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Author Topic: H4D-60 Back on Fuji GX680?  (Read 5833 times)

ndevlin

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H4D-60 Back on Fuji GX680?
« on: January 05, 2014, 10:28:47 pm »


Does anyone in the assembled company of distinguished gentlemen have experience using this combination? I know Kapturegroup made an adapter, but does anyone have firsthand (or even close secondhand) knowledge of how this combo would work?

- N.
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Nick Devlin   @onelittlecamera        ww

bpepz

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Re: H4D-60 Back on Fuji GX680?
« Reply #1 on: January 09, 2014, 11:09:45 am »

First problem would be powering the back, since the H backs do not have batteries built in. On my Hasselblad H3D-39 I use an image bank, but as far as I know the H4D series does not support the image bank. There are some 3rd party solutions that just supply power but I cannot remember them off hand. Your other option is tethering. Next problem... this may be limited to the H3D series, sync issues could be a problem. When I shot with it I saw horrible purple caste to image and extreme color shifts, getting worse at the higher shutter speeds. Originally I wrote this off to the fuji gx being a quirky camera to sync to,  as syncing to a leaf back does not work with hardly any combination. Ok I said, how about something like the RZ67? I had no problems syncing it to my old leaf back in the past, this should be a piece of cake. RZ67 does the same thing, so this got me to investigate a bit. Turns out the H3D backs do not like early light, it seems to take a dark frame or do some sort of calibration BEFORE the shot, and when it gets hit by light early it screws it all up. The key then is to have the back start exposing before the shutter on the camera even opens. One inconvenient way of doing this setting the back's exposure time to something like 2 seconds, and manually triggering the back with a cable release, and then firing the shutter on the Fuji GX680 inside the exposure interval. Obviously this is not an easy way to shoot, so I came up with another more convenient to do the same thing.

I have not tried this with the fuji gx YET, but it fixed the problem completely on my rz67, and in principal should be the same. First, find a cheap electronic cable release on ebay with a 2.5mm jack you can put into the H3D, this is how you will be triggering your fuji gx now. For my rz, I spliced and soldered a cheap cable release into the electronic cable of the L-grip, so now the button on the l-grip can trigger my h3d. Ok, the h3d can be triggered now... whats next? The H3D backs have a flash OUTPUT port as well, take any generic 3.5mm male flash cable, and splice it into the electronic release for your fuji. Essentially, you are turning your H3D into a release for your Fuji. Now that is all done, simply press the button on your generic ebay cable release to trigger the h3d, the h3d will output a signal through the flash output into the fuji gx electronic cable, thus triggering the shutter. This should all happen seamlessly, and instantaneously. At least that is how it worked on my rz67, but I see no reason why the fuji would be any different. The important thing is the sensor begins exposing before the shutter on what ever system you are using opens and everything should be ok.
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Enda Cavanagh

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Re: H4D-60 Back on Fuji GX680?
« Reply #2 on: January 09, 2014, 04:46:53 pm »

Here is info on the issue with the magenta cast at after shutter speeds.It starts to become an issue for me at 1/30 second when using the H3D 39 on my view camera. By the time you get to 1/250 it's like there was a nuclear fallout. I use the hassleblad cable release. I set the back exposure time delay to 2 seconds. I also have my cable release connected to the lens on the view camera. I fore the electronic cable release than I have 2 seconds to fire the view camera cable release. It's like a diy version of the Phase One workflow. The difference is that the vast majority of my images are slower than 1/30 second. If it was a phase one I'd have to shoot a dark frame each time which as I have said previously just wouldn't work for me.

http://www.alpa.ch/en/support/photographic-know-how/can-i-use-my-hasselblad-imacon-digital-back-with-the-alpa.html

Regarding powering the camera I have a very good solution which I use. I connect a quantum turbo 3 battery using the Leaf firewire 800 adaptor to the SD16 cable. I get many hours shooting from it. Today I shot a 360 degree pano with over 200 shots including test shots etc and it hasn't even lost 1/4 of the juice yet. I don't think there is anything out there that will match it. I have used it without any issue on the H4D 50 so I presume there will be no problems on the H4D 60. The bad news going forward is that Hasselblad have changed the voltage of the new higher performance battery grip on the body so as a result the quantum battery doesn't work on the H5D (which I experienced in person. It just shuts itself off)

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/380799-REG/Quantum_Instruments_SD16_SD16_Power_Cable.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=216-00199&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&Top+Nav-Search=

chiek

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Re: H4D-60 Back on Fuji GX680?
« Reply #3 on: January 09, 2014, 08:10:15 pm »

kapturegroup H-gx680 adapter can not focus infinity. because of depth rear plate (inserting hook H mount back )
but studio still-life work is ok.
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chiek imaging, in Seoul, SOUTH-KOREA.
Sinar P2, Hasselblad CFv-50c medium format and a7R systems
major job is products shot, especially for electronic products.
but interested in Landscapes and Portraits, Still-life.
my hobby is Designing camera…
www.chiek.co.kr

epines

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Re: H4D-60 Back on Fuji GX680?
« Reply #4 on: January 09, 2014, 08:58:13 pm »

For untethered power, a cheaper option than the Quantum Turbo 3 is the Tekkeon myPower™ ALL Plus MP3450i R3, plus firewire adapter. I use it. Works well. Make sure you set it to 7.5 Volts.

http://www.tekkeon.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=9&idproduct=124

bpepz

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Re: H4D-60 Back on Fuji GX680?
« Reply #5 on: January 09, 2014, 09:34:33 pm »

kapture group made a new H mount adapter that does have infinity recently.
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bpepz

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Re: H4D-60 Back on Fuji GX680?
« Reply #6 on: January 09, 2014, 09:36:21 pm »

Here is info on the issue with the magenta cast at after shutter speeds.It starts to become an issue for me at 1/30 second when using the H3D 39 on my view camera. By the time you get to 1/250 it's like there was a nuclear fallout. I use the hassleblad cable release. I set the back exposure time delay to 2 seconds. I also have my cable release connected to the lens on the view camera. I fore the electronic cable release than I have 2 seconds to fire the view camera cable release. It's like a diy version of the Phase One workflow. The difference is that the vast majority of my images are slower than 1/30 second. If it was a phase one I'd have to shoot a dark frame each time which as I have said previously just wouldn't work for me.

http://www.alpa.ch/en/support/photographic-know-how/can-i-use-my-hasselblad-imacon-digital-back-with-the-alpa.html

Regarding powering the camera I have a very good solution which I use. I connect a quantum turbo 3 battery using the Leaf firewire 800 adaptor to the SD16 cable. I get many hours shooting from it. Today I shot a 360 degree pano with over 200 shots including test shots etc and it hasn't even lost 1/4 of the juice yet. I don't think there is anything out there that will match it. I have used it without any issue on the H4D 50 so I presume there will be no problems on the H4D 60. The bad news going forward is that Hasselblad have changed the voltage of the new higher performance battery grip on the body so as a result the quantum battery doesn't work on the H5D (which I experienced in person. It just shuts itself off)

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/380799-REG/Quantum_Instruments_SD16_SD16_Power_Cable.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=216-00199&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&Top+Nav-Search=


You should try the cable soldering method. I can send pictures if you are interested in my setup. RZ67 behaves exactly like this and was "cured" by this method.
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Enda Cavanagh

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Re: H4D-60 Back on Fuji GX680?
« Reply #7 on: January 09, 2014, 10:09:12 pm »

For untethered power, a cheaper option than the Quantum Turbo 3 is the Tekkeon myPower™ ALL Plus MP3450i R3, plus firewire adapter. I use it. Works well. Make sure you set it to 7.5 Volts.

http://www.tekkeon.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=9&idproduct=124

Interesting. Never heard of that one before. How much shooting time to you get with one battery

ndevlin

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Re: H4D-60 Back on Fuji GX680?
« Reply #8 on: January 11, 2014, 10:54:15 pm »

On the HD4 series cameras power is not an issue since they draw it over the FW cable.  These backs were, to that extend, made with tech/view camera tethering in mind.

This video of Sean Conboy shooting architectural work in Dubai demonstrates the functionality:
 
http://htv.hasselblad.com/video/h4d-60-dubai

My question remains: how are the Fuji lenses on this back, and can they opened for "live" view focusing?

Chiek's point about no infinity focus (until recently?) might explain why no one has bothered trying this combo, which would seem a killer way to get full movements and stitching for landscape work.

- N.
« Last Edit: January 12, 2014, 11:26:55 pm by ndevlin »
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Nick Devlin   @onelittlecamera        ww

Theodoros

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Re: H4D-60 Back on Fuji GX680?
« Reply #9 on: January 12, 2014, 08:01:47 am »

On the HD4 series cameras power is not an issue since they draw it over the FW cable.  These backs were, to that extend, made with tech/view camera tethering in mind.

This video of Sean Conboy shooting architectural work in Dubai demonstrates the functionality. 

My question remains: how are the Fuji lenses on this back, and can they opened for "live" view focusing?

Chiek's point about no infinity focus (until recently?) might explain why no one has bothered trying this combo, which would seem a killer way to get full movements and stitching for landscape work.

- N.

I use an Imacon 528c on FujiGX680 via a Chinese adapter plate which retains the Contax645 fit that my back is equipped with (I also use C645). I don't know if the dedicated Hasselblad cable to trigger the Fuji via its remote release input is the same, but it is necessary to obtain such a cable in order to be able to do LV and MS (which is my use). If there is such a cable for your back, then it will be usable, I don't think that "common" P.C. sync will be sufficient for use with a dedicated back for H cameras, since there may be focusing compatibility issues with respect to VF and imaging area calibration (there are none in my case - VF is focusing accurately with respect to the sensor distance). To do LV, you have to set the camera shutter on B, I get the "pink cast issue" which ruins the image at speeds longer than 1/2 a second (none at that speed) and sometimes (after testing with the value of the delay) I've been able to avoid the problem at 1 sec. shutter speed. Strange, I don't get any "pink issue" with my Contax, no matter what speed I use, which leads me to think that the issue is related with leaf shutter and maybe the distance of the shutter from the back. As far as lenses are concerned, I use 5 of them (65, 100, 125, 150 and 210) and there is no complain on their quality whatsoever, it seems that the image circle is perfect with respect to the image area of an MFDB as to avoid outer circle image degradation. I used to have a Sinar P2 before and the Fuji does all I used to do with it at a much lower cost (albeit with more fuzz with respect to accuracy). But again, this is only for my needs… Another thing I must say, is that I get 100% success in doing 16x multishot with my Fuji, although it is considered to be the most "noisy" camera around.
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yuri

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Re: H4D-60 Back on Fuji GX680?
« Reply #10 on: January 13, 2014, 02:38:15 pm »

Hi Nick,

Give Mir a call, he is in your neighborhood. Extensive experience with the GX680 system with digital backs of all flavours. Amazing line up of GX680 gear to rent with support to make certain you get results.

http://www.capturetek.com/

Yuri
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