Personal experience is what I'd like to hear. Shooting experience, ergonomics, how well the system functions, and workflow issues interest me as well as results. What and how you shoot would be an important aspect as well.
Thanks,
Robin Casady
http://www.robincasady.com
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Ok, I just took delivery yesterday of my H3D39 along HCD 28/4, 35/3.5, 50-110/3.5-4.5, 100/2.2 and 120/4, I eventually bought one more lens than I originally ordered. I can only do best to compare it against my beloved (and still beloved Contax 645) and the 500 series and 205TCC.
The screen & View finder - without scientific measurement, the H3D probably has bighter viewfinder than the Contax, of the same apaerture. Just a little, so for example, the 100/2.2 looks as bright as 80/2 on the scren. The rubber armor on H3D viewfinder is a generation superior than the Contax 645, and quite comfortable to use. It is nice to look thru the viewfinder wihtout the usual darkened masking. I remembered PME5 on the 205TCC is very bright as well, but the memory a few years should not count. As I am more used to the layout of the Contax 645, the information on H3D view finder although quite clearly layout, it does not look better to be.
Grip - The H3D grip feel solid but wide on one side, thin on the other, I would say the Contax 645 has superior grip and the camera just felt much more balanced on your hand. Especially the H system lenses are in general larger and heavier than the Contax, the tradition design excellence on Contax camera holds up well against the H system. The Contax also have the power grip but that something it is too big, especially when I have to attach a Bron-color ring flash, that I will always like to remove the power grip. Without it, Contax is better, with it, I consider it a personal preference option, not sure if H will have one later or not. I suspect they will.
The ovrall control - Without question, Contax is way superior than the H for me. I like to be able to adjust the aperture ring, although Contax does not have 1/2 or 1/3 click, I am actually able to just adjust the aperture ring between the full stop setting and able to set the aperture in 1/2 or 1/3 stop by look thru the view finder. This is useful when you are reaching the defraction limit of a lens but want to get as much as DOF then it is useful in such way. H is electronically controlled so you can set it thru dials/wheels, something not my preference. The tradtion dial and mechanical setting is more useful for me. Anyone with reasonable knowledge in photogpraphy can take control of Contax 645 in very short time, I suppose they will take a much longer time on H to figure it out. But since H is designed for professionals, I think eventually everyone can master the control eventually.
The integration of back and camera - there is a mixed feeling on this. On contax 645, since I have been using the system for close to 10 years and many years with DB, I do not think it is that necessary to integrate them together in such way H3D does. I am absolutely happy the way Contax and P45 works, all the essential photographic setting thru camera and all the image setting exclusively thru the back, why not! With H3D39, sometime you take a pause to think either the seeting you are looking for to be on the back, or on the camera. The only advantage here is really you do not have to power up the camera and back separately. The integration for system communication today can be done by electronic contacts, I don't see Contax is inferior in this regard. Especially when the battery continue to improve everyday, having separate battery in camera or DB is not mattered to me.
The lenses and AF - I have always asked, if one can use Leica M to focus quickly, they can do that on medium format, especailly for the camera such as Contax 645. So the AF focusing speed on Contax never bother me, and the AF bottom on the grip just make operating the camera a second nature, perfect. The damping of manual focus ring on both system is equal but I like the way Contax lens offers, you can immediately adjust the aperture value while continue to shoot, rather than a finer turning the wheels. Contax just offers more intuitive operation than H. AF on H is faster and does not hunt as much, but it is also noisier. AF speed is not that important to me. May be one day my eye gets worse this would be mattered, I hope this won;t happen too soon.
Conclusion - H does not make Contax 645 obsolete. With Contax 645 and P45, somehow you are doing only what is essential for getting the picture needed. No second guess. And the system works beautifully, AF with reasonably good speed, and quieter. Just smoothly! H is more complicated. Eventually you will be abel to control the camera flawlessly, with a learning curve, and more dial and wheels. I think Contax 645 has more elegant approach to the design of the system, not making the system overally complicate, but still capable of doing everything you need - except - 1/125 sync speed is slow in certain regard, and that's one major reason I end up added H3D39 to my system. The other reason is the 28mm HCD lens and its claimed DAC function, which if it works out as claimed, will give a nice alternative to my Alpa system yet able to focus closely wiht high precision and able to view the DOF. While the my Contax system can go all the way to 35mm (and to 30mm with MAM-1 adapter and Hasselblad CF 30mm fisheye), it does not offer 28mm, which sometimes I need. I do not intend to add the tele lens for H because my Contax lenses can take care of that.
I hope later on I can give you more personal test information for image quality, after all, all the above comparison is subjective, sometimes not fair to compare a system of 10 years old and 1 day old.
On the aesthetic issue, as I am an industrial designer that could not resist myself to comment, that Contax 645 has a smart, sophisticate and comtemporary look, while H3D39 looks like a serious and capable machine. Contax looked to me a design made by photographer, and H design made by an typical industrial designer/engineer.
