For me, the handling of color is more important than most of the rest of the physical differences between the X1D and the GFX, this early out. Although he is now an ambassador for Hasselblad, that is relatively recent, and I have followed Ming Thein for years. He has always been clear and unflinching in his reviews and comments, so I trust him as much as any online-authority I am aware of. Ming Thein is critical of all equipment, so if he uses Hasselblad, it is because he likes what it does. When I asked him on his blog about the Hasselblad vs. the Fuji approach to color, here is what he said.
MT: “Color: most of the world likes saturation to the nines; I can’t stand it because it makes processing very difficult, and getting accurate color for product work near-impossible. Hasselblad color is natural/accurate as opposed to pleasing: the cameras require the least profiling I’ve experienced, and they’re near-identical in color profile across the entire range (CCD included). You can saturate a Hasselblad file easily and control the peaks/rolloffs, but you can’t desaturate a ‘consumer’ file without it looking odd – the channels may well have clipped.”
ME: I then asked Ming Thein something to the effect that since you are also familiar with the Fuji color approach, do you feel that the GFX color will be as manageable as Hasselblad?
MT: “If they [Fuji] stick to the same color profile as their other cameras, honestly, no: the blues always run cyan, and the shadows block up quickly to extend highlights. This may be different on the GFX sensor, but I don’t think it’s going to solve the cyan shift since that seems to be part of the family ‘look’.”
What he says adds up to the other feedback I am getting from experts like Alan Lesheim, that there are “family” differences between the two companies approach to color. Which color-family we choose is up to our preference. I, for one, don’t care for HDR or any trace of that style, so that leans me toward working with the X1D rather than the GFX, unless (and until) I see physical proof in photos to the contrary. If the GFX leans toward “vivid,” then I won’t like that. My problem is that I cannot afford to have both cameras on-hand, and I have put in orders for each. I will get (now I’m guessing) the X1D first and have to keep it or return it before I get ahold of the GFX.
I hope these comments are helpful. Please don’t bother to disparage Ming Thein’s comments just because he is loosely associated with Hasselblad. With some folks, bias may be true, but I don’t believe it is true in Thein’s case. I read what he says. Either Fuji has blues which tend to run cyan, etc. or not.
