H2 to H3

[jazzman]

Will an H2 (not an H2D) accept the latest H3D software for perspective control?

Can it be upgraded to accept the new wide lens for the H3D?

Thx,
DC

 

[khun_k]

No, it is not workable. I jsut tried that with a freind's H2 with P45 with my H3D39. The H3D back cannot be use on regular H2, and the new HCD 28/4 cannot be use on H2. And my H3D39 cannot take the P45 - you can mount it, but the LCD shows no communication and shutter won't fire.
You can upgrade the H2 to be H3D, but then it is a no-return path, and you will need to upgrade with the back as well. The good news is H3D can also shoot film with HCD 28/4, just that you can't use the DAC for chromatic aberration and distortion. The DAC is only available for H3D with hasselblad backs. Unfortunately.

 

[simond]

That's not fully correct.

I learned that the DAC, which contains the three levels chromatic aberration correction, distortion and vignetting correction, will also work with the H2 body and all CFH- and CF-backs.
Level one - chromatic aberration correction - anyway was used before the H3D emerged on all H2D and CFH- and CF-backs.

 

[fotografz]

Simon is correct. The firmware contained in the latest Flexcolor version will update H2D camera also, but as I understand it, the corrections are more limited than with a full H3D ... plus the 28 mm was designed strictly for use on the H3D cameras.

When I installed Flexcolor version 4.6.7 and connected the CFV back, it updated the firmware automatically. I've yet to test what effect it had on using the aberration and distortion corrections if any.

The difference between my old H2D/39 and the H3D/39 upgrade I had done, is that the H3D back can be removed and a film back mounted and the H3D back can be used on a view-camera where that couldn't be done with my previous H2D dedicated camera back.

There are a bunch of interesting things happening with Hasselblad digital. The H3D/31 has caught my eye ... and I eagerly await a ISO 800 file for inspection. Also, there is some sort of promotion involving the new viewfinder designed for the H3D that's connected to a new film back purchase. If you upgraded from a H2D to a H3D you can get the new cropped viewfinder prism and a film back, and keep the full frame one for film use, at less than the price of a new film back alone.

 

[khun_k]

Well, I forgot to mention the DAC is limited to only Hasselblad/Imacon backs on H2/H3 series, sorry, and the DAC on distortion seemed to work best on HCD lens, currently the 28 and may be some later.
I have used the HCD 28 on H3D39 and very visibly you can tell the before and after result, more or less a sphere image been pulled flat, especially pronounced when shooting quite close to subject. I would say it is indeed workable. The back of H3D39 can be use on view camera but power thru a tethered computer or the image bank. My viewfinder is the latest "full frame" version, no masking mark. But to use film, perhaps I need to have a prism that allow zero crop from the viewfinder, but I guess I don't plan to shoot film on H anyway so it does not matter.

 

[simond]

I don't think that distortion correction will work better on an HCD lens. When Hasselblad measures the charecteristics of each lens, or takes the data from what the lens should deliver by design, than that will be what is correctet via Flexcolor/DAC, why should they lets say "half correct" the distortion, aberation or whatever, when they can do it right. I think that would make customers really angry - it would probably be better for them to not implement a certain feature than to do it on a non "professional" level, then you could do it better by using photoshop or a correction software like acolens.

Distortion correction is certainly more visible on the HCD 28 just because it produces far more distortion on the images. When you look at the differnet lens data you can see that the HCD28 produces up to ~3,5% of distortion whereas the HC35 only produces up to 2,5% and and all greater focal length lenses will do even less.