long as you are doing single shot it will be pretty reliable.

The 31 is just a bit slower but has a smaller sized sensor but than again better ISO performance.

All these things aside there is a number of things that are well done by Leaf, Phase or even Sinar that I most certainly would welcome for Hasselblad as well. None of the systems are complete but I can work with the Hasselblad, I like working with it and it delivers what I need but indeed YMMV.

I use a Mac and have had absolutely no problems with Phocus tethered or not. Just works with no problems. I have 4 megs of RAM and shoot and process 16 bit but I haven't moved up to Snow Leopard yet so can't say about that.

I find Phocus to work very much like Lightroom which I used for two years. And I also used C1 so Phocus is doing a good job for me. Even before I bought my Hasselblad I felt that there was a distinct bias in here against Hasselblad. But different people have different experiences with things so all I can do is go by my short history with Hassy.

I have recently dumped all my Canon gear for the H3DII- 50 - for me the decision came done to price and the quality of the lenses.

Steven

www.friedmanphoto.com

I'll be more direct in answering why ...on this forum all I seem to see is Phase One users.

It's no secret that MR is no fan of Hasselblad, and he has gone out of his way to make that very clear.

Many PhaseOne owners share MR's feelings towards Hasselblad.

Nearly all of the Hasselblad users that I've spoken with think LL is a good website but have chosen to move on or participate less because of this bias. I visit here much less too, but I still come here because I feel this is a good forum and website, however, sometimes the anti-H momma-drama gets out of hand.

As you've probably noticed, the PhaseOne salesman jumped in; that happens a lot here and on other forums; he's gotten much better, but he needs to spread the PhaseOne name brand around, so he's using these forums to advertise and sell. He needs to eat I guess.

As far as Hasselblad goes, I use the H3DII39 and I'm extremely happy with both the results and the service I get from Hasselblad.

Hasselblad's Phocus software works great, it's a 64-bit software solution and I've not had any trouble working in on Vista 64. I shoot to CF.

The HC[D] lenses deliver outstanding quality; I've travelled with them all over North America, shooting for about 5 years.

I looked at the PhaseOne camera and I liked the viewfinder on the H platform much more. I also liked the complete lens line up on the H; it exists where as PhaseOne is still getting up to speed with their new lenses. I also liked knowing that Hasselblad has invested considerably into R&D on new products such as the HTS and the new zoom lens. I also prefer an integrated system, one vendor, one source for support and no finger pointing.

Be guided accordingly.

Kind regards,
Derek Jecxz
http://www.jecxz.com

actually I found the histogram a big step up coming from Leaf.
the H3d's screen was crap but the H3dII was a big improvement.
Also not enough people point out how convenient it is using the same battery to power the back and camera. previously either the camera or back would run out of juice at the wrong time, twice the room for problems.
(although it would be great if the battery on the H3d lasted longer)

I still have a bad taste in my mouth from the H1, and Blad never really penetrated the market in NYC among pros. Everyone was Leaf or Phase on an H1 then H2, AFd, or RZ when I was making the switch to digital

This goes back to the H1. The first one I picked up, at Calumet, couldn't advance the film. The second one I tried shooting handheld with an Imacon back attached, the same way I would shoot an RZ. Blurred frames from the mirror. I used one with a Sinar 54m, locked down on a tripod. Great frames until the H1 threw some error messages then stopped working. I thought the H was a piece of shit, hard to work with, uncomfortable hand cramping etc. For me, I wrote the H off. In fact, aside from the shutter lag, the Mamiya AFd is, to me, a much better handling camera. I like the RZ with a back on it WAY better than the H. I like the RZ lenses better than the H lenses, except for the 100 2.2.

In NYC everyone knows C1 and then Leaf Capture. Few people know Flex or Phocus. Few places rent the H3 system, or at least I've never seen it on their price lists. I think people who own their own gear use the H3 system. Lots of advanced amateurs use them. I've seen files from the 39 and 31, and think they are really pretty at defaults in Flex. Not Leaf pretty, but nicer than the clinical over sharpened Phase defaults from C1 3.x.

Capture Intergraiton do a fantastic job selling Phase One stuff and servicing Phase One customers - I know because I bought a P45+ Phamiya and a bunch of other stuff from them. The company is great and goes out of its way to be helpful. My only complaint about Capture Intergration is that they sell the second best or third best system.

Comparing the Phamiya body in any guise next to an H body is very very very funny - as there is no comparison. Every time a new Phamiya lens comes out the net is inundated with pics of just how good the Phamya D series lenses are - and I look at them ...and see ummm yeah ..nearly as good as what H users have enjoyed for 10 years already. Then you got the really really excellent C! software - much better than Phocus - why? Well because all these guys who shoot Canon and Nikon like it...hahahhahah (joke) I use C! pro for M files.

Meanwhile Hasselblad give their software for free to registered users - for sure less flim flams - but DAC corrections that actually work. Then I use a simple adaptor in front of my H series camera and can use all the V lenses I have as well - the camera immediately recognises what I am shooting and the software applies DAC corrections as well there - if I want.

Hasselblad is just an easier system to use than anything else out there - and I guess will always bring out their version of a big boy sensor many months after Phase One does _ I gues that is the only thing that Hasselblad comes second in - megapixels and for all the 50 or so photographers that care - that is a big deal. Oh the other advantage that Phase On enjoys over Hasselblad in a P+ series camera is long exposures - Hasselblad goes (only) up to a minute....Phase One goes for hours. Again if that is important to you - well you will have to put up with third rate body and second rate lenses but you do get a long exposure.

The one thing that really upsets me about Hasselblad? - typing the silly name of my camera H3D11-39 I mean come on - thats just a stoopid naming convention - dont they care abotu how hard it is for peopel to type it easily?

A lot of good points here. Yes I do sense an anti-hasselblad bias, maybe from some issues at the H1 system's start, or whatever. But so many rental houses use the H2 system with Phase backs that it's obvious the Hasselblad lenses and camera bodies are well proven. Imacon was no slouch technically when they took over the desktop scanning business from Leaf, which was quite an achievement . As so many have said, when I get back in town I'm going to go out and start testing the different systems against each other as well as against my own 1Ds3 images. Once I've established there is a quantifiable difference, then I'll deal with the hardware and software idiosyncrasies of each..

Thanks for all the info.

That's quite surprising since I really respect MR and the job he has done with this website and his tutorials. I know at one point he was obviously disappointed with Hasselblad locking out other back manufactures from their new systems. His site is the first place I go to get impressions of the latest gear and his opinion weighs heavily on my buying decisions. Never considered him bias. Now that you mention it, he has never done a comparison of the two systems. It would be quite a test to see how their latest systems match up as far as image quality.

And what do feelings towards equipment companies have to do with our business of making art or images? I hate Nikon for forcing me to dump all my gear a few years ago when they appeared to have totally abandoned the professionals that made Nikon who they were. But if I needed to buy a Nikon because it would help my work - my bias against them as a company wouldn't stop me from it.

They are only tools.

IMO - thanks for listening.

A lot of on the street talk about digital backs is from the past, or the stuff of urban legends.

I believe Leaf got the reputation for being more film like because early on V-8 was limited to the basics in processing, v10 was unstable and had a whole slew of problems so most Leaf files were processed in early CS1 and CS2 which gave a grain effect to .mos files, hence the reputation for film like.

Hasselblad early on had that tethered tank thing and the Imacon/hasselblad backs were usually one stop and one step behind phase so they got passed by.

Phase with version 3 software was the most stable of the medium format systems (at the time) and became more of the standard, though 90% of all professional images shot with Phase backs were shot with H series bodies. I think some of that stability equity has been given up with the issues of V4, it may return with V5 though only time will tell.

I find the testing, buying process of medium format interesting because few photographers I know have actually taken a Canon, a Leaf, a Phase and a Blad and actually compared them in their real world shooting styles.

Most just shoot a few dozen frames at a dealer or of some assistant in their studio, write the check and then try to find a way to make the system work for them. I've done it both ways, buying blind and buying through testing and I can promise you that the "film like look" of any digital camera has as much to do with subject, lighting, choice of processor as it does anything that relates to hardware. That was in the Phase/Hasselblad Kodak sensor, Leaf/Sinar Dalsa sensor days and now that everyone seems to mix and match everything I guess there is not that much difference.

I do know that the time I briefly tested the blad file in Flexcolor, compared to the Phase and Leaf, using HMI's the hasselblad file had the prettiest skin tones, though I didn't go the Hasselblad route because the file would only work (at the time) in flexcolor and the pre production 39 mpx back I tested was slow, though later versions were faster.

In fact under certain conditions the Leaf can be very film like, but shooting translucent skin can be a magenta nightmare, but issues can and do happen with every digital back because they all behave differently under different conditions. The Phase P30+ is very nice under tungsten light, the Aptus 22 good under most strobes, though the A-22 I owned was a moire machine. Once again they all have their plus and minuses, though Hasselblad has one thing no other maker can match and that's a autofocus 100mm F 2.2 fast lens. For a lot of money work, this is a magic focal length and 2.2 is fast and offers a lot of artistic options.

Doing it again, or starting fresh, I would probably go with Hasselblad, if only because it takes one battery to run the whole system and I think their contribution to the industry is strong, especially in the way they market and feature their photographers.

They have a respectful way of presenting the work of their clientele and that goes a long way with me.

IMO

JR

How many years ago was the H1? jeez, get past it.

Everyone you know? There are over 18,000,000 people in New York City. I think every day starts with today and holding grudges for something that happened years ago when ALL companies were feeling there way through digital is not really a productive approach, do you think? I, for one, am very happy with my Hasselblad, camera, back, lenses and Phocus. I came in with no pre-disposition to anything whether it was Phase, mamiya, hasselblad, etc. but the rants against Hasselblad in here are so emotional I just let them go and used my brain. I am very happy I did.

Oh, thanks John, i will as soon as possible many thanks again

Agreed.

I have been asking around about Hasselblad tethering, for an upcoming job in California. These guys were recommended to me, if you want Hasselblad tech and tethering.

Just trying to provide a public service here, and stay positive about Phocus, under pressure:

http://150kilos.com/

However, the word I got from a trusted source is that Phase and Leaf are the solid leaders, and shooting speed is not Hasselblad's forte.

Maybe it would be fine, if shooting product or the like.

Your trusted source is not trusted, as it simply doesn't stand anymore.

Anyway, don't take it from me, try an H3D50 tethered.

...Plus I can certainly vouch for 150Kilos. Extremely professional and work with photographers who would not accept anything less.

Trust me, my source is trusted.

As an aside, if you mounted a P30+ onto an H2 body, could you buy the "magnifying viewfinder" for the H2, and mount that viewfinder onto the H2, and thus, the H2 becomes "full frame", at least in how you're seeing it through the viewfinder?

IOW, if you had two bodies in front of you:

1) H2 with P65+, with normal viewfinder.
2) H2 with P30+, but with magnifying viewfinder.

And you put both cameras on tripods in front of you, and you looked thru each one, would the viewfinder image that you see be the same size?

Are there any downsides of using the magnifying viewfinder? Would duct tape be involved in any way, in my approach?

Thank you.

PS. If I only buy from Doug Peterson, but I wanted Hasselblad, what do I do then? Does Doug moonlight for any Hasselblad dealers?

Trusted maybe, wrong, absolutely.

As for your second question, no.

Doug has been Phase-washed, so you would have to go to another dealer. ;-)

Locked out, yet again. Oh well. Thanks.

A perfect example of momma-drama!

I knew it would not take long...

Kind regards,
Derek Jecxz

The Million Dollar Question, also known as Poulsen's Dilemma, is: Does it make them invest further in Hasselblad, or does it make them bolt to Nikon/Canon?

? I don't even understand the question. Are you asking Toyota why you can't buy one of their cars from your local Honda dealer? Locked out yet again!

Hywel.

Down boy! Its not a rant against Hasselblad. I'm sorry I offended your camera. Give it my apologioes. I was simply explaining why many people I know, from my world, don't rock the Blad. Ghost of the H1, then entrenchment into a system that was rock solid, Phase and C1 3.x or Leaf and V8.

I don't know everyone in New York. I really know probably less than 900 people. Probably 50 of those people I know in New York are professional photographers who use/used backs. Another 6 or so work for or own rental companies. That's the basis for my sample.

I'm not in the market for a back, I have no opinion on the H3 or H4. I never had a grudge against Blad. The H1 being problematic didn't offend me. It was just a fact. I like the idea of the integration of the H3/4, at the same time I don't care. My Aptus on an RZ works well for me, is predictable. I'm glad you like your camera. I'm glad you have some Self Help, AA 12 step philosophy to get you up in the morning. Thats a good thing.

If I were starting fresh from Canon, I would go Blad. Its simple and integrated, like a DSLR. But I'm coming to this with a work flow, and a market, where flexability and speed wins the day, and the day is worth more than I made from 1989 to 1999 put together. Most of the time its the Canon or, scoff, film.

I tried my H3D11-50 tethered, and live view does not work (and they are supposed to notify me when they release updates).

Are you still on track to release the firmware update to make live view work on the H3D11-50 this month?

Man, I hope my kids never come in here and read this stuff. I wouldn't be able to use my "act like an adult" lesson on them anymore.

FWIW, I work for a retailer where we shoot product M to F, year-round. I shot with a P25 on a H1 body from June '05 to Jan '09. There was the occasional (once a week?) error on the H1 asking to reconnect the digital back. Hit the release, tilted the P25 back, then re-attached. Problem gone. Other than that, the platform was solid. It also got toted along the West Coast in a backpack, used from boats and helicopters to do shots for a resort.

In Jan '09 we took delivery of a H3D-II 50. Wasn't my choice, but approached it with an open mind. Phocus took a bit of getting used to, but isn't really that difficult if you've been using C1 or something similar. Yes, I'm a bit peeved that we're still waiting for live view. My opinion (a total guess) is that Hasselblad has been busy getting the HTS adapter, the 60MP back and H4 body to market to take the time to get live view working on the 50. It's not an excuse - don't sell it if you can't deliver - however the feature was not integral to the type of work I do.

My other issues have been the rather poor preview in Phocus if you're viewing at 15 to 24%. A quick zoom to 25% renders the raw file (instead of using the embedded JPEG for preview) and all is well. The only time I can crash Phocus is when moving images from one folder to another in Phocus versus the Finder. Even then, that is sporatic. I've been running Phocus on an dual quad core Mac with 8GB of RAM. The other software running at the time is Photoshop CS4, a web browser and remote desktop connected to a Windows server. On a 2008 generation unibody MacBook Pro, Phocus has been mostly stable, though slow to process to RGB. I wouldn't want to process a large number of 50MP files on it.

After 10 months with the H3D-II 50, we'll be upgrading to the 60 early next year. Hopefully live view will work. ;-)

The advice to try both systems is very valid. Find a dealer that is willing to let you use the camera/back for the type of work you do. Save the files and spend another week or two in the respective software. See what works for you. I think the major DB makers all hype their products a little too much and this board seems to have a decidedly anti-Hasselblad bias. Not sure why, other than it's no different than Ford versus Chevy, Mac versus Windows, etc. In reality, the service you get from your dealer will probably be as an important a factor as the manufacturer you go with.

Darren Bernaerdt

I'm not sure if that is necessarily true.

Given time it seems most dealers, reps will have changed the logos on their polo shirts more than Nascar drivers, so if you really want to work with that one special dealer/rep/tech/expert, give it a while cause everything changes.

I don't know a lot but I do know with "medium" format there are 10 close to certain projections.

1. Every time you watch a video of a photographer shooting medium format it's always with an H camera, though not usually with an H back. The video will always include the photographer's assistants loading a Toyota Highlander.

2. Every time somebody on a forum posts 10 questions to a dealer/rep/tech representative only 7 questions are fully answered.

3. Every three years Leaf will have a new users forum.

4. In the year 2015 Phase will still have the same lcd in the same case with the same 4 chrome buttons. This will be called simplicity of design.

5. In the year 2016 medium format will move to cmos buy buying all the used canon cameras in the world and stitching them together to make an almost full frame 645 format sensor.

6. In the year 2017 RED will announce a new Super Full Frame 10meter x 90meter Mysterium camera that is subject to change.

7. In the year 2018 Atlanta will be the only place you can legally buy a medium format camera.

8. In the year 2019 Leica will ship their second S-2 Lens, a Macro, for a discounted price of 18,549 dollars, or euros + import duties, + VAT + currency/market liquidity changes.

9. In the year 2020 all professional photographs will be shot with a robotic medium format Iphone. You just ship the Iphone to location, it sets up the lights, interacts with the subject, argues with the client and shoots the photograph. There will be an A.L. version and it will come with a 12 extra robots that assist with the styling and a law firm on retainer. Two robots will quit in tears.

10. In the year 2021 F+H, Sinar and Kodak will announce they are looking for an investor to resurrect the HY6, though nobody will answer the phone because they're on holiday.

IMO

BC

The above is meant as satirical humor. Any resemblance to real people, corporations or individuals is pure coincidence.

In other words don't anybody get their knickers in a twist.

BC, I love your posts.

Cheers

Ulf