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Author Topic: Complicated Simplicity or 'Blad vs Tech Camera  (Read 3149 times)

ChristopherBarrett

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Complicated Simplicity or 'Blad vs Tech Camera
« on: October 23, 2012, 10:11:21 am »

Sometimes I'd just love to ditch my Rm3d and go with a DSLR.  I most commonly use the 43mm and 35mm.  Those are so hard to see through!  It's really a pain to compose images and my eyes are 43 years old (along with the rest of me).  I shoot the Canon once in a while and it's so nice being able to look through the lens at any point, without needing a loupe, a sliding back and occasionally a dark cloth.  I also hate the restrictions of the Copal shutter.  You can't do a half stop change in shutter speed.  This is a real drag when balancing strobe and ambient.

I'd go with a 'Blad over the Phamiya simply because of the HTS adapter, which I don't really love the idea of... but makes the whole thing workable (not perfect but workable).  So, with a 'Blad system I could have full computer control over the camera, more flexible shutter speeds and be able to look through the damn lens.

Downside... the whole system would be bigger, heavier and I'm pretty sure the image quality would be slightly less.

Dammit.  I'm just ranting, this isn't the camera I'm looking for, move along.  Move along.
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ErikKaffehr

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Re: Complicated Simplicity or 'Blad vs Tech Camera
« Reply #1 on: October 23, 2012, 12:48:57 pm »

Hi,

I guess that you really need an MFDB with functional live view?

Best regards
Erik


Sometimes I'd just love to ditch my Rm3d and go with a DSLR.  I most commonly use the 43mm and 35mm.  Those are so hard to see through!  It's really a pain to compose images and my eyes are 43 years old (along with the rest of me).  I shoot the Canon once in a while and it's so nice being able to look through the lens at any point, without needing a loupe, a sliding back and occasionally a dark cloth.  I also hate the restrictions of the Copal shutter.  You can't do a half stop change in shutter speed.  This is a real drag when balancing strobe and ambient.

I'd go with a 'Blad over the Phamiya simply because of the HTS adapter, which I don't really love the idea of... but makes the whole thing workable (not perfect but workable).  So, with a 'Blad system I could have full computer control over the camera, more flexible shutter speeds and be able to look through the damn lens.

Downside... the whole system would be bigger, heavier and I'm pretty sure the image quality would be slightly less.

Dammit.  I'm just ranting, this isn't the camera I'm looking for, move along.  Move along.
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Erik Kaffehr
 

michele

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Re: Complicated Simplicity or 'Blad vs Tech Camera
« Reply #2 on: October 23, 2012, 01:11:22 pm »

Perhaps a back with a live view it's not good enough. They are not very good, are slow and have big problems with light blooming in the sunlight.
Hasselblad sounds very good indeed, or maybe you could give a try to the phaseone 45mm ts
Cheers

ChristopherBarrett

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Re: Complicated Simplicity or 'Blad vs Tech Camera
« Reply #3 on: October 23, 2012, 01:36:38 pm »

Hah!  Thanks for the perspective, Keith.  I do actually really love my little Arca.  Real LiveView would be a Godsend.
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Don Libby

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Re: Complicated Simplicity or 'Blad vs Tech Camera
« Reply #4 on: October 23, 2012, 01:50:08 pm »

I made the move to a tech cam (Cambo WRS) several years ago and after less than 6-months sold my Phase/Mamiya gear to go 100%.  Then came the Leica M9 which I felt would be a good companion camera for those times I didn't feel the need to use the "big gun".  I was happy and satisfied for about 9-months but something started nagging at me; the (printing) size limitation of the M9.  It just wouldn't come close to what I expected from the P45+ I was using.  Then I upgraded to the P65 and the nagging got louder.  I began asking myself why not go back to the Phase/Mamiya for those times I didn't need/want to use the Cambo.

Long story short.  I sold the M9 got a Phase DF, upgraded the back to an IQ160 and now shoot using the Cambo and DF and just switch the IQ back and forth.  I've got close to the best of both world (at least for me) with the tech cam and the DF.

Downside is the DF is way heavier, larger than the M9.  The upside is that that's the only downside.

Might not address your thoughts however I thought I'd add my 2¢

Don

tho_mas

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Re: Complicated Simplicity or 'Blad vs Tech Camera
« Reply #5 on: October 23, 2012, 04:00:53 pm »

Chris,

I'm with you! f5.6 on the Digitars is realy hard for working on a groundglass. I've thought about switching to Rodenstock Digarons only due to the one stop brighter lenses just for focussing/composition purposes ...

I am using a fresnel plate on my groundglass (on a Cambo WRS). It's somewhat cumbersome to check the edges/corners ... but overall the image is much brighter and therefore the fresnel works pretty "okay" for me with regard to composition.
I also use an attachable view finder. Actually I use it like a "directors finder" (this means I mostly do not attach it on the camera but use it to... well... find the rough composition). The combination of view finder and groundglass (with fresnel) works for me with the Digitars.
I have to say that I am finding the Arca Vario View Finder pretty impressive - it's bright and it doesn't show that much distortion. So if you don't use it maybe give it a try.

At Photokina 2010 I've seen a groundglass made by Bill Maxwell (on the prototype of Cambo's new sliding back camera presented 2 years ago). This groundglass is really bright compared to the regular Cambo groundglass with fresnel ... and also compared to the regular Arca and Alpa groundglasses.
You can order Bill Maxwell groundglasses in any size/shape you want.

Neither of this solutions look as bright as a nice SLR finder in conjunction with a fast lens... unfortunately.

of course viewing tools also won't give you half stops on copal shutters ...


« Last Edit: October 23, 2012, 04:13:59 pm by tho_mas »
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joezl

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Re: Complicated Simplicity or 'Blad vs Tech Camera
« Reply #6 on: October 23, 2012, 04:22:15 pm »

Interesting to read these comments. I use a full frame 35mm DSLR and stitch files to produce large prints. I sell my work through a gallery but still don't make enough off my sales to justify (in my own mind anyway) the purchase of a MFDB. I've borrowed an older Hassy Hd1 with a p25 phase back on occasion but that first generation Hassy has some serious limitations. I find myself hypothetically dreaming up the MF system I'd like to own and inevitably project both the advantages and limitations of each system. The comments posted on this thread parallel my musings. Would the Hassy with the (very expensive) HTS offer enough movement to not require a tech camera? Would I do better with a tech camera and an optical viewfinder? Etc...etc. all hypothetical questions that can't really be answered without actually using the various systems and comparing them. When I read that both tech camera users and slr users have some serious reservations about their systems it makes me wonder if there's any MF system i'd be happy with–and for a 40 thousand dollar system I'd better be damn happy with my choice. The film camera I used most before switching to digital was the Mamiya 7. If I needed movements I used my 4x5. A two camera MFD system is way too expensive for me to consider, so stitching with my 35mm system using TS lenses, as cumbersome as it is, is what I've resigned myself to. Oh for a digital MF rangefinder that doesn't cost as much as a BMW.
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Clyde RF

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Re: Complicated Simplicity or 'Blad vs Tech Camera
« Reply #7 on: October 23, 2012, 10:45:37 pm »

Do you Arca tech users find the Arca focusing system with E module or laser rangefinder to be generally useful in any significant number of situations? It is understandable that so many of us are champing at the bit for a fully effective live view in mfd, but when doing landscape, wherein focusing demands can be somewhat less demanding where broad depth of field is required, I am hoping that if I were to invest in an rm3di, I would be able to get by for now - tiny ground glass image non withstanding.     
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skimasks

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Re: Complicated Simplicity or 'Blad vs Tech Camera
« Reply #8 on: October 23, 2012, 11:27:23 pm »

I feel your pain. I think everyone in the forum feels it. My treatment: supplement shooting with Nikon d800 when possible (still waiting for Schneider to announce the 28mm 4.5 t/s online)...and just wait for true Live View to come to MFD.

ErikKaffehr

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Re: Complicated Simplicity or 'Blad vs Tech Camera
« Reply #9 on: October 24, 2012, 01:50:53 am »

Hi,

My take is that MFDB vendors are probably trying to get a workable live view. Problem is probable twofold, first they need a sensor capable of live view, second they need to develop an ASIC capable of producing the data stream.

Best regards
Erik


I feel your pain. I think everyone in the forum feels it. My treatment: supplement shooting with Nikon d800 when possible (still waiting for Schneider to announce the 28mm 4.5 t/s online)...and just wait for true Live View to come to MFD.
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Erik Kaffehr
 

julienlanoo

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Re: Complicated Simplicity or 'Blad vs Tech Camera
« Reply #10 on: October 30, 2012, 09:13:54 am »

My view,

After a year of testing/renting/forum posting and reading, i finaly went with th Arca Swiss Rm3di to, as arca simply gives for me the best solution and the only remainig open system...

Focussing, i also orderd on photokina the new " cloud " focussing system, wich reminds me a bit of the RF system one could get onbold Graflexes...

In base it looks real good as now you can realy see what your focussed on, plus its attached to the camera so you re always shure you measure from the correct distance...

Because its als linked to the focussing ring, the device show you exactly on how much distance you are actually focussed, so just mach up the numbers et voila...

I didnt get it yet ( half november ) but on the Kina it looked wicked ...

I became a big arca fan... Do all my work with it now...

So yes you can realy focus with the arca without a loupe, just compose under the cloth , turn the ring for focus and make the image ...

The point of DSLR, is valid but its just an other way of shooting, i still use my 645, but for other stuff, with a tech cam one goes back to basics, an thinks a lot more before taking the image ...
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