Hasselblad H6D-100c LCD screen: the worst ever made

[Tarkowsky]

I've been playing with the new H6D-100c for quite a while and what's really struck  me is the bad quality of its screen.
I am not talking about the touch screen menu which is great but the ability of showing images with some degree of color accuracy.
In that respect The H6D-100c display is the worst I ever tested.
All previews images have a strong yellow-green cast and the contrast is much  too high hence highlights and shadows are easily clipped whereas other camera LCD screens  can show very subtle tonal values.

Attached you can see the same scene on a H6D-100c display next to a Nikon D800 display.
One  can see not only the Hassy terrible yellow-green cast on the grass and on the gray floor whereas the Nikon has a more neutral look but also the extreme contrast applied to the Hasselblad previews .The trunk is almost black and the flower yellow washed out not to speak of the paving nuts almost clipped.

The scene WB was K5700 (measured with an i1Pro) and internal WB camera was set 5700K for both camera.
With that internal camera setting both raw files were showing the same value for the third gray patch in the ColorChecker (R=G=B=121).
Jpegs images obtained through raw converter were similar and very neutral on a PC display.
Therefore  the big difference in color and contrast on the display previews are due to internal display calibration which is very good on the Nikon and totally off on the H6D-100c.

Hasselblad display is almost useless for judging the quality of a picture. One has only to rely on histogram.
It's like going back to the analog era when people had to wait to get their films developed to be able to see the real photo.
Nowadays with Hasselblad new cameras I have to wait to look at them on a pc to see the real photo because the previews is useless.
I bought the new H6D-100c but when it comes to the display camera I really miss my old H4D-60.
Isn't it weird?

[eronald]

Have you asked Hassy whether they can solve this issue? It sounds like either the hardware is bad or someone forgot to calibrate the screen before shipping.


Edmund

I've been playing with the new H6D-100c for quite a while and what's really struck  me is the bad quality of its screen.
I am not talking about the touch screen menu which is great but the ability of showing images with some degree of color accuracy.
In that respect The H6D-100c display is the worst I ever tested.
All previews images have a strong yellow-green cast and the contrast is much  too high hence highlights and shadows are easily clipped whereas other camera LCD screens  can show very subtle tonal values.

Attached you can see the same scene on a H6D-100c display next to a Nikon D800 display.
One  can see not only the Hassy terrible yellow-green cast on the grass and on the gray floor whereas the Nikon has a more neutral look but also the extreme contrast applied to the Hasselblad previews .The trunk is almost black and the flower yellow washed out not to speak of the paving nuts almost clipped.

The scene WB was K5700 (measured with an i1Pro) and internal WB camera was set 5700K for both camera.
With that internal camera setting both raw files were showing the same value for the third gray patch in the ColorChecker (R=G=B=121).
Jpegs images obtained through raw converter were similar and very neutral on a PC display.
Therefore  the big difference in color and contrast on the display previews are due to internal display calibration which is very good on the Nikon and totally off on the H6D-100c.

Hasselblad display is almost useless for judging the quality of a picture. One has only to rely on histogram.
It's like going back to the analog era when people had to wait to get their films developed to be able to see the real photo.
Nowadays with Hasselblad new cameras I have to wait to look at them on a pc to see the real photo because the previews is useless.
I bought the new H6D-100c but when it comes to the display camera I really miss my old H4D-60.
Isn't it weird?

[Tarkowsky]

I wrote to Hasselblad and still waiting for a response.
I checked another H6D-100c and even that camera showed the same off-calibration so I guess it is a general issue for the H6D-100c screen.
I will try to measure the white colorimetric coordinates of the screen and see what kind of CCT Hasselblad has set the display.
All the cameras I have tested have set a CCT = 6500K included my old H4D-60

[BernardLanguillier]

Apologies, but I am at a loss why anyone would consider the color accuracy of a screen relevant... unless you shoot jpgs. This being said my screen seems reasonnably accurate, I would have yours checked by Hasselblad.

But to the point, if you shoot raw, what matters in a screen is the ability to assess focus acuracy and exposure, the rest is best done later or through a thethering sesssion. This is especially true for the Hasselblad since WB is next to impossible to adjust in the field (no AWB, not grey card neutralization).

I have several complains about the H6D-100c, some to be addressed very soon by a long overdue firnware upgrade, but its screen is IMHO not a problem at all.

Cheers,
Bernard

[Tarkowsky]

Apologies, but I am at a loss why anyone would consider the color accuracy of a screen relevant... unless you shoot jpgs. This being said my screen seems reasonnably accurate, I would have yours checked by Hasselblad.

But to the point, if you shoot raw, what matters in a screen is the ability to assess focus acuracy and exposure, the rest is best done later or through a thethering sesssion. This is especially true for the Hasselblad since WB is next to impossible to adjust in the field (no AWB, not grey card neutralization).

I have several complains about the H6D-100c, some to be addressed very soon by a long overdue firnware upgrade, but its screen is IMHO not a problem at all.

Cheers,
Bernard

So why bother to make color display if it was only a matter of checking focus and exposure?
You can perfectly do that on BW screen.

[Rdmax]

So why bother to make color display if it was only a matter of checking focus and exposure?
You can perfectly do that on BW screen.

I'm guessing most people with Hasselblads shoot tethered anyway

[Tarkowsky]

I'm guessing most people with Hasselblads shoot tethered anyway

Well that's not a good excuse to build bad display for a  $32,995.00  camera.
I am a landscape photographer and I don't shoot tethered cause the battery goes down so quickly when tethering and plus I don't want to carry extra weight for another external screen when a good one should be enough.
C'mon for that price we should ask more than a bad Chinese LCD screen.

[BernardLanguillier]

So why bother to make color display if it was only a matter of checking focus and exposure?
You can perfectly do that on BW screen.

As mentioned, I would start by having my screen checked prior to making it a generic H6D-100c issue.

And no, generally speaking a B&W screen wouldn't do because it would remove any possibility to factor in scene colors when doing selects in camera. However color accuracy is of low relevance.

Now, with the current WB capabilities of the canera, even that is questionable IMHO. So today a B&W screen would be fine with me.

Cheers,
Bernard

[Tarkowsky]

As mentioned, I would start by having my screen checked prior to making it a generic H6D-100c issue.

And no, generally speaking a B&W screen wouldn't do because it would remove any possibility to factor in scene colors when doing selects in camera. However color accuracy is of low relevance.

Now, with the current WB capabilities of the canera, even that is questionable IMHO. So today a B&W screen would be fine with me.

Cheers,
Bernard

As I mentioned before I checked two H6D-100c  and both cameras had the same issues related not only to color accuracy but also on the tonal compression ( S gamma curve )applied on the previews.
Mind you that all the new Hasselblad cameras can also shoot videos and to have a decent preview on the LCD screen might help when setting the WB in camera (you don't need to shoot everything in raw video format).
If you have a totally off calibrated screen is almost impossible to choose the right WB value.

[BernardLanguillier]

If you have a totally off calibrated screen is almost impossible to choose the right WB value.

The correct way to set WB is to position one/several neutral grey cards in the scene and to neutralize it/them in post.

Frankly, I come from many years with various Nikon bodies including the D5, which probably has the best AWB ever (truly brilliant in my book), and the WB capabilities of the H6D-100c are appalling in comparison... but I don't think the screen plays any role at all.

Anyway, if the screen is essential to you and you are certain it is not a sample issue, I would just return the camera. Life is too short to use tools that are not performing as you expect them to.

Cheers,
Bernard

[Tarkowsky]

The correct way to set WB is to position one/several neutral grey cards in the scene and to neutralize it/them in post.

Frankly, I come from many years with various Nikon bodies including the D5, which probably has the best AWB ever (truly brilliant in my book), and the WB capabilities of the H6D-100c are appalling in comparison... but I don't think the screen plays any role at all.

Anyway, if the screen is essential to you and you are certain it is not a sample issue, I would just return the camera. Life is too short to use tools that are not performing as you expect them to.

Cheers,
Bernard

Not everybody want to shoot in raw format video.
A lot of people prefer to shoot in H264 format and in that case to set WB you position a neutral gray card and while looking at it via Light View mode you continually change K value till what you see appear gray. When you reach the perfect gray on screen you have set the right WB.
Of course if your screen is totally off calibration even the Light View mode will show a totally inaccurate gray.
For example with the H6D-100c yellow-green cast you'll tend to choose a WB that is always at least 800K-1000K lower than the right value because you'll try to compensate the yellow-green cast making it to appear gray.

 

[BernardLanguillier]

I would personnally pick a GH5 over the H6D-100c any day to shoot serious video.

If I were to shoot video with the H6d anyway, I would shoot raw.

The reality of the MF high end bodies is that they are only superior to the best alternatives costing 10 times less in a narrow enveloppe and only 30% better even in that enveloppe. Video is IMHO not part of this narrow enveloppe.

Cheers,
Bernard

[BAB]

Hasselblad display is almost useless for judging the quality of a picture. One has only to rely on histogram. [/font][/size]

[/font][/size]

[/font][/size]
As to the reference of the Histogram, I have mention this to a Hasselblad tech and consulted several people regarding two main issues with my H6D 100 C [/font][/size]
The histogram does not correctly show the real clipping of the raw image in either R,G or B channels...it's at least 1 1/2 stops lower in many exposures. You can only trust the histogram when the word overexposure high appears.[/font][/size]
Secondly the Green channel is out of control in high DR exposures and in Low Light exposures, as of this point Hasselblad does not see it as a priority to allow a custom option for a non balanced raw histogram. When it was supposided ask to the factory the response was that's the first request they have ever had for it.[/font][/size]
I might be able to get by with AWB but my respect for capturing images with the current H6D 100 and it's current firmware proves high DR and or Low Light images won't balance out in the raw capture. I have resorted to a CC40M filter to solve this.[/font][/size]
My point is if I wanted to shoot tethered to Phocus at all times the correction is available.[/font][/size]

[BernardLanguillier]

You mean that exposing to the right with the histogram results in images that are 1.5 stop short of blowing highlights in the raw file?

Cheers,
Bernard

[Tarkowsky]

I would personnally pick a GH5 over the H6D-100c any day to shoot serious video.

If I were to shoot video with the H6d anyway, I would shoot raw.

The reality of the MF high end bodies is that they are only superior to the best alternatives costing 10 times less in a narrow enveloppe and only 30% better even in that enveloppe. Video is IMHO not part of this narrow enveloppe.

Cheers,
Bernard

I don't mind if you want to buy another camera to shoot serious video and maybe another external display just to look at the photo previews.
You're missing the point.
I am not asking for perfection but only for a decent display which any other camera can provide.
Is that too much for $32,995.00?

[Tarkowsky]

I measured the white of the two cameras  with an X-rite  i1Pro and used SpectraShop software to analyze the data.
You can look at attached image which contains all the graphs and colorimetric data.
But to make it short one can say that:

Nikon D800  has a CCT=K6500 and DUV=0.023 CRI Ra=92

Hasselblad H6D-100C  has CCT=K5500 and DUV=0.0114  (five times greater than Nikon and that creates the yellow-green cast) CRI Ra=67 (the worst value of all cameras I have been measuring so far).

Usually displays are calibrated to a CCT =K6500 (D65) to better match the viewing condition at K5000 (D50) which is the illuminant chosen by the press industry and it's also close to daylight value.
Trying to match the D50 viewing codition with a display calibrated at D50 gives always images that look too yellow
Previous Hasselblad camera (H5D-50) were calibrated with a K6500 white point and had a better CRI than H6D-100c.
So I really don't understand why Hasselblad has changed its approach going on a very bumpy and dangerous road leading to the abyss in term of CRI value.

[eyedear]

Tarkowsky, I completely agree with your assesment. I have tried out the demo of the h6d-50c, as much as the LCD is bright and good for bright outdoor situation. It's color has a bad yellow-green cast to it as you have said. I don't have the fancy gear to measure but to my eye it's really bad. Compared to my h4d-50 screen my h4d screen are much more accurate in color. I hope more people would comment on this and have hasselblad rectify this issue 

[BAB]

You mean that exposing to the right with the histogram results in images that are 1.5 stop short of blowing highlights in the raw file?

Cheers,
Bernard

Yep that's the story the green channel shows touching the wall but actually in the raw histogram with raw viewer it's far from touching or climbing the wall

[BAB]

I measured the white of the two cameras  with an X-rite  i1Pro and used SpectraShop software to analyze the data.
You can look at attached image which contains all the graphs and colorimetric data.
But to make it short one can say that:

Nikon D800  has a CCT=K6500 and DUV=0.023 CRI Ra=92

Hasselblad H6D-100C  has CCT=K5500 and DUV=0.0114  (five times greater than Nikon and that creates the yellow-green cast) CRI Ra=67 (the worst value of all cameras I have been measuring so far).

Usually displays are calibrated to a CCT =K6500 (D65) to better match the viewing condition at K5000 (D50) which is the illuminant chosen by the press industry and it's also close to daylight value.
Trying to match the D50 viewing codition with a display calibrated at D50 gives always images that look too yellow
Previous Hasselblad camera (H5D-50) were calibrated with a K6500 white point and had a better CRI than H6D-100c.
So I really don't understand why Hasselblad has changed its approach going on a very bumpy and dangerous road leading to the abyss in term of CRI value.

Would it possible to allow the user an option to adjust the screen? Would not the code be provided by the manufacture of the screen?

[Tarkowsky]

Tarkowsky, I completely agree with your assesment. I have tried out the demo of the h6d-50c, as much as the LCD is bright and good for bright outdoor situation. It's color has a bad yellow-green cast to it as you have said. I don't have the fancy gear to measure but to my eye it's really bad. Compared to my h4d-50 screen my h4d screen are much more accurate in color. I hope more people would comment on this and have hasselblad rectify this issue

Today I had the opportunity to test another H6D-100c and two H6D-50c and both had the same terrible yellow-green cast like mine.
Previews were also very high contrasted.
I measured the spectral data and the outcome are extremely consistent with my camera.
I also checked the X1D and to my surprise even its screen had the same defect.
The tech guy at the shop told me that H6D-100c,H6D-50c and X1D have the same screen so I suspect that the yellow-green cast and the extreme contrast applied to previews is indeed a generic issue with most of the new Hasselblad screens.
So far I checked 3 H6D-100c , 2 H6D-100c and 1 X1D and they all had the same defect.
Just my luck? I don't think so.
I would be very happy to see a decently calibrated screen mounted on any new Hasselblad camera.

Attached the X1D spectral data which are consistent with H6D-100c