Can you embrace the 'strobist' movement with Hasselblad?

[sperera]

again another good question I hope.....

.....the H3D-31 has a pop-up flash....many people will ridicule that Im sure but i definately see its worth.....so, the question is.....Hasselblad plus off camera small flashes.....whats your opinion?.....personally its a why not from me.....

I use the Nikon CLS system (useles in really bright daylight Ive found) on my D300 and control flashes from the camera....dialling them up or down manually so I would be looking to do that with the H3D-31 with pocket wizards or Skyport etc.......you think the Hasselblad needs a portable battery pack at very least because you just need a more powerful light source cos of the lenses????

opinions please.....this is another part of the dilemma for me.....

 

[sperera]

can anyone comment please??

 

[rmueller]

Hi,

No personal experience so far, I ordered a SCA 3902 and plan to use that
on the H3DII-31 with the Metz 54 MZ-3 strobe i have (from good old Nikon
analog times). You can find some comments on that combo here
http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4707
Will take a couple of weeks before i can post result here but I honestly believe that the Metz 54 is powerful enough.

Having said that, I successfully use a Pocket Wizard on my H3 with studio lightning.

Best Regards,
Ralf

 

[Professional]

In my another thread about Sample images i posted my daughter shot, was taken by my strobes triggered by Pocket Wizard.

 

[fotografz]

Flash for the H

Best camera I've ever used for on-camera flash ... including my Nikons. Total control is taken over by the H camera, and one can do all on-the-fly adjustments without taking your eye from the viewfinder.

I use a Metz MZ-3 and the more powerful Metz MZ-75 all the time ... also use Pocket Wizards to fire Profoto studio strobes, and a Hensel transmitter for my Hensel location gear.

I've even used the pop-up flash for simple fill in a pinch.

 

[sperera]

Total control is taken over by the H camera, and one can do all on-the-fly adjustments without taking your eye from the viewfinder.

Great!!!!! can you explain how you do this.....I havent got the camera yet!!!!!......with my Nikon I control the pop-up and off-cameras via the camera as you know.....so what do you do with the Hassy.....I also have some Metz to us.....

 

[AKTkunst]

Nikon Flash

I´m work with the Nikon SB-800 wireless in the SU4-Mode with the internal H3DI-I39 flash as master and manual settings, it works fine but not so comfortable naturally.

 

[fotografz]

Great!!!!! can you explain how you do this.....I haven't got the camera yet!!!!!......with my Nikon I control the pop-up and off-cameras via the camera as you know.....so what do you do with the Hassy.....I also have some Metz to use.....

My reference regarding control without taking your eye from the camera is for use of on-camera or on-flip-bracket fill flash when working quickly and spontaneously ... like when photographing a wedding (which is how I frequently use my H3D-II/31.)

You will need the camera in hand to understand this: while shooting you can press the flash control button on the grip with your forefinger (see attached photo of my H3D-II/31), then rotate the front command wheel to change the flash compensation value ... this +/- value shows up in the viewfinder ... so, with a little practice, you can do this without removing your eye from the viewfinder. If you wish to also alter the camera exposure value +/- you press the button on the Prism Finder with your thumb, and rotate the command wheel.

Go to the Metz web-site if you want to control multiple off-camera flashes. I do not know much about this because when using multiple flash units I don't use an inferred system like the Nikon SU4 or Canon STE-2 units ... their distance is too poor, and they are easily blocked due to relying on line-of-site communication.

My preference is to use small Hensel strobes and the Hensel wireless radio system which allows you to alter the output of strobe heads from the camera position. Elinchrom Sky-Ports also allow radio control of each strobe head from the camera. IMO, this is much more useful than retaining TTL flash control.

I wish Pocket Wizard would address the at-camera control issue for ProFoto strobes ... right now, you have to go to each mono head and alter the value ... which is a big PITA if the head is enclosed in a light modifier, or 12 feet up in the air.

 

[Professional]

My reference regarding control without taking your eye from the camera is for use of on-camera or on-flip-bracket fill flash when working quickly and spontaneously ... like when photographing a wedding (which is how I frequently use my H3D-II/31.)

You will need the camera in hand to understand this: while shooting you can press the flash control button on the grip with your forefinger (see attached photo of my H3D-II/31), then rotate the front command wheel to change the flash compensation value ... this +/- value shows up in the viewfinder ... so, with a little practice, you can do this without removing your eye from the viewfinder. If you wish to also alter the camera exposure value +/- you press the button on the Prism Finder with your thumb, and rotate the command wheel.

Go to the Metz web-site if you want to control multiple off-camera flashes. I do not know much about this because when using multiple flash units I don't use an inferred system like the Nikon SU4 or Canon STE-2 units ... their distance is too poor, and they are easily blocked due to relying on line-of-site communication.

My preference is to use small Hensel strobes and the Hensel wireless radio system which allows you to alter the output of strobe heads from the camera position. Elinchrom Sky-Ports also allow radio control of each strobe head from the camera. IMO, this is much more useful than retaining TTL flash control.

I wish Pocket Wizard would address the at-camera control issue for ProFoto strobes ... right now, you have to go to each mono head and alter the value ... which is a big PITA if the head is enclosed in a light modifier, or 12 feet up in the air.

I am happy with my Hensel strobes, soon i will shoot my daughters in my studio using my new Hassy.

 

[sperera]

Thanks so much for taken the time with this.....forums never cease to amaze me....the willingness of people to help out is great

 

[sperera]

you have the H3D-31 right....how do you find the screen at the back...im used to Nikons great 3" screen....is it good enough to make your on the fly evaluations of an image you've just taken....????

allso, when you look through the viewfinder is it quite bigger than looking through a Nikon D300 viewfinder hence focusing, albeit without all the 51 points on the Nikon isnt really an issue.....or do you yearn for better autofocus etc??????????????

 

[fotografz]

you have the H3D-31 right....how do you find the screen at the back...im used to Nikons great 3" screen....is it good enough to make your on the fly evaluations of an image you've just taken....????

allso, when you look through the viewfinder is it quite bigger than looking through a Nikon D300 viewfinder hence focusing, albeit without all the 51 points on the Nikon isnt really an issue.....or do you yearn for better autofocus etc??????????????

Personally I don't have any issues with auto focusing the H camera ... but I've been working with the H for many years now. The viewfiner is quite bright ... a lot brighter than the Mamiya AFD-II I used for a brief time.

No issue with the large LCD on the H3D-II ... however, I do not use any LCD for exposure evaluation including my Nikons, I read the Histogram when I want to do that. IMO, the LCD is to confirm capture and composition ... I want it to be reasonably clear enough to accomplish that.

 

[fotografz]

I am happy with my Hensel strobes, soon i will shoot my daughters in my studio using my new Hassy.

Hensels are great ... I like their radio sender that allows adjustments of the heads from the camera. All of my location strobe equipment is Hensel: 3 Mono 300 heads, a Mini 1200 box with 3 heads, and a complete Porty Plus system including their carbon fiber ring flash. Profoto is what I use in the studio.

 

[Professional]

Hensels are great ... I like their radio sender that allows adjustments of the heads from the camera. All of my location strobe equipment is Hensel: 3 Mono 300 heads, a Mini 1200 box with 3 heads, and a complete Porty Plus system including their carbon fiber ring flash. Profoto is what I use in the studio.

I saw Profoto lighting in the store where i got my H3D from, but i have to use my Hensel the best as i can before i decide to replace it or buy another brand.
I only have Expert ProPlus heads, 2 1000s and 3 500s.

 

[blowupster]

Hasselblad V 80mm cfe @11 on fujichrome 100F in Takayama Japan.
2 flashs: One Leica 24D at 1/4 power on the hood to master a slaved Metz 32 on automatic.

It was durring a festival, the slaved flash was handled by an other participant as height as his harm allowed.
Since then I use cactus radio slave: not professional but far beter than optical trigger.