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Author Topic: Phase One DF camera body  (Read 8599 times)

errolhiggins

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« on: March 21, 2010, 11:43:53 pm »

Had mine for 2 months. In my case I feel the response on the slightly slow side. I sent it to Mamiya and they said it was normal. On 2 recent shoots on a number of times I pressed the release and the camera did not fire. Batteries were fully charged. Using it with a P65+  All firmware is the latest. Any feed back would be appreciated. Thanks.
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tashley

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« Reply #1 on: March 22, 2010, 05:11:32 am »

Quote from: errolhiggins
Had mine for 2 months. In my case I feel the response on the slightly slow side. I sent it to Mamiya and they said it was normal. On 2 recent shoots on a number of times I pressed the release and the camera did not fire. Batteries were fully charged. Using it with a P65+  All firmware is the latest. Any feed back would be appreciated. Thanks.


Hi Errol,

I took delivery of mine last week - I also use it with a P65+ having previously had a 45+/AFDIII combination, so I am very accustomed to the general style of shooting.

It is my observation (and I have had a relatively brusque reaction to this when posting elsewhere) that though the shutter lag is a mild improvement on the AFDIII it is still in no way acceptable in a modern, top flight camera. Whether in normal or MUP modes you can almost hear it thinking between when you press the button and when the shutter goes off.

Mine also has a problem, which I will talk to my dealer about this morning but which I would be curious to know if others have, whereby on about 50% of my attempts to get the shutter to fire in MUP mode (i.e. I've already released the mirror and am now going for the shutter release) nothing happens, the camera freezes and I have to take out the batteries and set the dial back to L then reinsert the batteries in order to reset the mirror. This happens with both the cable release and with a normal button press release.

There's always the chance that I have something in Custom Functions set wrong but I don't think so...

I would be really curious to hear what others think of the FD. Is it at least mostly what people were hoping for? Is it widely seen as a disappointment? Or is it really really good, as good as or better than any DSLR, and I am just missing the point here?

Best

Tim
« Last Edit: March 22, 2010, 05:13:56 am by tashley »
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tashley

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« Reply #2 on: March 22, 2010, 06:02:35 am »

Quote from: KLaban
Tim, as far as cameras are concerned you really don't seem to have much luck.

In future I'd be grateful if you could let me know in advance what system you'll be investing in next so that I might avoid it like the plague


That depends! What are you thinking of getting?  
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errolhiggins

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« Reply #3 on: March 22, 2010, 07:54:43 am »

Hi Tim, Thanks for your input. If you have just received your camera don't wait ask for a swap-out. Your problem echos what is happening with my 645DF, Errol
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tashley

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« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2010, 01:19:34 pm »

Quote from: errolhiggins
Hi Tim, Thanks for your input. If you have just received your camera don't wait ask for a swap-out. Your problem echos what is happening with my 645DF, Errol
Hi Errol,

I've been messing around with various settings today and going through some of the video tutorials, manuals and help documentation on Phase's website. In one place I saw that when using MUP you should set the hardware switch to Manual Focus, and Manual exposure mode, though I now can't find where that was! However, whilst messing around with that possibility, exploring whether the latency settings had any effect (they don't seem to on the DF), and trying various other things, the problem with my MUP has gone away and now it works happily in Av mode with both the body and the lens, where applicable, set to AF. Maybe the fault was intermittent or maybe I changed a setting somewhere but I now find that MUP works fine with either Auto or older manual glass though there is more shutter lag with MUP (maybe something to do with the combo of type of lens and type of exposure and focus set on the body?)... meanwhile I shot a lot of 'straight' images in Av mode with the 80D lens with exposure and focus on auto, and it seems much perkier - so maybe I had something set wrong somewhere?

Provisional on it not reverting to how it was yesterday I am now sufficiently happy with it not to bother my dealer. Famous last words???

 

Best

Tim
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Jack Varney

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« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2010, 02:15:54 pm »

The camera cannot auto focus or adjust exposure when the mirror is up, obviously. Perhaps a setting was allowing it to try.

One other thing to be on the alert for is dirty contacts between the back and the camera. On my P45+ and AFD I receive a "CAP dB" message on the LCD. The camera will not fire again for about 30 seconds. Living in Florida near the coast I find it necessary to clean these contacts several times each year. I also find it necessary to clean the lens contacts as regularly so that the lens aperture and focal length will be recorded in exif. I find a touch of Cramolin R2 or ProGold helps them stay clean longer.
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Jack Varney

ixpressraf

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Phase One DF camera body
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2010, 02:50:04 pm »

I am struggling to get my zoomlens 105/210mm AF ,wich works fine on my AFDii body, working on my DF.  Autofocus has defenitely improved to the AFD models, even my old 35mm is superfast now ( it stil isn't Hasselblad but way better than all previous mamiya camera's and much better than my Contax645).
 It seems my camera(DF) does not recognise the 105/210mm zoomlens. Body firmware is 1,01
« Last Edit: March 22, 2010, 04:12:14 pm by ixpressraf »
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tashley

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« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2010, 04:05:27 pm »

Quote from: ixpressraf
I am struggling to get my zoomlens 105/210mm AF ,wich works fine on my AFDii body, working on my DF.  Autofocus has defenitely improved to the AFD models, even my old 35mm is superfast now ( it stil isn't Hasselblad but way better than all previous mamiya camera's and much better than my Contax645).
BTW, is there some manual available on the internet or does someone have a Phase One DF manual. I got my DF as part of a package of a frien who bought a Phase One P65 but does not need the camea and LS lens. So i am puzzling out how to get the camera to perform as it was designed to.....


Go to this page and look in the middle - you won't need to speak Korean, I promise!

http://www.phase1.co.kr/q/phase1/down.php?...ew&uid=1363
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tashley

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« Reply #8 on: March 22, 2010, 04:07:03 pm »

Quote from: Jack Varney
The camera cannot auto focus or adjust exposure when the mirror is up, obviously. Perhaps a setting was allowing it to try.

One other thing to be on the alert for is dirty contacts between the back and the camera. On my P45+ and AFD I receive a "CAP dB" message on the LCD. The camera will not fire again for about 30 seconds. Living in Florida near the coast I find it necessary to clean these contacts several times each year. I also find it necessary to clean the lens contacts as regularly so that the lens aperture and focal length will be recorded in exif. I find a touch of Cramolin R2 or ProGold helps them stay clean longer.


I think that's right: it made a sort of 'I'm up to to something but it's not working for me' kind of a sound! Thanks for the tip on contacts - of course the whole setup is new so the back and body are probably fine but the lenses have been with me a while so I'll give them a going over!

Thanks again

Tim
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ixpressraf

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« Reply #9 on: March 22, 2010, 04:24:54 pm »

hi Tim, thanks for the link but i already figgured that out myself on the phase one.com site in plain English :-)) (  in a clear moment in my mind, wich does not happen all that often). I already adjusted all custum functions as i like them, made an A and a B set of them but still can't get my zoom working. The lens works fine on an AFD1 and AFD2 but is not recognised by the DF camera( no apperture setting viseble on the upper lcd screen.
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narikin

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« Reply #10 on: March 22, 2010, 06:04:34 pm »

mine also locks up more than the old AF one did. needs a battery out reset.
and yes I get the CAP DB alert sometimes, and it makes no sense when/why.

the AF is slightly better, but the camera is more buggy and less reliable than before. ugh.

Phase/Mamiya need a kick in the butt.
oh wait, Pentax just gave them one.
if that camera is bullet proof, with its multi point AF working, I'm switching...

Phase - release a great camera, or your days are numbered.
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tashley

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« Reply #11 on: March 22, 2010, 07:31:59 pm »

Quote from: ixpressraf
hi Tim, thanks for the link but i already figgured that out myself on the phase one.com site in plain English :-)) (  in a clear moment in my mind, wich does not happen all that often). I already adjusted all custum functions as i like them, made an A and a B set of them but still can't get my zoom working. The lens works fine on an AFD1 and AFD2 but is not recognised by the DF camera( no apperture setting viseble on the upper lcd screen.


I also get some files where there is no capture data to speak of, even with the 80D. I need to test for it but I think it is when I have just switched lenses without powering off first...
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tashley

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« Reply #12 on: March 22, 2010, 07:34:10 pm »

Quote from: narikin
mine also locks up more than the old AF one did. needs a battery out reset.
and yes I get the CAP DB alert sometimes, and it makes no sense when/why.

the AF is slightly better, but the camera is more buggy and less reliable than before. ugh.

Phase/Mamiya need a kick in the butt.
oh wait, Pentax just gave them one.
if that camera is bullet proof, with its multi point AF working, I'm switching...

Phase - release a great camera, or your days are numbered.


I get stick for this elsewhere but I agree that Phase needs the ass kick. They effectively own the market, for good reasons I think, but it should not be a license for sloppy around the edges. I tried the Live View today. If that's life, it sucks...
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yyapp

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« Reply #13 on: March 22, 2010, 07:36:37 pm »

And you won't get it to work unless you send your lens to Mamiya for an APB and firmware update. It seems any 105-210mm older than current firmware 34 (mine was 33) needs a very expensive firmware and hardware update.
I wrote a long email to my dealer who said Phase / Mamiya are aware of that but they won't cover the cost of fixing it.
Hopefully if more angry customers and dealers start making noise they may change their ways.
Would be interested in knowing what your dealer says.
Rafa


Quote from: ixpressraf
I am struggling to get my zoomlens 105/210mm AF ,wich works fine on my AFDii body, working on my DF.  Autofocus has defenitely improved to the AFD models, even my old 35mm is superfast now ( it stil isn't Hasselblad but way better than all previous mamiya camera's and much better than my Contax645).
 It seems my camera(DF) does not recognise the 105/210mm zoomlens. Body firmware is 1,01

yyapp

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« Reply #14 on: March 22, 2010, 07:44:04 pm »

I have used mine both with AF and manual focus as well as manual and Av shutter with no problems using mirror up and electronic cable release.
The camera focuses and meters before the mirror goes up and locks those settings for the shutter release.
My camera has been working flawlessly (other than the unsupported 105-210mm issue) for 6 weeks now. It replaced a really old 645 AFD
so I have seen a markedly improvement in autofocus responsiveness, speed, accuracy and shutter lag though it stills feels a bit slower than my old Nikon D200. None of my lenses are new D lenses. I don't know if that might be a factor.

Rafa



Quote from: Jack Varney
The camera cannot auto focus or adjust exposure when the mirror is up, obviously. Perhaps a setting was allowing it to try.

One other thing to be on the alert for is dirty contacts between the back and the camera. On my P45+ and AFD I receive a "CAP dB" message on the LCD. The camera will not fire again for about 30 seconds. Living in Florida near the coast I find it necessary to clean these contacts several times each year. I also find it necessary to clean the lens contacts as regularly so that the lens aperture and focal length will be recorded in exif. I find a touch of Cramolin R2 or ProGold helps them stay clean longer.

Jozef Zajaz

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« Reply #15 on: April 05, 2010, 06:59:06 pm »



I've had my df for about a week now. Used it on a gig for the first time today. Worked very well, flawless all day. Autfocus is alot quicker and more responsive.
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Jack Flesher

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« Reply #16 on: April 05, 2010, 10:18:38 pm »

Well, different experiences for sure...  I've had mine for a few months and I find it in every way a significant improvement over my AFD3 body.  AF is faster and extremely accurate, and shutter lag is notably reduced.  With these improvements in the DF body coupled with my P65+ back's Pixel binning and high ISO performance gains, I feel confident this MF kit can cover all my shooting needs adequately enough that I sold off my entire DSLR kit.
« Last Edit: April 05, 2010, 10:28:03 pm by Jack Flesher »
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Doug Peterson

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« Reply #17 on: April 05, 2010, 11:09:19 pm »

Quote from: narikin
mine also locks up more than the old AF one did. needs a battery out reset.
and yes I get the CAP DB alert sometimes, and it makes no sense when/why.

Sounds like you need to talk to your dealer.

You should have a completely rock solid experience. If not then there is something that can be found and fixed.

Most likely a firmware update for your digital back.

Yes, there are some 105-210 lenses which require a hardware update. To my knowledge this is the only lens in the line that requires (sometimes) a hardware update and if it's out of warranty there would be no reason to think the manufacturer would cover it. Some 80mm and 75-150mm lenses may require a free firmware update. Otherwise the backwards compatibility of the DF body to previous backs and lenses is nearly flawless.

Bill Caulfeild-Browne

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« Reply #18 on: April 06, 2010, 09:54:58 pm »

I've had my DF/P65+ combo for four months and have had no serious problems. I did once have the camera mirror lock in the "up" position with the shutter open but that was simply because the batteries had finally expired, after over 1,000 exposures! Popped in a new battery pack and all was well.

The shutter lag is IMHO non-existent, and a great improvement over the AFDIII. (One rarely uses MF for action photography so perhaps I'm just not noticing the lag - I never worried much about it on the AFD III either, though I did on the AFDII.) I use mostly MLU with Av and the electronic cable release.

Frankly, this is the best camera for my purposes that I've ever owned - and I've owned a bunch! And the Sensor+ mode gives unbelievably clean high ISO files.

I think the advice about keeping all contacts clean is excellent, as well as ensuring the back and lenses are locked on fully and securely.

Bill
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