Topic: How good does Hasselblad True Focus work? Need advise on possible upgrade to H4x (Read 10323 times)

henrikfoto · « **on:** November 30, 2011, 04:32:06 pm »

I am thinking of upgrading my H2 to a H4x.
The only new thing I want is the True focus. But how good does is work?
How much can "hit-rate" be improved?

Henrik

evgeny · « **Reply #1 on:** November 30, 2011, 05:11:15 pm »

I extensively use true focus in H4D-40. I usually get about 90-99% in-focus photos both in studio and outdoors when shooting adults.

henrikfoto · « **Reply #2 on:** November 30, 2011, 05:31:27 pm »

And without True Focus, how much would you normally hit?

evgeny · « **Reply #3 on:** November 30, 2011, 06:26:09 pm »

I don't shoot fast moving subjects. I do true focus most of the time, then re–remposition frames. When I rarely press the regular focus button, if subject really moves like children, I expect in–focus rate around 50–50.

JV · « **Reply #4 on:** November 30, 2011, 08:50:45 pm »

evgeny, do you do model shoots?
if yes, how much of an improvement in nailing the focus would you say that True Focus is for model shoots?

BobDavid · « **Reply #5 on:** November 30, 2011, 10:25:45 pm »

I photograph dogs in a studio with strobe lights. Focus accuracy with the H2f is about 95%. I use an 80mm lens usually around f/16.

Wayne Fox · « **Reply #6 on:** December 01, 2011, 01:12:56 am »

Quote from: henrikfoto on November 30, 2011, 04:32:06 pm

I am thinking of upgrading my H2 to a H4x.
The only new thing I want is the True focus. But how good does is work?
How much can "hit-rate" be improved?

Henrik

Improvements would be influenced by how far off center you are focusing the camera before recomposing, and how far away you are, f/stop and of course how particular you are looking at the specific focus point ... the less off center and the further away, the less it will have any affect. Since most subjects are not flat some tolerance or reliance of depth of field is assumed, but certainly varies by photographers own work and tolerances. I don't know how far you have to move away from the subject and how far off center you choose the focus point before you would exceed the tolerance of the AF system.

Your hit/miss rate may might be affected more by subject movement or just the auto focus not nailing it in the first place. AF systems are good, some better than others (I thought my Hasselblad H1 was pretty good) but they aren't perfect ...

evgeny · « **Reply #7 on:** December 01, 2011, 02:05:20 am »

Quote from: JV on November 30, 2011, 08:50:45 pm

evgeny, do you do model shoots?
if yes, how much of an improvement in nailing the focus would you say that True Focus is for model shoots?

I do model shoots, still life subjects, and children. I don't shoot sport, concerts, and similar fast changing and night scenes.

I get a much better in-focus rate with H4D comparing to Contax 645, which I already sold. With Contax focus was Ok, but not always perfect.
With H4D I get desired focus in about every shoot. However my subjects do not move. Nailing focus with children requires some practice, but my focus rate is also greatly improved.
I'm also very pleased that AF in H4D is very fast for my style of photography.

Dustbak · « **Reply #8 on:** December 01, 2011, 04:31:38 am »

I went from H2F to H4D and noticed a big improvement in hit rate. I do portraits, lookbooks (modelshoots) and such. TF works very well. I did notice you have to adopt a shooting style that fits the use of TF. I use a slow (all things are relative of course) pace of shooting. If you have a faster style of shooting or if objects are moving faster and are more difficult to direct TF will be less useful.

design_freak · « **Reply #9 on:** December 01, 2011, 05:49:13 am »

Quote from: henrikfoto on November 30, 2011, 04:32:06 pm

I am thinking of upgrading my H2 to a H4x.
The only new thing I want is the True focus. But how good does is work?
How much can "hit-rate" be improved?

Henrik

Hi,
TF works fine, but I use it only sometimes. But it is very nice. In my opinion big improvement is in autofocus. White Led is amazing. AF is great especialy in low light situations.
If you have IQ180... It will be dream combo. Nice body with the best DB on the market. The question is if they develope new lenses like 35-90 or 28 (full frame)...

JV · « **Reply #10 on:** December 02, 2011, 10:11:04 pm »

when looking through the standard HV90x viewfinder of a Hasselblad H2 everything I saw was captured by my P30+ digital back,
with the H4X a smaller portion of what I see is captured,
does that make sense?
would I need to buy a mask like used by the H4d-31 to see what the back will actually capture?

yaya · « **Reply #11 on:** December 03, 2011, 04:02:52 am »

Quote from: JV on December 02, 2011, 10:11:04 pm

when looking through the standard HV90x viewfinder of a Hasselblad H2 everything I saw was captured by my P30+ digital back,
with the H4X a smaller portion of what I see is captured,
does that make sense?
would I need to buy a mask like used by the H4d-31 to see what the back will actually capture?

You can take the mask/ focusing screen out of your H2 no?

design_freak · « **Reply #12 on:** December 03, 2011, 09:52:20 am »

We have a twenty-first century. Really I'm surprised that the producers did not have solved this problem until today. Technology allows us to construct such a viewfinder to show the frame corresponding to the size of the matrix, which we use.

JV · « **Reply #13 on:** December 03, 2011, 10:30:28 am »

Quote from: yaya on December 03, 2011, 04:02:52 am

You can take the mask/ focusing screen out of your H2 no?

The focusing screens are actually identical, the viewfinders as well, the difference seems to be in the bodies (see picture).
The H2 body shows less but everything it shows is captured by the back.
The H4X shows more but then the 31MP backs crops out part of the image.
I guess I will need an additional focusing screen that is masked for 31MP backs....

yaya · « **Reply #14 on:** December 03, 2011, 10:47:12 am »

Quote from: JV on December 03, 2011, 10:30:28 am

The focusing screens are actually identical, the viewfinders as well, the difference seems to be in the bodies (see picture).
The H2 body shows less but everything it shows is captured by the back.
The H4X shows more but then the 31MP backs crops out part of the image.
I guess I will need an additional focusing screen that is masked for 31MP backs....

The One on the right seems to be the Phase One mask that is fitted under the focusing screen

So you can buy another one or you can buy a Leaf mask for 44x33 backs (it fits OVER the screen)

JV · « **Reply #15 on:** December 03, 2011, 11:44:47 am »

Thanks Yair! It makes sense now. I bought my H1 bodies as used bodies.
I never even realized that the previous owners left their Phase One focusing masks under the focusing screen.

Besides that, the reasons to buy an H4X:

new body, your H1 could potentially be 9 years old, require maintenance, etc
TrueFocus is cool and it works, that being said at this stage I am unsure whether I will really use it a lot...
as already mentioned above autofocus is improved over the H2

I have not been able yet to test out any of the HCD lenses with the H4X

John.Williams · « **Reply #16 on:** December 05, 2011, 07:33:04 am »

Hi JV - we just tested the HCD 28mm lens with both a Hasselblad CFH132 and PhaseOne P25+ in Atlanta this weekend - both performed with the lens without a flaw...

I concur regarding the AF improvement with the H4x, and this leads to TruFocus capability. I find using the TruFocus rear button (formerly the user button) assigned to the task of focus helps me to deliberately focus without the "re-focus" of the shutter release button (by placing the camera in Manual focus mode.)

Will also post the TruFocus results with the P25+ when processed by C1 to see the difference with and without the technology - the trade-in for the H4x is the camera body only, so you keep everything else; it is optional to purchase a new viewfinder that is either digitally cropped (for smaller than 60MP sensor) or full frame.

See the CFH on the H4x here

John

JV · « **Reply #17 on:** December 05, 2011, 09:22:56 am »

Hi John,

Thank you for the feedback!

Would it be possible to illustrate with some pictures what the effect is of the lack of DAC lens corrections when shooting an H4X + 28mm + Phase One back + Capture One compared to H4D + 28mm + Phocus?

It would also be interesting to know whether Capture One has any intention of supporting the HCD 28mm and HCD 35-90mm lenses in the future. Same question actually for the new HC 50mm-II lens.

Also, when uptrading I kept my HV90x viewfinder. Using a P30+ digital back, do you know whether there would be any benefit moving to a HV90x-II or HVD90x viewfinder?

Thanks, Joris.

John.Williams · « **Reply #18 on:** December 05, 2011, 12:55:18 pm »

Joris, Alex Koloskov just posted his results of TruFocus using the H4x with his P25+

Alex used the 80mm lens to illustrate the challenges of keeping focus on our volunteer model's eyes with and without TruFocus and achieved similar results of accurately maintaining the intended focal plan when focusing, then re-composing.

See Alex's video here

Also shows using the HCD 28mm and H4 LED autofocus assist...

John

g.nivera · « **Reply #19 on:** December 28, 2011, 05:58:25 pm »

Hi,
we recently upgraded our h1 and p45 to the h4x and iq180, and was wondering if the true focus animation logo, came up when activating the fucntion. I have checked my settings
both in MF w/ true focus button, af-s /w true focus activated, and af-t modes.

and i get audio confirmation of in focus, but that TF logo as appeares in http://www.hasselblad.com/media/2233280/using%20true%20focus.pdf

never shows up for me in the view finder. is that normal?

thanks
gabe

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