Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Hasselblad V vs. Hasselblad H with digital backs. Has anybody tested?  (Read 18189 times)

henrikfoto

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 899

I would like to know if anyone has tested the difference between Hasselblad H systems against the
Hasselblad V with CFi/CFE lenses and the newer backs?

Logged

Kitty

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 126
    • http://
Re: Hasselblad V vs. Hasselblad H with digital backs. Has anybody tested?
« Reply #1 on: December 17, 2010, 10:27:37 pm »

I used to test Hasselblad V and H a few years ago before I went to H.
With same lighting setup it seems V has more grey tone and need to push up contrast.
So H files looks quite sharper than V.
V is also quite difficult to focus.
But maintenance cost H is ten times more than V.
IMHO.
Logged

Nick-T

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 462
Re: Hasselblad V vs. Hasselblad H with digital backs. Has anybody tested?
« Reply #2 on: December 19, 2010, 04:07:57 pm »

Some random thoughts:
I shot V system for years both analogue and digital. The focus tolerance on digital are just so fine (IMO) I find I really rely on the (excellent) H system AF now. It may well be that all my film stuff was out of focus. The H system lenses tend to be better performers than the V stuff. You dod get focus confirmation if you use V system lenses on an H body. The h system offers a bunch of other benefits due to the electronics/integration for example get someone to show you the 28mm lens correcyions, they are amazing.

Nick-T
Logged
[url=http://www.hasselbladdigitalforum.c

Alex MacPherson

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 292
    • http://alexmacpherson.com
Re: Hasselblad V vs. Hasselblad H with digital backs. Has anybody tested?
« Reply #3 on: December 19, 2010, 10:20:26 pm »

Is the AF on the H1/H2 vastly different from the H3Dii series? I know that the TrueFocus on the H4D is..
Logged
Alex MacPherson

Visit My Website

John R Smith

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1357
  • Still crazy, after all these years
Re: Hasselblad V vs. Hasselblad H with digital backs. Has anybody tested?
« Reply #4 on: December 20, 2010, 06:33:05 am »

Something that would be very interesting would be like v like. In other words, a V-system 500 with 80mm Planar and a CFV-39 back against an HD-39 with HC 80mm lens. Same subject, same light, of course.

John
Logged
Hasselblad 500 C/M, SWC and CFV-39 DB
an

henrikfoto

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 899
Re: Hasselblad V vs. Hasselblad H with digital backs. Has anybody tested?
« Reply #5 on: December 20, 2010, 02:06:26 pm »

Something that would be very interesting would be like v like. In other words, a V-system 500 with 80mm Planar and a CFV-39 back against an HD-39 with HC 80mm lens. Same subject, same light, of course.

John

Thats exactly what I would like to see.
Everybody are talking about how great the new H-lenses are. I have some of them and I am not impressed :-\

I would love to test the last generation CFe lenses on a 39 mp digital back. It must have been done by many??

Logged

Nick-T

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 462
Re: Hasselblad V vs. Hasselblad H with digital backs. Has anybody tested?
« Reply #6 on: December 20, 2010, 03:37:34 pm »

There was an extensive article in Hasselblad's own victor magazine comparing H with V lenses, I'm sure it is available online. I'm sure many will accuse them of bias, but the article showed across-the-board better performance with the newer generation lenses, which IMO stands to reason. I have also had long chats with Hasselblad's lens designer and the H product manager on this subject and they both confirm better performance from h system lenses.

Nick-T
Logged
[url=http://www.hasselbladdigitalforum.c

bradleygibson

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 828
    • http://GibsonPhotographic.com
Re: Hasselblad V vs. Hasselblad H with digital backs. Has anybody tested?
« Reply #7 on: December 20, 2010, 03:53:31 pm »

I have owned a Hasselblad 501C/M with a Phase P45+, a 203FE with a Hasselblad CFV-39 and an H2 with a Phase P45+.  I too do not particularly like the way the Fuji H lenses render, but the H primes I have used are sharp.

I did not own the systems at the same time, so I cannot provide any A/B comparison shots.  In the end, though, I used the H2 with the CFV adapter, because I did not find the AF to be particularly quick and was fine with MF.

Not sure what kind of information you're looking for, but obviously the handling between the two systems is vastly different.  V being manual focus only, that is the deciding factor for many, as our eyes age.  It's also 6x6, not 645, fully manual versus electronic, even the handling of lens hoods (if you use them).  Here the H got it right.

For the nature work that I do, I found the CFe and FE lenses (the latter on the 203FE, of course) delivered the best results.  I was not happy with the bokeh of the CF* series--the pentagonal aperture gave it somewhat of a harsh quality.  If memory serves, the H glass has a hexagonal aperture, which to my eyes was marginally better.
« Last Edit: December 20, 2010, 03:57:37 pm by bradleygibson »
Logged
-Brad
 [url=http://GibsonPhotographic.com

archivue

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 417
Re: Hasselblad V vs. Hasselblad H with digital backs. Has anybody tested?
« Reply #8 on: December 20, 2010, 05:25:32 pm »

in french...

http://www.lemoyenformat.com/Docs/VIC_FR_Lenses.pdf

i'm using a 503 CW with an aptus 22, and while compare to my digital lenses on my RM3D the zeiss lenses are less sharp... there's more tone values, and in case of hight contrast, it helps !

Focusing is ok si far, but not quick !
Logged

henrikfoto

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 899
Re: Hasselblad V vs. Hasselblad H with digital backs. Has anybody tested?
« Reply #9 on: December 20, 2010, 06:25:56 pm »

in french...

http://www.lemoyenformat.com/Docs/VIC_FR_Lenses.pdf

i'm using a 503 CW with an aptus 22, and while compare to my digital lenses on my RM3D the zeiss lenses are less sharp... there's more tone values, and in case of hight contrast, it helps !

Focusing is ok si far, but not quick !


That is very interesting!
hasselblad is testing their "new" H-lenses against older cf lenses and not the much better cfe lenses. Why??

Of course Hasselblad has to say that the new lenses are better. They went from Zeiss to Japan. Not many current users liked that. But what is the truth? One thing is digital corrections, but what lenses are best?
I would guess the reason to move away from Zeiss are economical than quality...

I would like to see someone able to setup a real test with the newer backs.
« Last Edit: December 20, 2010, 06:35:11 pm by henrikfoto »
Logged

John R Smith

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1357
  • Still crazy, after all these years
Re: Hasselblad V vs. Hasselblad H with digital backs. Has anybody tested?
« Reply #10 on: December 21, 2010, 03:31:45 am »

With some of the V-System lenses, the optical design actually never changed from C to CF and CFE. The 80mm Planar is one which was the same from about 1960 onwards, and the 150mm Sonnar had some minor changes which were basically to streamline production but the optical spec was essentially identical throughout.

I would have thought that if you were shooting a 500 versus a HD, both with the same digital back in terms of megapixels and sensor size, and you were using the standard 80mm lens on both (CF versus HC), then probably the only significant differences would be in the ergonomics, AF, in-camera metering and so forth, not in image quality. What would be really interesting would be if there was actually a difference in the "look" of the pictures because of the way the lenses draw, which is a subjective, not a measurable thing.

John
« Last Edit: December 21, 2010, 03:40:24 am by John R Smith »
Logged
Hasselblad 500 C/M, SWC and CFV-39 DB
an

henrikfoto

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 899
Re: Hasselblad V vs. Hasselblad H with digital backs. Has anybody tested?
« Reply #11 on: December 21, 2010, 04:09:59 am »

With some of the V-System lenses, the optical design actually never changed from C to CF and CFE. The 80mm Planar is one which was the same from about 1960 onwards, and the 150mm Sonnar had some minor changes which were basically to streamline production but the optical spec was essentially identical throughout.

I would have thought that if you were shooting a 500 versus a HD, both with the same digital back in terms of megapixels and sensor size, and you were using the standard 80mm lens on both (CF versus HC), then probably the only significant differences would be in the ergonomics, AF, in-camera metering and so forth, not in image quality. What would be really interesting would be if there was actually a difference in the "look" of the pictures because of the way the lenses draw, which is a subjective, not a measurable thing.

John


It's true that the lens design of some of the lenses are the same for the older and newer cf/cfe lenses.
BUT, the coating has been greatly improved. The old lenses are softer with less contrast.
Logged

John R Smith

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1357
  • Still crazy, after all these years
Re: Hasselblad V vs. Hasselblad H with digital backs. Has anybody tested?
« Reply #12 on: December 21, 2010, 04:51:17 am »

"It's true that the lens design of some of the lenses are the same for the older and newer cf/cfe lenses.
BUT, the coating has been greatly improved. The old lenses are softer with less contrast."

Well, let's just qualify that a little bit. Starting around 1971-2, Zeiss introduced T* coating on the Hasselblad lenses. Before that, the lenses were coated, but less effectively. With some of my lenses, like the 80mm Planar, I have both versions, and can compare them directly. The non T* lenses, in my judgement, are just as sharp and have equal contrast in most situations. You only notice the difference when shooting hard into the light with a contre-jour subject. Then, the T* version delivers a noticeably better result, with less flare, as you might expect.

John
Logged
Hasselblad 500 C/M, SWC and CFV-39 DB
an

BrendanStewart

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 236
    • http://www.symbolphoto.com
Re: Hasselblad V vs. Hasselblad H with digital backs. Has anybody tested?
« Reply #13 on: December 21, 2010, 07:39:30 am »

Thats exactly what I would like to see.
Everybody are talking about how great the new H-lenses are. I have some of them and I am not impressed :-\

What do you object to? I find them stunning... Which ones do you own?

I have the 100 2.2 and the 35-90 and they are both very high quality lenses IMO. 
Logged

henrikfoto

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 899
Re: Hasselblad V vs. Hasselblad H with digital backs. Has anybody tested?
« Reply #14 on: December 21, 2010, 12:50:24 pm »

What do you object to? I find them stunning... Which ones do you own?

I have the 100 2.2 and the 35-90 and they are both very high quality lenses IMO. 

I have the 80mm,120mm and 50-110mm. I think the 80 is ok. The others are disapointing :-[
I compare to Zeiss for v and Contax. And also large format Rodenstock lenses.

Logged

Chris Livsey

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 807
Re: Hasselblad V vs. Hasselblad H with digital backs. Has anybody tested?
« Reply #15 on: December 28, 2010, 05:46:57 am »

Given that the V Zeiss lenses were optimised for focus at infinity (with the obvious exception of the Macro Planar) and the H series at closer focus distances, due the work mainly being fashion or studio at closer distances, any comparison could be claimed to be at the disadvantage of one or the other !!
One of the vibes is that there is more "variation" between samples in the H range than the V but then digital has changed the way we look at lens quality. The changes in the E series were I understand more on the internal baffling and matt blacking which pushed up the apparent contrast rather than any optical work.
Logged

EinstStein

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 501
Re: Hasselblad V vs. Hasselblad H with digital backs. Has anybody tested?
« Reply #16 on: December 28, 2010, 11:42:49 pm »

I have a strong preference on Zeiss optics. However when comparing the V system and H system, you have to remember:
    1. H has the integrated digital body. Not only this helps a lot on the focusing, also it provides a lot more hooks for post processig.
    2. H only needs to be good at 6x4.5 while V needs to cover the 6x6 circle.
For Hasselblad itself, the compelling advantage of H over V is in the accounting book.
A more adequate comparison would be H vs. Phase/Mamiya.

I actually did a comparison between H and Phase/mamiya and Contax 645, and of course also Hasseblad V. I end up with Hasselblad V and Contax 645 and Hasselblad 22 MP digital back.
I use Contax 645 when I need the convenience (1-stop faster lens and all the evil automatic stuffs, including AF and metering). I use Hasselblad V when I want to carry flexbody or want to shoot both digital and film in 6x6.

Contax 645 can take V lenses with the V-to-Contax adapter. The Hasselblad V 40mm-IF and 50mm FLE and 180mm actually outperforms Contax Zeiss's 45mm,140mm
(yes, not an apple to apple comparison) even though they need to cover larger image circle. The Contax 645 35mm and 120mm are the other two lenses that I find hard to replace by anything else.   

Hasselblad's digital back with flexible adapter works pretty good on my three bodies  (V, flexbody and COntax 645). I've heard and read some concerns on the back focusing with the interchangable digital back.
But the local store gave me the guaranttee on the perfect match if needed. (no, they didn't say it would be naturally match, but they would make it match.)
Luckily my systems match perfectly.
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up