First results of the CFV39 Part three.

[PointLignePlan]

800iso

Jat (of somebody else), could post original photo at 800iso please? I will buy this back only if I can use it also at 800iso. I have no only photoshoot at 50iso!
Naturally I have also D3 D3x for very high iso, but it's another thing.


thx
Sébastien

 

[wbulte]

Hello Saad,

An excellent idea:

" Hi Jurgen, I can arrange that if you like "

I would not mind sailing that ship to Germany.
Jürgen better inform us about the size of the port of Sonthofen to make sure that ship can be moored without problems.

Paul

Maybe you can have someone build a Zeppelin to air-lift it to Sonthofen?

Wilko

 

[saad]

Wilko, I thought they didn't make Zeppelins anymore

I just got a brand new CF250 sa, and I am really looking forward to testing it against the CF180 with the CFV39 on really chroma infested subjects.

Saad

 

[bradleygibson]

Hi, guys,

I had a pretty busy week this week, so haven't been able to chat much.

Thanks again for all the suggestions on the troubleshooting my images from the 203FE/CFV-39.

I posted some test shots previously, and believe I have solved the issue(s) (or at least know what they are). There were four: 1) defective lenses 2) operator error (that's me), 3) wind and 4) shutter vibration visible in telephoto shots. There were, thankfully no issues with the camera body or the viewfinders.

All four conspired to ensure I did not get a single critically sharp shot on my first outing--very disappointing! But, I don't give up that easily!

1. Of the five lenses I shot (CFE 40/4 IF, FE 50/2.8, FE 80/2.8, FE 110/2, CF 250/5.6) two are defective. The 40 and the 80 are going to the HBUSA hospital for a little tender loving care.

2. I found through practice that achieving critically sharp focus is much more sensitive than I thought. I was able to throw the focus off by 10m or so with a nearly imperceptible movement of the focus ring.

After practicing for several hours with my equipment in the front yard, I feel I can now achieve the level of sharpness I expect, but it is not a quick process! I'm sure I will get faster with practice...

3. Wind--also user error, really--I did not feel that the level of wind that night would affect the photos--I was definitely wrong about that.

4. Using the 250 Sonnar on a carbon fiber manfrotto with Acratech Ultimate ballhead with 6s mirror lockup in the "gutter" shutter speeds (around 1/15th, +/- two stops) reveals significant vibration.

(I've now found this to be the case in every focal-plane shutter medium format system I've ever owned (3 of them). It will be interesting to see how the Leica S2 does in this regard. I still have this perverse fantasy of doing medium format wildlife photography with tele lenses).

So I wanted to follow up with everyone to let you know how things have turned out.

Thanks,
-Brad

 

[saad]

Love your spirit.

Saad

 

[bradleygibson]

CFV-39 Pictures!!!

At long last, pictures from my second shoot with the HB 203FE and CFE-39.

I'm happy to report that every single shot from this shoot came in tack sharp (modulo the CF 250 and the shutter vibration issue, of course). I'm a happy camper! I shot some work as fast as f/4, but the subject matter I was shooting today definitely lent itself to smaller apertures.

Here is a link to a posting with some more generous sized images, in keeping with the de-facto CFV-39 theme of ARTISTIC METAL. (The rowers are off-theme...)

http://GibsonPhotographic.com/share/web/CFV-39 Practice Shoot #2

All images were processed in LR, and except for white balance, tonal adjustments and dust removal, are, with one or two exceptions, straight from the camera. (The couple of exceptions have selectively reduced saturation work done on them.)

Other thoughts:

- I'm enjoying getting used to the Square. Definitely growing on me.
- Lenses used:
#1 - Distagon FE 50/2.8 @ f/8
#2 - Distagon FE 50/2.8 @ f/8
#3 - Distagon FE 50/2.8 @ f/8 or f/11
#4 - Distagon FE 50/2.8 @ f/8
#5 - Planar FE 110/2 @ f/5.6
#6 - Distagon FE 50/2.8 @ f/8
#7 - Sonnar CF 250/5.6 @ f/8
#8 - Sonnar CF 250/5.6 @ f/11
#9 - Planar FE 110/2 @ f/11
#10 - Distagon FE 50/2.8 @ f/11
#11 - Sonnar CF 250/5.6 @ f/32
#12 - Sonnar CF 250/5.6 @ f/16 or f/32
- As is typical, the manufacturer's development software (in this case, Phocus) does a far superior job of rendering the images compared to LR. But the cost is the speed of the workflow (your time).
- I find that the CFV-39's anti-blooming capability (leakage of overexposed sensels into neighbouring ones) is weaker than the Phase and Sinar (Jenoptik backs that I have used to date). This means when a dark object is sillhouetted against a bright sky for example, the edges of the sillhouetted object will take on a distinct coloured fringing.
- ISO performance of this back is by far the best I've used in MF, when developed in Phocus, and slightly above average outside of Phocus.

Enjoy,
-Brad

 

[bradleygibson]

Love your spirit.

Saad

Thank you, Saad!

 

[saad]

Hi Brad, I looked at your pictures and found you an extremely unfair player. They are very professional, I absolutely enjoy your style, if the CFV39 capable of this, then I have a long way to go.

But why square?

You mean blooming is worst with the CFV?

Saad

 

[bradleygibson]

I have had two weeks now of just testing to figure out how to get the best results out of the system--it felt sooooo good to be finally making creative work again.

Thank you, Saad--I am glad you like them!

Regarding blooming, yes, I find the CFV-39 is much more susceptible to blooming than the Phase P45+ or P45 (both use the Kodak KAF-39000 sensor, like the CFV-39) or the Sinar eMotion 75LV (which uses a Dalsa chip).

Square--I don't know, I wouldn't say I'm really proficient composing in the square yet by any stretch--perhaps it is just because it is refreshingly different from 3:2 or 4:3... But for some reason, I do like it (especially as a print).

I recently participated in a print exchange with a few other photographers and found that square just looks good as a print! Just a subjective thing, to be sure, but I'll still produce 4:3, 3:2, 2:1 and 3:1-- just another 'look' that I'm enjoying.

-Brad

 

[macmx]

Brad,

Nice photos. What is the Frank Gehry'ish building on the photos?

Mc

 

[bradleygibson]

Thanks, Macmx. You nailed the architect--it's the Experience Music Project building in Seattle.

 

[jlm]

nice shots everyone.
brad:
what viewer are you using for such critical focus evaluation?
i assume your sq images are crops?

jm

 

[bradleygibson]

I am using the split-finder viewscreen supplied with the CFV-39 and (in this case) the WLF with pop-up magnifier.

The technique that I settled on takes me about 10-15s to focus critically, and involves me actually moving my head left right to get the split recticle to travel along a horizontal line in my scene. I find it is then easier to determine if I have precisely aligned both halves. Adjustments are nearly imperceptible in terms of the amount of ring turning to fine-tune the focus, but it's been very effective so far.

I also took a couple of shots using the PME45 finder (which is only about 2x magnification, if memory serves), and it still works well for me.

Yes the square images are 29MP crops from a the CFV-39's 39MP 4:3 sensor done in post.

-Brad

 

[macmx]

Thanks, Macmx. You nailed the architect--it's the Experience Music Project building in Seattle.

I see. Did know that building. Thanks.

 

[macmx]

I am sorry, but I just have to comment on this again:

Brad, image number 8 is simply fantastic. The colors, light and completely uniform color of the sky plus the symmetry and asymmetry of the two buildings makes this a great image. If I had taken it, I'd have a 1x1 meter print hanging on my wall right now. Makes me want to give digital another chance.

 

[cs_foto]

I am sorry, but I just have to comment on this again:

Brad, image number 8 is simply fantastic. The colors, light and completely uniform color of the sky plus the symmetry and asymmetry of the two buildings makes this a great image. If I had taken it, I'd have a 1x1 meter print hanging on my wall right now. Makes me want to give digital another chance.

Indeed it is a great shot!

Cheers!

 

[bradleygibson]

The city was just waking up and all of the passers by were gazing skyward to see what the heck I was photographing. Because they weren't standing where I was, they got a very different perspective on the scene.... Must've thought I was crazy...

Thank you, Macmx! I do plan to make prints of a couple of these shots.

Best,
-Brad

 

[jlm]

from today

 

[jlm]

a few more

 

[jlm]

from four focus shots, converted to jpgs, then merged with Helicon Focus. a bit dodgy, but HF kept gagging on the 120meg tiff files