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Flexbody and CFV
- Thread starter macmx
- Start date
vandevantersh
Member
I would also be interested. There is a Flexbody forum on flkr that looks interesting. I would psot the link but it is verboten to do so.
Steve
Steve
polypal
Active Member
Hold it! 
It is not "verboten" to post a link here.
As long as there is no commercial activity involved and as long as forum members benefit from this information there is nothing against it.
I guess Marcus and Steve are the only interested forum users here.
Why not send him a pm?
Of course Hasselbladinfo likes to keep everybodies attention focused at this forum but it is a free world.
Paul
It is not "verboten" to post a link here.
As long as there is no commercial activity involved and as long as forum members benefit from this information there is nothing against it.
I guess Marcus and Steve are the only interested forum users here.
Why not send him a pm?
Of course Hasselbladinfo likes to keep everybodies attention focused at this forum but it is a free world.
Paul
vandevantersh
Member
Well..From a little research, the Flexbody and CFV work well together using the sync cable. People who are using this combo seem to be happy with the results. The Flexbody seem to most useful for "tilt" functions. The "shift" function is limited by the restricted "coverage" of the regular Hassy lenses. that is why the ArchBody was introduced along with the associated Rodenstock lenses. Wildi has good descriptions of controls, set-up and use.
After doing this little bit of reading, it looks intetesting. It appears to me that the major limitation is the lack of a "wide" CZ lens and the 1.5 crop of the CFV back. A minor annoyance would be the tilt is only verticle and to do horizontal tilt the whole camera need to be turned 90 degrees.
By evaluating the used marked prices, they cost about the same as the Mutar, which surprised me. I have been thinking about buying a 35mm T/S lens..this system may be more fun.
Now we need someone who has actually used this system and knows what they are talking about, to "chime" in.
Steve
After doing this little bit of reading, it looks intetesting. It appears to me that the major limitation is the lack of a "wide" CZ lens and the 1.5 crop of the CFV back. A minor annoyance would be the tilt is only verticle and to do horizontal tilt the whole camera need to be turned 90 degrees.
By evaluating the used marked prices, they cost about the same as the Mutar, which surprised me. I have been thinking about buying a 35mm T/S lens..this system may be more fun.
Now we need someone who has actually used this system and knows what they are talking about, to "chime" in.
Steve
vandevantersh
Member
It is not "verboten" to post a link here.
As long as there is no commercial activity involved and as long as forum members benefit from this information there is nothing against it"
************
Thanks for the clarification...I agree..commercial and non-commercial "bog whoring" isn't good (just buy ad space)
Steve
As long as there is no commercial activity involved and as long as forum members benefit from this information there is nothing against it"
************
Thanks for the clarification...I agree..commercial and non-commercial "bog whoring" isn't good (just buy ad space)
Steve
vandevantersh
Member
One last thought. When I have thought about a Flexbody before, the other thing that concerned me was taking the CFV off and on in order to focus and set up the shots. Just too many chances to dirty or damage the IR filter. I wonder if the Flexbody-CFV combo could be used tethered and focused using "live-view"? Pretty soon, I'll have to hire a "digital tech" when I go on a road trip.
Steve
Steve
polypal
Active Member
You will not be the first one.
A digital tech is already common use with commercial photographers.
It remains to be seen whether that is a positive development for digital capture.
vandevantersh
Member
Well, if that is true, then I will have to take your advice and have a towing rig welded onto the back of the f-car or leave Alison at home.*g*
Steve
vandevantersh
Member
I thought that I would kick this one back up to the top. Fotografz interesting series with PC Mutar-shift-stitch techniques, got me thinking (dangerous, I know) about the flexbody again. The "problem" with using the flexbody for shift-stitch is the coverage of the CZ lenses. Is this still a problem with the CFV back? It would seem to me that with the 36.7 mm sensor, the the CZ MF lenses would have more than enough coverage for shifting. Anyone with experience or opinion? Or is this apples and oranges?
Steve
Steve
polypal
Active Member
No apples and oranges Steve you are right as far as the image circle is concerned.
A thing to keep in mind though is the way a sensor likes to be exposed to the image.
Light that reaches the sensor under an angle can give problems.
Hasselblad is concerned about that effect that apparently can occur with the SWC.
I have no first hand experience but this effect may be worth checking before taking the plunge.
That plunge is no too deep though. A Flexbody can be found around 1000 euro or 1500 USD.
Paul
A thing to keep in mind though is the way a sensor likes to be exposed to the image.
Light that reaches the sensor under an angle can give problems.
Hasselblad is concerned about that effect that apparently can occur with the SWC.
I have no first hand experience but this effect may be worth checking before taking the plunge.
That plunge is no too deep though. A Flexbody can be found around 1000 euro or 1500 USD.
Paul
vandevantersh
Member
I have no first hand experience but this effect may be worth checking before taking the plunge.
That plunge is no too deep though. A Flexbody can be found around 1000 euro or 1500 USD.
*********
That is what I was thinking. The shift across the sensor is linear(?) so, as opposed to wider optics, (38 mm Bio) is there an increased optical angle on the sensor?
My major interest with a flex body, however would be with the tilt function...
Steve
That plunge is no too deep though. A Flexbody can be found around 1000 euro or 1500 USD.
*********
That is what I was thinking. The shift across the sensor is linear(?) so, as opposed to wider optics, (38 mm Bio) is there an increased optical angle on the sensor?
My major interest with a flex body, however would be with the tilt function...
Steve
wbulte
Active Member
vandevantersh
Member
"OMG.... tilt function. I feel a disturbed tilt-sensor in the distance.. 
Wilko"
**********
I don't know about that..but I am disturbed by the idea of having to take the back off and replace it, multiple times. It just seems that the chance of damage to an expensive component is markedly increased. That is why I was thinking about using a mini-notebook, Flexcolor, and live view for focusing.
Steve
Wilko"
**********
I don't know about that..but I am disturbed by the idea of having to take the back off and replace it, multiple times. It just seems that the chance of damage to an expensive component is markedly increased. That is why I was thinking about using a mini-notebook, Flexcolor, and live view for focusing.
Steve
polypal
Active Member
The "tilt sensor" episode was a painfull test for Jürgens patience.
His brand new CF back showed severe problems after a couple of weeks use.
It took Hasselblad two months to sought out the problem.
During that time absolute silence from Hasselblads service center did not improve Jürgens mood.
They reported something wrong with the "tilt sensor"
This was a surprise to all who felt sorry Jürgens new toy lasted only a couple of weeks.
Most of us only know tilt sensors from pin ball machines.
Hasselblad never explained what a tilt sensor does in a digital back.
We are still waiting for that answer.
With a correctly adjusted "tilt sensor" the problems were not over yet.
The new problem was that the repaired back seemed to be useful only for erotic scenes: Below 15° C it simply switched off.
We had fun although many of us admired Jürgen for the way he accepted his faith.
Finally Hasselblad supplied a new CFV back that still serves Jürgen well. KOW!
This disappointing experience also generated many questions about Hasselblad and dealer service.
Hasselblad stated only extended warranty would give a user the right to ask for a new back in exchange for the faulty one.
Many dealers will accept a back with serious problems within the first two months after first use as DOA and will supply a new one to replace the faulty one.
The German dealer Jürgen bought his CFV from did not offer that solution.
Jürgen survived this ordeal and had the courage to make "tilt sensor" part of his email address. Jolly good!
This happened about 18 months ago. A typical case of a buyer being used as test center for a product that was not fully
tested.
His brand new CF back showed severe problems after a couple of weeks use.
It took Hasselblad two months to sought out the problem.
During that time absolute silence from Hasselblads service center did not improve Jürgens mood.
They reported something wrong with the "tilt sensor"
This was a surprise to all who felt sorry Jürgens new toy lasted only a couple of weeks.
Most of us only know tilt sensors from pin ball machines.
Hasselblad never explained what a tilt sensor does in a digital back.
We are still waiting for that answer.
With a correctly adjusted "tilt sensor" the problems were not over yet.
The new problem was that the repaired back seemed to be useful only for erotic scenes: Below 15° C it simply switched off.
We had fun although many of us admired Jürgen for the way he accepted his faith.
Finally Hasselblad supplied a new CFV back that still serves Jürgen well. KOW!
This disappointing experience also generated many questions about Hasselblad and dealer service.
Hasselblad stated only extended warranty would give a user the right to ask for a new back in exchange for the faulty one.
Many dealers will accept a back with serious problems within the first two months after first use as DOA and will supply a new one to replace the faulty one.
The German dealer Jürgen bought his CFV from did not offer that solution.
Jürgen survived this ordeal and had the courage to make "tilt sensor" part of his email address. Jolly good!
This happened about 18 months ago. A typical case of a buyer being used as test center for a product that was not fully
tested.
vandevantersh
Member
I had repressed those painful days for Jurgen. Your post hit the "rewind button" of my aging brain and now I remember.
Steve
Steve
wbulte
Active Member
"OMG.... tilt function. I feel a disturbed tilt-sensor in the distance..
Wilko"
**********
I don't know about that..but I am disturbed by the idea of having to take the back off and replace it, multiple times. It just seems that the chance of damage to an expensive component is markedly increased. That is why I was thinking about using a mini-notebook, Flexcolor, and live view for focusing.
Steve
Well, this tilt-sensor remark is a bit of an insider joke. Juergen (jotloob) had the misfortune of getting a CFV that was displaying "tiltsensor error" on its display.
That said, I would myself be very wary indeed of (re)mounting a digiback all the time. My fantasy is vivid enough to see it end, sensor-down, on the edge of a Utah canyon or something similar.
Wilko
vandevantersh
Member
Well, this tilt-sensor remark is a bit of an insider joke. Juergen (jotloob) had the misfortune of getting a CFV that was displaying "tiltsensor error" on its display.
That said, I would myself be very wary indeed of (re)mounting a digiback all the time. My fantasy is vivid enough to see it end, sensor-down, on the edge of a Utah canyon or something similar.
Wilko
Something similar:
