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H3D-31 plus 50-110mm TOO good?

Too Good?

Sharpness and contrast are a controlled function of the Phocus software. You can override the default sharpness levels to your own personal tastes.

In addition you have the choice of presets ... Standard, Nature, Portrait and Product.

Lastly, lens selection plays a part ... my personal favorite H/C lens is the 100/2.2 which I use for wedding photography ( see attached cropped image from the 100/2.2).

Persistant comparison to the latest greatest 35mm digital cameras is fruitless ... it's not just pixel count ... it's the area that those pixels are contained with-in. Like with film, not only is there more detail with Medium Format, the tonal gradations are better.
 

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lovely shot...thanks for the post man.....cos my next question is crucial....you shoot weddings with a Hasslblad.....if so can you describe your post-shoot workflow....does Phocus batch fast or not????????????? how do you handle the 200-300 fots you take on the day....or dont you....do you use diff cams at different parts of the wedding day...???? please describe how you work a wedding cos Im being asked to shoot weddings and I never have...
oh, im presuming you're shooting with a H3D not with film....
 
sperera said:
lovely shot...thanks for the post man.....cos my next question is crucial....you shoot weddings with a Hasslblad.....if so can you describe your post-shoot workflow....does Phocus batch fast or not????????????? how do you handle the 200-300 fots you take on the day....or dont you....do you use diff cams at different parts of the wedding day...???? please describe how you work a wedding cos Im being asked to shoot weddings and I never have...
oh, im presuming you're shooting with a H3D not with film....
Click to expand...

Yes, it's digital with a H3D-II/31 and a H2D/22 before that.

I do use a couple of 35mm DSLRs for many of the higher ISO candid shots in lower light ... but if there is light for ISO 400, I prefer using the H camera.
I shoot the formal work with the Hasselblad ... and if the wedding is outside, then a majority of the shots are with the H camera.

My work flow is to set the clocks in the different camera all to the same time setting ... then convert the Hasselblad files to DNGs and dump them all together into the same file folder as the DSLR shots and sort by time shot in Lightroom. IMO nothing is as fast as Lightroom for wedding work.

If there is a special Hasselblad shot that I want to blow up, or use for the album after batch processing everything, I go back to Phocus and process that file separately because the color is usually better, or I can apply DAC corrections to it.
 
fotografz said:
then convert the Hasselblad files to DNGs and dump them all together into the same file folder as the DSLR shots and sort by time shot in Lightroom. IMO nothing is as fast as Lightroom for wedding work.
If there is a special Hasselblad shot that I want to blow up, or use for the album after batch processing everything, I go back to Phocus and process that file separately because the color is usually better, or I can apply DAC corrections to it.
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Thanks for your response cos what you're telling me is really helpful....questions.....

1. HOW DO YOU CONVERT THE HASSELBLAD FILES TO DNG????
Is that in Lightroom? so you're by-passing Phocus altogether apart from working the special ones???
.....this is currently what I do with my Nikon....i load them all in and place into a folder and view them fast with Lightroom then open the good ones in Capture NX2 cos Lightroom is NO WAY NEAR AS GOOD as Capture NX2 for great colour and acuity as far as Nikon NEFS go....there is no-one on earth that will convince me otherwise...not even Capture One or Raw Convertor...in my opinion of course

So Phocus is no way no how good enough to handle a big shoot then....I think top pro's get their computer guys to handle their files tethered or otherwise with Capture One.....again, a reinforcement in the fact Lightroom just does not do the job colour-wise.....

In fact, I spoke to Hasselblad UK and they said Adobe were not 'listening' to them and not using their profiles as they should and thus they created Phocus and the .fff format....

all this cos i have a real issue with Lightroom...its so fantastic it KILLS me it just doesnt render the quality of colour and acuity of an image, that 'thing' for example Capture NX2 does with Nikon raw files....its just not good enough.....if Lightroom would open up a Hasselblad image without the need for Phocus then we're laughing.....but it wont happen will it....manufacturers will always tie you into their programmes wont they.....
 
sperera said:
Thanks for your response cos what you're telling me is really helpful....questions.....

1. HOW DO YOU CONVERT THE HASSELBLAD FILES TO DNG????
Is that in Lightroom? so you're by-passing Phocus altogether apart from working the special ones???
.....this is currently what I do with my Nikon....i load them all in and place into a folder and view them fast with Lightroom then open the good ones in Capture NX2 cos Lightroom is NO WAY NEAR AS GOOD as Capture NX2 for great colour and acuity as far as Nikon NEFS go....there is no-one on earth that will convince me otherwise...not even Capture One or Raw Convertor...in my opinion of course

So Phocus is no way no how good enough to handle a big shoot then....I think top pro's get their computer guys to handle their files tethered or otherwise with Capture One.....again, a reinforcement in the fact Lightroom just does not do the job colour-wise.....

In fact, I spoke to Hasselblad UK and they said Adobe were not 'listening' to them and not using their profiles as they should and thus they created Phocus and the .fff format....
Click to expand...

You have to import the CF card contents into Phocus, select all files (except obvious junk) and immediately export them as DNGs to the main wedding file to be batched with shots from all other cameras. I use Lightroom for weddings for a number of reasons ... one of which is importing the files from any camera into Lightroom as DNGs, and sizing to album spec in batches is easier.

Once you import files to Phocus, they are always there to return to for the purist form of RAW.
 
fotografz said:
You have to import the CF card contents into Phocus, select all files (except obvious junk) and immediately export them as DNGs to the main wedding file to be batched with shots from all other cameras. I use Lightroom for weddings for a number of reasons ... one of which is importing the files from any camera into Lightroom as DNGs, and sizing to album spec in batches is easier.

Once you import files to Phocus, they are always there to return to for the purist form of RAW.
Click to expand...
..........so basically you're exporting as DNG (to be able to open in Lightroom) from Phocus as a large batch as step one....is this a fast process????? is this so you get the best quality colour etc as opposed to doing the same into Lightroom?

so, say you shoot with Nikon and Hasselblad during a wedding....you daump all your Hasselblad fff's into Phocus and export as a batch as DNG....and then you dump all the Nikon NEFs into Capture NX2 and export to DNG as well......thus you use both programmes superior image rendering abilities prior to using Lightrooms superior usability and speed????????????
 
sperera said:
..........so basically you're exporting as DNG (to be able to open in Lightroom) from Phocus as a large batch as step one....is this a fast process????? is this so you get the best quality colour etc as opposed to doing the same into Lightroom?

so, say you shoot with Nikon and Hasselblad during a wedding....you daump all your Hasselblad fff's into Phocus and export as a batch as DNG....and then you dump all the Nikon NEFs into Capture NX2 and export to DNG as well......thus you use both programmes superior image rendering abilities prior to using Lightrooms superior usability and speed????????????
Click to expand...

No, I don't process my Nikon files through NX2 because Lightroom directly recognizes them. Lightroom doesn't recognize the Hasselblad files, so I have to convert them first. I do not want to add a step to the Nikon files, and would even prefer it if Lightroom directly recognized the 3Fs ... but fortunately Phocus exports the DNGs pretty quickly. Batching 600 images is already enough time spent. I only want to spend the time on the 50 or so true keepers that will get printed. Sometimes I'm also dumping Leica M8 files into the same folder.
 
fotografz said:
No, I don't process my Nikon files through NX2 because Lightroom directly recognizes them. Lightroom doesn't recognize the Hasselblad files, so I have to convert them first. I do not want to add a step to the Nikon files, and would even prefer it if Lightroom directly recognized the 3Fs ... but fortunately Phocus exports the DNGs pretty quickly. Batching 600 images is already enough time spent. I only want to spend the time on the 50 or so true keepers that will get printed. Sometimes I'm also dumping Leica M8 files into the same folder.
Click to expand...
I did a test with an image i opened in Phocus from a H3d-31 and a 50-110mm lens and exported as DNG, as jpeg and as TIFF.....the DNG, for me, is just not good enough....the jpeg and TIFF identical to my eyes....so if i were you I'd save to jpeg....the ACR is just not good enough....
 
sperera said:
I did a test with an image i opened in Phocus from a H3d-31 and a 50-110mm lens and exported as DNG, as jpeg and as TIFF.....the DNG, for me, is just not good enough....the jpeg and TIFF identical to my eyes....so if i were you I'd save to jpeg....the ACR is just not good enough....
Click to expand...

That's because Phocus does not migrate any adjustments, not even the default ones in Phocus, when transferring the 3Fs into DNGs. It does when you select Tiff or Jpg file formats... including any DAC corrections if you have those boxes checked. Lots of folks have complained about that ... adjustments should migrate with the file when transferring to DNGs. just like with a Tiff to Jpg ... but I'm sure there is a technical reason for this omission.

So, what you are getting with the DNGs are pretty straight forewarn transfers. Then it depends on your default settings in Lightroom as to what they look like.

I do not have any issues at all with my Hassey files transfered to DNGs in Lightroom ... There are so many user optional settings in Lightroom that most any Preference can be set up. I don't ever use jpgs becuase of the compression, and Tiffs are to big.
 
do you only use one lens, the 100mm 2.2 when shooting at weddings???? thing is the 50-110mm + H3D-31 weighs like 4 kgs more or less!!!!????? too heavy.....so my question is which is THE lens you would get.....to shoot portraits, fashion, weddings....
 
Which HC Lens?

sperera said:
do you only use one lens, the 100mm 2.2 when shooting at weddings???? thing is the 50-110mm + H3D-31 weighs like 4 kgs more or less!!!!????? too heavy.....so my question is which is THE lens you would get.....to shoot portraits, fashion, weddings....
Click to expand...

Without a doubt if restricted to one H/C AF lens, it would be the 100/2.2. In each system there always seems to be one stand out "magical" lens even if all of them are good. IMO the 100/2.2 is the magical lens in the H system. It also happens to be relatively small and light, and balances better on the camera than the 80/2.8. I use the 100/2.2 for 80% of my wedding shots. If pressed to it, I could do an entire wedding with it ... except large group shot formals for which one needs the 50mm. which is also relatively small ... or even wider depending on the sensor in the camera (31 verses 39 or 50)

So, no one lens will ever cover all your creative needs at a wedding. However, the 50mm and 150mm take care of most everything else. I do not have the 50-110 Zoom nor intend on ever getting it. I'd rather have the 150/3.2 for portraits for which it is perfectly suited. Add a H/C 1.7X and the 150 becomes a 255/5.5 for longer lens work while preserving AF ... yet doesn't add all that much to the gear bag.

Remember, when shooting these lenses on a H3D-31/H3D-II/31 there is a lens factor crop due to a slightly smaller digital sensor ... so the effective focal length is multiplied by a factor of 1.3X in terms of field-of-view captured by the 31 meg sensor.

50mm = 65 mm field-of-view

100mm = 130mm

150mm = 195mm

150mm = 1.7X = 255mm X 1.3 = 331mm

So if you need wide angle field-of-view the equal to a true 50mm field-of-view, select the H/C 35mm = 45.5mm ... or the HC 28mm = 36mm.

Here are some shots with the H3D/31 using 3 different HC lenses: Little girl with Strawberry & Bride walking toward lighthouse was the 100/2.2; The covered bridge shot with the Bride and Groom small was the 50mm; and the Bride and Groom walking in the forest was the 150mm ...
 

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great stuff....as ever...thanks....the 100mm does seem like that magical lens indeed....Tim Flach loves that one too.....all this info is very useful thanks so much....if you think of anythign else keep it coming....
 
my friend's had hasselblad for decades and he's advising me on all this too........the main gripes he has is the autofocus plus he says the very very narrow depth of field will be a nightmare to use for weddings where you're under pressure...care to comment?????
 
sperera said:
my friend's had hasselblad for decades and he's advising me on all this too........the main gripes he has is the autofocus plus he says the very very narrow depth of field will be a nightmare to use for weddings where you're under pressure...care to comment?????
Click to expand...

Hmmm, don't know what to tell you. The H is the fastest MF AF camera I've used yet ... and that includes a Leaf AFi (Hy6) ... AF is the reason I switched from Contax 645 to the H camera ... now that was a slow AF camera.

DOF? Well, sure, just like any MF camera ... but fortunately you can stop down when you need it.

For weddings? ... well, I use it a lot, and the more you use it the better you get ... right?

However, I don't use it exclusively ... sometimes I use a Nikon D700 for low light candids, and occasionally a Sony A900 with Carl Zeiss lenses. Depends on the conditions.
 
...the perfect person to ask then....how do you find the D700 images compared to the H3D-31 then....BUT only if you process using Nikon Capture NX2 or Raw Developer cos if you use Lightroom or Adobe Raw Convertor my friend its like having your best player on the subs bench as far as I'm concerned!!!!

....this would be great feedback as I'm actually thinking about both of these....Im a Nikon user....currently have the fab D300 plus good Nikon lenses so hence the big debate whether to go into Hasselblad again...is it worth it and all that considering the huge financial implications of it......

....I use the 24-70mm 2.8 / the 105mm 2.8 / the 80-200mm 2.8 / the 50mm 1.8 so quite a bit of money on Nikon glass and fine glass it is too......
 
fotografz said:
Yep, Safari. But I used it before and it worked ... what changed?
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The forum software changed and is suitable for most browsers except Safari, Netscape and a few others.
The administrator informed me these browsers have a only small part of the market.
That is the reason the forum software will not be adapted for those browsers.

For MAC users Firefox is recommended. It is a free and safe browser.
 
polypal said:
The forum software changed and is suitable for most browsers except Safari, Netscape and a few others.
The administrator informed me these browsers have a only small part of the market.
That is the reason the forum software will not be adapted for those browsers.

For MAC users Firefox is recommended. It is a free and safe browser.
Click to expand...

Another change for the worse.
 
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