I have selected the H3D system

[hobbsr]

Hi All,

As many may remember I was deciding on what MFDB to use and what system to buy into. After many posts and some very useful insights as well as my own testing and evaluation of systems I decided to go with the H3D 31 with 50-110mm lens as my start out kit, I have also been able to purchase an 80mm at a great price so that I have a backup lens.

I thought it may assist others if I share my thinking if you call it that behind my decision and this is not meant to be some debate about brands. I had to make a very big decision as this is a very big jump in investment to buy into shooting MF.

Some key aspects:

In my eyes I saw that the Iq from Hasselblad seemed a little better than from the P30+, don't get me wrong the P30+ gives great results but in the end I was put off the P30 option by some noise at iso 800 where the H3D seemed to handle this better - again this is in my eyes ad was not a scientific test! As some many here know they both are great systems and are both with the correct usage able to support creating great images.

So many reasons to go Hasselblad:
1. I liked the feel and design of the H3D body and the fact that it is integrated - like one power button for all
2. I also found that the lens build/optic quality was better than Mamiya, I know that the new D lens from Mamiya are comining and in some cases are here and they seem to be much better built (metal) but they cost close to the Hasselbalds so did not see any advantage to wait for those over having the hasselbald system here already. Also the DAC and phocus support I see as an advantage again over waiting for the others to come. I also have used C1 for years and like what it does but I think there is great promise in Phocus and hope hasselblad can roll new versions quickly to support improved and new features of the system like iso 1600?
3. The Mamiya AF noise was an issue and just liked that the H3D does not do this.
4. I can purchase a second H3D body and it is less than a new AFD III so again saw no disadvantage as many would point out that the Mamiya is more cost effective. Same can be said regarding lens as I could have picked up 3 used lens and had a full kit from day one but I decided that it would be better to invest in what I saw as better build and better AF lens.
5. Overall see Hasselblad as a high quality brand with higher perceived value in the market

So in the end I saw that the H3D system was a better choice because of the image quality, build/optic quality, overall design and software and perceived value of the brand and system.

As the asking price for this was very low it was an opportunity to buy into a system that I thought I could not afford. I am very happy with my choice and it was a very close decision and felt the P30+ was held back by the system not it as a digital back.

I look forward to showing some of my first images when I get out and about.

Thanks again for your support and hope this adds some value in sharing it is not meant to be a brand war starter, as this is my subjective view on my choice only, for others they may see this in a totally different way.

Rodney

[TMARK]

The below should serve as a cautionary tale for Phase and Mamiya on the pricing of their new camera equipment.  Mamiya as a brand is perceived as having less value than 'Blad, with over all acceptable quality. By pricing the new equipment like 'Blad and Sinar which are the premium brands, you push people towards those brands and lose sales.

Otherwise, congrats on your camera.  

Hi All,

As many may remember I was deciding on what MFDB to use and what system to buy into. After many posts and some very useful insights as well as my own testing and evaluation of systems I decided to go with the H3D 31 with 50-110mm lens as my start out kit, I have also been able to purchase an 80mm at a great price so that I have a backup lens.

I thought it may assist others if I share my thinking if you call it that behind my decision and this is not meant to be some debate about brands. I had to make a very big decision as this is a very big jump in investment to buy into shooting MF.

Some key aspects:

In my eyes I saw that the Iq from Hasselblad seemed a little better than from the P30+, don't get me wrong the P30+ gives great results but in the end I was put off the P30 option by some noise at iso 800 where the H3D seemed to handle this better - again this is in my eyes ad was not a scientific test! As some many here know they both are great systems and are both with the correct usage able to support creating great images.

So many reasons to go Hasselblad:
1. I liked the feel and design of the H3D body and the fact that it is integrated - like one power button for all
2. I also found that the lens build/optic quality was better than Mamiya, I know that the new D lens from Mamiya are comining and in some cases are here and they seem to be much better built (metal) but they cost close to the Hasselbalds so did not see any advantage to wait for those over having the hasselbald system here already. Also the DAC and phocus support I see as an advantage again over waiting for the others to come. I also have used C1 for years and like what it does but I think there is great promise in Phocus and hope hasselblad can roll new versions quickly to support improved and new features of the system like iso 1600?
3. The Mamiya AF noise was an issue and just liked that the H3D does not do this.
4. I can purchase a second H3D body and it is less than a new AFD III so again saw no disadvantage as many would point out that the Mamiya is more cost effective. Same can be said regarding lens as I could have picked up 3 used lens and had a full kit from day one but I decided that it would be better to invest in what I saw as better build and better AF lens.
5. Overall see Hasselblad as a high quality brand with higher perceived value in the market

So in the end I saw that the H3D system was a better choice because of the image quality, build/optic quality, overall design and software and perceived value of the brand and system.

As the asking price for this was very low it was an opportunity to buy into a system that I thought I could not afford. I am very happy with my choice and it was a very close decision and felt the P30+ was held back by the system not it as a digital back.

I look forward to showing some of my first images when I get out and about.

Thanks again for your support and hope this adds some value in sharing it is not meant to be a brand war starter, as this is my subjective view on my choice only, for others they may see this in a totally different way.

Rodney
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[Jack Flesher]

Just a .02 add on...

First off, congrats on your system and I think you made an excellent choice.  The Hassy cameras are excellent and the current H3D2 31 promo pricing is hard to ignore.  Second, you make good point about the perceived quality -- I agree and I shoot the Mamiya

But, what I've found since owning and using the Mamiya:  The newest lenses are built with a better feel, metal barrels and nice rings, and rival Hassy -- both feel and look substantial as they should.  Quite frankly I also expected sub-par performance from the plasticy-built Mamiya primes, but have been pleasantly surprised by outstanding optical performance, even wide open!  The next thing is while the Mamiya AF may be noisy, it is fast (AFD2 body) by MF standards and maybe even faster than Hassy. Plus it works well in lower levels of light than other MF AF cameras I compared it to... The new Phase or AFD3 body that is due out in a few weeks promises to improve on this further, but I still need to see it to believe it.  

That out of the way, I think the main difference to look at is owning and using a leaf-shutter system versus a focal-plane shutter system.  In the field (I primarily shoot landscape) the higher shutter speeds of the focal plane system are often needed; the same light would require adding ND filters over a LS lens.  Yet in the studio, higher flash synch speeds of LS are certainly more desirable.  Also, a focal-plane system like the Mamiya does allow for mounting of many older manual lenses -- I routinely use a Hassy 110 F2 and several older Mamiya manual focus lenses on my Mamiya AFD2.  The other thing the new AFD3 body promises is LS lens compatibility.  When Mamiya brings out LS lenses with flash synchs at 1/500th or higher, Mamiya becomes a pretty flexible competitor I think.  There is also a rumor that Hassy is coming out with a focal-plane body that uses their current lenses, so some really nice flexibility on the horizon there too!

Interesting times for sure, and it is nice we have so many really good options...  

PS: As respects the backs, IMO they are all very good and one can hardly go wrong choosing any of them. Most folks probably choose based on camera compatibility, UI, workflow and speed/ISO performance than over differences in the files themselves.

Cheers,